Challenge 1: Zapier couldn’t support enterprise-scale integrations
Challenge 2: Integration requests slowed sales cycles
Challenge 3: Hard-coded integrations would create long-term complexity

Early on, SlapFive relied on Zapier to connect systems across its platform. While it worked well for simple automation, it wasn’t designed to handle the scale and complexity the company expected as it grew. “Previously, we were trying to do that with Zapier and it just wasn't enterprise scale… we knew we were going to have millions of transactions a year,” says CEO Jeff Ernst. At the same time, integration requests became a frequent part of the sales process. Prospects often asked whether SlapFive could connect with their existing tools, but without a scalable integration strategy those requests typically required custom development, slowing deals and onboarding. “We’d get asked, ‘Can you integrate with this?’ And we'd have to say that it would require a custom project.”

Building integrations internally wasn’t a sustainable option either. Point-to-point integrations would demand significant engineering effort and ongoing maintenance as systems changed. “We made the decision we weren’t going to build this internally. We're not going to do point-to-point integrations,” Ernst explains. Instead, the team began evaluating embedded integration platforms that could scale with their product and support a growing ecosystem of customer systems.

Solution 1: Embedded integrations powered by Workato
Solution 2: Automating complex customer lifecycle marketing workflows
Solution 3: AI-driven insights embedded into workflows

SlapFive selected Workato as the embedded automation and integration layer within its platform, enabling the team to build reusable workflows and quickly deploy integrations across customers. “I want to package up integrations and automated workflows so that 90% of the work is done for each customer and we only configure the last 10%,” says CEO Jeff Ernst. Today, SlapFive integrates with more than 100 applications using Workato connectors, APIs, and webhooks.

Workato powers multi-step workflows that automate lifecycle marketing programs, such as routing reference approvals, collecting advocate availability, and notifying prospects. “To our customers… everything is happening automatically and they’re just seeing the status updates in our system,” Ernst explains.

SlapFive also embeds AI into these workflows to categorize content, extract video highlights, and identify insights from conversations. “We're inserting AI steps into a 20-step workflow… things like categorization or snipping a 30-second video from a longer recording,” says Ernst.

With Workato embedded into its platform, SlapFive turned integrations and automation into a competitive advantage. Sales teams can now confidently promise integrations with customer systems, helping accelerate deal cycles and adoption. “Our salespeople can say yes to anything prospects throw at us… because we have Workato.”

Customer success teams also benefit from faster onboarding and implementation. Guided by a philosophy called Value in the First Month, SlapFive focuses on ensuring customers experience meaningful outcomes within their first 30 days. “We want every customer experiencing their first value outcome within the first 30 days.”

Beyond operational improvements, Workato has also enabled SlapFive to build new product capabilities powered by automation. As a result, integrations have become a revenue-generating engine for the business. “SlapFive has turned Workato into a revenue-generating engine and a competitive advantage.”