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Syntheia Launches AssistantNLP, Elevating Customer Interaction with AI-Powered Receptionist Service

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February 5, 2025

Syntheia Launches AssistantNLP, Elevating Customer Interaction with AI-Powered Receptionist Service

Syntheia Corp. (“Syntheia” or the “Company”) (syntheia.ai), CSE – SYAI, a leading provider of conversational AI solutions for inbound telephone call management, is pleased to announce the commercial launch of its groundbreaking product, AssistantNLP. This milestone marks a pivotal moment in the Company’s journey as AssistantNLP becomes available to businesses worldwide, starting with its first service: the AI-Powered Receptionist.

“Our mission is to make AI-driven customer interaction seamless and accessible for businesses of all sizes with a goal of 10,000 subscribers in 2025,” said Tony Di Benedetto, Chief Executive Officer of Syntheia

Designed to enhance how businesses engage with their customers, our AI-Powered Receptionist leverages the power of natural language processing (NLP) to handle inbound calls with accuracy and efficiency. The service currently supports English, with additional languages planned for release in the near future, expanding its global accessibility.

Proven Impact:

Since its beta launch in June 2023, AssistantNLP’s Receptionist service has been successfully deployed across multiple industries including automotive, manufacturing, distribution, logistics, hospitality, and finance. Clients such as Georgetown Hyundai, Campio Furniture, Palmieri Furniture and Streamline Canada have adopted our service benefiting from its seamless integration and high accuracy.

To date, AssistantNLP’s Receptionist service has successfully processed approximately 1,000,000 conversations and earned praise from clients for its accuracy, responsiveness, and ability to integrate seamlessly with existing workflows. Early adopters of the Receptionist service have reported significant time and cost savings, along with improved customer satisfaction leading to cost reduction and increased profitability.

“For over a year at Georgetown Hyundai, Syntheia has managed our inbound calls, providing 24/7 support and ensuring we never miss a call. Syntheia has truly elevated our customer experience, setting new standards in responsiveness and leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction.” – Connor Attrell, Manager, Georgetown Hyundai.

“At Campio Furniture, we are thrilled to be using Syntheia, which has enhanced customer engagement and streamlined our sales cycle since deployment. It was a breeze to implement, and we’re excited to be at the forefront of this evolution, generating efficiencies and sales that might have been otherwise missed.” – Vince Servello, President, Campio Furniture.

“Our mission is to make AI-driven customer interaction seamless and accessible for businesses of all sizes with a goal of 10,000 subscribers in 2025,” said Tony Di Benedetto, Chief Executive Officer of Syntheia. “With AssistantNLP’s Receptionist service, we’re delivering a solution that not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances the customer experience. Additionally, our clients have seen increased profitability and decreased expenses after adopting our service.”

Flexible Plans and Pricing:

With an onboarding time of under 10 minutes, businesses can sign up through a frictionless experience to take advantage of our AI technology without upfront costs – making it an ideal solution for startups and enterprises alike.

AssistantNLP’s Receptionist service is available today to customers in three pricing tiers:

‘Freemium’– Includes essential features with 60 minutes included per month at no cost;
‘Basic’ – Priced at $99.99/month, includes 500 minutes per month with additional functionalities such as email messaging; and
‘Pro’ – At $299.99/month, includes 2,000 monthly minutes, advanced analytics and customizable features.

Please access https://www.syntheia.ai/pricing for more details on each pricing tier. We are pleased to launch the Never On Hold Again Club, a referral program that rewards customers for sharing the power of AI-driven call handling. By referring businesses to Syntheia, customers can earn exclusive benefits while helping others elevate their customer service experience.

