How We Streamlined Neo4j’s Global Marketing Workflows with Asana
FOCUS
Process Optimization, Software Implementation Asana Monthly Support Asana Training
SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTED
Asana
TEAMS TRANSFORMED
Global Marketing Team
The success of a company often brings with it new challenges. For Neo4j, the graph database and analytics leader, growth led to a complex web of operational difficulties. As the company expanded globally, with marketing teams spread across North America, EMEA, and APAC, their once-efficient processes began to slow them down. Simple tasks like managing a webinar or launching an email campaign turned into complicated undertakings, bogged down by inefficiencies and miscommunication.
The Challenges: Fragmented Processes, Manual Workloads, and Siloed Teams
As Neo4j’s marketing operations expanded globally, several critical challenges began to emerge:
Fragmented Processes: With teams spread across multiple regions, Neo4j struggled with fragmented workflows. Each region managed its own marketing activities independently, leading to duplicated efforts, inconsistent practices, and a lack of coordination. This fragmentation made it difficult to maintain a unified approach to global campaigns, which slowed down execution and reduced overall efficiency.
Overwhelming Manual Workload: Managing global webinars, email campaigns, and marketing operations required Neo4j’s teams to submit multiple tickets for each task. For example, a single webinar might involve up to 23 separate requests across different teams, each needing its own submission. This manual process was time-consuming, error-prone, and left teams overwhelmed with administrative work.
Inconsistent Use of Tools: Neo4j initially relied on another work management tool to manage their marketing tasks, but the platform's limitations became increasingly apparent as their needs grew. The rigid automations and the sheer number of boards required to manage different tasks created confusion rather than clarity.
Siloed Communication: Different departments within Neo4j, such as content creation, email marketing, and social media, were working in silos and that led to duplicated efforts and poor communication. Separate requests for related tasks meant that information was often lost or misunderstood, further complicating the execution of marketing activities.
The Solutions
To tackle NeoTech’s challenges, we took a comprehensive approach that involved deep diving into their existing workflows, identifying pain points, and collaborating closely with their teams to design tailored solutions. We began by creating workflow intake forms that captured all necessary details upfront, allowing us to map out the most effective solutions for each of their needs. With a clear understanding of the scope of work, we implemented solutions that centralized Neo4j’s intake process, streamlined their marketing operations, and improved coordination across all teams and regions.
Centralized Intake Process
One of the most significant changes we implemented was the development of a centralized intake process, which served as the foundation for Neo4j’s revamped workflow management system. Previously, Neo4j relied on multiple forms and boards in their former work management tool to manage various marketing and event-related requests. To address this, we designed a single, dynamic intake form in Asana that could consolidate all types of marketing and event-related requests into one streamlined process.
Here’s how the centralized intake process worked:
Consolidation of Requests:
Instead of juggling multiple forms for different types of tasks and regions, we brought everything into one place. This form was the entry point for all requests, whether they involved content creation, email marketing, social media, or global webinars. Consolidating requests into a single form drastically reduced the administrative burden on Neo4j’s teams and minimized the potential for errors.
2. Branching Logic for Customization:
What sets Asana’s forms from those of other work management tools is its branching logic. This feature allowed the form to adapt based on the type of request being submitted. For example, if a marketer needed to organize a global webinar, the form would prompt them for details relevant to that specific type of event, such as regions involved, content requirements, and timelines. This customization allowed each request to be comprehensive and tailored to the specific requirements of the project and in turn, helped Neo4j to efficiently manage their task downstream.
3. Automated Routing and Task Creation:
Once a request was submitted, the form’s logic would automatically determine which teams needed to be involved and what tasks needed to be created. This automation replaced the manual, error-prone process that Neo4j previously used, where team members had to manually enter tasks into multiple boards. Now, with Asana’s automation capabilities, tasks were instantly routed to the appropriate teams and boards, ensuring that no detail was overlooked and that all tasks were tracked in real-time.
4. Recreation and Optimization of Workflows:
In addition to creating the centralized intake form, we also took the opportunity to rebuild and optimize all of Neo4j’s existing workflows that had previously been managed in their former system. That way, we were able to leverage Asana’s more advanced features to create more efficient, intuitive processes. For example, we streamlined task dependencies, introduced automated reminders, and optimized the flow of information between departments.
