Have You Seen the Gartner 2023 Magic Quadrant for SFA?

Gartner’s 2023 Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation (SFA) Platforms is now available to download here.

What Is a Sales Force Automation (SFA) Platform?

Sales force automation, or SFA, is a tool or software platform that automates many of the daily tasks typically done by sales teams.

SFA is often included as a feature of CRM software, but it can also exist as its own separate sales app that you can then integrate with an existing CRM system.

The standard capabilities of SFA systems include sales activity management, guided selling, pipeline and forecast management, and analytics. Optional capabilities include digital sales rooms and revenue intelligence.

2023 Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation (SFA) Platforms

Leaders

Leaders are defined as those with the ability to execute their vision through products, services, and demonstrably solid business results, in the form of revenue and earnings.

Salesforce

Salesforce Sales Cloud is well-suited for most use cases, including B2B, B2C and indirect channel sales. Recent enhancements to its product portfolio include a revenue insights dashboard for sales customers who do not use forecasting, as well as enhancements to collaborative forecasting.

Noted strengths include: Partner Relationship Management (PRM), Product Portfolio and Ecosystem, and Customer Community and Success.

Microsoft

Microsoft’s SFA product, Dynamics 365 Sales, is relevant for most B2B and B2C sales processes.

Noted strengths include: Innovation, Sales Productivity, and Customer-Centric Product Strategy.

Oracle

Part of the Fusion Cloud Applications Suite, Oracle Sales is well-suited for mostly midsize and large enterprise deployments, although it can support the small and midsize business (SMB) segment through its NetSuite product portfolio.

Noted strengths include: Innovation, Mobile, Devices and Bots, and Market Responsiveness.

★★★★★

Challengers

Challengers are defined as those which are often larger than most (but not all) Niche Players, and demonstrate a higher volume of new business for SFA.

They have the size to compete worldwide; however, in some cases, they may not be able to execute equally well in all geographies or segments.

Creatio

Sales Creatio caters to diverse use cases including B2B, B2C and partner channel sales, and holds a strong presence in industries such as financial services, professional services and manufacturing. It also integrates ChatGPT for AI-led workflow automation.

Noted strengths include: Guided Selling Capabilities, Customer Community, and Vertical Strategy.

Pega

The Pega Sales Automation product is more suited toward large and global enterprises, with functionality tailored for key industry verticals, including insurance, financial services, and healthcare.

Noted strengths include: Vertical Strategy, Lead Management, and Product Strategy.

SugarCRM

Sugar Sell is often targeted at the B2B upper midmarket, though the vendor does sell to B2C and enterprise customers.

SugarCRM supports all industries and offers industry-specific templates for manufacturing, high tech, financial services, and professional services.

Noted strengths include: Implementation Services, Customer Success Strategy, and Sales Strategy.

★★★★★

Visionaries

Visionaries are defined as those which are ahead of most potential competitors in delivering innovative products and/or delivery models.

They anticipate emerging and changing sales needs and move the market into fresh areas with solutions that improve sales execution.

Zoho

Zoho CRM is well-suited to support sales organizations of all sizes and segments; however, Zoho is more prevalent in SMB and midsize organizations, with emphasis in the technology, professional services, financial services, real estate and retail industries.

Noted strengths include: Native Product Strategy, Customer Community, and Market Responsiveness.

SAP

SAP Sales Cloud is commonly deployed by larger B2B and B2C organizations that have deployed SAP’s ERP, and is well-suited for the CPG, wholesale, high-tech/software, manufacturing, and professional-services industries.

Noted strengths include: Market Understanding, Complex Use Cases, and AI at No Extra Charge.

★★★★★

Niche Players

Niche Players are defined as those which often offer the best solutions for the needs of particular sales organizations or sales use cases.

These vendors may offer complete portfolios for a specific industry, but face challenges in one or more areas necessary to support cross-industry requirements.

HubSpot

HubSpot’s SFA product, Sales Hub, supports small and midsize deployments – with most of its implementations in North America and Europe.

Noted strengths include: Out-of-the-Box Integrations, Scope of Native Capabilities, and Consent Management for Sellers.

BUSINESSNEXT

BUSINESSNEXT is a compendium of different enterprise solutions, with a focus on financial services and insurance globally.

Noted strengths include: Platform Flexibility, Deployment Options, and Account and Contact Scoring.

Freshworks

Freshsales is aimed primarily at small and midsize enterprises in multiple vertical industries, with highest presence in professional services and high tech/software.

Noted strengths include: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), Collaboration, and Customer Success.

Neocrm

Neocrm’s customer base is predominantly in China, although it is beginning to expand deployments outside of the region. Its top vertical segments are manufacturing, technology, professional services, and CPG industries, and has an automotive-industry edition of its application.

Noted strengths include: Mobile Support, Visualization and Analytics, and Collaboration.

Vtiger

Vtiger One is best-suited for the SMB segment. Serving B2B and B2C, it also supports channel sales features. It has a construction industry vertical edition, and supported use cases for the financial services, insurance, pharmaceutical, and real-estate industries.

Noted strengths include: SMB Market Strategy, Functionality, and Buyer Engagement.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organisation and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner and Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document.

If you are looking for more information on technology vendors and industry reports, read these articles next: