Aaron Levie Leads Box into a New Era of Workflow Automation and AI
Box, the cloud-based enterprise content management platform, is entering a new phase under the leadership of Aaron Levie. Levie founded Box almost 20 years ago as an online file storage and sharing system, but later shifted the company’s focus to enterprise content management. Now, Box is embracing the shift towards AI and workflow automation, positioning itself on the forefront of industry changes.
The Importance of Workflow Automation and Metadata Management
Last year, Box acquired Crooze, a company specializing in workflow automation and metadata management with integrations into Box. This acquisition allows Box to manage metadata, which is crucial for automation in content management. Metadata provides a way for software to identify and understand the type of content when there is no other structure present. With this capability, different content types can be moved through automated workflows, reducing mundane tasks previously handled by humans.
Building Custom Applications and Automating Workflows
Levie is excited about the possibilities that Crooze technology brings to the Box platform. Through no-code application development, users can build custom applications that mirror their business processes, making content more useful. This is especially beneficial when dealing with large amounts of unstructured content, such as contracts. With a no-code application, users can create a dashboard that displays contracts, automates workflows, and handles tasks like editing, approvals, and electronic signatures.
Generative AI Enhances Workflow Automation
Generative AI plays a crucial role in Box’s workflow automation efforts. Users can query content in folders to better understand it or locate specific pieces, something traditional enterprise search struggles with. Generative AI also offers summarization capabilities, providing users with the gist of a large cache of content without reading every line. Additionally, generative AI’s coding capabilities can help build custom workflows based on specific requirements automatically.
Content Management Industry Evolution
Box is not alone in its push towards workflow automation and AI. As generative AI advances, content management and knowledge management are merging together. The ability to generate code allows companies to create custom workflows on the fly based on content types and requirements. This shift is a turning point for the industry, moving beyond storing files and folders to putting content to work in the context of a whole business activity.
The Window of Opportunity for ECM Firms
Alan Pelz-Sharpe, founder and principal analyst at Deep Analysis, believes that ECM (Enterprise Content Management) firms have a significant opportunity to leverage AI. These firms already ensure that unstructured data is accurate, relevant, secure, and timely, which is crucial for AI models. However, there is no guarantee that ECM firms will pivot to embrace this opportunity. Industry giants like Salesforce and Oracle are also recognizing the importance of managing unstructured data.
Conclusion
Box, under the leadership of Aaron Levie, is at the forefront of the shift towards AI and workflow automation in the content management industry. With the acquisition of Crooze, Box can manage metadata and automate workflows, making content more useful and driving business productivity outcomes. Generative AI enhances these efforts by allowing users to query content and generate custom workflows. This shift represents a turning point for the industry, moving beyond storing files and folders to putting content to work in the context of business activities. ECM firms have a significant window of opportunity to leverage AI, but execution will be key in taking advantage of this moment.