Exploring the Challenges of migration towards Software-as-a-Service in Iran: the case study of Cloud-based CRM using a multidimensional perspective

Cloud-based CRM has emerged as a popular option for organizations due to its cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and ease of use. However, migrating to cloud-based CRM brings critical challenges that organizations must consider. The current study aims to comprehensively explore the main challenges of cloud-based CRM and investigate their importance by using a mixed method approach. First, to identify the main challenges regarding migration towards cloud-based CRM, a review of related literature, along with qualitative semi-structured interviews, were conducted; then, the extracted main challenges and sub-challenges were weighted and prioritized using the best-worst method (BWM). The research findings categorize the primary challenges of cloud-based CRM into four key areas: organizational, technical, vendor-related, and environmental. Findings from the BWM indicate that organizational and technical challenges are ranked as the most critical, followed by vendor-related and environmental challenges. This research contributes an integrated framework that provides a clearer understanding of cloud CRM’s multifaceted challenges, essential for successful deployment.