Lately, Zoom has spent a lot of time, effort, and money attempting to prove it’s more than just a video conferencing platform. Zoom Workflow Automation, an AI-powered feature designed to boost workplace efficiency, draws attention to that fact.
Building on a growing selection of other AI-powered capabilities with Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s all-in-one solution for meetings, chat, and productivity, Workflow Automation aims to deliver the ultimate solution for hybrid productivity.
According to Zoom, this no-code workflow builder will help employees focus on more meaningful work, save time, and unlock greater levels of creativity. The vendor also hopes its new tool will assist business leaders struggling with ongoing skill shortages.
Let’s take a closer look at Zoom Workflow Automation and what it can do.
What is Zoom Workflow Automation?
Zoom Workflow Automation is an AI-powered no-code workflow builder built into the Zoom Workplace platform. It’s currently integrated into Zoom’s Team Chat solution, but Zoom says that more “product capabilities” will be announced soon.
Introduced on July 10, 2024, with an announcement article on the Zoom website, Workflow Builder is primarily intended to improve workplace efficiency.
With Zoom Workflow Automation, users can set up automated messages for Team Chat for various use cases. For instance, Zoom says business leaders can use the function to welcome newcomers to a channel with automated greetings.
The solution can also be implemented to answer common questions, send teams reminders about upcoming project deadlines, and track approvals. There’s even the option to create entire questionnaires to collect insights from team members.
Most importantly, anyone can create automated workflows without any technical knowledge. Zoom’s technology requires no coding experience and leverages generative AI and pre-built templates to make automating everyday tasks easy.
What Does Zoom Workflow Automation Do?
Zoom is advertising its no-code automation solution primarily as an efficiency-boosting tool for employees to make the most of their schedules. Users can create workflows in seconds using the built-in drag-and-drop visual interface.
Although the solution is currently only built into Zoom Chat, it still offers a range of ways to increase productivity. It can automate routine tasks like sending meeting reminders or announcements based on pre-set triggers. Users can create switch-based, conditional, or sequential workflows to speed up response times, enhance collaboration, and keep workers engaged.
A handful of templates are already available for common tasks like collecting team feedback or sending recurring product updates. However, Zoom says that it will be rolling out new templates in the months to come as it learns more about what today’s teams need.
Notably, while the solution is still in “Beta” mode today, it can also integrate with a handful of popular apps connected to the Zoom ecosystem. For instance, teams can create workflows that leverage Zoom alongside Outlook Calendar, Google Drive, Jira, OneDrive, and Google Calendar.
Availability and Pricing
As mentioned above, Zoom Workflow Automation is a Beta mode feature available to eligible paid users with a Zoom Workplace plan. Currently, you won’t be able to access the feature if you’re using the free version of Zoom, but paid plan users won’t have to pay any extra for it either.
Zoom hasn’t released much information about how exactly the feature will be priced when it reaches general availability. However, the company has said that “Premium” plans will be available. These will allow users to create unlimited standard workflow runs and a specific number of “premium workflow runs,” with per-run charges for allotment overruns.
Notably, a standard run is described as any automated workflow that runs within the Zoom platform, or those that use s a single third-party app. Premium runs, on the other hand, use multiple third-party apps within a workflow.
How to Enable Workflow Automation in Zoom
Like most of Zoom’s latest features, Workflow Automation needs to be enabled by an account owner or admin before users can access it. Users will also need the latest desktop version of Zoom, and the vendor notes that workflows can only be created, published, and edited by individual users. Plus, Workflow Automation isn’t available on Zoom’s mobile app (yet).
To enable or disable Zoom Workflow automation for all users in an account, an admin will need to sign into the Zoom web portal, then find Account Management within the navigation menu. Next:
- Select Account Settings followed by…
- In the Other section, toggle the Enable Workflow Automation option on
- Select Allow webhook triggers if necessary
- Click Save followed by Enable or Disable to verify the change
Administrators can also click the Lock icon to prevent other users from changing the settings. Plus, there’s the option to visit the Groups section in User Management to enable or disable Workflow automation for specific users within a tenant.
Creating Workflows in Zoom
Once an admin or account owner enables Zoom Workflow Automation, users can access the feature within the Zoom desktop app, or from the Zoom web portal. Using the desktop app, click the More button in Zoom Workplace, then Workflows. In the web app, you can click on Workflows within the navigation menu.
From here, users have the option to either create a workflow from scratch or use one of Zoom’s preexisting templates. For instance, you might choose the “Introduce New Members” template, and you can edit a range of preconfigured steps. You can send a direct message to a user who joins the channel (with or without attached resources). You can also send a message to the channel the user joins or ask for information about them with a form.
Once you’ve selected your template, you can add more steps by dragging and dropping pre-built steps into the canvas from the side panel. Once you place a step on the canvas, you can adjust how it works with the configuration panel.
If you choose to create a workflow from scratch, you’ll be able to:
- Schedule workflows to trigger on a specific date or at a certain time. You can also configure workflows to be “recurring”
- Determine how a workflow is triggered, such as by someone sending an emoji to a chat, joining a channel, clicking on a link, or using a webhook
- Publish your workflows on Zoom Workplace
The Benefits of Zoom’s New Feature
Workflow automation can be a valuable tool, helping companies and teams to boost efficiency, productivity, and collaboration. However, creating workflows, even with dedicated tools, can be complicated and time-consuming.
With Zoom Workflow Automation, anyone can create a workflow in minutes without coding skills. The pre-built templates make designing flows for common tasks easy, like onboarding team members or creating approval processes for time-off requests.
Users can even set up different workflows to automate various tasks and outcomes. For instance, Zoom suggests users create a workflow in Team Chat that allows them to categorize feedback based on keywords. If someone mentions “billing,” for instance, you can route feedback automatically to the finance team.
Overall, Zoom Workflow Automation should help teams in the modern workplace automate more tasks and boost productivity. As Zoom continues introducing new templates, capabilities, and features to this solution, it could become a powerful differentiating feature for Zoom Workplace, eliminating the need to use third-party tools.
Discover Zoom Workflow Automation
Zoom Workflow Automation demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to building a comprehensive hybrid work and productivity platform. Keen to be more than just a leader in the video conferencing space, Zoom has continuously innovated.
The company constantly introduces new features for users, from AI-powered assistants, to contact center solutions.
Though Zoom Workflow Automation is still in its infancy, it promises to be an exciting new feature.
Eligible paid plan users can create workflows today at no extra cost. Remember, you may need to pay for unlimited workflows and advanced “Premium” runs in the future.
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