At Etumos, we approach architecting operational programs in marketing automation platforms with a developer mindset and with campaign processing functionality in mind. We build programs in a modular, human-readable, logical way that is as efficient as possible. Our scalable MarTech set-up is referred to as SCRIM.
SCRIM is our mantra, and when constructing marketing operations architecture, we follow best practices for each pillar: Scalable, Clear, Robust, Intelligent, and Modular. This methodology enables us to build operational processes that can grow and adapt as your business needs evolve.
What is SCRIM?
Scalable:
The solution will work equally well at 10x, 100x, or 1000x the current volume.
“Volume” can refer to the volume of persons flowing through campaigns, the volume of campaigns running, the volume of people building in the system, or anything else where throughput numbers matter.
Clear:
The solution is clearly marked, and anyone in the system can easily understand what is happening.
An advanced architect should understand a system’s functionality by looking at its campaign names, folder hierarchies, the order of sidebar local assets, and list and program descriptions. The order of operations should be clear from the naming conventions in place.
Robust:
The solution can be tweaked or modified as needs change without being entirely scrapped.
Robustness ensures a slow rate of depreciation for the configuration. This means that modifying other elements such as operational programs or systems/data flows will not negatively harm other operational programs. If you need a small change down the line, you won’t have to rebuild everything from scratch.
Intelligent:
The solution reports on its effectiveness with proactive exception reports and comprehensive logic.
The intelligence of a program build is meant to capture comprehensive, positive logic within the program. There is a significant avoidance of “silent errors” in the system, meaning that any breakdown of the operational program will result in a tokenized exception alert that is sent to the Marketo administrator. Exception cases shouldn’t fall through the cracks, and the MOPS team should immediately be alerted when something breaks.
Modular:
The solution is broken down into smaller components that interact together, to future-proof the larger system and allow for reordering as needed.
The larger, overall system is broken down into small components (modules) that interact together at a higher level to create a well-functioning machine. There are hooks to get the program flows started, and there is a clear end data process.
Why is SCRIM important?
The SCRIM framework ensures that strategic solutions are developed to meet business requirements and maximize marketing operations performance. These guiding principles ensure users get maximum value from their marketing automation platform by building operational programs that are efficient and future-proof.
Build processes that won’t hold you back. Build it SCRIM – your future self will thank you!