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Survey: Artificial Intelligence a Spur for Many, Roadblock for Some, in Developing a 2025 Supply Chain Innovation Strategy

STS News Desk

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February 4, 2025

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Survey: Artificial Intelligence a Spur for Many, Roadblock for Some, in Developing a 2025 Supply Chain Innovation Strategy

41% of professionals with innovation budgets are making AI tools a prominent part of their approach

Kenco, a leading third-party logistics provider, released the results of its 2025 Supply Chain Innovation survey, revealing inflationary concerns (68%) and labor shortages (50%) as key complexities supply chains hope to address with new innovations this year. Fifty-one percent of supply chain professionals with existing innovation budgets saw an increase earmarked for 2025, suggesting an even greater emphasis on investing in new technologies to meet rising demand.

“Now’s the time for organizations to explore and experiment with the tech, especially for automating data-heavy operations such as demand planning, shipping and receiving to optimize your operations and unlock true efficiency.”

Many of these professionals have their sights set on artificial intelligence to automate time-consuming tasks. Forty-one percent are making AI a key part of their innovation strategy, with a third already leveraging it for data visibility, 29% for quality control and 26% for labor optimization.

Still, lingering concerns around how to effectively and securely implement AI are leading some companies to sidestep the technology altogether. More than a third – 35% – said they’re largely prevented from using AI because of company policy, leaving an opportunity to streamline operations on the table.

“Avoiding AI entirely is no longer an option. Implementing it strategically can give supply chain-focused companies a serious competitive advantage,” said Kristi Montgomery, Vice President, Innovation, Research & Development at Kenco. “Now’s the time for organizations to explore and experiment with the tech, especially for automating data-heavy operations such as demand planning, shipping and receiving to optimize your operations and unlock true efficiency.”

Among the survey’s other top findings:

Professionals looking to adopt physical automation tools offered an essentially three-way tie for which technology will be most popular in the coming year: robotics (43%), sensors and automatic identification (40%) and 3D printing (40%).
When it comes to choosing a partner for supply chain innovation, professionals tend to err on the side of caution and select a proven developer – but they’re not completely opposed to working with start-ups. Forty-five percent said they work with a mix of new and established developers, compared to 39% who work with established technologies only.
Professionals may rely on partners such as 3PLs for moving and storing goods, but they don’t see these partnerships as an opportunity for innovation. Only 13% said their 3PL identified a need for innovation, and just 8% partnered with a 3PL to bring a technology to life.

“Don’t be afraid to tap your 3PL for more than just managing your supply chain,” Montgomery said. “Your logistics partners see your operations day in and day out, and they can bring a fresh perspective to potential inefficiencies. By working together, you can uncover innovations that benefit not only your relationship, but the broader supply chain.”

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Desteia Leverages AI and Graph Theory to Alleviate Supply Chain Disruptions

STS News Desk

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February 4, 2025

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Desteia Leverages AI and Graph Theory to Alleviate Supply Chain Disruptions

Startup raises a total of $11.5 M to develop new SaaS technology

Now, more than ever, supply chain operators need a tool that helps them predict and understand disruptions and gives them the power to plan accordingly. In the last twelve months, the Suez Canal was blocked by Houthi rebels, historic drought in the Panama Canal decreased the number of crossings from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, protests at U.S. ports halted shipments, 11 hurricanes impacted trade routes and there is the threat of tariffs against top trading partners.

Desteia, a New York-based startup with operations in the U.S. and Mexico, leverages cutting-edge technology to support leaders and operators, giving them the tools to make optimal decisions for their supply chain in a context of continuous disruptions. The company has secured $8 million in a seed funding round led by Autotech Ventures, Nazca, and Village Global, positioning the company to revolutionize logistics operations with new artificial intelligence tools and graph theory. The round, which brings Desteia’s total funding to $11.5 million, included participation from Foundamental, Bridge Latam, and Nido Ventures.

The additional funding will enable Desteia to focus on U.S.-Mexico trade, where companies move over $850 billion worth of goods annually. Working with customers worldwide, Desteia will provide better visibility to their operations and suggest the most efficient decisions to operators.

