Territory planning is one of the most consequential exercises in RevOps, yet most teams still do it in sprawling spreadsheets passed between sales leadership and ops over weeks of back-and-forth. The result is territories that look balanced on paper but crumble in practice - uneven quota attainment, account conflicts, and coverage gaps that leak pipeline. Dedicated territory planning tools solve this, but the transition requires careful timing.

Signs You Have Outgrown Spreadsheets

Spreadsheet-based territory planning is fine for small teams. But as complexity grows, the limitations become costly:

  • Manual data pulls - You spend hours exporting CRM data, enrichment data, and historical bookings into a master spreadsheet
  • Version control chaos - Multiple stakeholders edit different copies, and reconciling changes takes days
  • No scenario modeling - Testing a “what if we split the Northeast into two territories” scenario requires rebuilding the spreadsheet
  • Stale data - By the time territories are finalized, the underlying data is weeks old
  • Rep conflict resolution - Disputes about account ownership are adjudicated in email threads with no audit trail

Benchmark: If your territory planning cycle takes more than two weeks from start to final assignment, tooling will cut that time by 50-70%.

What Dedicated Tools Provide

Territory planning software addresses each of these pain points:

Capability Spreadsheet Dedicated Tool
Data integration Manual exports/imports Live CRM + enrichment sync
Scenario modeling Rebuild from scratch Drag-and-drop, side-by-side comparison
Balance scoring Manual formulas Automated scoring on revenue, accounts, whitespace
Collaboration Email + file sharing In-app comments, approval workflows
Assignment publishing Manual CRM updates One-click push to CRM
Audit trail Hoping someone tracked changes Full version history

Tool Comparison

Here are the leading dedicated territory planning tools and how they compare:

Salesforce Maps (formerly MapAnything)

  • Best for: Salesforce-native organizations that want geographic visualization
  • Native Salesforce integration with no middleware required
  • Map-based territory design with drive-time and geographic balancing
  • Pricing: From $75/user/month on top of Salesforce licenses
  • Limitation: Tightly coupled to Salesforce; not viable for HubSpot teams

Fullcast

  • Best for: RevOps teams that want territory planning, quota setting, and capacity planning in one platform
  • Scenario modeling with side-by-side territory comparisons
  • Integrates capacity planning so headcount changes flow into territory adjustments
  • Pricing: Custom; typically $20,000-50,000/year for mid-market teams
  • Strength: Treats territory planning as a continuous process, not a one-time event

Gradient Works

  • Best for: Teams moving toward dynamic book management instead of static territories
  • Shifts from fixed territories to dynamic account distribution based on rep capacity and account signals
  • Accounts flow to reps based on scoring rules rather than geographic or named-account boundaries
  • Pricing: Custom; mid-market pricing starts around $15,000/year
  • Strength: Ideal for PLG and hybrid sales motions where static territories create bottlenecks

Pigment / Anaplan

  • Best for: Enterprise teams that need territory planning embedded within broader financial planning
  • Full planning platform that covers territories, quotas, headcount, and financial modeling
  • Powerful but heavy - implementation requires a dedicated admin or consultant
  • Pricing: Enterprise contracts typically exceed $50,000/year

Implementation Tips

  1. Start with data cleanup. Territory tools are only as good as the account data they ingest. Clean industry codes, employee counts, and revenue fields in your CRM before importing.
  2. Define balance criteria upfront. Decide what “balanced” means - equal revenue potential, equal account count, equal whitespace, or a weighted combination.
  3. Run the first cycle in parallel. Build territories in the new tool while maintaining your spreadsheet as a backup. Compare outputs to build confidence.
  4. Establish a change process. Territories will need mid-cycle adjustments for rep departures, new hires, and account reassignments. Define who can request changes, who approves them, and how they are published.

Key Takeaways

  • Graduate from spreadsheets once your team exceeds 30 reps or territory planning cycles take more than two weeks
  • Choose tools based on your CRM, planning philosophy (static vs. dynamic), and whether you need integrated capacity planning
  • Clean your account data before implementing any territory tool - bad data in means bad territories out