The New Automation Mindset

CHAPTER 10The Front Office

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.”

—James Cash Penney

As the first era of digital transformation unfolded, marketing and sales leaders suddenly became major technology buyers. Customer relationship management (CRM), marketing automation platforms (MAPs), and an ecosystem of revenue‐focused software applications transformed these functions.

Buyers of front‐office apps are unlike any other buyers. When every app claims direct revenue impact, budget becomes less of an issue. As a result, marketing technology (or martech) is one of the largest technology landscapes in business today.¹

The front‐office tower of automation includes parts of the company that are customer‐facing or revenue‐driving. Sales and marketing are the largest functions of the front office. Based on industry, it might include other roles, such as a hotel front desk, analysts in a consulting firm, or wealth management advisors. Regardless of what you call them in your industry, the revenue‐generating teams and functions often have very similar underlying processes. The good news is that these areas are all jackpots of automation opportunities.

As part of our process hierarchy, we see that the front office activities can be grouped into six key areas:

• Sales management;
• Customer success and operations;
• Revenue operations and go‐to‐market; ...