Desteia, founded by former Tesla executive Françoise Lavertu and Stanford engineers and entrepreneurs Diego Solorzano and Austin Poore, simplifies logistics by using AI to extract and organize information from unstructured data like emails, messages, and logistics documents. It connects these pieces together using graph theory, the mathematical study of networks—comprising nodes (locations) and edges (routes), creating a clear dashboard for operators to manage shipments across ocean, ground, and air with specific expertise on U.S.-Mexico cross-border operations. This includes integrations to Mexico’s customs system to give further visibility to shipments at port or at the border.

“As we evaluate hundreds of supply chain tech solutions every year, Desteia stood out with its unique approach to extracting unstructured data, which truly feels like magic,” said Burak Cendek, partner at Autotech Ventures. “Unfortunately, traditional communication channels such as email and text are not going away, but recent advances in AI make it possible to meet customers where they are.”

Desteia’s goal is to be the decision-making tool for supply chain operators. With minimal integration effort, the dashboard data provides actionable insights for logistics teams to securely access real-time updates on container ETAs, predict potential disruptions, and identify opportunities for optimization, such as the best carriers or most efficient routes.

“Decision-makers have access to many think tank risk reports but lack the tools to incorporate them into their specific supply chain decisions,” said Lavertu. “We have developed a practical platform that helps them solve this.” Adding that she’s faced those same challenges in her career as an operator and “never found solutions that were so easy to implement for a large organization.”

At the same time, for many operators, managing logistics involves manually handling thousands of emails and hundreds of documents monthly. One Desteia client reported managing 10,500 emails and 600 logistics documents each month. Desteia helps companies with these problems by automating data organization and analysis, allowing operators to focus on decision-making and strategic planning.

“Supply chain managers need oversight of the chain from one end to the other to anticipate delays and disruptions before they happen and before they have a negative impact,” said Solorzano. Disruptions are so common. In fact, it is estimated that companies lose between 3-5% of revenues from them.

Desteia has partnerships and contracts with major retailers, auto manufacturers, and CPGs in North America. Across the board, it has helped users, such as Elektra, one of the largest retailers in Latin America, achieve full visibility without any integrations required or manual work while reducing the time spent reviewing emails.

Adam Zobler, general partner at Foundamental said, “Relying on manual processes and fragmented communication systems means supply chains are fragile and prone to disruption. Desteia offers an exciting opportunity to streamline supply chains by harnessing the power of data.

“The founders are passionate, experienced, and inherently familiar with the problems they are tackling,” said Hector Sepulveda of Nazca. “We look forward to working with Diego, Austin, and Françoise to further develop the product and scale this technology to revolutionize global supply chain management.”

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Capacity Expands Scheduling Automation Capabilities with Key Acquisition

STS News Desk

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February 4, 2025

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Capacity Expands Scheduling Automation Capabilities with Key Acquisition

AI-Powered Support Automation Platform Acquires YouCanBookMe

Capacity, an AI-powered support automation platform, is expanding its scheduling capabilities with the acquisition of YouCanBookMe. With tech from YouCanBookMe, Capacity users will soon be able to manage their availability across multiple calendars with custom booking experiences.

Companies use Capacity’s platform to automate omnichannel support, reducing costs, driving revenue and improving experiences along the way. Advanced scheduling from YouCanBookMe adds critical capabilities that will help Capacity users maximize efficiency and uncover opportunities with an all-in-one system. The combined company has over 19,000 customers across the globe.

“Teams waste way too much time trying to schedule meetings,” said David Karandish, CEO, Capacity. “Together with YouCanBookMe, we want to make bookings simple, automated and connected across channels.”

Customizing and Automating Bookings
YouCanBookMe, based out of Bedfordshire, UK, makes it easy for teams of all sizes to schedule meetings with customers. The tool shows availability from multiple calendars, offers users the ability to customize their booking experiences, accepts payments and automates powerful workflows such as sending notifications via email, SMS and 3rd party systems.

“Businesses of all sizes are missing opportunities if scheduling is too difficult,” said Bridget Harris, CEO, YouCanBookMe. “We share Capacity’s vision to help teams do their best work and know that businesses need a seamless, all-in-one system to engage with their customers. Scheduling is a crucial part of that, and we’re excited to be joining forces with this ambitious team.”

