Zoom Unveils No-Code Workflow Builder That Boosts Workplace Efficiency

As the latest part of its strategy to modernize the technologies that underpin the new world of work, not only for its customers but also for itself, Zoom Communications has launched a beta version of its workflow automation option, designed to increase efficiency and reduce time spent on routine tasks.

What’s more, the new option is part of the Zoom Workplace family of technologies that aims to help users build complex workflows in third-party apps so they can spend their time on more meaningful work and collaborate more seamlessly with colleagues. It also automates workflows in Zoom Team Chat, an AI-powered chat solution. New product capabilities are said to be coming soon.

Explaining the reasoning behind the launch, Zoom said that in today’s “rapidly changing work environment,” productivity is paramount and the Workplace suite will help users make the most of their workdays with “innovative” features.

Users can deploy Workflow Automation to set up automated Team Chat messages to introduce new members to the channel, create recurring reminders for project status updates, simplify the process of submitting time off requests, and encourage users to fill out questionnaires to gather feedback in the chat channel. Zoom claims that these capabilities will help users save time and do their best work because they don’t need technical skills to create workflows, they just need to activate the drag-and-drop functionality, no coding required.

To avoid the hassle of building workflows on the platform being complicated, Zoom said that with Workflow Automation, users can choose from pre-made templates or build their own workflows to automate everyday tasks. It allows users to automate tasks to focus more on strategic decision-making and increase overall productivity.

Examples of such tasks include scheduling recurring project updates and reminding the team to post status updates to the team chat channel, or effectively collecting and collating information, whether it be feature requests, user feedback, or incident reports.

To simplify workflows, the system is built to set up sequential, conditional, or switch-based workflows that automate multiple paths and outcomes. Users can create workflows in Team Chat where incoming feedback is automatically categorized based on keywords. If the keyword mentioned is related to “billing,” it can be routed to the finance channel, and if it is related to “technical issues,” it can notify the IT support channel. Automation helps optimize response times and ensure that various queries are handled efficiently in Team Chat.

“We built Workflow Automation to be easy for teams of all sizes and skill levels to use. We’re introducing Workflow Automation with Team Chat first because it’s an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with team members and get work done asynchronously,” explained Wei Li, head of Zoom Team Chat at Zoom. “Workflow Automation helps teams by taking the guesswork out of setting up workflows and helping reduce tedious and repetitive tasks.”

During the beta period, Workflow Automation will be available to select paid Zoom users at no additional cost. When generally available, paid plans will include unlimited standard workflow runs and premium workflow run quotas, with specific run fees for exceeding quotas.