How ChatGPT Can Help in Task Scheduling and Workflow Automation

Day 5 of 11 - I remember, not so long ago, a conversation with a colleague: their customer service manager had quit without notice, and the team had literally no clue what was needed to onboard a client. Nowhere was there a workflow to determine the next step, let alone anything in place that would automate the workflow.

Luckily for us, this can now all be part of the past. (Scroll for a case study.)

First, there are tools such as Scribe that can build how-to guides, SOPs (standard operating procedures) and training manuals for you. First step done!

But then, how do we automate all of this?

I asked ChatGPT: How can you help automate task scheduling and workflows?

5 OF 11 - TASK SCHEDULING & WORKFLOW AUTOMATION

ChatGPT responded:

Task Scheduling & Workflow Automation:

• Task Scheduling: Automate repetitive tasks like sending emails, data backups, or generating reports on a regular basis.
• Notifications & Alerts: Set up alerts for specific events (e.g., out-of-stock items, urgent messages, or performance drops).
• Workflow Automation: Create if-this-then-that workflows (e.g., if a new file is uploaded to a cloud folder, automatically process and send a report).

Me: Please elaborate on your points and give me some prompts and examples.

ChatGPT:

1. Task Scheduling (Automate repetitive tasks like sending emails, data backups, or generating reports)

Step-by-step:

1. Define the Repetitive Task: Start by identifying the task you want to automate, such as sending a daily email, backing up files, or generating a weekly report.
2. Create a Template or Workflow: Use ChatGPT to help draft templates for repetitive tasks. For instance, if it’s a recurring email, you can create an email template and fill it out automatically by providing key information.
3. Trigger and Time Specification: For automation, you would typically use an external tool like Zapier, IFTTT or Latenode to trigger the task at specific intervals (daily, weekly, etc.). These tools can connect to your calendar, task management tools, or email systems.
4. Use ChatGPT for Content Generation: After setting up the automation tool, use ChatGPT to generate the content, such as reports or summaries, to be included in the task.

Example: Automating a Daily Sales Report Email

Step-by-step:

1. Define the Task: You want to send a daily sales report email to your team every morning.
2. Create a Report Template: Ask ChatGPT to help generate a report template that you can fill with daily data.

Prompt: "Please help me draft a daily sales report template. The report should include total sales, best-selling products, and key insights for the day."

1. Automate Report Generation: You can either manually enter the sales data into the report or automate it using tools like Google Sheets or Excel to pull sales data from your system.
2. Task Scheduling Using Zapier, IFTTT or Latenode
3. Use ChatGPT to Finalize Reports: You can use ChatGPT each day to process and generate key insights from the data, which you’ll then send via the automated email.

Prompt Example: "Here's today's sales data. Please generate three key insights for the daily sales report."

2. Notifications & Alerts (Set up alerts for specific events, e.g., out-of-stock items, urgent messages)

Step-by-step:

1. Define the Event for Alerts: Specify what event should trigger a notification (e.g., a product going out of stock, a message marked urgent, or performance metrics dropping).
2. Set Up Monitoring: Use automation tools like Zapier, IFTTT, or Google Alerts to monitor data and trigger notifications. You can link this to your email, Slack, or text messaging system.
3. Processing Alerts: After receiving alerts, you can use ChatGPT to analyze and summarize them or generate follow-up actions.

Example: Setting Up an Out-of-Stock Alert

1. Define the Event: You want to be alerted when Laptop X goes out of stock on your e-commerce website.
2. Set Up Monitoring: Use a service like Zapier to monitor the stock status of products on your website. When Laptop X becomes unavailable, you’ll receive an email or Slack notification.
3. Use ChatGPT for Follow-Up Actions: Once you receive the alert, you can use ChatGPT to generate an email to notify your supplier to restock the product.

Prompt Example: "I received an alert that Laptop X is out of stock. Can you draft an email to the supplier requesting a restock of 50 units?"

3. Workflow Automation (Create 'if-this-then-that' workflows)

Step-by-step:

1. Define the Workflow: Identify a repetitive workflow that can be automated. For instance, if a new file is uploaded to a cloud folder, you want to process it and send a report.
2. Automation Tools: Use tools like Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate, or IFTTT to automate the workflow. For example:
3. Use ChatGPT for Processing: Once the trigger event happens, ChatGPT can help you process the content and generate a summary.

Example: Automating File Upload and Reporting

1. Define the Workflow: You want to automate the process of generating a report whenever a sales data file is uploaded to Google Drive.
2. Set Up Automation: Use Zapier or Power Automate to create the following workflow:
3. Process the File Using ChatGPT: After the file is uploaded, you can ask ChatGPT to summarize its contents and format the summary in an email.

Prompt Example: "Here's the sales data from the new file. Please summarize the key metrics and generate an email report."

Result:

After setting up the automation, every time a new file is uploaded to your folder, ChatGPT can help process the data and automatically generate a summary report that is sent out to your team.