Since 2011, YouCanBookMe has created more than 100M bookings. Harris will assume the role of strategic advisor following the acquisition.

Ongoing Growth for Capacity
Capacity continues to post rapid organic and inorganic growth executing on its compound startup strategy. YouCanBookMe is its ninth acquisition in recent years. Talent from YouCanBookMe will join the Capacity team with a combined 200+ team members around the world.

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Resilinc Appoints AI Executive Kamal Ahluwalia as Chief Executive Officer

STS News Desk

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February 4, 2025

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Resilinc Appoints AI Executive Kamal Ahluwalia as Chief Executive Officer

Accomplished Software Leader to Propel the Next Stage of Agentic Supply Chain Risk and Compliance Platform

Resilinc, a leading supply chain risk and compliance platform, announced that it has appointed Kamal Ahluwalia as its next CEO. Ahluwalia succeeds Bindiya Vakil, Resilinc’s co-founder and CEO. Bindiya will remain with Resilinc as Executive Chairwoman of its Board of Directors, where she will continue to help shape the company’s go-forward strategy and growth initiatives.

Ahluwalia is a highly experienced software executive with deep expertise in artificial intelligence, product innovation, and go-to-market strategy. Ahluwalia most recently served as President of Ikigai Labs, a company specializing in AI-powered forecasting and planning solutions. He was also President at Eightfold.ai, an-AI-enabled talent, recruitment, and workforce engagement platform for human resources professionals. Ahluwalia has held various other business and industry leadership positions throughout his 20+ year career in technology, including serving as Chief Revenue Officer at Conga and as a Board Member and Co-Chair of AI Task Force at –the U.S. India Business Council.

“Navigating compliance and supply chain risk is not just a company-level challenge but a country-level issue. With Resilinc’s vast, proprietary, validated supply chain data spanning key industries, we are in an exceptional position to help our clients accelerate risk mitigation, enhance compliance, and strengthen resilience across their multi-tier supply chains,” said Resilinc CEO Kamal Ahluwalia. “With our agentic platform, we will redefine the future of autonomous supply chain risk management.”

With its unparalleled volume of supplier-validated data down to the part-site level, Resilinc has enabled organizations—including GM, Stanley Black & Decker, and IBM across key industries such as Semiconductors, High-Tech, Life Sciences, Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Government, and Food & Beverage to navigate compliance and risk within their multi-tier supply chains. As market needs evolve, organizations require more advanced, prescriptive solutions to stay ahead of emerging disruptions. To meet growing demand, Resilinc is advancing agentic AI capabilities that enable data-driven, autonomous decision-making and actions. These intelligent systems proactively identify risks, suggest mitigation strategies, and autonomously manage compliance and regulatory risks in real-time.

“I am immensely proud of what we’ve been able to achieve over the past 15 years—pioneering an entirely new category and raising global awareness about the critical importance of supply chain risk and resilience,” said Co-Founder and Executive Chairwoman Bindiya Vakil. “With his deep expertise in AI and a proven history of driving innovation and growth, Kamal is uniquely positioned to lead Resilinc into its next phase of success.”

“We are grateful for Bindiya’s leadership of Resilinc and her broader vision for the future of supply chain risk management, and we are thrilled to welcome Kamal to build on this legacy,” said Rachel Arnold, Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of Vista Equity Partners’ Endeavor Fund and member of Resilinc’s Board of Directors. “As a recognized leader in AI, Kamal has an intricate understanding of the incredible potential of AI-enabled technology and the impact it will have in supply chain management. He has an impressive record of leading teams to develop and commercialize AI-enabled solutions to drive value, intelligence, and efficiency for end customers, which will serve him well as he leads Resilinc in this next chapter of growth.”

An advocate for ethical AI, Ahluwalia co-authored the books “What’s Next for You” and “Deep Talent,” reflecting his commitment to empowering current and future leaders in the AI era. Ahluwalia holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Utah State University.

