#Sales tracking app

[loyalty-program]

Sales Tracking Apps: What Are They & Why Your Business Needs One Now

A competitive edge in today's fast-paced corporate world requires you to stay on top of your sales operations. An effective tool that can help your company reach its objectives more quickly is sales tracking app software. It can help you automate your sales process, providing real-time analytics and insights. Having the appropriate resources, such as a sales tracking app, available to you may make a huge impact, regardless of the size of your sales staff. In this blog, we will discuss the definition of a sales tracking app, the reasons your company needs one, and how it may benefit you.

What Is an App for Tracking Sales?

Software for managing and tracking sales operations in real-time is called a sales tracking app. Everything is tracked, including contacts with customers and the effectiveness of specific salespeople. The software keeps track of leads, follow-ups, sales, and client conversations in one convenient area, which helps firms stay organized.

The sales tracking app's main characteristics are:

Monitoring in real-time: While on the way, keep an eye on the performance of your sales staff to make sure no opportunity is lost.

Lead management: Ensure prompt follow-ups and effective lead management.

Sales pipeline management: Keep tabs on each step of the sales procedure to spot any obstructions.

Reports and analytics: Find out in-depth information on the effectiveness of your sales staff and pinpoint areas in need of development.

Why a Sales Tracking App Is Essential for Your Company Right Now

Businesses now need an effective sales management system to stay in business, given the intense competition in the market. An array of advantages offered by a sales monitoring app might provide your company with a competitive advantage.

1. Enhanced Effectiveness

An app for sales monitoring can save your sales team time by automating a number of processes like lead tracking, data entry, and follow-up reminders. More agreements are closed as a result of your sales representatives' greater ability to focus on selling rather than administrative duties.

2. Increased Accountability and Visibility

Managers may keep an eye on the performance and advancement of their team in real time by using a sales force tracker. In addition to keeping everyone informed, this openness makes sales representatives responsible for their work. Having clear vision makes it easier to determine who is working well and who requires more guidance or instruction.

3. Improved Connections with Customers

You can keep track of a customer's past purchases, handle follow-ups, and preserve crucial customer data using a sales tracker. Having this data at their disposal enables your sales team to better serve customers and cultivate client connections.

4. Better Ability to Make Decisions

Through reporting and analytics, a sales monitoring app offers useful information and insights. With the use of these insights, you may decide on resource reallocation, strategy adjustments, and opportunity identification with more knowledge.

5. Field Sales Teams' Mobile Access

When field sales teams are on the go, they need to have access to vital information. Your staff can manage deals, track leads, and update records all from their mobile devices using a field sales app. They can now work more productively without having to go back to the office because of this.

Important Things to Look for in a Sales Tracking App

Selecting the ideal sales tracking app for your company can have a big impact on how well your team works. The following are some things to think about when choosing:

1. An interface that is easy to use

With minimal training, your sales staff should be able to use the app. Seek for a field sales program with an easy-to-use interface. Reduced productivity and low uptake are two possible outcomes of a cumbersome or complex app.

2. Possibilities for Customization

Since every company is different, it's critical to select a sales monitoring system that can be tailored to your unique requirements. The flexibility to customize the app to your business can greatly increase its worth, regardless of whether you require unique data fields or bespoke reports.

3. Integration with Other Tools

A sales tracking app that integrates seamlessly together with your current tools—like your CRM or e-mail advertising and marketing software—can enhance workflow efficiency. This permits you to manipulate your complete income pipeline from a single platform, casting off the want for regular switching among apps.

4. Real-Time Data Syncing

Real-time records are vital for making short and knowledgeable decisions. A subject income app with real-time syncing guarantees that everybody on your crew has admission to updated information, even if they're out inside the subject.

Conclusion

Investing in a sales tracking tool is now essential in a world where customer interactions and sales processes are growing more sophisticated. More deals closed and improved performance can result from the use of a well-designed sales tracker, which can also assist in improving customer connections, optimizing operations, and giving real-time visibility. LoyaltyXpert's sales tracking software can completely change how you conduct business, regardless of the size of your sales team or company, helping you streamline processes and drive growth.

[trackolap]

How to Automate Workflow by Using an Employee Tracking Solution?

While remote work environments are gradually becoming the new normal worldwide, it is time for organizations to redefine overall business procedures and workflows - which means introducing automation! By integrating centralized platforms like employee tracking solution, businesses can eliminate the tedious task of manual process report and analysis or following up with the task progress. 

In addition, workflow automation done via an employee time tracking system involves leveraging a range of features to streamline multiple business processes. By automating repetitive tasks, businesses can reduce the risk of human error, improve task completion times, and allow employees to focus on more strategic tasks. 

