Companies Prioritize Revenue Performance with AI, ISG Says
New ISG Buyers Guide™ research finds revenue performance systems are integrating revenue operations to improve decision-making, boost business growth
Software applications and platforms unify executives and teams across sales channels to align operations with objectives
Enterprises are unifying revenue operations and performance management across channels, using software designed to help leaders and sellers align strategies and processes with business goals, according to new research from global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III).
The ISG Buyers Guide™ for Revenue Performance Management (RPM), produced by ISG Software Research, provides rankings and ratings of 15 software providers and their products to support comprehensive revenue management across multiple channels. The research also examines incentive compensation management and sales performance management software. It finds that revenue performance systems are integrating all aspects of revenue operations, including managing territories, quotas, incentives and planning, to enable better decision-making and more consistent business growth. The ISG Buyers Guide™ for Sales Performance Management Emerging Providers, published in conjunction with the RPM guide, rates and ranks seven providers that address the core needs of sales organizations in innovative ways through AI, automation and advanced user experiences.
"Leading enterprises and sales leaders are investing in revenue performance management as a unified set of processes and systems for all revenue streams and functions," said Mark Smith, partner and chief software analyst, ISG Software Research. "Using a common, modern software platform that covers territories, quotas, incentives and plans provides forward-looking insights and guidance to ensure every customer interaction is aligned with growth expectations."
Revenue performance management goes beyond traditional sales performance management (SPM), which primarily served direct sales teams and addressed only one channel, the research finds. These applications and platforms span all channels, including e-commerce, subscriptions, renewals and indirect channels, and incorporate capabilities such as forecasting, revenue recognition and predictive analytics. They unify strategy, data and processes for integrated revenue teams from sales, marketing, customer success and other functions.
Integration with other systems, especially customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), billing and support, is essential for effective RPM platforms, ISG finds. By combining data from all these sources, RPM can design smarter sales territories, quotas and incentives that help companies meet revenue goals. Aligning all revenue-related functions around shared goals can significantly enhance enterprises' agility for omnichannel engagement.
AI and machine learning are rapidly increasing the power of RPM systems to turn data into actionable insights, the research reveals. Enterprises are using these technologies to predict churn, score deals, find upselling opportunities and give sellers recommendations for their next steps. AI can also improve team performance and retention by identifying top talent and employees most at risk of leaving.
Some enterprises seeking to better manage sales performance are turning to new and niche SPM providers with solutions that address foundational needs through distinctive approaches, ISG finds. These providers have developed new ways for managing sales organizations through automation, AI and improved user experience. These include original methods to help companies perform territory and quota planning, incentive compensation, sales forecasting and other tasks.
For its 2025 Buyers Guide™ for Revenue Performance Management, ISG evaluated software providers across three platform categories: Revenue Performance Management, Sales Performance Management and Incentive Compensation Management. A total of 15 providers were assessed: Akeron, Anaplan, Beqom, Board, Everstage, Jedox, NiCE, Optymyze, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, Varicent, Workday, Xactly and Xoxoday.
For the Buyers Guide™ for Sales Performance Management Emerging Providers, ISG evaluated software providers in one platform category: Sales Performance Management. A total of seven providers were assessed: CaptivateIQ, ElevateHQ, Forma.ai, Fullcast, infinitySPM, Performio and Pigment.
ISG Software Research rates software providers in four evaluation categories: Product Experience, incorporating Capability and Platform, and Customer Experience. Providers ranked in the top three for each evaluation category are named as Leaders. Within each platform category, those with the most Leader rankings are named as Overall Leaders.
The Overall Leaders of the 2025 Buyers Guide™ for Revenue Performance Management were the following in each of the software categories in this report:
Revenue Performance Management: Anaplan was the top Overall Leader, followed by Xactly and Oracle. Anaplan was designated a Leader in three evaluation categories, Xactly in three and Oracle in two. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Akeron and Varicent. Oracle was rated Innovative.
Sales Performance Management: Anaplan was the top Overall Leader, followed by Xactly and Oracle. Anaplan was designated a Leader in five evaluation categories, Xactly in five and Oracle in three. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Akeron, Salesforce and Varicent. No providers were rated Innovative.
Incentive Compensation Management: Anaplan was the top Overall Leader, followed by Xactly and Oracle. Anaplan was designated a Leader in three evaluation categories, Xactly in three and Oracle in two. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Akeron, NiCE, Salesforce and Varicent. Board was rated Innovative.
The Overall Leaders of the 2025 Buyers Guide™ for Sales Performance Management Emerging Providers were the following:
Sales Performance Management: Forma.ai was the top Overall Leader, followed by Pigment and infinitySPM. Forma.ai was designated a Leader in five evaluation categories, Pigment in three and infinitySPM in four. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Performio. Fullcast and CaptivateIQ were rated Innovative.
"By making RPM an enterprise-wide discipline, organizations gain the agility and insights to achieve consistent revenue outcomes," said Robert Kugel, executive director, Business Research, ISG Software Research. "AI-enabled guidance on tasks such as territory alignment and incentive planning will be the key to future growth in complex channel ecosystems."
The ISG Buyers Guides™ for Revenue Performance Management and Sales Performance Management Emerging Providers are distillations of more than a year of market and product research efforts. The research is not sponsored nor influenced by software providers and is conducted solely to help enterprises optimize their business and IT software investments.
Visit this webpage to learn more about the ISG Buyers Guides™ for Revenue Performance Management and Sales Performance Management Emerging Providers and read executive summaries of each of the reports. The complete reports, including provider rankings across seven product and customer experience dimensions and detailed research findings on each provider, are available by contacting ISG Software Research.
About ISG Software Research
ISG Software Research provides authoritative coverage and analysis of the business and IT software industry. It distributes research and insights daily through its user community, and provides a portfolio of consulting, advisory, research and education services for enterprises, software and service providers, and investment firms. Its ISG Buyers Guides™ help enterprises evaluate and select software providers through tailored assessments powered by ISG's proprietary methodology. Visit http://research.isg-one.com/ for more information and to sign up for free community membership.
About ISG
ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world's top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data, in-depth knowledge of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,600 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.
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