A transactional journey is particularly useful in scenarios where a single user can perform multiple actions or events, each of which needs to be tracked independently. Unlike a workflow based journey that records only one event per user, a transactional journey allows multiple events to be processed separately, ensuring that each interaction is acknowledged.

Example scenario:

Imagine you’ve created a workflow journey where users receive an email with a delivery date two days after placing an order. The journey ends after the email is sent. However, if a user places another order before the first journey is complete—let’s say one day after the first order—the user would only receive the delivery date email for the first order, while the second order is ignored. This is because, in a workflow journey, a user cannot enter the same journey again until the first journey is complete.

In such cases, a transactional journey is the ideal solution. This type of journey does not rely on events alone but rather on a unique attribute associated with each transaction, such as a transaction ID or order ID. Since a unique transaction ID is assigned to each event, the journey runs independently for every time a user performs the same event.

Returning to the earlier example, if a user places one order and then another before the first journey is complete, a transactional journey would handle both orders separately. Each order, identified by its unique transaction ID, triggers its own journey flow. In simpler terms, the same user can enter the same journey multiple times.

How to create a transactional journey

1. Navigate to journey creation:

To start creating your journey, head over to the journey section and click on “create journey.” Then, choose the option to “create from scratch.” From there, select “create transactional” journey.

Next, give your journey a name and hit the Create Journey button.

2. Add the event block:

Next, drop the event block onto the journey board. As this journey is specifically designed for managing multiple events, it will only feature the event option as a trigger. When you place the event block, a window will appear, prompting you to choose an event.

After you select an event, you’ll need to pick a unique transactional ID from the event’s attributes. For example, if you chose an order placed event and your store assigns an order ID to each order, you would use that order ID as the transaction ID. Lastly, click on save to add the event block.

3. Design the journey:

With the trigger in place, you can design your journey just like any other. Add the necessary components, such as campaigns, conditions, flow control, journey’s start and end dates, set a goal, and more. Click here for more information on how to create a journey.

4. Add exit trigger

You can incorporate an exit trigger into the journey to remove a user from the journey flow of a specific transaction. To do this, simply click on the exit trigger button, choose an exit event, and then select a unique attribute. This unique attribute can either match the attribute of the trigger event, or it could be of a different name, but the attribute value must remain the same for a user to exit the journey.

For instance, the “order ID” might serve as the attribute for the “order place” trigger event, while the “order number" could be the attribute for the “order cancel” exit trigger. If the order ID is, let’s say, A123, then the order number should also be A123. Your website or store can modify the attribute, but the value must stay the same.

5. Add goal trigger

Similar to the exit trigger, you can also set up a goal trigger that allows a user to exit the journey once a specific goal is met. For example, your entry trigger event could be “Order Place,” the exit trigger could be “Order Cancel,” and the goal trigger could be “Order Fulfill.”

As mentioned earlier, you can use the same attribute for all three events, like the order ID, or choose different attributes for each event, as long as the attribute values remain consistent.

To add a goal trigger, click on the goal trigger button, select an event from the dropdown menu, and then choose a unique attribute.

By following these steps, you can effortlessly create a transactional journey.

Complete transactional journey

Let's create a complete transactional journey using a real-life example to gain a clearer understanding of how it works.

A customer visits a mutual fund firm’s online platform and starts the process of investing in an Equity Mutual Fund. They select the fund, enter the investment amount, and proceed to the payment page. However, the customer doesn’t complete the payment at that time. 

Challenge:

The firm wants to automate the process of sending timely reminders to customers to complete their investment. However, if a workflow journey is used, triggered by the “Investment Initiated” event, the same customer wouldn’t be able to re-enter the journey if they start another investment without completing the first one. This could lead to missed communications and frustration for the customer.

Solution: Transactional journey

Since the firm assigns a unique application ID to each investment process, they opt to create a transactional journey. This ensures that the customer can receive tailored reminders and updates for each investment they initiate, even if they start multiple investments before completing any.

Here’s an example of what this journey could look like:

In this flow, the entry trigger, exit trigger, and goal trigger events each have distinct attributes, but the firm maintains consistent values for the application ID, application number, and order ID attributes. 

When a user initiates the investment process, a unique application ID is generated, starting the journey flow based on this attribute. If the user does not complete the fund purchase within four hours of starting the investment process, they will receive an email highlighting the benefits of the fund, followed by a reminder email three days later to complete the payment. 

There are also specific goal and exit triggers in place. If the user makes a purchase at any stage of the journey flow, they will be removed from the journey and will no longer receive any further communications. Likewise, if the user chooses to cancel their application at any point during the journey, they will exit the journey and will not receive any future messages.

This approach enables the firm to handle each financial application separately, guaranteeing that customers get prompt updates for every product they apply for.

Conclusion

With more businesses shifting to online platforms, customers find it super easy to place orders or book services. This convenience often leads to customers making several transactions in a short time. It’s really important to make sure each of these interactions is handled accurately. 

Transactional journeys are a great way to tackle this by letting businesses manage and tailor their communications for each individual event or transaction. Whether it’s in e-commerce, BFSI, or other sectors, these journeys improve the customer experience by making sure that every interaction is acknowledged, even when they happen back-to-back from the same person. 

By leveraging unique transaction details like order IDs or application IDs, businesses can provide timely and relevant updates, which helps build customer trust and loyalty.