Discovery: AI Agents Struggle With CRM Tasks

In Today’s edition:

1. Salesforce Study Finds AI Agents Struggle with CRM Tasks

2. PM TUTORIAL: Build a Client Onboarding Workflow with Notion, Typeform, and Zapier

3. Zoom Unveils AI Upgrades and Immersive Meeting Features

4. TOOL REVIEW: NextStep Turns Your SOPs into Actionable Workflows That Actually Get Done

5. Exciting Career Opportunities for Product and Project Management Professionals

Reading time: 4 minutes

HEADLINE NEWS

Salesforce Study Finds AI Agents Struggle with CRM Tasks

A new academic study led by Salesforce AI researcher Kung-Hsiang Huang reveals that large language model (LLM) agents fall short in handling customer relationship management (CRM) tasks. Using a novel benchmark tool called CRMArena-Pro, the research highlights serious gaps in both task performance and data confidentiality awareness. These insights raise pressing concerns for organizations banking on AI agents for enterprise efficiency.

• LLM agents scored only 58% on single-step CRM tasks using synthetic data benchmarks.

• Performance dropped further to 35% for multi-step tasks that required reasoning or follow-up.

• AI agents showed poor awareness of confidentiality, often mishandling sensitive data.

• The CRMArena-Pro benchmark was introduced to test real-world scenarios more rigorously.

• Researchers warn there's a major mismatch between LLM capabilities and enterprise needs.

This study is a wake-up call. It emphasizes that while AI agents offer promise, current models lack the robustness required for sensitive, real-world enterprise operations. Before investing in AI-powered solutions, managers must scrutinize not just performance metrics but also privacy safeguards and decision-making depth to avoid operational and compliance risks. Read more

How To Build a Client Onboarding Workflow with Notion, Typeform, and Zapier

Client onboarding can be repetitive and prone to errors when done manually. This tutorial walks you through building an automated onboarding workflow using Typeform, Notion, and Zapier. The result is a smooth, professional experience for both your clients and your internal team—without writing a single line of code.

You’ll learn how to:

• Create a structured onboarding template in Notion with placeholders for client info.

• Build a Typeform to collect essential client details like name, service type, and start date.

• Set up a Zap in Zapier triggered by new Typeform submissions.

• Use Zapier to duplicate your Notion template and fill it with data from the Typeform.

• (Optional) Send Slack or email notifications to alert your team or welcome the client.

Why it matters:

With this no-code setup, you eliminate onboarding bottlenecks and create a scalable system that grows with your business. Clients feel well-supported from day one, and your team stays informed and organized. It’s a simple but powerful upgrade to your workflow—built with tools you already know.

FULL TUTORIAL HERE

Zoom Unveils AI Upgrades and Immersive Meeting Features

Zoom has unveiled a series of major updates for its Zoom Spaces platform, focusing on AI-powered workplace innovations and deeper integrations with hardware partners. From photo check-ins to immersive hybrid meeting features, Zoom is positioning itself as a key player in shaping the modern, flexible workplace. These updates signal a push toward more intelligent, inclusive, and customizable meeting experiences.

• AI-powered Visitor Management now includes photo check-in for faster, code-free office access (launching September).

• Workspace Reservation with AI Companion recommends office days and books desks/rooms based on team schedules.

• Recorder with AI Companion for Zoom Rooms captures in-person meetings, transcribes, summarizes, and shares content.

• Smart Name Tags identify speakers and enhance meeting inclusivity via real-time tagging and attribution.

• Zoom ecosystem expands through partnerships with Google, HP, Cisco, Meta, Logitech, and others, enabling seamless device and platform interoperability.

For project managers steering hybrid or flexible work environments, these innovations offer meaningful gains in productivity, collaboration, and operational flow. Zoom’s new features reduce meeting friction, automate room management, and improve accessibility for remote participants. By leveraging these tools, PMs can streamline team coordination, maximize in-office efficiency, and better support cross-functional communication—without being tied to a physical space. Read More

NextStep Turns Your SOPs into Actionable Workflows That Actually Get Done

NextStep is a lightweight, no-code platform designed to help individuals and teams create, execute, and track repeatable processes with ease. Whether you’re managing onboarding, SOPs, support tasks, or internal workflows, NextStep offers a clean, flexible solution that removes the chaos of scattered tools, Slack threads, and memory-based task management. Built with simplicity and structure in mind, it's ideal for fast-moving teams that want to operationalize their most important work without the enterprise bloat.

• AI-Assisted Workflow Builder: Quickly generate step-by-step processes using AI or build custom workflows manually with a drag-and-drop interface.

• Dynamic Due Dates & Dependencies: Assign tasks with smart due dates and logical dependencies to keep everything running on schedule.

• Run Processes Consistently: Launch and repeat processes with the same structure every time—no more ad hoc task execution.

• Real-Time Analytics & Tracking: Monitor usage, team progress, and completion rates to identify what’s working and where to improve.

• Simple, Scalable Pricing: Affordable plans starting at $5/month make it accessible for freelancers, small teams, and growing startups alike.

NextStep offers a streamlined way to turn scattered knowledge and routine workflows into structured, repeatable systems. It eliminates ambiguity, boosts accountability, and allows PMs to track task execution in real-time—all without the overhead of traditional project management software. Whether you're managing client handoffs, internal approvals, or cross-functional SOPs, NextStep helps you bring order to the chaos and scale operations with confidence.

PRODUCT LINK

Exciting Career Opportunities for Product and Project Management Professionals

• Senior Project Manager @ Charter Communications

  📍 Charlotte, NC.

• Sr Project Manager @ Fujifilm

  📍 Holly Springs, NC.

• Product Manager - Total Ankle @ Zimmer Biomet

  📍 Raleigh, NC.

• Product Line Manager @ CommScope

  📍 North Carolina.

• AI Product Manager @ Lenovo

  📍 Morrisville, NC.

THAT’S A WRAP