Furthermore, remote team management software offers real-time visibility into team members' activities, enabling managers to manage tasks, track progress, and optimize resource allocation. This platform automates the process of collecting and analyzing data on employee attendance, time spent on tasks, and productivity levels to simplify data-driven decision-making and the identification of areas for improvement.

By automating workflow for remote teams, organizations can experience a range of benefits, like improved productivity, accountability, collaboration, and resource utilization. This can lead to cost savings and a competitive edge in the market. In this blog, we will explore more aspects of automating business operations through an employee productivity tracker. 

What is Workflow Management?

Workflow management simplifies the design, creation, execution, and monitoring of workflows to make specific results hassle-free. It often includes optimizing procedures, improving particular aspects, and automating workflows to increase output, reduce errors, and eliminate repetition. 

Focusing on these aspects may feel overwhelming, especially when working with remote employees in diverse time zones. However, TrackOlap’s employee time tracking system aids in managing multiple procedures under one platform and effortlessly reduces human errors. 

In addition, this software enables companies to define and take control of routine activities related to essential business processes, increasing productivity and efficiency. Workflow management is a crucial element of business process management, focusing on clearly defined steps and tasks that contribute to the bigger organizational picture.

Benefits of Automating Workflow via Employee Tracking Solution

As we discussed above, workflow automation can offer a range of perks to varied businesses irrespective of their size and industry. Leveraging TrackOlap’s feature can aid in maximizing growth. Let us look at the benefits of automating workflow through remote team management software. 

Increased Work Efficiency: Automation minimizes the time spent on manual tasks, which means employees get more time to focus on complex or strategic business tasks. 

Cost-effective: Workflow automation reduces labor costs by automating tasks like data entry and approval processes, leading to significant cost savings

Precision and Compliance: Employee time tracking system ensures accurate and consistent execution of processes, which reduces the risk of compliance violations

Quick Decision-Making: Access real-time insights through automated workflow to make swift, informed decisions to meet dynamic business requirements. 

Improved Team Collaboration: Automation fosters effective communication and collaboration among team members, enhancing teamwork and reducing silos.

Adaptability and Scalability: streamlining workflows enables businesses to quickly adapt to changing market needs or trends, allowing them to scale operations efficiently.

Team Satisfaction and Engagement: Automation frees employees from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more meaningful work, increasing job satisfaction and engagement

Better Return on Investment (ROI): The initial investment in automation software yields a scalable return over time, leading to increased efficiency, decreased costs, and higher productivity. 

How to Automate Workflow with Remote Workforce?

Automating workflow isn't a complex job when all the factors are placed accurately. With suitable sources and software, like employee time tracking systems, organizations can standardize various procedures to help employees work and create innovations without juggling multiple factors. 

Identify Integration Needs: Before you select an ideal tool, consider examining varied aspects of your current business procedures to understand drawbacks and specific needs for seamless integration. This will enable you to list down aspects and look for tools that offer features that meet your requirements. 

Select the Right Platform: Integrate the existing system with seamless work tracking software that meets the needs of remote teams, provides a user-friendly interface, insightful data, analytics overview, and reports, and is efficient for long-term use.

Design the Workflow: While an employee tracking tool will help automate workflow, initially, managers need to design well-structured and standardized procedures to simplify the job of team members. Identify the tasks that need to be automated, how to integrate your selected platform with the existing system, and how specific steps can be integrated to quickly complete the overall procedure. 

Evaluate and Optimize: By leveraging the time tracking application, managers can seamlessly measure the performance or effectiveness of the designed workflow with specific metrics. Consider communicating with employees and identifying certain loopholes in the procedure. By gaining visibility on the insights, businesses can foster continuous improvements to drive better outcomes with error-free procedures. 

You May Also Like: Employee GPS Tracking Software: Enhance Field Efficiency During Climate Changes 

How Can Workflow Automation Drive Business Growth Using Employee Tracking Solution?

An employee productivity tracker offers businesses a range of features and benefits, including workflow automation. By implementing this approach to streamline business procedures, managers can easily track the progress of varied tasks by continuously tracking and fostering consistent improvements to make the services or other offerings stand out with efficiency. 

Let's examine a few factors that can enhance business operations and improve outcomes.

1. Improved Accuracy and Consistency

Automated systems minimize or completely eliminate the chances of human errors, ensuring consistent, high-quality outputs across various business processes. This consistency can improve customer satisfaction, reduce rework, and enhance the organization's overall reliability.

2. Seamless Adaptability

Automated workflows can easily manage increased workloads without significant additional resources. The adaptability of employee productivity tracker enables businesses to respond quickly to changing market demands and seize opportunities as they arise.

