Whether a start-up or a large enterprise, all organisations understand the importance of technology in improving efficiency and in achieving customer satisfaction. However, technology investments typically go into sales and operations. Martech investments are still considered something that can be postponed till the time the organisation achieves a certain scale. Manpower resource can give speed, scale, and insights to a certain extent. Ultimately, you will need a set of martech tools.

In my experience, Martech is a Day 1 investment. The importance of Martech can be asserted using the Olympics slogan – Citius, Altius, Fortius – because what marketing teams need are:

– FASTER response to market changes
– HIGHER scale of marketing activities, and
– STRONGER execution and tracking.

Determining any new resource – whether manpower or technology – requires assessment of what the benefits are in terms of speed, scale, and insights. These become the three parameters to select the tool that is best for you.

A good starting point is to create an exhaustive list of use cases. Quite a few martech tools, you would realise, do not make the cut as they would be serving a very limited list of use cases.

Of course, money / budget is important. Organisations should evaluate tools holistically for costs on five fronts:
1. Cost of license
2. Cost of set-up
3. Cost of usage
4. Cost of maintenance
5. Cost of upgrade

Calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) based on the above cost heads. The objectives of speed, scale, and insights determine what should be the measurable outcomes, and provide metrics for overall ROI.

Management teams should not wait for the milk to spill before deciding to act. Technology is the bridge that connects two banks of a river; you can either build this bridge or continue to swim across or use boats. You shall get from Point A to B, sure, but it will certainly not be the faster and better way to reach your goal.

This article was first published on LinkedIn in October 2025. Link here.