Continuing our assessment of enterprise communications requirements, we have now reached the fourth usage profile: information processing. Previously, I’ve examined field sales and services roles, production roles, and retail customer-facing roles showing how those usage profiles are usually best served by communication functions built into or integrated with purpose-built software applications.
Information processing roles are very structured and rules-driven. They’re also closely associated with production roles because information processing manages the back-end activities in support of the enterprise’s core products and services. In most cases, the workflow is automated by one or more business applications, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) or workflow automation software (e.g., Pegasystems, Microsoft Power Automate, etc.), for order processing, logistics processing, billing, accounting, customer record management, payroll, benefits, and similar activities.