3. Data-Driven Insights

Automation in workflow provides valuable data that can be analyzed to uncover insights, identify optimization opportunities, and make informed, data-driven decisions. These insights can drive strategic business decisions that support long-term growth.

4. Business Cost Reduction

Automation workflow can lead to significant cost savings by streamlining operations, reducing errors, and improving productivity. These savings can be reinvested into other areas of the business, such as product development, marketing, or expansion, to drive significant business growth. 

5. Foster Innovation and Agility

Since automation frees employees from mundane tasks, it enables them to focus on innovation, creativity, and problem-solving. This increased agility allows businesses to adapt quickly to market changes, introduce new products or services, and stay ahead of competitors in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

6. Better Team Collaboration

Automated workflow through employee tracking solution facilitates seamless collaboration among teams, departments, and external partners by automating task assignments, notifications, and approvals. This streamlined collaboration improves communication, accelerates decision-making, and assists in developing a cohesive and efficient work environment.

7. Stay Ahead Of The Curve

Businesses can gain a competitive edge in the market by leveraging automation to optimize processes, reduce costs, and enhance productivity. This advantage allows them to differentiate themselves, attract top talent, and capture a larger market share, ultimately driving sustainable business growth.

8. Increased Employee Productivity Levels

Optimized workflows are essential in boosting employee productivity by enabling them to concentrate on value-added tasks, leading to efficiency and job satisfaction. When workflows are optimized, and tasks are well-defined, employees can work more effectively, focusing on tasks that contribute directly to the company's goals. 

This maximizes productivity and fosters a sense of accomplishment and engagement among employees, leading to a more motivated and efficient workforce.

9. Identify and Eliminate Workflow Drawbacks

Workflow management aids in identifying and removing bottlenecks within processes, ensuring that tasks run smoothly and efficiently. By pinpointing areas of inefficiency, organizations can take targeted actions to remove obstacles and streamline operations. 

10. Real-time Process Mapping

Process mapping through continuous tracking offers a clear and intuitive representation of business processes. It facilitates targeted improvements and ensures that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. 

By seamlessly tracking the progress into workflows, organizations can enhance communication, reduce errors, and improve overall efficiency. This clarity aids in training new employees but also enables existing staff to perform their tasks more effectively, leading to smoother operations and better outcomes.

Drive Efficiency & Growth with TrackOlap

Automating workflow is a simple process that requires constant access to varied business procedures and progress on the project. Businesses can leverage insightful data generated through employee tracking solutions, make improvements, and manage remote teams hassle-free. Whether you want to enhance productivity and work efficiency, reduce turnaround time, or drive innovation, automation in business operations can be your ideal strategy for overall success. 

If you want to know more about TrackOlap’s features then get in touch with our experts or ask for a demo session right away !

[thepsmsblog]

Implementing a distributor management system like PSM.app can be a transformative step for businesses. PSM.app provides tools for live tracking, stock management, order tracking, and much more, all designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your distribution network.

The future of business success lies in embracing such innovative solutions, and PSM.app stands ready to lead the way. Book your free trial today!

[sunilc087]

Best Field Service Management Software in 2024

An effective field service tracking software serves multiple purposes to streamline end-to-end operations. The real-time tracking of field technicians, efficient management of activity scheduling, and instant client data management are some of the must-include features that make the software the best in the industry. With Salesfokuz, the service management software, you can manage field operations by pairing web and mobile apps and by making streamlined communication and collaboration over the activities. Through detailed and instant report generation, it provides insights into performance metrics, allowing for continuous improvement and strategic planning. Moreover, it enhances customer satisfaction by ensuring timely service delivery and transparent communication.

[marketing-13]

Streamlining Liquor Store Operations with Branded App Feature

With more consumers turning to their smartphones for shopping, having a branded mobile app for your liquor store isn’t just a richness—it’s a necessity. A branded app not only improves your store's visibility but also simplifies operations, making your business more efficient and customer-friendly. Let’s dive into why your liquor store needs Holiq’s branded app and how it can transform your daily operations.

1. Enhanced Customer Experience - Convenience at Their Fingertips

Imagine a customer browsing your store’s inventory, placing an order, and scheduling a delivery—all from the comfort of their home. A branded mobile app offers this convenience, giving customers easy access to your products and services 24/7. According to recent studies, 82% of consumers prefer using mobile apps over websites for shopping due to the ease of use and quick access to personalized features.

With a branded app, customers can:

Browse products easily: Your entire catalog is at their fingertips, complete with detailed descriptions, reviews, and availability.

Receive personalized offers: Push notifications about discounts or new arrivals keep them engaged and encourage repeat business.

Order and pay with ease: Secure payment gateways and multiple payment options simplify the purchasing process, reducing cart abandonment.

