What is workflow automation?

What is workflow automation?

Over the past 15 years, the programmatic ecosystem and, more broadly, digital media buying, have diversified enormously in terms of technological offerings and service providers.

In the 2000s, all you needed was an Ad server and a banner to promote your site, but now it's a completely different story, as it's possible to broadcast to computers, mobiles, tablets and connected TVs via an ever-increasing number of promotional media and advertising spaces.

However, all this pales in comparison with the growing complexity of data on people's consumption, and the knowledge required to make the most of the various platforms (DSPs, SSPs, social networks), with ever more advanced notions of tracking, attribution and reporting.

Digitalization

For many companies, digitalization has meant acquiring a long list of service providers and technologies capable of providing them with the keys to exploiting the opportunities offered by the digital world. These solutions, which are usually one-offs, can quickly reach their limits, leading to even greater complexity, particularly when it comes to orchestrating the various players involved.

What's the logical evolution? The automation of operations-related tasks.

As a result, those in charge of digital marketing are increasingly turning their attention to overhauling a model that has become progressively sclerotic in terms of campaign set-up and management. The watchword is now to simplify certain processes by merging or eliminating technologies that have a negligible impact on performance.

More precisely, it's not a question of questioning a system's ability to produce results, but rather of simplifying and optimizing it to restore its agility. For example, in the case of a campaign broadcast on several platforms, the configuration of purchase orders and targeting is done on a platform-by-platform basis, which can waste a considerable amount of time, and therefore money, when you consider that this stage is no more and no less than a lengthy cut-and-paste process extending over several days.

The aim is simple: to eliminate the impact of low value-added tasks on campaign management, by eliminating those that are unnecessarily duplicated in the various stages of management.

Adopt technologies capable of unifying the many programmatic, display, search and social distribution channels.

A platform capable of integrating media planning, media buying, reporting and invoicing via a single interface could become a major preoccupation for industry players.

Why automate? What are the benefits?

Reducing time spent is a key factor, as we know that the more time spent on an operation, the less profitable it becomes. Being able to free ourselves from time-consuming tasks linked to operations, such as creating campaign structures or managing creative, means that we are more available for the heart of the business: strategy.

For a person in charge of campaigns, it also means being able to handle a wider variety of campaigns, and not staying on the same issues for hours on end.

Automation also makes it possible to significantly reduce the complexity of operations, particularly those induced by the growing power and number of walled gardens (Meta, Google, Microsoft etc.), which jealously guard access to their audiences and locations. The simple fact of automating their operations makes more accessible possibilities that were previously set aside as too time-consuming or complex to set up.

“Automation also makes it possible to significantly reduce the complexity of operations, in particular that induced by the increasing power and number of walled gardens.”