What I Learned from Earning My Workato Level One Certification
When you work alongside technology partners who excel at automation, it helps to speak their language. SlapFive, one of our partners, uses Workato extensively to streamline integrations between advocacy platforms, CRMs, and other systems that support CMA (Customer Marketing and Advocacy) programs. To better understand their approach and strengthen our ability to advise clients on connected advocacy ecosystems, earning my Workato Level One Certification was a priority.
Understanding the foundations of automation begins with hands-on learning
The certification begins with Workato University, an online learning path that introduces the platform’s basics. It covers how to build recipes, use triggers and actions, and set up connections between applications. Each short lesson includes a guided exercise where you create automations in a test environment. These exercises show how Workato can be used in real scenarios, such as moving data between a CRM and a CAP/RMS (Customer Advocacy Platform / Reference Management System) or notifying a team when a new customer story is published.
Real understanding means applying concepts, not just studying them
After completing the lessons, I moved on to the practical assessment. This part requires building and testing recipes that connect multiple applications. It is not just about following instructions but learning how to think through automation design. I found that the real skill lies in understanding how information flows from one system to another, how to handle errors, and how to make processes efficient. The experience changed how I think about integration, making it less about connection and more about coordination.
Behind every streamlined process is a framework that keeps it stable
The final exam focuses on how Workato works behind the scenes. It asks about structure, troubleshooting, and governance. It tested whether I could apply the concepts from training to real situations. Passing it required both technical accuracy and a clear understanding of how to build automations that are reliable and scalable.
For me, the value of this certification went beyond the credential itself. It provided context for the work SlapFive does with its clients and gave me insight into how automation not only supports advocacy operations but can make them an even more powerful tool. When you understand how data moves between platforms, it becomes easier to see how customer stories, reference requests, and reporting can all be connected in meaningful ways.
Automation is the bridge between operational efficiency and customer experience
Completing the Workato Certification reinforces how important it is to understand the tools that sit behind your CMA program. It showed that automation is not just about efficiency but about creating the structure that allows great customer experiences to happen more smoothly and consistently. As automation is the way of the future I’m excited to use my new expertise to help other clients design and implement automations within their existing tools and platforms.
On to level 2!
To better understand the approach of SlapFive and strengthen Referential’s ability to advise clients on connected advocacy ecosystems, earning a Workato Level One Certification was a priority.