Workflow automation is the use of software to execute a series of tasks, documents, and information based on predefined business rules, requiring little to no human input. This approach shifts the performance of repetitive activities from people to a software program, which follows a set of instructions to move from one task to the next. As a result, businesses can streamline operations, reduce manual errors, and allow employees to concentrate on higher-value responsibilities.
Implementing workflow automation brings a host of advantages that can transform business operations. By streamlining processes and reducing manual effort, companies can achieve significant improvements across various key areas.
To effectively implement workflow automation, it's essential to understand its fundamental building blocks. These components form a logical sequence, guiding a process from its inception to its conclusion without manual intervention.
While often used interchangeably, workflow automation and business process automation differ significantly in scope and strategic application.
A wide array of tools helps businesses implement workflow automation, from simple integration platforms to comprehensive enterprise systems. Many solutions are designed with user-friendliness in mind, featuring low-code or no-code interfaces to empower non-technical teams.
Begin by thoroughly documenting the process you intend to automate. Map out each step, identify stakeholders, and define clear goals. Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) from the start is crucial for measuring success and demonstrating value.
Involve your team early to foster buy-in and manage the transition. Once implemented, don't set it and forget it. Continuously monitor the workflow, gather user feedback, and use those insights to make ongoing improvements and optimizations.
Is workflow automation expensive to implement?
Not necessarily. Many platforms offer scalable pricing, and the return on investment from increased efficiency, reduced errors, and lower operational costs often makes it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.
Do I need advanced technical skills to set up automations?
No. The rise of no-code and low-code platforms has made workflow automation accessible to everyone. These tools use intuitive, drag-and-drop interfaces, empowering non-technical team members to build and manage their own workflows.
Will workflow automation replace jobs?
It’s more about augmenting human capabilities than replacing them. Automation handles repetitive, low-value tasks, freeing up employees to focus on strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and other high-impact activities that drive business growth.
Learn about B2C2B, including how B2C2B transforms sales, key strategies for B2C2B success, & differences between B2C2B and B2B2C.
Email personalization uses subscriber data—like their name, interests, or past behavior—to create highly relevant and targeted email campaigns.
CRM enrichment is the process of adding third-party data to your existing customer profiles to make them more complete and accurate.
Marketo is a marketing automation platform used by B2B marketers to manage lead generation, nurturing, email marketing, and analytics.
An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is a detailed description of the perfect, hypothetical company that would get the most value from your product.
An email cadence is a scheduled sequence of emails sent to prospects over a specific period to nurture leads and drive engagement.
Precision targeting is a marketing strategy that uses data to identify and reach a highly specific audience most likely to convert.
Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) is a strategy for managing all of a company's relationships and interactions with its customers.
Sales enablement provides sales teams with the necessary tools, content, and information to help them sell more effectively and efficiently.
Data security protects digital information from unauthorized access, corruption, or theft throughout its entire lifecycle.
Technographics is data that outlines a company’s technology stack, helping B2B teams identify prospects based on the software and hardware they use.
A buying committee is a group of stakeholders within an organization who are jointly responsible for making major purchasing decisions.
A sales funnel is a model illustrating the customer's journey from initial awareness to the final purchase, narrowing down leads at each stage.
User interaction is any action a user takes within a digital interface, like clicking a button, scrolling a page, or filling out a form.
Learn about B2B data, including sources and types of B2B data, leveraging B2B data for sales success, & ensuring the accuracy of B2B data.
A value statement is a clear, concise declaration of the unique benefits a company provides to its customers, outlining its core purpose.
A Call for Proposal (CFP) is a document that solicits proposals, often through a bidding process, for a specific project or service.
Email verification is the process of confirming that an email address is valid and deliverable, which helps improve campaign performance.
Learn about B2B sales, including key strategies for B2B success, types of B2B sales models, & B2B vs. B2C sales: understanding the differences.
Account-Based Everything (ABE) is a strategy aligning sales, marketing, and success teams to focus on a specific set of high-value accounts.