2. Smooth Order Management - From Click to Delivery

Managing orders through the Holiq branded app streamlines the entire purchasing process, from order placement to delivery. Here’s how:

Automated order processing: Orders placed through the app are automatically synced with your inventory, reducing the risk of overselling and ensuring accurate stock levels.

Delivery and pickup scheduling: Customers can choose their preferred delivery or pickup times, and your staff can manage these schedules efficiently without manual intervention.

Real-time order tracking: Both customers and store managers can track orders in real time, minimizing confusion and ensuring timely deliveries.

Research shows that businesses using mobile apps for order management see a 30% reduction in order processing time and a significant decrease in delivery errors, leading to higher customer satisfaction.

3. Inventory Management - Keeping a track of Stock

Inventory management is one of the most time-consuming tasks for any liquor store. Holiq branded app integrates with your inventory system to automate and streamline this process:

Real-time inventory updates: As soon as a product is purchased, your inventory is updated, ensuring accurate stock levels at all times.

Low-stock alerts: The app can send notifications when stock levels are low, allowing you to reorder before running out of popular items.

Sales analysis: Track which products are selling the most and adjust your inventory accordingly to meet customer demand.

By optimizing inventory management through a branded app, liquor stores can reduce overstock and stockouts, improving cash flow and customer satisfaction.

4. Customer Loyalty Programs - Reward and Retain

Holiq branded app is an excellent platform for launching and managing customer loyalty programs. These programs incentivize repeat business and foster customer loyalty, which is crucial for long-term success. Through the app, you can:

Create personalized rewards: Offer points for every purchase, which can be redeemed for discounts or exclusive products.

Track customer preferences: Use data collected through the app to tailor rewards and offers to individual customer preferences, making your marketing more effective.

Simplify redemption: Customers can easily track their points and redeem rewards directly through the app, enhancing the overall experience.

Research indicates that 79% of consumers are more likely to participate in a loyalty program if it’s easy to use, and a branded app offers the perfect platform for this.

5. Seamless Communication - Stay Connected with Your Customers

A branded app enhances communication between your store and your customers. Through the app, you can:

Send push notifications: Keep customers informed about new products, promotions, and events directly on their mobile devices.

Enable in-app messaging: Allow customers to ask questions or make special requests, ensuring they feel valued and heard.

Gather feedback: Use the app to collect customer feedback through surveys or reviews, helping you improve your services.

Efficient communication is key to building strong customer relationships, and the Holiq branded app makes it easier than ever to stay connected with your customers.

Holiq branded mobile app is more than just a digital storefront; it’s a powerful tool that streamlines operations, enhances customer experience, and drives growth for your liquor store. From order management and inventory control to customer loyalty programs and communication, an app can simplify your daily tasks and help you stay competitive in the rapidly evolving retail landscape. 

As more consumers turn to their smartphones for shopping, investing in a branded app like Holiq is not just an option but a strategic move that can take your liquor business to newheights. Schedule A Demo to learn more about how Branded app feature from Holiq will help your Liquor business smoothen business operations.

[learning--tech]

Empower Your Business with DDS4U's Comprehensive Services

At DDS4U, we provide a suite of services designed to streamline your operations, drive growth, and ensure your business stays ahead in today’s competitive market.

AI-Powered Business Automation

Revolutionize your workflows with our AI-driven automation platform. By automating repetitive tasks and integrating advanced AI technologies, we help you save time, reduce costs, and improve accuracy, allowing you to focus on strategic initiatives.

Custom Software Development

Our experienced software developers create tailored solutions that meet your unique business needs. Whether you require a new application or need to upgrade existing systems, our innovative and scalable software solutions ensure your business operates efficiently and effectively.

CRM Solutions

Enhance your customer relationships with our comprehensive CRM platform. Manage customer interactions, streamline sales processes, and gain valuable insights to drive better business decisions. Our CRM system is designed to boost customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately leading to increased sales and growth.

Targeted Advertisement Platform

Maximize your reach and engagement with our cutting-edge advertising platform. Tailor your campaigns to specific audiences and utilize real-time analytics to optimize performance. Our platform helps you achieve higher conversion rates and a stronger online presence.

In-App Advertisement Space

Monetize your mobile applications with designated ad spaces. Our in-app advertising feature allows you to serve targeted ads to users, providing an additional revenue stream while ensuring ads are relevant and non-intrusive.

Referral Portal

Expand your network and drive business growth with our referral portal. Easily manage and track referrals, incentivize partners, and streamline communication. Our portal fosters strong professional relationships and opens new opportunities for your business.

Business Networking Platform

Connect with industry professionals and collaborate on projects through our dynamic networking platform. Share knowledge, explore partnerships, and expand your reach in a supportive community designed to foster business success.

