How Microsoft’s leading APAC distributor chose Flowingly as the no-code workflow tool in their tech stack

The Challenge

rhipe were already using Power Automate for some of their larger workflows. But the smaller, more manual processes were falling through the cracks. Things like partner orders, which were running at about 140 a month through an Excel spreadsheet.

“With so many of our smaller processes, we just have it in our heads what’s going to happen. But it just takes one kink in that chain to really disrupt the rest of the process.”
— Tash Robb, Business Automation Manager, rhipe

Processes were being run inconsistently across departments – some people using digital signatures, others physically walking to someone’s desk for a sign-off. There was no documented standard, and no way to tell if someone had actually read and understood a process.

Visibility was another pain point. Staff couldn’t self-serve to check on the status of a request, so the number of “where is this at?” tickets was outpacing the actual requests coming through.

And every time a new automation was needed, it required a Solutions Architect – which meant it sat in a queue behind everything else IT had on.

The Solution

rhipe’s CTO had a clear brief: find a tool that’s easy to use, managed by a small team, and scalable across the business. When they started evaluating options, Flowingly wasn’t even on the shortlist. But during testing, Tash had deployed multiple workflows in Flowingly before she’d been able to get through the learning curve of the other platforms.

“Whilst learning the tool, we were able to get two workflows created, which were used 210 times in the first three months, across 11 different countries.”
— Tash Robb, Business Automation Manager, rhipe

Rather than replacing Power Automate, rhipe built a dual-tool approach – Power Automate for deeper integrations, Flowingly for business-led workflow automation. The logic was straightforward: get the workflow backbone in place first, then add integration on top.

The team started with a process they already knew intimately, then launched it to about 70 sales staff with a transparent communication push from the CTO explaining why the change was happening. That first rollout created immediate buy-in and the requests started flowing in.

Tash built a prioritisation matrix to manage demand, scoring each request by size, priority, and risk profile. Higher-complexity workflows were handled by the automation team. Lower-complexity ones went to a sandbox environment where line-of-business users could build their own, with the automation team reviewing before anything went to production.

“I’ve got a three-page wishlist from the business on all the things that we want automated.”
— Tash Robb, Business Automation Manager, rhipe

Results

In six months, rhipe deployed 24 workflows – all without a single developer or Solutions Architect. The workflows span everything from partner orders and incident reporting to a non-payment process that touches seven departments.

Staff can now self-serve to see where requests are at, who an approval is waiting on, and when a task is due. The compliance and audit story improved too – every workflow creates a full digital record of who did what and when.

“Every year that ISO audit comes round and it’s just a mad dash. Using workflows as the proof, you’ve already got it there. It’s a simple download.”
— Tash Robb, Business Automation Manager, rhipe

The line-of-business model is scaling. Tash started as a one-person team, has since added two more, and is identifying champions across departments – people who ask the right questions during training sessions and show a natural curiosity about what else could be automated.

The cultural shift has been the biggest win. Teams that were previously siloed are now collaborating on cross-departmental workflows, and the business is actively coming forward with processes to improve rather than waiting to be asked.