Box Relay now connects to more digital business processes, adding automation and customization

Despite the promise of digital transformation, knowledge workers’ days are still obstructed by time-consuming, repetitive tasks related to creating, reviewing and approving content. These manual processes destroy value, slowing down cycle times for core business activities, such as finalizing contracts or onboarding new customers. Existing technologies do not fix this inefficiency because they are too static and hard to use. They do not connect disparate data sources while simultaneously being agile and intuitive enough for anyone in the business to build, track and adjust. Organizations need technology that seamlessly fits into how and where work really gets done.

We disrupted the workflow market last year when we launched Box Relay. Co-developed with IBM, Box Relay is the first solution designed specifically to help workers across the enterprise automate their own processes. Relay is already accelerating collaboration, standardizing processes and reducing the risk of losing details in email. 

New Box Relay capabilities enable organizations to connect Relay to core business processes that occur in external systems and make it more seamless for anyone in the business to incorporate process automation and standardization into their daily workstreams. These three new features include...

Content Upload Triggers: Relay can now automatically launch a workflow when a user or external system moves a file into a pre-specified Box folder. Just by adding content to a folder, workers will know what the right next steps are to follow, and won’t have to manage their completion. This new functionality significantly increases an organization's ability to deploy workflow automation across more parts of the business, accelerating cycle times and giving employees time back. 

Ideas for how to use content upload triggers:

  • When you add a new job req, automatically kick off a recruiting workflow 
  • When you develop a creative brief and add it to your agency folder, have Relay automatically send that content to your agency to begin the collaborative process
  • When you receive a contract proposal from a vendor, automatically launch the review and approval workflow 
  • When a field worker completes a form indicating an issue, trigger a back office process to resolve the issue

This new functionality will also enhance existing integrations with best-of-breed systems that already integrate closely with Box, like Salesforce and Oracle NetSuite. Now actions that occur in external systems, which result in content moving into Box folders, can automatically trigger Relay workflows.

An integration with ProntoForms, a leading smart mobile forms provider, is one example of how these new capabilities will tie Relay more closely with a wide range of business processes. Mansell Nelson, SVP, Business Development at ProntoForms, said, “We are very excited about this new functionality within Box Relay. The integration of ProntoForms' mobile application workflows with Box Relay gives our clients the ability to build business processes that connect field workers and their corporate counterparts. Documents that have already been easily shared through Box can now be actively managed automatically with Box Relay workflows, ensuring the back office can seamlessly solve problems identified in the field. For example, if a utilities field worker highlights a corroded meter by filling out a mobile form, Relay can automatically orchestrate the right parties to fix the problem.”

Workflow API: This API expands the use cases of Relay, enabling developers to connect their core business systems (CRM, HR, ERP, etc.) to launch Relay workflows, or trigger an action in that external system once the status of a workflow has changed. Once these systems are connected, unlike alternative technologies, as process evolves, users can maintain and adjust their workflows without having to ask IT. 

For example:

  • When an employee record is added to your HR system, trigger an onboarding flow in Relay 
  • When a new account is added in your CRM, trigger the account assignment process
  • When a form response indicates a technical issue, trigger a mitigation workflow

For more information on the technical details of the API, please check out our developer post.

Pre-built Templates: Now in Relay, users can either build templates from scratch, modify an existing template within their organization, or use one of the templates that come standard in Relay. This new functionality makes it even easier for IT teams to enable their users to get started with Relay. Existing templates available include contract review and approval, employee onboarding and content creation.

Box Relay templates

These advancements will not only accelerate critical business processes across the organization, they will also ensure projects are completed following the right compliance protocols and without details getting lost in the shuffle.

Want to learn more about how workflow automation can transform your business? Read this Forbes article.

Want to get started with Relay? Contact us to learn more.

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