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AccuLynx Launches a New HubSpot Integration for Contractors

STS News Desk

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February 4, 2025

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AccuLynx Launches a New HubSpot Integration for Contractors

New integration simplifies marketing campaign analysis and optimization for roofing contractors

AccuLynx, the leading all-in-one business management software for roofing contractors, announced the release of a new integration with top marketing automation platform, HubSpot. Designed to help roofing companies make smart decisions and drive improved results, this two-way integration passes pipeline and project information between applications so contractors can easily tie revenue to marketing efforts.

“Helping roofing contractors work smarter continues to be the AccuLynx mission, and our new integration with HubSpot does just that by making it easier to understand how marketing efforts impact revenue,” said Mike Stein, CEO of AccuLynx.

AccuLynx customers can automatically transfer HubSpot lead data to AccuLynx and AccuLynx milestone data to HubSpot to gain actionable insights into lead sources, marketing campaigns, and more. This integration facilitates increased Marketing ROI and improves operational efficiency by eliminating the need to manually enter data into multiple systems.

“Our HubSpot integration enhances AccuLynx’s AppConnections feature, making it even easier for roofing contractors to use automation and create powerful marketing campaigns to drive new opportunities into their businesses,” said Mark Rattin, Vice President of Product at AccuLynx. “AppConnections was designed to eliminate integration complexity, and this latest addition further strengthens our commitment to providing easy-to-use solutions that streamline operations and drive better results for our customers.”

Unlike other roofing software, the HubSpot integration with AccuLynx can be set up and customized in just a few clicks—no coding required. With flexible data-sharing options, contractors can easily tailor the connection to their business, eliminating the need for expensive, complex solutions.

“Helping roofing contractors work smarter continues to be the AccuLynx mission, and our new integration with HubSpot does just that by making it easier to understand how marketing efforts impact revenue,” said Mike Stein, CEO of AccuLynx.

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Pipedrive Unveils Next-Generation AI CRM With Agentic Experience

STS News Desk

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February 4, 2025

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Pipedrive Unveils Next-Generation AI CRM With Agentic Experience

The company’s new AI vision introduces 24/7 digital teammates that intelligently guide sales teams toward better results

Pipedrive, the easy and effective sales CRM for small businesses, unveiled a new AI vision featuring a network of intelligent agents – around-the-clock digital teammates that streamline every stage of the sales process while allowing salespeople to stay in control. Tailored to each customer’s context, these voice- and text-enabled agents allow sales teams to delegate routine tasks, communicate effortlessly and access real-time insights for better sales outcomes.

“In our vision, we’ve reimagined what’s possible when AI and human expertise unite”

“We’re at a turning point, witnessing a pivotal moment in technology – one where AI is no longer a distant concept but a tangible, accessible superpower integrated into everyday tools,” said Dominic Allon, CEO of Pipedrive. “Our new vision, centered around the agentic AI experience, marks a new era of innovation creating a more intuitive and dynamic way for professionals to engage with technology. Going forward, salespeople and AI agents will work as co-pilots, allowing teams to focus on building relationships, closing deals and achieving their boldest goals.”

Pipedrive’s agentic ecosystem features general and specialized agents that deliver real-time intelligence, learn from feedback and take action as needed, all while ensuring salespeople remain in control. These agents handle tasks through voice or written prompts, acting around the clock as true sales experts for deeper insights and seamless collaboration.

“In our vision, we’ve reimagined what’s possible when AI and human expertise unite,” said Viktoria Ruubel, Chief Product Officer at Pipedrive. “Picture a CRM that gives time back to salespeople by cutting out tedious tasks and pulling together data from every corner of the sales lifecycle. Powered by the network of intelligent AI agents, our platform not only supports sales management but actively works alongside teams – automating tasks, connecting data points and surfacing vital opportunities that might otherwise slip through the cracks.”

