If you’re responsible for B2B revenue operations, you’re probably drowning in spreadsheets, chasing down sales commissions, and trying to keep the finance team happy—all while everyone wants “better insights.” Xactlycorp offers a big promise: automate commissions, forecast revenue, and finally get your teams on the same page. But before you shell out for another shiny SaaS tool, it’s worth knowing what matters, what’s fluff, and what might bite you later.
Here’s what to actually look for when considering Xactlycorp for your revenue ops stack.
Who Should Care
This guide is for revenue operations leads, sales ops pros, and anyone forced to wrangle quota, comp plans, and sales data. If you’re evaluating platforms or just want to sanity-check Xactlycorp’s claims, read on.
1. Core Compensation Automation (The Real Reason You’re Here)
Let’s be honest: Spreadsheets break, and “manual oversight” is just a nice way of saying “someone forgot to update the sheet.” Xactlycorp’s bread and butter is automating sales compensation and commissions.
What To Look For
- Flexible Plan Builder: Can you actually model your (probably convoluted) comp plans? If your team uses SPIFs, accelerators, or territory carve-outs, make sure the tool isn’t just built for basic flat-rate plans.
- Change Management: Can you tweak plans mid-quarter without nuking historical data or causing accounting headaches?
- Audit Trail: If a rep questions their payout, is there a clear, reportable trail? You don’t want shadow spreadsheets or “trust me, bro” answers.
Pro tip: Ask to see a demo of a plan change in action. If it takes more than a few clicks or needs a consultant, that’s a red flag.
2. Data Integrations (No More “CSV Tuesdays”)
A compensation platform is only as good as its data. If Xactlycorp can’t pull in your CRM, ERP, and HRIS data reliably, you’ll be stuck doing the same old manual uploads.
Key Features
- Plug-and-Play Integrations: Native connectors for Salesforce, Netsuite, Workday, etc. are a must. Avoid “we support CSV” as the main integration story.
- Data Sync Frequency: Can you set real-time, hourly, or daily syncs? Stale data means angry sales reps.
- Error Handling: What happens when data breaks? Is there clear logging, and can non-technical users fix issues without opening a support ticket?
What’s Overhyped
- “AI-powered cleansing”—most companies just need clean, reliable imports, not a magic robot.
- “Universal API”—nice, but unless you have devs on standby, native integrations are what you’ll actually use.
3. Reporting and Dashboards (For Reps, Finance, and Everyone Else)
Your execs want dashboards. Your reps want to know if they’ll make quota. Your finance team wants to know who’s blowing the budget. Can Xactlycorp deliver all three—without you needing to babysit every report?
Must-Have Reporting Features
- Role-Based Views: Reps see their pipeline and earnings, managers see team rollups, finance sees the whole picture.
- Self-Serve Access: People can pull their own reports, not ping you every Friday afternoon.
- Scheduled Exports: Automatic exports for month-end, payroll, or board decks.
- Drill-Downs: Not just pretty graphs—can you click in to see the deals behind the numbers?
Watch Out For
- Laggy dashboards. If it takes 30 seconds to load a report, users will go back to Excel.
- Overly complex “BI-style” tools. Simpler is better, unless you have a data team itching to build their own cubes.
4. Territory and Quota Management (The Painful Stuff)
Most B2B orgs change territories, quotas, or both at least once a year (if not more). Doing this by hand is a nightmare. Xactlycorp touts territory and quota management features, but they’re not all created equal.
What Matters
- Bulk Edits: Can you move a dozen reps or accounts at once, or is it one painful update at a time?
- Scenario Planning: Can you model “what if” changes before making them live? (E.g., “What happens if we raise quota by 10%?”)
- Historical Tracking: Keep a record of who owned what, when. Otherwise, comp disputes will haunt you.
Ignore the Hype
- “Dynamic territory optimization” often sounds fancier than it is. Unless you have a PhD in operations research, you’ll use basic drag-and-drop and maybe some filters.
5. Forecasting and Predictive Analytics (Proceed With Caution)
Every SaaS platform claims to “predict revenue.” Xactlycorp is no different. But most companies just want to know: Are we on track? Who is lagging? Not “which rep had a bad commute and might churn.”
What’s Useful
- Simple Pipeline Tracking: Realistic projections based on what’s actually in flight.
- Quota Attainment Forecasts: How likely are teams and individuals to hit their number, based on real data?
- Deal Slippage Alerts: Warnings when deals are pushed or stuck.
What’s Not
- “AI-driven” predictions with little transparency. If you can’t see why the forecast changed, it’s just a black box.
- Trend lines that ignore seasonality or custom sales cycles.
6. User Experience (Don’t Underestimate This)
All the features in the world mean nothing if no one wants to log in. Clunky interfaces kill adoption, and you’ll be back to spreadsheets fast.
Key Questions
- Is Navigation Intuitive? Can a new rep find their comp plan without a training session?
- Mobile Access: Can managers approve comp changes or review dashboards on their phones?
- Customization: Can you hide unused features and simplify menus, or is it “all or nothing”?
Red Flags
- Required training just to run a report.
- “Coming soon” features that have been “coming soon” for months.
7. Security & Compliance (Don’t Get Burned)
You’re dealing with payroll and sensitive sales data. If Xactlycorp can’t handle security and compliance, stop here.
Look For
- SOC 2, GDPR, and CCPA Compliance: Not just a badge—ask for proof and recent audits.
- Granular User Permissions: Not every manager should see every rep’s payout.
- Single Sign-On (SSO): If your company uses Okta or another identity provider, integration is a must.
Ignore
- Overly fancy encryption talk. Just make sure they meet your legal and IT requirements.
8. Support, Documentation, and Community
No matter how slick the software, you’ll need help eventually. Good support can save your bacon; bad support turns small hiccups into disasters.
Check For
- Responsive Support: What’s the SLA? Is support U.S.-based or international? Is there a real phone number?
- Up-to-Date Docs: Are there clear, searchable guides for admins and end users?
- User Forums or Communities: Can you learn from other users, or is everyone on their own?
Pro Tip
Ask for references from current customers—preferably ones who’ve used the tool for over a year.
What to Skip (and What to Push Back On)
A lot of platforms pad their decks with “future roadmap” items and flashy AI. You want features that will save time and reduce errors, not just look good in a slide deck.
- Don’t get sold on “next-gen” analytics if you barely use your current reports.
- Skip the “gamification” features unless your reps actually care about badges.
- Be skeptical of heavy customization—most teams end up regretting it when it's time to upgrade.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate as You Go
Don’t let a long feature list distract you from what you actually need. Get the basics right: reliable comp automation, solid integrations, and straightforward reporting. Test with a pilot group, and don’t be afraid to push back on features you won’t use. Start with what solves real pain today, and add complexity only if it makes your life easier. You’re here to make things work—not to win a SaaS bingo card.