Social Media Poster Design

Boost your social media presence with professionally designed posters. Our team creates visually appealing graphics tailored for social media platforms, helping you engage with your audience and enhance your brand’s online visibility.

Discount Booklets

Offer your customers exclusive discounts through our customizable discount booklets. This feature helps increase customer loyalty and encourages repeat business, driving higher sales and customer satisfaction.

Self-Managed Advertisements

Take control of your advertising campaigns with our self-managed ad platform. Create, monitor, and optimize your ads independently, giving you the flexibility to adjust strategies and maximize ROI.

Video Promotions

Enhance your marketing efforts with engaging promotional videos. Showcase your products and services, highlight unique selling points, and captivate your audience with compelling visual content that drives brand awareness and customer engagement.

At DDS4U, we are committed to helping your business succeed. Our comprehensive services are designed to address your unique challenges and support your growth ambitions. Partner with us to unlock new opportunities and achieve your business goals.

[bedtimeemmy]

It may have indeed been a bad idea to buy a cream-colored sofa, even if it was on sale

[nyggs]

Field Sales Tracking App in India

Best Field Sales Tracking App helps by giving continuous perceivability into all interchanges. This empowers sales teams to track and monitor conversations, distinguish any issues, and guarantee that open doors aren't missed. It likewise assists with guaranteeing that everybody is on the same page and that there is clearness in correspondence.

[essglobe]

Conclusion

ESS India's commitment to customer experience, satisfaction, and loyalty is exemplified through our best-in-class after-sales service app. Its robust features and benefits, including impressive percentages, statistics, and real-world examples, position it as an indispensable tool across industries. By choosing ESS India, businesses can build enduring customer relationships and establish themselves as industry leaders.

[thepsmsblog]

How Sales Tracking App Boost Productivity

Sales tracking apps: Simplify data manage­ment by keeping all sale­s info together. No more manual data e­ntry - less chance for mistakes. 

The­y allow easy sales tracking from lead gene­ration to deal closing. By automating tasks like data entry and re­ports, salespeople save­ time for higher-value work like­ lead nurturing and deal closing.

Sales tracking apps: Offe­r real-time visibility into sales pe­rformance. Managers can instantly see­ current sales activities, pipe­line status, and individual metrics. 

This visibility highlights bottlene­cks and helps allocate resource­s wisely. Spotting issues and optimizing workflow become­s straightforward with up-to-date intel.

Improved Accountability: Sales tracking apps make accountability a core part of the sales process. Reps are held accountable for their actions and performance, as all interactions with leads and customers are automatically recorded. 

This transparency fosters a culture of accountability within the sales team, motivating reps to hit their goals and ensuring no opportunities are missed.

Enhanced Collaboration: Sales tracking apps provide a central platform for communication and information sharing, facilitating collaboration among team members.

Reps can easily work together on deals, share insights, and coordinate follow-up activities in real-time. By breaking down silos and promoting teamwork, these apps enable more efficient progress towards shared goals.

Data Gives Valuable Insights: Sales tracking apps gather lots of data that businesses can use to understand customer behavior, market trends, and sales performance better. 

By analyzing this data, companies can spot patterns, find new opportunities, and improve their sales strategies to be more effective. 

Whether it's identifying the most profitable customer groups or fine-tuning the sales process, data-driven insights help businesses make informed decisions that drive results.

Mobile Convenience: In today's mobile-focused world, being able to access information on the go is crucial. 

Sales tracking apps offer mobile accessibility, allowing sales reps to stay connected and productive even when they're away from the office. 

Whether meeting clients, attending events, or working remotely, reps can access real-time sales data, update records, and collaborate with team members right from their mobile devices.

#sales tracking app #best sales tracking app #sales tracking application #online sales tracking software

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[sales-tracker]

Choosing A Sales Management App? Here Are 5 Features You Must Consider

Selecting the right sales management app requires careful consideration of key features that align with your organization’s specific needs and objectives. By prioritizing features such as intuitive user interface, lead and contact management, sales reporting and analytics, provides flexibility and security & privacy, you can empower your sales team with the tools they need to drive success and achieve their targets effectively.

[sunilc087]

How does a Sales Management Tool Help in the service industry?

Sales management tools for the service industry can help the organization thrive in this competitive market in several ways. It helps enhance productivity in the service industry by streamlining operations, automating recurring service tasks, and centralizing customer data. With this tool, the service team head can assign service operations as per the availability of technicians and similarly, the technicians can reschedule the activity if it is not completed in the first visit. With features like real-time updates and performance evaluation, it enables better decision-making and quicker problem resolution. By providing a cohesive platform for managing workflows, service management software accelerates efficiency, reduces errors, and boosts overall productivity in the service sector.