Pipedrive today introduced its pilot AI agentic experience, designed to enhance sales efficiency and user experience while aligning with the company’s ongoing vision to optimize sales processes. The proactive agent autonomously crafts personalized email content to move deals forward, summarizes past threads, explains why certain wording is recommended and highlights the most important emails, so urgent leads and opportunities never go unnoticed.

In 2025, Pipedrive plans to introduce numerous capabilities to its agentic experience, designed to enhance customer experiences by streamlining workflows, providing smarter insights and simplifying daily tasks.

Pipedrive’s agentic experience builds on the success of Pipedrive AI – a comprehensive suite of AI tools powered by OpenAI and proprietary software engines – and Pipedrive Pulse, an AI-driven solution designed to streamline prospecting and prioritize the most promising deals, currently in closed beta. An improved version of Pulse will be available for the whole customer base in Spring 2025, further enhancing its capabilities to support sales teams.

Pipedrive is committed to building and delivering AI-powered solutions safely and responsibly, considering all privacy and security-related industry standards. Pipedrive doesn’t permit third parties to use client data to improve or train AI models, nor does it use client data to improve or train AI models without permission.

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SugarCRM Appoints New Chief Customer Officer Lyndsey Valin

STS News Desk

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February 4, 2025

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SugarCRM Appoints New Chief Customer Officer Lyndsey Valin

The Technology Services Veteran Brings 20+ Years of Customer-Focused Experience Leading Global Enterprise Software Deployments for Manufacturing and Distribution

SugarCRM, provider of the award-winning intelligence-driven sales automation platform, announced the appointment of Lyndsey Valin to Chief Customer Officer, leading the company’s efforts to drive customer-centric growth, innovation, and strategic initiatives across key markets.

“I’m excited to join Sugar and lead initiatives that prioritize the customer experience, ensuring their voice is heard and their business challenges are effectively addressed”

Valin brings more than two decades of experience in enterprise business technology implementation across manufacturing sectors such as automotive, aerospace, heavy equipment, chemicals, as well as distribution networks.

She joins SugarCRM from predictive analytics and pricing optimization platform provider PROS, where she was Senior Vice President, Global Professional Services. In her tenure there, she established a proven track record of helping businesses optimize processes and maximize value from technology investments to ensure customer success.

Prior to this, Valin was the Vice President of Professional Services at Vertafore, an industry leader in insurtech software, where she supported over 20,000 customers with onboarding, implementation, and training services through multi-million dollar service engagements. Additionally, Valin spent nearly six years supporting a long-term technology implementation program at Airbus where she led multi-cultural, cross-border teams to deploy highly configurable software solutions across the company’s value chain.

“We are pleased to welcome Lyndsey to Sugar,” said David Roberts, SugarCRM Chief Executive Officer. “Lyndsey brings a customer-first mindset to her role. Her expertise in managing complex projects and ensuring client success has given her a deep understanding of how to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty through seamless technology adoption and exceptional service. Having excelled in professional service leadership roles at leading technology providers, Lyndsey is skilled at aligning cross-functional teams to drive customer success throughout the entire lifecycle, with a strong focus on delivering measurable business outcomes.”

“I’m excited to join Sugar and lead initiatives that prioritize the customer experience, ensuring their voice is heard and their business challenges are effectively addressed,” said Valin. “While technology plays a critical role in enhancing the customer experience, it can never replace the value of personal relationships. Our customer success strategy must remain focused on building and nurturing trust at every level of the organization and continuing to innovate our services and support, to ensure we drive exceptional value for every customer.”

Sugar Sell, sales-i, Market, and Serve are integral components of Sugar’s comprehensive CRM solution – a platform powered by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and user-friendly interfaces. Together, these solutions break down the silos that often exist within a business, ensuring a cohesive and efficient approach to customer relationship management and customer success.

