Welcome to the 2023 recap of our vibrant (and growing!) Tray Community. In 2023, our community has not only grown in numbers but also in the depth of collaboration and innovation we see on a daily basis. From the hands-on monthly Builder Workshops to the dynamic interactions in our Slack community, we’ve seen automation challenges overcome through collaboration as well as remarkable achievements and progress. Our commitment to nurturing a space where every member – from automation veterans to newcomers – can thrive, has been the cornerstone of our journey this year. Here’s a look back at the milestones that have defined our community’s path, showcasing how collaboration, creativity, and growth have been at the heart of everything we do.

Builder workshops

In 2023, the Tray Community's Builder Workshops, hosted by our Automation Experience Team, have been a cornerstone of our members' learning and development. These monthly hands-on sessions provided a deep dive into various aspects of automation, offering both novices and seasoned pros opportunities to enhance their skills. Let's recap some of the key workshops that made this year exceptional:

New and On-going Education:

Tray Academy: This workshop introduced participants to Tray's first hands-on automation education experience, marking a significant step in learning automation.

Universal Connectivity:

CDK (Connector SDK): Members learned to build and deploy custom connectors, using the Connector Developer Kit for streamlined workflow integration in under one hour. Earn a badge to show off your CDK skills in Academy.

Unlocking Universal Connectivity with HTTP Client: This session explored the nuances of building with raw HTTP requests and using cURL import for faster workflow construction.

Mastering Connectors

Data Storage Fundamentals: Members gained insights into using the data storage connector, understanding its applications across various scopes and data retention policies.

Working with CSVs Masterclass: Participants learned the intricacies of CSV manipulation, including dynamic column generation and data preparation techniques.

Slack Interactivity: Focused on creating an interactive Slackbot, this session was particularly beneficial for those looking to integrate Slack more deeply into their workflows.

Advanced Architecture:

Queuing Architecture: The workshop provided a practical guide on setting up a simple queuing architecture.

Scaling Up

Builder Roundtable on Documentation and Pre-build Architecture: Community experts shared best practices on documentation, design documents, and workflow architecture.

Tray for Admins: This workshop delved into managing workspaces and users, along with discussing upcoming UI features.

Error Handling and Alerting Workflows: Participants learned advanced techniques for error management and setting up alerting workflows.

Callable Workflows: The workshop provided a thorough understanding of Callable Workflows, including their types and applications.

Managing Your Solution Instances: Focused on solution instance management via Tray's UI and GraphQL API.

Each workshop not only imparted practical skills but also fostered a sense of community and shared learning.

Tray Universal Automation Cloud™

In a significant stride towards modernizing integration and automation for the enterprise, we unveiled the Tray Universal Automation Cloud – a unified, multi-experience iPaaS designed to transform the way businesses approach automation by:

Speeding up integration: Reducing time-to-integration from months to days, Universal Automation Cloud eliminates the need for disparate tools, thereby accelerating business processes both internally and externally.

Offering three ways to work: Universal Automation Cloud lets users work the way they want, with Tray Code for developers, Tray Build for business technologists, and Tray Chat for front-line employees and managers. Each mode is designed to suit different working styles and skill levels, boosting productivity and collaboration.

Delivering an AI-powered iPaaS: At the heart of Universal Automation Cloud is Tray Merlin AI, an intelligence layer that infuses AI into every aspect of the platform. From aiding in development to facilitating on-demand chat-first automation, Merlin is a game-changer in accelerating and simplifying automation processes. 

Product Updates for Builders: Enhancing user experience

This year, Tray.io introduced several impactful product updates, significantly enhancing user experience and workflow efficiency. Here’s a snapshot of the key updates:

Workflow step dependencies: Visual aids in the builder to show step relationships, enhancing workflow clarity.

Log streaming expansion: Now available in EU and AP regions, offering broader access.

Improved connector search: Enhanced search capabilities in the builder, including operation-based searches and smarter result ordering.

Improved search capabilities makes it easer (and faster) to find the operation you need.

Canvas shortcuts: Toggle the logs panel with “Shift + D”, increasing efficiency.

White-labeling update: Now available in the EU, offering customization of Public/Webhook URLs and Config Wizard.

Snippets Library in our documentation: Snippets are pieces of workflows and templates for workflow architectures that you can copy from the docs and simply paste into any workflow.

Collapsible branches: Easier navigation in larger workflows with collapsible branches.

An example of collapsible brances.

New data mapping experience: Improved string input for data mapping with smart suggestions and grouping by connector.

Smart suggestions make the building experience that much faster.

Set task limits: Ability to set task limits for workspaces, optimizing resource usage.

Consolidated help center: A single access point for all support resources.

Merlin beta launch: Tray.io’s AI assistant, allowing users to input a natural language statement and convert it into a number of workflow steps within the current workflow.

CDK beta launch: Enables users to build custom connectors and extend their automation capabilities.

Enhanced logging infrastructure: 5x faster log rendering for more efficient development.

Solution Editor Screen Titles: Added numeric identifiers and titles for easier navigation.

AI Connectivity: OpenAI and Anthropic Connectors are available publicly for you to infuse AI into your automation practice

Community growth

Our community organically added over 500 members in 2023! We are excited to bring more content soon to share what we all learned and the help that we shared around the community together. Happy building and see you in slack! 

A bright 2024 ahead

As we look back at this transformative year at the Tray Community, we’re filled with gratitude for the insights, innovations, and inspirations shared by each member. Your contributions have been the driving force behind our community’s success and growth. As we go into 2024, we’re excited to continue this journey of learning, building, and collaborating. We invite you to remain an active part of our evolving story, where your ideas and feedback are both welcomed and a vital part of our growth. Here’s to another year of remarkable achievements and even greater community engagement.