Ramp-up time is the period a new hire takes to get fully up to speed and become a productive member of your go-to-market team.
Product-Led Growth (PLG) is a business strategy where the product itself drives user acquisition, conversion, and expansion.
A persona map visually outlines a target customer, detailing their goals, behaviors, and pain points to help your team build genuine empathy.
User-generated content (UGC) refers to any form of content, like images, videos, or text, created and shared by users on online platforms.
A use case is a detailed description of how a user interacts with a system to achieve a specific goal, outlining the steps from start to finish.
The FAB technique is a sales framework connecting product features to advantages and then to the specific benefits for the customer.
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other and exchange information.
Sales acceleration refers to strategies and technologies designed to speed up the sales cycle, enabling reps to close more deals, faster.
A messaging strategy defines what your brand says, how it says it, and where it says it to connect effectively with your target audience.
Product recommendations are a marketing strategy that uses customer data to suggest relevant products, boosting sales and customer engagement.
A channel partner is a company that works with a manufacturer or producer to market and sell their products, software, or services to customers.
Marketing Operations (MOps) is the engine of a marketing team, managing the technology, processes, and people to run campaigns effectively.
Sales automation uses software to streamline and automate repetitive, manual sales tasks, freeing up reps to focus on selling.
Direct sales involves selling products directly to consumers in a non-retail setting, such as at home, online, or person-to-person.
A Point of Contact (POC) is the designated individual or department that serves as the main hub for information and communication on a matter.
Webhooks are automated messages sent by an app when a specific event occurs. They push real-time data to another app's unique URL.
Sales development is the process of identifying and qualifying potential customers to create a pipeline of sales-ready leads for closers.
Buying intent is the collection of online cues and behaviors that signal a prospect is actively researching and moving toward a purchase decision.
AI data enrichment uses artificial intelligence to automatically enhance and update raw data, making it more complete, accurate, and valuable.
An Account Executive (AE) is a sales professional responsible for closing new business deals and managing existing client relationships to drive revenue.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a web security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into trusted websites.
Cohort analysis is a behavioral analytics tool that groups users with common traits to track their actions and engagement over time.
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) is the predictable income a company expects to receive from its customers over a one-year period.
Intent-based leads are potential customers whose online actions—like searches or content engagement—signal a clear interest in buying a solution.
A performance plan is a formal document outlining an employee's goals, expectations, and metrics for success over a specific period.
Cross-selling is a sales tactic of encouraging customers to purchase products or services that are related to what they're already buying.
Lead qualification is the process of determining which prospects are most likely to become paying customers based on predefined criteria.
Sales objections are reasons or concerns raised by a potential customer as to why they are hesitant or unwilling to make a purchase.
Load testing is a type of performance testing that determines how a system behaves under both normal and anticipated peak load conditions.
Customer centricity is a business approach that puts the customer at the heart of every decision, aiming to build loyalty and long-term value.
A Content Management System (CMS) is software for creating, managing, and modifying website content without needing specialized technical skills.
Channel partners are third-party firms that help market and sell a company's products or services, acting as an indirect sales force.
Learn about business continuity, including understanding key components, steps to ensure continuity, common challenges, & best practices.
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application that manages your entire hiring and recruitment process from a single dashboard.
An elevator pitch is a short, memorable summary of what you do, designed to be delivered in the time it takes to ride an elevator.
The marketing mix is the set of marketing tools a company uses to sell products, defined by the 4Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.
Account-Based Sales Development (ABSD) is a focused strategy where SDRs target key stakeholders within specific, high-value accounts.
Dynamic pricing is a strategy where businesses set flexible prices for products or services based on current market demands and other factors.
HubSpot is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform with tools for marketing, sales, and service, all aimed at helping businesses grow.
Average Revenue per User (ARPU) is a key performance indicator that calculates the average revenue generated from each user or subscriber.
An account is a company or organization that you're targeting for sales. It can be a prospective, current, or even a past customer.
Responsive design is an approach where a website's layout adapts to the user's screen size, providing an optimal experience on any device.
