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Workflow Discovery

Rise auto-discovers the actual paths users take through your product—not predefined funnels, but real behavioral patterns.

Auto-Discovered Workflows​

Traditional analytics require you to define funnels:

Step 1: Land on homepage
Step 2: Click signup
Step 3: Enter email
Step 4: Verify

Problem: You only see the funnel you define. You miss unexpected paths and opportunities.

Rise approach: Observe all paths, cluster similar ones, surface the most common patterns automatically.

How It Works​

  1. Capture Paths - Rise tracks every user's journey
  2. Cluster Patterns - ML identifies similar paths
  3. Calculate Efficiency - Compare actual vs optimal
  4. Detect Loops - Find confusion patterns
  5. Identify Drop-offs - Where users abandon

Workflow Metrics​

Path Efficiency Score​

Efficiency = (Optimal steps) / (Actual steps) × 100

Example:

Goal: Export data
Optimal path: 4 steps
Actual average: 6.2 steps
Efficiency: 64%

Insight: Users taking 55% more steps than needed. Simplify workflow.

Loop Detection​

Users repeating the same sequence (confusion signal):

Pattern: A → B → A → B → A → B
Example: Settings → Profile → Settings → Profile
Frequency: 18% of users

Insight: Users confused about where to find something. Consolidate or add navigation.

Dead-Ends​

Paths that don't lead to goal completion:

Common dead-end: Data page → Filter → Empty result → Exit
Frequency: 24% of attempts

Insight: Filters producing empty results. Improve filter UX or data availability.

Common Workflows View​

For Each Goal​

Goal: Create First Report

Top 5 Paths:

1. Dashboard → Reports → New Report → Template → Generate (45% of completions)
   - Efficiency: 100% (optimal path)
   - Avg time: 2m 15s

2. Dashboard → Search "report" → Reports → New Report → Template → Generate (28%)
   - Efficiency: 83% (1 extra step)
   - Avg time: 2m 45s

3. Dashboard → Help → Documentation → Reports → New Report → Generate (12%)
   - Efficiency: 60% (3 extra steps)
   - Avg time: 5m 30s

4. Dashboard → Settings → Reports (wrong!) → Back → Reports → New → Generate (9%)
   - Efficiency: 55% (backtracking!)
   - Avg time: 6m 10s

5. Other paths (6%)

Insights:

  • Path 1 is optimal, but only 45% find it
  • 15% use search (Path 2) - consider prominentSearch
  • 12% go through Help (unclear UI?)
  • 9% hit wrong Settings first (naming confusion?)

Actions:

  • Make Reports more prominent on Dashboard
  • Fix Settings vs Reports confusion
  • Create "New Report" shortcut on Dashboard

Path Visualization​

Interactive visual map showing:

  • Node size = frequency
  • Edge thickness = transition frequency
  • Color = success/failure rate
          [Dashboard]
          /    |    \
        /      |      \
      v        v        v
  [Search] [Reports] [Settings]
      \        |        /
        \      v      /
        [New Report]
            |
            v
        [Template]
            |
            v
        [Generate]

Friction Heatmaps​

Visual overlay showing where users struggle:

Reports Page Heatmap:
  🟢 Dashboard link (easy, low friction)
  🟢 Templates section (clear, well-used)
  🟡 Custom report builder (moderate friction)
  🔴 Advanced options (high friction - loops detected)
  🔴 Save button (high friction - often missed)

Segment-Specific Workflows​

Different user types take different paths:

New Users​

Most common path: Dashboard → Help → Tutorial → Reports
  - Efficiency: 45%
  - Needs more guidance

Power Users​

Most common path: Dashboard → Keyboard shortcut (cmd+R) → Reports → Template
  - Efficiency: 95%
  - Know shortcuts

Mobile Users​

Most common path: Menu → Reports → Template → (struggles with form) → Give up
  - Efficiency: 30%
  - Mobile UX needs improvement

Anomaly Detection​

Rise alerts you to unusual patterns:

Sudden Path Changes​

Alert: "Create Report" workflow changed significantly
  Before: 45% used Dashboard → Reports
  After: 12% using Dashboard → Reports (-33%)
  Now: 52% using Search → Reports

  Possible cause: UI change on Oct 12
  Impact: +1.2 min avg completion time

New Friction​

Alert: Loop pattern emerged in Export workflow
  Pattern: Export → Format → Back → Export → Format
  Started: Oct 14
  Frequency: 28% of export attempts

  Investigation: New format selector is confusing

Time-to-Goal Analysis​

How long it takes users to achieve goals:

Goal: Complete Profile Setup

Fastest 10%: 1m 20s
Median: 3m 45s
Slowest 10%: 12m 30s

Distribution:
  < 2 min: 18% (knew exactly what to do)
  2-5 min: 52% (normal pace)
  5-10 min: 22% (some confusion)
  > 10 min: 8% (significant struggle)

Insight: 30% taking 5+ minutes indicates friction. Use Rise Job to guide slower users.

Drop-off Analysis​

Where users abandon workflows:

Signup Funnel:
  Land on homepage: 1,000 users (100%)
  Click signup: 850 (85%) ✅
  Enter email: 720 (84.7%) ✅
  Enter password: 680 (94.4%) ✅
  Fill company: 420 (61.8%) ⚠️  <-- BIG DROP
  Select role: 380 (90.5%) ✅
  Complete: 350 (92.1%) ✅

Insight: "Company" field causing 38% drop.
Why? Rise shows: Field label unclear, validation errors common

Workflow Recommendations​

Rise suggests optimizations:

Workflow: Export Data
  Current efficiency: 64%
  Target: 85%

  Recommendations:
    1. Add "Export" button to data table directly
       Expected impact: +18% efficiency

    2. Remember last export format used
       Expected impact: +12% efficiency

    3. Reduce format selection steps (merge into one modal)
       Expected impact: +8% efficiency

    4. Add keyboard shortcut (cmd/ctrl+E)
       Expected impact: +5% efficiency (power users)

Integration with Jobs​

Use workflow insights to create Jobs:

Workflow shows: 35% of users backtrack during report creation

Create Job: "Streamline Report Creation"
  - Guide users on most efficient path
  - Auto-fill based on previous reports
  - Highlight shortcuts

Next Steps​