categories that impact marketing: Workflow Automation and RPA

This four-part series explores four categories of artificial intelligent (AI), their impact on marketers and customers, and the pitfalls to avoid. We’ve already explored generative artificial intelligence, predicative analytics, and customized customer journeys.

The final article in the series will examine workflow automation, robotic process automation (RPA), and AI-based tools which enable repetitive tasks be performed by software instead of humans. This is the most mature and oldest form of artificial intelligent explored in this series.

What is it and why should you care about it today?

The use of robotic process automation, or workflow automation (RPA), is older than most AI applications. Its depth and breadth can be very different.

RPA is a term that dates back to the 1990s. It was most commonly used to automate testing of user interfaces. However, it has become more popular in recent years, with RPA’s use cases expanding to include many other uses.

This includes the following:

• Automating repetitive and routine tasks, such as data entry.
• Other assignments, such as task assignment, routing requests, and other assignments, can be made from one team, role, or task to another.

This is especially useful for repetitive tasks that would take a large team of people a long time to complete. Workflow automation and RPA are useful from a marketing perspective and for customer experience.

• Lead scoring and segmentation.
• Automating communications and messages.
• Internal teams can be guided to route complex campaigns that span teams, departments, channels, and stages of the customer journey.

Near-term Potential

It’s important to note that although workflow automation is not new, it still has plenty of room to grow.

In its simplest form workflow automation is a set of “if then” functions. As AI gains more data from a wider range of systems, its benefits will grow.

We’ll look at some of the areas where workflow automation has the greatest potential in near-term for marketers.

Improved automation and internal orchestration

The complexity of marketing, customer experience and customer service, as well as other enterprise functions, is high. It is not uncommon for what may appear to be a simple request or action to be completed by a customer, to require the collaboration of several teams with their respective processes and platforms. Any effort that can be made to improve customer service by enabling faster collaboration and orchestration between people, platforms and processes will greatly benefit the customer.

Automated responses for customer service requests

RPA and automation are a great way to provide timely responses. They can do this by providing immediate information, actions that should be taken next and other important communications.

Automating Lead Qualification

Lead scoring, audience segmentation, and routing of a client or group of clients into an automated workflow such as a drip email campaign or flow in a Customer Journey Orchestration setup.

Automated report generation

It has never been easier for marketers to understand the results of their efforts. It can be a time-consuming process to create these reports.

AI can help teams focus on their tasks by automating the creation of reports and sending them to the appropriate parties at the appropriate times.

Automatic annotation of customer records

This is especially important for high-volume B2C companies, as customers are increasingly switching channels and there are disparate data pieces scattered throughout the organization’s ecosystem. This is a great way to provide information for B2B companies with lower volumes, but it doesn’t interfere with “high-touch” customer service.

In either case, automating data append to customer records allows your organization to use all its listening and signals collection and centralize it in a single customer record.

What to look out for

Marketing teams must be cautious in adopting automation or increasing its use, despite the benefits that have been explored. Here are some things to watch out for.

Overengineering Automation

This is a lack in flexibility of teams and areas of business where inputs and outcomes can vary.

The overengineering of these tasks and assignments can make it difficult to handle edge cases or to override systems which are heavily automated. Indirectly, they encourage employees to find their own solutions that are outside the core systems.

“Phone Tree” Hell

There is nothing more frustrating than being stuck in a system that will not let you leave.

This is something you’ve probably experienced with a phone tree for customer service at some point. You keep searching to find the correct option, but always end up in exactly the same spot. Do not let this happen with your digital efforts.

Lack of transparency

When they come across unclear or complicated processes, team members may become frustrated and confused. Like the example of overengineering, team members may avoid these systems or processes entirely.

In general, when automating large or small parts of a work flow, you should be on the lookout for a mentality that says “set it and then forget it”. Once something is automated it will be forgotten.

Automation is often chosen over potential improvements. As long as you review your automations and make sure they still serve you and your clients in the best way possible, you should be fine.

Workflow management streamlines marketing efforts

Even though the origins of workflow automation are based on early AI algorithms and if-this, then-that logic, organizations that have a forward-looking attitude can use it today. In the months and years to come, this area will continue to see innovation.

I hope you enjoyed this four part series on types of AI marketing and CX teams need to evaluate and consider for greater adoption.

By focusing on the customer, you can keep your business competitive and meet consumer expectations.

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