[bouldersmiledesigndentist]

Global Infocloud - erp for manufacturing

Looking for a custom ERP solution? Look no further than GIC. We can develop a tailored ERP software solution for your business.

bit.ly/3L1IzNa

[chaseappweb]

Optimise Field Employee Tracking , Task Management, Distance Travelled and more with Chase app, Field Employee Tracking app In India.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Your car spies on you and rats you out to insurance companies

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TOMORROW (Mar 13) in SAN FRANCISCO with ROBIN SLOAN, then Toronto, NYC, Anaheim, and more!

Another characteristically brilliant Kashmir Hill story for The New York Times reveals another characteristically terrible fact about modern life: your car secretly records fine-grained telemetry about your driving and sells it to data-brokers, who sell it to insurers, who use it as a pretext to gouge you on premiums:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/technology/carmakers-driver-tracking-insurance.html

Almost every car manufacturer does this: Hyundai, Nissan, Ford, Chrysler, etc etc:

https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2020/09/09/ford-state-farm-ford-metromile-honda-verisk-among-insurer-oem-telematics-connections/

This is true whether you own or lease the car, and it's separate from the "black box" your insurer might have offered to you in exchange for a discount on your premiums. In other words, even if you say no to the insurer's carrot – a surveillance-based discount – they've got a stick in reserve: buying your nonconsensually harvested data on the open market.

I've always hated that saying, "If you're not paying for the product, you're the product," the reason being that it posits decent treatment as a customer reward program, like the little ramekin warm nuts first class passengers get before takeoff. Companies don't treat you well when you pay them. Companies treat you well when they fear the consequences of treating you badly.

Take Apple. The company offers Ios users a one-tap opt-out from commercial surveillance, and more than 96% of users opted out. Presumably, the other 4% were either confused or on Facebook's payroll. Apple – and its army of cultists – insist that this proves that our world's woes can be traced to cheapskate "consumers" who expected to get something for nothing by using advertising-supported products.

But here's the kicker: right after Apple blocked all its rivals from spying on its customers, it began secretly spying on those customers! Apple has a rival surveillance ad network, and even if you opt out of commercial surveillance on your Iphone, Apple still secretly spies on you and uses the data to target you for ads:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Even if you're paying for the product, you're still the product – provided the company can get away with treating you as the product. Apple can absolutely get away with treating you as the product, because it lacks the historical constraints that prevented Apple – and other companies – from treating you as the product.

As I described in my McLuhan lecture on enshittification, tech firms can be constrained by four forces:

I. Competition

II. Regulation

III. Self-help

IV. Labor

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel

When companies have real competitors – when a sector is composed of dozens or hundreds of roughly evenly matched firms – they have to worry that a maltreated customer might move to a rival. 40 years of antitrust neglect means that corporations were able to buy their way to dominance with predatory mergers and pricing, producing today's inbred, Habsburg capitalism. Apple and Google are a mobile duopoly, Google is a search monopoly, etc. It's not just tech! Every sector looks like this:

https://www.openmarketsinstitute.org/learn/monopoly-by-the-numbers

Eliminating competition doesn't just deprive customers of alternatives, it also empowers corporations. Liberated from "wasteful competition," companies in concentrated industries can extract massive profits. Think of how both Apple and Google have "competitively" arrived at the same 30% app tax on app sales and transactions, a rate that's more than 1,000% higher than the transaction fees extracted by the (bloated, price-gouging) credit-card sector:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/07/curatorial-vig/#app-tax

But cartels' power goes beyond the size of their warchest. The real source of a cartel's power is the ease with which a small number of companies can arrive at – and stick to – a common lobbying position. That's where "regulatory capture" comes in: the mobile duopoly has an easier time of capturing its regulators because two companies have an easy time agreeing on how to spend their app-tax billions:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/05/regulatory-capture/

Apple – and Google, and Facebook, and your car company – can violate your privacy because they aren't constrained regulation, just as Uber can violate its drivers' labor rights and Amazon can violate your consumer rights. The tech cartels have captured their regulators and convinced them that the law doesn't apply if it's being broken via an app:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/18/cursed-are-the-sausagemakers/#how-the-parties-get-to-yes

In other words, Apple can spy on you because it's allowed to spy on you. America's last consumer privacy law was passed in 1988, and it bans video-store clerks from leaking your VHS rental history. Congress has taken no action on consumer privacy since the Reagan years:

https://www.eff.org/tags/video-privacy-protection-act

But tech has some special enshittification-resistant characteristics. The most important of these is interoperability: the fact that computers are universal digital machines that can run any program. HP can design a printer that rejects third-party ink and charge $10,000/gallon for its own colored water, but someone else can write a program that lets you jailbreak your printer so that it accepts any ink cartridge:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/11/ink-stained-wretches-battle-soul-digital-freedom-taking-place-inside-your-printer

Tech companies that contemplated enshittifying their products always had to watch over their shoulders for a rival that might offer a disenshittification tool and use that as a wedge between the company and its customers. If you make your website's ads 20% more obnoxious in anticipation of a 2% increase in gross margins, you have to consider the possibility that 40% of your users will google "how do I block ads?" Because the revenue from a user who blocks ads doesn't stay at 100% of the current levels – it drops to zero, forever (no user ever googles "how do I stop blocking ads?").

