The top 5 considerations when choosing a Communications Automation Platform

When choosing a Communications Automation Platform (CAP), there are five unique qualities every business, regardless of industry, should take into consideration. These five qualities that define a best-in-class CAP offering include:

• Interconnected omichannel capabilities
• Drag-and-drop workflows and pre-built templates
• Low-code/no-code applications
• In-depth analytics
• Rich application integrations

1. Interconnected omnichannel capabilities 

Today, having interconnected omnichannel capabilities is table stakes – particularly because customers are engaging with companies through different channels, which could change throughout the customer journey. Leading CAP providers will enable businesses to effectively track, organize, and manage multiple channels, from SMS to email and social media messaging (like WhatsApp), ensuring the delivery of a harmonious experience to the customer.

2. Drag-and-drop workflows and pre-built templates

Ideally, a CAP solution will have intuitive visual design tools and helpful, prebuilt templates that let business users build complex use cases. These easy-to-use workflows and templates, which don’t require users to have prior programming knowledge, allow businesses to quickly build and automate applications as soon as communication needs arise without starting from scratch.

In other words, rather than having to pause and wait for an entire development cycle to finish, companies can immediately address challenges and seize opportunities. Likewise, these tools are flexible, meaning businesses can edit and change apps mid-production, which was impossible with the hard-code apps of yesteryear.

3. Low and no-code applications 

Those nifty drag-and-drop workflows and pre-built templates fall under the umbrella of low- and no-code applications. These applications shrink the application development process, massively reducing – or outright eliminating – the required hard coding typically handled by IT. Companies should prioritize those CAPs with low and no-code applications, as they allow business users to upgrade existing systems within minutes or hours rather than days or weeks and at considerably lower costs with an accelerated time to value.

4. In-depth analytics 

Leading CAP providers tap into the power of data-driven, in-depth analytics – namely, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered analytics and dashboards with reporting features. Importantly, these analytics must function across channels; otherwise, businesses will have no way of unifying customer interactions, resulting in disjointed experiences. Additionally, analytics drive personalization. AI-enabled tools, for example, can examine a customer’s purchase history, survey feedback, and demographics to deliver contextual promotions and services.

5. Rich application integrations

A best-in-class CAP solution would not be complete without rich application integration capabilities. Today’s organizations and their different applications exist within multi-vendor environments. To overcome this complexity, their CAP provider must have over-the-top orchestration so that all applications can interact effectively and seamlessly.

In addition to being able to interact and work across multiple environments, an ideal CAP offering should integrate with frequently used apps and social media tools, software solutions like marketing automation and CRMs, and new technologies such as ChatGPT and other generative AI solutions.

IntelePeer’s Smart Automation CAP solution has all five unique qualities 

IntelePeer’s Smart Automation CAP solution empowers businesses to enhance customer experience, save money, and maximize ROI while freeing them from the fragmented and siloed API-based apps that stifle digital transformation.   

Contact us today and find out why Aragon Research named IntelePeer as one of the leading providers making an impact in the CAP market.