Sales enablement content refers to the materials and tools that empower your sales team to engage prospects and close deals more efficiently.
A sales kickoff (SKO) is an annual event for a sales team to celebrate wins, align on goals, and get motivated for the upcoming year.
Lead scraping is the process of automatically extracting contact information and other relevant data about potential customers from online sources.
Objection handling is the process of responding to a prospect's concerns or hesitations about a product or service to move a deal forward.
Contact discovery is the process of finding accurate contact details for potential leads, including names, emails, phone numbers, and job titles.
Lead nurturing is the process of developing and reinforcing relationships with buyers at every stage of the sales funnel.
Contact data is the set of details, like names, emails, and phone numbers, used to get in touch with a person or business for outreach.
Stress testing is a type of software testing that determines a system's robustness by pushing it beyond its normal operational capacity.
A marketing automation platform is software that automates marketing actions. It helps manage tasks like email campaigns and lead nurturing.
A System of Record (SoR) is the authoritative data source for a specific type of data. It acts as the single source of truth for an organization.
Net new business is revenue from customers who have never purchased from your company before. It’s a crucial indicator of sustainable growth.
Closed opportunities are potential deals that have concluded. They are categorized as either 'closed-won' (a sale was made) or 'closed-lost'.
The Dark Funnel describes customer buying activities that are untrackable by companies, such as private chats and word-of-mouth referrals.
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are websites that look and feel like native mobile apps, offering features like offline access and push notifications.
Competitive intelligence (CI) is the ethical gathering and analysis of market data to inform strategic business decisions and gain an advantage.
A landing page is a standalone web page created for a marketing campaign. It’s where a visitor “lands” after clicking an ad or email link.
Account-Based Selling is a B2B strategy where sales and marketing treat high-value accounts as markets of one, using personalized outreach.
Learn about B2B intent data providers, including evaluating intent data quality, leveraging intent data for growth, & B2B intent data: key providers comparison.
Lead scoring models rank prospects by assigning points for their behaviors and demographics, helping sales teams prioritize their outreach.
Sales partnerships are strategic alliances where two companies co-sell products to expand their reach, generate new leads, and increase revenue.
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is a document declaring the preliminary commitment of one party to do business with another, outlining the chief terms.
A consumer is an individual or entity that buys products or services for personal use, not for resale. They are the final user in a supply chain.
“No Spam” is a commitment to sending only relevant, solicited messages. It means avoiding bulk, unwanted emails to respect the recipient's inbox.
Content Rights Management involves controlling the use and distribution of copyrighted digital media to protect intellectual property.
Learn about big data, including understanding big data characteristics, benefits of leveraging big data, & challenges in managing big data.
Integration testing is a software testing phase where individual modules are combined and tested together to verify their interaction.
Docker is a tool that packages applications and their dependencies into isolated environments called containers for easy deployment and scaling.
Learn about buyer intent, including understanding buyer intent signals, strategies to capture buyer intent, & buyer intent vs. customer interest.
Lookalike audiences are groups of potential customers who share similar characteristics and behaviors with your existing, high-value customers.
Competitive analysis means identifying your rivals and assessing their strategies to pinpoint your own business's strengths and weaknesses.
Sales prospecting software automates the process of finding, contacting, and tracking potential customers to help sales teams build their pipeline.
A sales territory is a specific group of customers or a geographic area that a salesperson or sales team is responsible for managing.
Intent data tracks a user's online behavior—like searches and site visits—to identify signals that they are ready to make a purchase.
Enrichment is the process of adding third-party data to your existing customer profiles to get a more complete picture of your leads.
A talk track is a script that guides sales reps during calls. It ensures they cover key points and maintain a consistent message with prospects.
A Request for Information (RFI) is a formal process for gathering information from potential suppliers before issuing a more detailed proposal.
A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is an action plan that outlines how a company will reach target customers and achieve a competitive advantage.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a focused B2B strategy where marketing and sales collaborate to target and convert high-value accounts.