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Archive Raises $30 Million in Series B Funding to Drive Profitable Resale for Brands

STS News Desk

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February 4, 2025

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Archive Raises $30 Million in Series B Funding to Drive Profitable Resale for Brands

Resale Technology Company Will Use New Investment to Accelerate Global Expansion and Product Innovation

Archive, a technology company that powers profitable resale businesses for brands, announced it has secured $30 million in Series B funding, led by Energize Capital, bringing its total funding to date to $54 million. Other participants included returning investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Bain Capital Ventures, G9 Ventures and Capital F, as well as new investors Woodline Partners LP and Frontline Growth. The company also announced that Eileen Waris, Principal at Energize Capital, will join the Archive board of directors.

“Archive’s software capitalizes on this shift and enables brands to own a bigger slice of the resale pie, all while supporting profitability and sustainability goals. We are thrilled to partner with the Archive team and support them through this next phase of growth.”

Archive will use the new funding to further develop its resale intelligence software, accelerate its global expansion, and invest in new product innovation and services to drive profitability for brands across a growing array of retail categories, including apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, furniture, toys, electronics and outdoor gear.

“Resale has proven wildly popular with consumers and a significant and profitable growth opportunity for brands, allowing them to drive sales, customer loyalty and sustainability at the same time,” said Emily Gittins, Co-founder and CEO of Archive. “We’re extremely pleased to partner with this prestigious group of investors as we help brands launch and scale resale channels that strengthen their business. This new investment will allow us to continue to lead through innovation and to add top engineering talent and resale industry experts to our team to support our growing global footprint.”

Consumer demand for resale shopping options continues to surge globally, with the secondhand apparel market reaching $230 billion in 2024 and projected to grow to nearly $350 billion by the end of 2028, according to GlobalData. Moreover, 40% of Gen Z’s closet is already secondhand, and this consumer segment is expected to continue to drive growth in the fashion resale space.

Archive has proven resale is a scalable business channel that has unlocked new, profitable revenue for brands. The company’s brand partners are setting aggressive revenue targets for the model in the coming years, with executives estimating that resale will account for 10% or more of revenue. Archive’s resale intelligence software enables brands to sell secondhand items at higher margins than full price, and allows brands to reclaim supply through multiple channels, including returns, past seasons’ inventory, consumer listings and in-store trade-in. Resale offerings also attract new and younger customers looking to purchase items at a lower price point and extend the lifecycle of products.

Founded with a mission to reduce the environmental impact of retail and keep products in use for as long as possible, Archive works closely with brands to create resale programs uniquely tailored to their business needs and supports a comprehensive suite of circular models, including peer-to-peer, trade-in, returns management and more. The company has integrated its platform with leading global logistics companies, which leverage Archive’s unique warehouse management software to enable the best economics for brands.

“We have been closely tracking trends in resale markets and the circular economy for years. Over the past decade, the retail industry has undergone massive, enduring changes driven by generational shifts in consumer preferences towards more sustainable options,” said Eileen Waris, Principal at Energize Capital and a member of Archive’s board of directors. “Archive’s software capitalizes on this shift and enables brands to own a bigger slice of the resale pie, all while supporting profitability and sustainability goals. We are thrilled to partner with the Archive team and support them through this next phase of growth.”

Archive has seen strong business momentum in the past year, launching partnerships with New Balance, Fjällräven and Dr. Martens, among others, in addition to expanding existing resale programs with The North Face, DVF, Faherty, M.M.LaFleur and more. Archive was founded by Emily Gittins and Ryan Rowe in 2021, and now supports more than 50 brands across 10 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, France, Spain, the Netherlands and several Nordic nations.

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2025: The Year to Transform Sales Performance Management for Good

Brad Tompkins

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February 4, 2025

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2025: The Year to Transform Sales Performance Management for Good

Generative AI can boost the performance and productivity of highly skilled professionals by 40%, experts say. From software developers to data scientists and marketers, many have already been integrating AI into their workflows.

In 2025, AI-powered tools are poised to transform sales, too. With predictive analytics, real-time insights, and personalization tools, sales professionals are now armed with resources that act as their personal assistants, researchers, and strategists.

