No‑code workflows: ‘Marketers can now design & optimise complex customer journeys’

The MarTechAI Summit & Awards 2025 brought together leading marketing and technology professionals to discuss the evolving dynamics of marketing automation and its strategic impact on customer engagement. 

A panel on ‘Marketing Automation: No-Code Workflows, APIs and Adaptive Journeys’ explored how automation has been evolving to meet the demands of modern marketing. It brought together experts who examined the shift from rigid, tool-heavy systems to flexible, interconnected, and behaviour-driven customer journeys.

The panel featured Anand Tigga, Head of Martech at Birla Opus Paints; Sheena Desai, Global Product Lead at Mondelez International; Sonali Shrivastav, Digital Marketing Head at KENSTAR; and Ishani Doshi, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Gallagher India, who moderated the discussion. 

The conversation opened with a focus on the democratization of marketing automation through no-code workflows, emphasising how these tools empower marketers to design, implement, and optimize complex customer journeys without the constant involvement of technical teams. 

Anand Tigga highlighted the operational advantage, stating, “No‑code workflows have shifted the power — marketers no longer have to wait on developers to launch and iterate journeys,” illustrating how such platforms accelerate execution while enhancing creative autonomy. This discussion set the tone for understanding how technology can both simplify and elevate the strategic marketing function by bridging creativity with operational efficiency. 

The panel then delved into the importance of APIs and system integrations, which act as the connective tissue enabling marketing workflows to interact with multiple systems seamlessly. Sheena Desai emphasized the role of APIs in enabling context-aware and personalized customer journeys, noting, “APIs don’t just connect data — they unlock contextual meaning, enabling journeys that feel personal rather than programmed.” 

Anand Tigga added that API integration ensures that workflows are not siloed, allowing analytics, CRM systems, and campaign management platforms to work together for greater impact. Sonali Shrivastav reinforced the necessity of measuring outcomes and tying automation to tangible business results, stating, “Workflow automation is only valuable if it moves the needle on real outcomes — engagement, conversions, loyalty.” The discussion highlighted that technology adoption alone is not enough; successful marketing automation requires careful alignment of strategy, systems, and measurement to drive meaningful business value and customer satisfaction. 

Finally, the conversation centered on adaptive journeys and continuous optimization, illustrating how marketing automation must evolve in real time based on customer behaviors and signals. Sheena Desai underscored that adaptive journeys go beyond simple automation sequences, explaining, “Adaptive journeys must not just trigger actions — they should understand why a customer engages, and then respond intelligently.” 

Sonali Shrivastav echoed this sentiment, adding, “We need automation that adapts based on results, not just repeats fixed sequences,” highlighting the importance of agility and iterative refinement in modern marketing practices. Moderator Ishani Doshi provided a strategic perspective on implementation challenges, noting, “The real test of marketing automation is how quickly teams can adapt workflows in response to live customer behavior.” Across the discussion, the panelists agreed that the future of marketing automation lies in the combination of no-code ease, API connectivity, adaptive real-time journeys, and measurable outcomes, allowing organizations to deliver personalized, efficient, and impactful customer experiences at scale. 

The session effectively illustrated that automation is not merely a technical tool but a strategic capability that integrates creativity, data, and execution to transform the way brands engage with their customers.