Tracking has been around in the world of customer relationship management (CRM) since before anyone could remember. It all began in a very basic form, with marketers manually entering data into an Excel spreadsheet. As technology advanced and companies grew larger, this method became increasingly inefficient and inadequate to meet customers' needs.
This is when CRM tracking started to evolve. Businesses leveraged their array of data sources and developed software applications that allowed them to better track their customer interactions across numerous media outlets - web, email, print - creating a much more comprehensive view of customers. This was an eye-opener for many businesses as they were now able to gain valuable insights from analyzing this data.
The next step came with cloud computing, giving companies access to fully featured services for tracking tasks without needing any complicated IT setup or maintenance personnel. Such tools enabled teams to collaborate on projects like never before by sharing ideas over cross-functional platforms; plus it removed lengthy manual processes which made it easier for employees to find information quickly and act faster on trends or opportunities that arise in the market.
As we move forward into the future of tracking within CRM, artificial intelligence is at its peak. Chatbots can be used to automate handling of routine inquiries from customers; analytics outputs can generate trends from large quantities of data; machine learning algorithms can process customer behaviour signals like never before - all these make for better decision making ability and give a competitive edge for companies that embrace AI solutions such as those found in CRM tools today.
To sum up, tracking under CRM has come a long way since it began - with tremendous power given to businesses through greater understanding of how different channels affect campaign success; allowing them insight into optimizing marketing spending instead of flying blind! And hopefully businesses don't miss out on tapping deep into what AI has to offer – providing solutions beyond current imaginings!