The majority of web users are running an ad-blocker:

https://doc.searls.com/2023/11/11/how-is-the-worlds-biggest-boycott-doing/

Web operators made them an offer ("free website in exchange for unlimited surveillance and unfettered intrusions") and they made a counteroffer ("how about 'nah'?"):

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/adblocking-how-about-nah

Here's the thing: reverse-engineering an app – or any other IP-encumbered technology – is a legal minefield. Just decompiling an app exposes you to felony prosecution: a five year sentence and a $500k fine for violating Section 1201 of the DMCA. But it's not just the DMCA – modern products are surrounded with high-tech tripwires that allow companies to invoke IP law to prevent competitors from augmenting, recongifuring or adapting their products. When a business says it has "IP," it means that it has arranged its legal affairs to allow it to invoke the power of the state to control its customers, critics and competitors:

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

An "app" is just a web-page skinned in enough IP to make it a crime to add an ad-blocker to it. This is what Jay Freeman calls "felony contempt of business model" and it's everywhere. When companies don't have to worry about users deploying self-help measures to disenshittify their products, they are freed from the constraint that prevents them indulging the impulse to shift value from their customers to themselves.

Apple owes its existence to interoperability – its ability to clone Microsoft Office's file formats for Pages, Numbers and Keynote, which saved the company in the early 2000s – and ever since, it has devoted its existence to making sure no one ever does to Apple what Apple did to Microsoft:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/06/adversarial-interoperability-reviving-elegant-weapon-more-civilized-age-slay

Regulatory capture cuts both ways: it's not just about powerful corporations being free to flout the law, it's also about their ability to enlist the law to punish competitors that might constrain their plans for exploiting their workers, customers, suppliers or other stakeholders.

The final historical constraint on tech companies was their own workers. Tech has very low union-density, but that's in part because individual tech workers enjoyed so much bargaining power due to their scarcity. This is why their bosses pampered them with whimsical campuses filled with gourmet cafeterias, fancy gyms and free massages: it allowed tech companies to convince tech workers to work like government mules by flattering them that they were partners on a mission to bring the world to its digital future:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/10/the-proletarianization-of-tech-workers/

For tech bosses, this gambit worked well, but failed badly. On the one hand, they were able to get otherwise powerful workers to consent to being "extremely hardcore" by invoking Fobazi Ettarh's spirit of "vocational awe":

https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/

On the other hand, when you motivate your workers by appealing to their sense of mission, the downside is that they feel a sense of mission. That means that when you demand that a tech worker enshittifies something they missed their mother's funeral to deliver, they will experience a profound sense of moral injury and refuse, and that worker's bargaining power means that they can make it stick.

Or at least, it did. In this era of mass tech layoffs, when Google can fire 12,000 workers after a $80b stock buyback that would have paid their wages for the next 27 years, tech workers are learning that the answer to "I won't do this and you can't make me" is "don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out" (AKA "sharpen your blades boys"):

https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/29/elon-musk-texts-discovery-twitter/

With competition, regulation, self-help and labor cleared away, tech firms – and firms that have wrapped their products around the pluripotently malleable core of digital tech, including automotive makers – are no longer constrained from enshittifying their products.

And that's why your car manufacturer has chosen to spy on you and sell your private information to data-brokers and anyone else who wants it. Not because you didn't pay for the product, so you're the product. It's because they can get away with it.

Cars are enshittified. The dozens of chips that auto makers have shoveled into their car design are only incidentally related to delivering a better product. The primary use for those chips is autoenshittification – access to legal strictures ("IP") that allows them to block modifications and repairs that would interfere with the unfettered abuse of their own customers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

The fact that it's a felony to reverse-engineer and modify a car's software opens the floodgates to all kinds of shitty scams. Remember when Bay Staters were voting on a ballot measure to impose right-to-repair obligations on automakers in Massachusetts? The only reason they needed to have the law intervene to make right-to-repair viable is that Big Car has figured out that if it encrypts its diagnostic messages, it can felonize third-party diagnosis of a car, because decrypting the messages violates the DMCA:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/11/drm-cars-will-drive-consumers-crazy

