[2026 Japan Customer Success Market Trends Survey] CS Barriers Shift with Phase: From Framework Building in Implementation to ROI Proof and Talent Shortages in Expansion

Virtualex Consulting Inc., a Virtualex Group company, has conducted its 'Customer Success Japan Market Trends & Conditions Survey' and compiled the results for the 7th edition, 2026 version.

This time, we analyzed the issues and barriers related to customer success initiatives along two axes: the duration of the initiative (organizational maturity) and the state of the challenges (past, present, future). Instead of lumping all current issues together, we have clarified the situation by separating them into challenges currently being addressed systematically (proactive measures/investment areas) and major barriers hindering progress (serious bottlenecks obstructing activities).

Highlights of the 7th Edition

- **Common Barrier in CS Implementation is Lack of Know-How, Shifting to Framework Building with Expert Support** A majority of companies face uncertainty about where to start in the implementation phase, with many overcoming it by utilizing external experts. While companies with less than 2 years of experience are proactively working on this framework building, an unsolvable shortage of talent and a lack of understanding from management are hampering their activities.

- **Challenge in Expansion Phase is Visualizing Results, Facing a Wall of Talent Depletion** Once initiatives exceed two years, the challenges on the ground shift to more advanced areas like proving ROI and data integration. However, the reality is that no matter how meticulously strategies are planned, the insufficiency of talent and organizational structure to drive them becomes the heaviest dragging factor.

- **Preparing for the Future: Mature Companies Accelerate AI & Technology Investment** In mature companies (initiatives over 2 years) with established foundations, there is a prominent move away from dependence on individual resources. Through proactive investment in data analysis and business automation using AI and IT tools, as well as strengthening customer data integration, they aim to preemptively prevent future talent depletion risks and boost sustainable organizational capabilities.

The 3 Major Early Barriers Everyone Faces in CS Implementation and Their Solutions

As a past challenge that organizations have overcome, when we asked companies overall (n=794) about barriers at the start of their CS initiatives, the following three major barriers emerged:

1. Not knowing where to start / No manual (54.7%) 2. Insufficient talent/organizational structure / No skilled personnel (30.7%) 3. Cannot get understanding from management/senior leadership (28.0%)

This shows that many companies started their activities with both know-how and structure undeveloped. As a specific solution to this initial lack of know-how, it is extremely characteristic that 47.5% chose to request/consult with external experts. There is a strong trend of breaking through initial walls by quickly relying on external resources like experts when in-house know-how is absent.

Based on these 'past overcome barriers,' we will next look at what companies are currently working on and struggling with, categorized by the duration of their initiatives.

Current State of Implementation Phase (Under 2 Years): Proactive Framework Building and Impeding Walls

Looking at the current challenges by organizational maturity based on the duration of CS initiatives, for companies in the implementation phase of less than 2 years (n=246), the top challenge they are systematically working to solve is 'Not knowing where to start / No manual' (42.3%). This is followed by 'Cannot get understanding from management/senior leadership' (26.0%) and 'Insufficient talent/organizational structure' (25.2%), indicating that resources are being allocated to internal structure building and process standardization (framework building).

On the other hand, looking at major barriers that are difficult to solve independently, 'Not knowing where to start' (31.7%), 'Insufficient talent/organizational structure' (19.9%), and 'Cannot get understanding from management/senior leadership' (18.3%) still dominate the top ranks. Furthermore, the reality is that issues unique to a trial-and-error state, such as 'No tools to work with / Don't know which tool to choose' (12.6%) and 'Don't know if what we are doing is right' (11.8%), are also acting as dragging factors.

Current State of Expansion Phase (Over 2 Years): Sophisticated Performance Visualization and Serious Bottlenecks

For companies entering the expansion phase with over 2 years of CS initiatives (n=492), the nature of the challenges they face changes dramatically. Looking at the challenges this group is systematically working to solve, while manuals and talent shortages are still high on the list, the following elements emerge significantly compared to those with less than 2 years of experience:

- Difficulty in directly measuring specific business effects and ROI (17.7%) - Not knowing how to set/operate performance indicators for customers (17.7%) - Problems with data integration between tools and systems (15.9%)

As operations expand and become more sophisticated, companies are proactively addressing strategic challenges like proving ROI and data integration. However, what is noteworthy are the figures for serious bottlenecks obstructing activities. Even for companies with over 2 years of experience, the challenge of 'Insufficient talent/organizational structure' (24.8%) still weighs heavily, with about 1 in 4 companies facing this wall. This suggests a structural gap where the organizational capacity to execute cannot keep up with the sophistication of strategy, telling the story of many organizations hitting a growth ceiling.

It has been shown that no matter how advanced the strategies planned on the ground are, the depletion of human resources to promote them and the lack of inter-organizational cooperation are the biggest factors stagnating the initiatives of mature companies.

Preparing for the Future: Mature Organizations' Early Start on AI & Technology Investment

So, what kind of preparations are companies making for the organizational bottlenecks that appear after the foundation is laid? Comparing what is being done to prepare for future challenges by initiative duration, a clear difference in awareness of the 'future walls' that organizations face emerged. Firstly, for companies with less than 2 years of initiatives, the proportions for 'Request/consult with external experts' (32.1%) and 'Participate in online communities' (21.5%) were significantly higher than for companies with 2 or more years. Lacking in-house know-how, they appear to be actively seeking external knowledge.