Conclusion:

By following these steps, you can automate various repetitive tasks such as sending daily reports, generating notifications, or creating workflows using task scheduling tools like Zapier or IFTTT. ChatGPT helps by generating content, summarizing data, and handling the dynamic parts of the tasks.

Would you like to explore one of these examples in more detail or set up a specific automation case for your workflow?

Me: Yes. Can you give me a good case study example for creating a workflow?

ChatGPT:

Certainly! Let's walk through a case study where a company automates a client onboarding process using workflow automation. This example will show how different tools and ChatGPT can work together to streamline a common business process.

Case Study: Automating Client Onboarding Workflow

Background:

TechNova, a growing technology company (similar to your involvement as TechNova’s marketing director), wants to automate its client onboarding process. The current manual process involves multiple steps:

1. Collecting information from the client.
2. Creating a client profile in the CRM system.
3. Sending a welcome email with next steps and introductory materials.
4. Assigning the new client to a sales rep.
5. Scheduling an introductory meeting.

TechNova wants to reduce the manual work involved and improve the speed of onboarding.

Workflow Automation Goals:

• Trigger: New client submission via a web form.
• Automated Steps:Automatically create a client profile in the CRM system.Generate and send a welcome email.Assign a sales rep based on client preferences (region, product interest).Schedule an introductory meeting.Send follow-up reminders for required actions (e.g., additional documents).

Step-by-Step Process: Automating the Workflow

1. Web Form Submission as the Trigger

Tool: Use Google Forms or a similar form service for collecting client details such as:

• Name
• Email
• Company Name
• Industry
• Region
• Product interest

Once the form is submitted, this acts as the trigger to initiate the workflow.

2. Create Client Profile in CRM

Tool: Use Zapier or Latenode to automate the creation of the client profile in the CRM system (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho CRM).

Workflow Action:

• When a new form submission is received, Zapier can take the form data and automatically create a new client entry in the CRM, filling out fields like name, email, and company.

3. Generate and Send Welcome Email

Tool: Email automation services like Gmail or Mailchimp integrated with Zapier or Latenode.

Automation Step:

• Once the client profile is created in the CRM, Zapier triggers an email workflow. ChatGPT can generate the content for the welcome email based on the form submission.

Example Email Template (Generated by ChatGPT):

Prompt: "Please generate a professional welcome email for a new client, including information about next steps and key resources they will need during onboarding."

4. Assign Sales Rep Based on Client Information

Tool: Use Zapier to route the new client to the appropriate sales rep based on client preferences such as region or product interest.

Automation Step:

• In Zapier, create filters based on the client’s region and product preferences from the form submission.
• Assign the client to a sales rep from a predefined list, based on the client's data.

5. Schedule Introductory Meeting

Tool: Use Calendly or Google Calendar to automatically schedule a meeting with the client.

Automation Step:

• After assigning the sales rep, a meeting invitation is automatically sent to the client using a link to the sales rep’s calendar (via Calendly).
• The client can choose a time that works for them, and the meeting will be automatically added to both the client’s and the sales rep’s calendar.

6. Send Follow-Up Reminders

Tool: Use email or CRM-based workflows to send follow-up reminders for the client to complete certain tasks (e.g., submitting additional documents or attending the introductory meeting).

Automation Step:

• If the client hasn’t uploaded required documents (such as contracts or verification documents) within a certain period, a reminder email is automatically triggered. This email can also be generated by ChatGPT.

Example Reminder Email (Generated by ChatGPT):

Prompt: "Generate a reminder email for a new client asking them to submit additional documents needed for onboarding."

Results of Automation:

By setting up this automated workflow, TechNova has achieved the following:

• Time Saved: The sales and support teams no longer have to manually create client profiles, assign sales reps, or send out welcome emails. Everything is automated and happens in real time as soon as a new client submits their information.
• Improved Accuracy: Automation reduces errors that may occur in manual data entry, ensuring consistent and accurate records in the CRM system.
• Faster Onboarding: Clients are onboarded more quickly since the workflow automates most of the tasks, and the client is immediately assigned to the correct sales rep and receives the welcome materials.
• Better Client Experience: Clients receive timely communications and reminders, improving their overall experience with the company from day one.

Conclusion:

This case study demonstrates how automating a client onboarding workflow can significantly streamline operations, reduce manual tasks, and enhance the client experience. Tools like Zapier or Latenode, CRM platforms, and email automation systems work together, while ChatGPT helps with content creation for emails and communications, ensuring a personalized touch throughout the process.

Yes, it really simplifies to process. Are you ready to try it yourself?

If you need my help or have a question, send me a message!

FULL DISCLOSURE

• I will indicate what is my original work and where I used any type of #AI to enhance it or help me with any of it;
• I will share with you any findings I find useful;
• I will tell you how I got wherever I might be going;
• I will be fully transparent.

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Conversation with ChatGPT where indicated

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