Big Car figured out that VIN locking – DRM for engine components and subassemblies – can felonize the production and the installation of third-party spare parts:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/08/about-those-kill-switched-ukrainian-tractors/

The fact that you can't legally modify your car means that automakers can go back to their pre-2008 ways, when they transformed themselves into unregulated banks that incidentally manufactured the cars they sold subprime loans for. Subprime auto loans – over $1t worth! – absolutely relies on the fact that borrowers' cars can be remotely controlled by lenders. Miss a payment and your car's stereo turns itself on and blares threatening messages at top volume, which you can't turn off. Break the lease agreement that says you won't drive your car over the county line and it will immobilize itself. Try to change any of this software and you'll commit a felony under Section 1201 of the DMCA:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/02/innovation-unlocks-markets/#digital-arm-breakers

Tesla, naturally, has the most advanced anti-features. Long before BMW tried to rent you your seat-heater and Mercedes tried to sell you a monthly subscription to your accelerator pedal, Teslas were demon-haunted nightmare cars. Miss a Tesla payment and the car will immobilize itself and lock you out until the repo man arrives, then it will blare its horn and back itself out of its parking spot. If you "buy" the right to fully charge your car's battery or use the features it came with, you don't own them – they're repossessed when your car changes hands, meaning you get less money on the used market because your car's next owner has to buy these features all over again:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/edison-not-tesla/#demon-haunted-world

And all this DRM allows your car maker to install spyware that you're not allowed to remove. They really tipped their hand on this when the R2R ballot measure was steaming towards an 80% victory, with wall-to-wall scare ads that revealed that your car collects so much information about you that allowing third parties to access it could lead to your murder (no, really!):

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/03/rip-david-graeber/#rolling-surveillance-platforms

That's why your car spies on you. Because it can. Because the company that made it lacks constraint, be it market-based, legal, technological or its own workforce's ethics.

One common critique of my enshittification hypothesis is that this is "kind of sensible and normal" because "there’s something off in the consumer mindset that we’ve come to believe that the internet should provide us with amazing products, which bring us joy and happiness and we spend hours of the day on, and should ask nothing back in return":

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-have-great-conversations/

What this criticism misses is that this isn't the companies bargaining to shift some value from us to them. Enshittification happens when a company can seize all that value, without having to bargain, exploiting law and technology and market power over buyers and sellers to unilaterally alter the way the products and services we rely on work.

A company that doesn't have to fear competitors, regulators, jailbreaking or workers' refusal to enshittify its products doesn't have to bargain, it can take. It's the first lesson they teach you in the Darth Vader MBA: "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/26/hit-with-a-brick/#graceful-failure

Your car spying on you isn't down to your belief that your carmaker "should provide you with amazing products, which brings your joy and happiness you spend hours of the day on, and should ask nothing back in return." It's not because you didn't pay for the product, so now you're the product. It's because they can get away with it.

The consequences of this spying go much further than mere insurance premium hikes, too. Car telemetry sits at the top of the funnel that the unbelievably sleazy data broker industry uses to collect and sell our data. These are the same companies that sell the fact that you visited an abortion clinic to marketers, bounty hunters, advertisers, or vengeful family members pretending to be one of those:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/07/safegraph-spies-and-lies/#theres-no-i-in-uterus

Decades of pro-monopoly policy led to widespread regulatory capture. Corporate cartels use the monopoly profits they extract from us to pay for regulatory inaction, allowing them to extract more profits.

But when it comes to privacy, that period of unchecked corporate power might be coming to an end. The lack of privacy regulation is at the root of so many problems that a pro-privacy movement has an unstoppable constituency working in its favor.

At EFF, we call this "privacy first." Whether you're worried about grifters targeting vulnerable people with conspiracy theories, or teens being targeted with media that harms their mental health, or Americans being spied on by foreign governments, or cops using commercial surveillance data to round up protesters, or your car selling your data to insurance companies, passing that long-overdue privacy legislation would turn off the taps for the data powering all these harms:

https://www.eff.org/wp/privacy-first-better-way-address-online-harms

Traditional economics fails because it thinks about markets without thinking about power. Monopolies lead to more than market power: they produce regulatory capture, power over workers, and state capture, which felonizes competition through IP law. The story that our problems stem from the fact that we just don't spend enough money, or buy the wrong products, only makes sense if you willfully ignore the power that corporations exert over our lives. It's nice to think that you can shop your way out of a monopoly, because that's a lot easier than voting your way out of a monopoly, but no matter how many times you vote with your wallet, the cartels that control the market will always win:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/05/the-map-is-not-the-territory/#apor-locksmith

Name your price for 18 of my DRM-free ebooks and support the Electronic Frontier Foundation with the Humble Cory Doctorow Bundle.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/12/market-failure/#car-wars

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en