This shift is not just about achieving more with less effort; it’s about redefining how sales teams work. By automating routine tasks, AI enables sellers to focus on building deeper customer relationships, delivering tailored solutions, and closing deals faster.

However, these advancements bring a critical challenge: sales leaders must now rethink how they manage, motivate, and measure their teams in this new environment.

The old playbook for performance management—rooted in static KPIs and one-size-fits-all coaching—no longer meets the demands of the current landscape. In this article, we’ll explore why 2025 is the year to leave outdated practices behind and embrace performance management strategies built for the new era of sales.

Emerging AI Trends in Sales

According to a Salesforce survey, 84% of sellers using AI said it helped increase their sales.

Here are a few of the most common ways AI is being integrated into sales workflows.

Content creation and communications enhancement. Gong reported that, in 2024, it registered a year-over-year 464% increase in the number of sales emails composed with its generative AI tool.

Real-time personalization at scale. AI-powered insights enable salespeople to customize their pitch, providing recommendations based on customer profile, behavior, and preferences. Additionally, buyers now expect hyper-personalized experiences.

Predictive analytics and deal forecasting. AI tools help identify patterns, empowering sales managers to prioritize deals with higher chances of success.

Learning and coaching. AI is becoming a virtual coach, analyzing salespeople’s performance data and offering tailored recommendations, helping improve skill-building, professional development, and employee satisfaction.

Why Performance Management Must Evolve

As AI reshapes sales workflows and sales roles become more dynamic and personalized, leaders are required to rethink how they evaluate and support their sales teams.

Here are a few ways performance management must evolve in 2025:

Embracing behavioral KPIs:

Traditional KPIs like quotas and revenue targets sometimes fail to capture the nuanced work and impact of today’s sellers.
AI provides behavioral data and granular insights into customer engagement, outreach effectiveness, time spent on deals, customer sentiment, and more, allowing leaders to track meaningful progress beyond revenue.

Building continuous feedback loops:

AI tools provide instant feedback, identifying individual strengths and improvement areas.
Sales leaders can use these insights to deliver real-time coaching, fostering professional development.
AI Automation also allows for personalized recognition of achievements, boosting employee morale.

Designing personalized growth paths:

AI can identify unique skills and goals, enabling tailored development plans for each seller.
Personalization improves employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity.

Leveraging dynamic gamification to improve performance and training effectiveness:

Gamification taps into motivation by turning learning and performance goals into engaging challenges.
AI-driven platforms can create more dynamic and personalized competitions, track progress, and reward achievements in real time.
Better engagement translates into better performance and more effective learning and skill-building.

The Business Impact of Evolving Performance Management

Better performance management, aided by AI-powered tools, drives higher productivity and better outcomes for sellers and their organizations. Leveraging behavioral data, sales teams can access personalized learning and coaching, which helps them address challenges proactively.

These practices ultimately help sellers succeed in their roles and foster employee loyalty and satisfaction. It’s an opportunity to develop and enable them with the skills needed to strengthen client relationships, in addition to improving retention. For leaders, data-driven insights also reveal success drivers.

Conclusion

2025 marks a pivotal moment for performance management in sales. As AI impacts workflows and transforms the role of sales professionals, outdated practices must give way to dynamic, data-driven strategies that prioritize adaptability, personalization, and growth.

By embracing dynamic KPIs, continuous feedback, tailored development paths, and gamification, sales leaders can empower their teams to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape. The future of sales isn’t just about closing more deals—it’s about building stronger teams, deeper customer relationships, and sustained success.

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Emerging AI Trends in Sales

Why Performance Management Must Evolve

Embracing behavioral KPIs:

Building continuous feedback loops:

Designing personalized growth paths:

Leveraging dynamic gamification to improve performance and training effectiveness:

The Business Impact of Evolving Performance Management

Conclusion

Also Catch –

Episode 221: The State of Modern Sales and SalesTech with Frank Dale, SVP of Product Management at Salesloft

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