Visual deal tracking and sales process management.
Key Functions
| Function | Description | AI Opportunity |
|---|
| Pipeline View | Visual kanban, stages | Smart suggestions |
| Deal Management | Value, probability, close date | Win prediction |
| Activity Tracking | Calls, emails, meetings | Auto-logging |
| Forecasting | Revenue prediction | ML forecasting |
| Task Management | Follow-ups, reminders | Smart scheduling |
| Email Integration | Sync, templates, sequences | Smart compose |
| Reporting | Performance, velocity | Anomaly detection |
| Lead Capture | Forms, imports, API | Enrichment |
| Automation | Stage triggers, notifications | Intelligent workflow |
| Mobile | On-the-go access | — |
Core Entities
| Entity | Fields | Volume | Sensitivity |
|---|
| Deals | value, stage, probability, dates | High | Medium |
| Contacts | name, email, phone, company | High | Medium |
| Companies | name, industry, size, revenue | Medium | Low |
| Activities | type, notes, timestamps | Very High | Low |
| Emails | content, engagement | Very High | Medium |
| Tasks | description, due date, status | High | Low |
| Notes | free text, attachments | High | Medium |
| Products | items, pricing | Low | Low |
Integration Points
| System | Data Flow | Direction |
|---|
| Email | Sync, tracking | Bi-directional |
| Calendar | Meetings, availability | Bi-directional |
| Phone | Call logging | Inbound |
| Marketing | Lead handoff | Inbound |
| Accounting | Won deals, invoices | Outbound |
| Support | Customer context | Outbound |
Data Retention
| Data Type | Typical Retention | Compliance Driver |
|---|
| Deal history | Indefinite | Performance analysis |
| Activity logs | 2-3 years | Audit trail |
| Contact data | Until deletion | Privacy laws |
| Emails | Follows email provider | Legal hold |
Evaluation Criteria
| Criteria | Weight | Notes |
|---|
| Ease of use | High | Rep adoption critical |
| Email integration | High | Gmail/Outlook sync |
| Mobile experience | High | Field sales |
| Customization | Medium | Your sales process |
| Reporting | Medium | Manager visibility |
| Automation | Medium | Time savings |
| Pricing | Medium | Per-seat economics |
Market Leaders
| Product | Strength | Best For |
|---|
| Pipedrive | Visual pipeline, simplicity | SMB |
| Close | Calling, email | Inside sales |
| Monday Sales CRM | Flexibility | Work management focus |
| Freshsales | Price, features | Budget-conscious |
| Copper | Google integration | Google Workspace |
| HubSpot Sales | Free CRM, ecosystem | Inbound sales |
AI Disruption Potential
| Function | Current State | 2027 Projection |
|---|
| Deal scoring | Rules + ML | Predictive |
| Activity logging | Semi-automated | Fully automated |
| Email drafting | Templates | Full generation |
| Forecasting | Probability-based | Multi-signal AI |
| Next best action | Basic suggestions | Autonomous guidance |
| Meeting scheduling | Manual | AI assistant |
Build vs Buy: Buy. Sales tools need tight email/calendar integration. Focus on selling, not building CRM.