“As our marketing team grew in size and maturity, it became obvious that we needed a process and technology update. Cirface showed us instead of just telling us how our intake process could improve with our Asana implementation which was a really big ‘ah-ha’ moment and a huge change for a lot of our marketers.”
— Amanda Scigaj | Director of Marketing Systems and Campaign Ops, Neo4j
Automating Repetitive Tasks with Custom Templates
One of the key challenges Neo4j faced was the repetitive and time-consuming process of manually submitting multiple tickets for similar tasks in their previous system, particularly for recurring activities like webinars. To address this, we designed and built six custom templates in Asana based on the type of activity.
These templates were designed to automate the creation of all necessary tasks when a specific type of activity, such as a webinar, was selected. Instead of manually entering each task for every webinar, the template would automatically generate the required tasks, including content creation, social media promotion, email sends, and post-event follow-ups. This automation significantly reduced the time and effort needed to set up each event, ensuring that all essential steps were accounted for without the need for repetitive submissions.
Additionally, where necessary, templates were integrated with existing tools like Workato to manage complex workflows and automations. This made the switch to Asana seamless and helped Neo4j keep using the tools they depended on, while also enjoying the improved efficiency of Asana’s template system.
Asana Training
With the complexity of Neo4j’s projects and the new workflows we introduced, it was important to give their team the skills they needed to use Asana effectively. Our training program was designed to cover both the basics for everyday users and more advanced features for those in leadership or specialized roles.
Basic Training
The basic training sessions were focused on giving Neo4j’s marketing team the essential skills to navigate and use Asana. We covered important topics like understanding the difference between tasks and projects, how to use the master intake form, and managing workflows within their workspace. The training was hands-on, allowing team members to practice using the custom workflows, templates, and forms we had created specifically for them. To make sure the training was accessible to everyone, we recorded these sessions so that new team members can use them for onboarding, keeping everyone on the same page.
Hands-On Walkthroughs
Neo4j opted for a series of hands-on walkthroughs with their teams. The interactive sessions allowed team members to practice using the centralized intake form and custom templates directly. Each walkthrough focused on specific use cases and gave the marketing team the opportunity to ask questions and receive personalized guidance.
Monthly Asana Support
After setting up Asana for Neo4j, we understood that they would need ongoing support to make sure the system continued to work well for them as their needs evolved. Our monthly support package was created to provide Neo4j with the flexibility to adjust and improve their Asana setup as they became more familiar with the tool.
Ongoing Improvements: Our monthly support allowed Neo4j to fine-tune their workflows in Asana over time.
Customized Adjustments: Neo4j had a set number of hours each month to request changes or improvements to their Asana setup. This could include small tweaks or bigger changes like adjusting how projects were started and managed. The focus was on keeping their workflows running smoothly and ensuring everything stayed in line with their goals.
Consistency and Efficiency: Since the same team that built Neo4j’s Asana system also provided their monthly support, we were able to make changes quickly and efficiently. We already knew their setup inside and out, so we could jump right in and make improvements without needing to learn everything from scratch.
Flexibility to Adapt: As Neo4j’s use of Asana grew, so did their needs. Our monthly support gave them the flexibility to make adjustments as those needs changed, whether it was improving how teams worked together or refining task dependencies.
Peace of Mind: Even as Neo4j’s team became more confident in using Asana, knowing they could reach out for support whenever needed provided them with peace of mind. While they needed less help over time, having the option to make quick changes without bringing in a new team was a big plus.
Results
Switching to Asana significantly improved Neo4j's marketing operations. With centralized workflows, automated tasks, and thorough training, Neo4j standardized and streamlined their processes across their global teams.
Improved Efficiency: The new centralized intake process and custom templates drastically cut down on manual work. Tasks that once required multiple submissions were now automated, saving time and reducing errors.
Improved Team Collaboration: The new and improved workflows allowed teams to collaborate more effectively, stay aligned on priorities, and keep projects running smoothly.
Increased Flexibility: As Neo4j's needs evolved, they could easily adjust workflows in Asana. Ongoing support allowed for smooth customizations and helped the system adapt to their changing requirements.
Empowered Teams: Our training gave Neo4j's teams the skills to use Asana effectively, making them more confident and productive. Recorded sessions also ensured that new hires could quickly get up to speed.
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