Grace launches autopilot tracking tool for CRM platforms

by Kelly O'Halloran
September 26, 2016

Seventeen years ago, Salesforce launched its CRM platform, forever changing the lives of those working in sales, marketing and analytics. The software gave companies a singular place to track every move of the sales process and points of contact with existing customers, in addition to providing insightful data on market trends and campaign effectiveness. 
 
But that doesn't mean the platform is without its faults. One complaint around Salesforce is its lack of automation, making it difficult for people to track customer conversations, create new customer contact fields and upload email communication or calendar updates.
 
A new Austin startup wants to fix that.
 
Grace provides an "autopilot" for data entry, using machine learning algorithms and custom triggers to address two key issues for sales organizations. On one hand, the service removes the managerial tasks that sales reps have to complete for accountability. It also provides accurate, real-time forecast predictions for leadership without having to depend on sales reps to get it done in a timely manner. 
 
“The algorithm automates the data capture from reps’ calendars, emails, and calls and places them in Salesforce, so there is no manual input by the sales rep,” said co-founder and CEO Vadim Ismakaev. “They get their time back, and their managers get their time back.”
 
Ismakaev and his team estimate that Grace saves about eight hours a week per sales rep by generating updates on their behalf. 
 
Grace’s co-founder and President Victoria McClure is a sales veteran and certified Salesforce trainer who's dealt first hand with the monotony of having to track her own sales activities. She has built relationships across the country with representatives from small mom and pop shops to Fortune 1000 companies to determine whether or not the need for a platform like Grace's is there. 
 
“The most common feedback we get is, ‘Is it ready yet?’” said McClure.
 
Users don’t have to be logged in to Salesforce for Grace to pull the data (a win for road warrior sales reps), and if Salesforce goes down, as it sometimes does, Grace will queue the updated information until it’s back up. 
 
“Nothing will occur without Grace notifying the user, and any change can be declined at anytime without fear of losing critical data,” said Ismakaev. 
 
After being a work in progress for about a year with several local small business test users, Grace officially launched earlier this month.
 
The team will head to Salesforce’s annual San Francisco-based convention, Dreamforce, to promote awareness through brand ambassadors and speak on Grace’s functionalities and offerings. 
 
“We’ll have our attorney on standby for conversations afterwards if anyone asks, ‘What’s the price?’” said McClure.
 
Over the next few months, the team of seven will feel out accelerator programs and consider raising a Series A round of financing, while developing new features as the CRM landscape adapts. 
 
 
Images provided by Grace and Shutterstock.
 
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