If you’re reading this, you’re probably tired of leads sitting in someone’s inbox while your team scrambles to figure out who owns what. This guide is for sales ops folks, RevOps leads, and anyone who wants to get serious about lead routing in Aptiv without wasting a week on trial and error. Let’s cut the fluff: manual lead assignment slows you down, and you’re here to fix it.
Below, I’ll break down how to set up automated lead routing in Aptiv so you can respond to leads faster, avoid dropped balls, and keep your sales reps out of spreadsheet hell.
Why Bother Automating Lead Routing?
Let’s be real: if you’re still doing lead assignments in a Slack thread or a shared doc, you’re bleeding time and losing deals. Fast response times matter; there’s enough data out there to prove that leads go cold within hours. Automation isn’t about “future-proofing workflows”—it’s about getting your leads to the right people before your competition does.
Here’s what automation actually gets you:
- Speed: No more “Who’s got this one?” emails.
- Fairness: Leads get distributed evenly (or based on rules you choose).
- Visibility: You can see what’s working and what isn’t.
But let’s also be honest: automation is only as good as the rules you set up. Garbage in, garbage out.
Step 1: Map Your Lead Routing Rules
Before you touch a button in Aptiv, step back. Sketch out your routing logic on paper or a whiteboard. Don’t skip this. The biggest mistake I see is teams diving into setup without agreeing on who should get what.
Ask yourself:
- Do you assign leads by territory, product line, company size, or round-robin?
- Are there VIP accounts that go straight to senior reps?
- What about leads with incomplete info—who gets those?
Pro Tips:
- Start simple. Add complexity later, not at the start.
- Get buy-in from sales—don’t assume you know their preferences.
Step 2: Prep Your Data in Aptiv
Next, make sure your lead data isn’t a mess. Clean, consistent data is essential. If your incoming leads have random formatting, missing fields, or duplicate entries, your routing rules will break or, worse, send leads to the wrong person.
Checklist:
- Are all required fields (like territory, product, or lead source) being captured?
- Are your lead forms and integrations mapping fields correctly into Aptiv?
- Run a quick export of recent leads and scan for weirdness (missing info, typos, gibberish).
If you can’t trust your data, fix that first. You don’t want to automate chaos.
Step 3: Set Up Lead Routing Rules in Aptiv
Now, the actual setup. Aptiv’s lead routing feature isn’t rocket science, but the interface can be a little clunky if you’re new. Here’s how to get it done without pulling your hair out.
3.1 Navigate to Lead Routing
- Log into Aptiv.
- Head to the “Automation” or “Lead Management” section (Aptiv likes to move this—use search if needed).
- Find “Lead Routing Rules” or similar.
3.2 Create Your First Routing Rule
- Click “New Rule” or “Add Routing Rule.”
- Give it a clear name. “East Coast SaaS Leads” is better than “Rule 1.”
- Set your conditions. Example: “If State = NY, NJ, CT, assign to Jane Doe.”
- Choose the assigned user or group.
What works:
- Keep initial rules broad. You can always add more specific ones.
- Use groups for round-robin assignment—let Aptiv handle the rotation.
What doesn’t:
- Don’t try to build 20 rules on Day 1. You will miss something and just create confusion.
- Avoid overlapping criteria—Aptiv isn’t always great at handling conflicts.
3.3 Test Your Rules
- Use Aptiv’s “Test Routing” feature if available, or create dummy leads.
- Confirm that leads with different attributes go where you expect.
- Check notifications—does the assigned rep actually get alerted?
Step 4: Handle Exceptions and Edge Cases
No system is perfect. You’ll have leads that don’t fit any rule, or reps who are on vacation. Address these now, not after a hot lead falls through the cracks.
Set up:
- A “catch-all” rule that assigns unhandled leads to a sales manager or a shared inbox.
- Vacation/absence logic if Aptiv supports it (some CRMs do, some don’t).
- Notifications for failed assignments (if a lead can’t be routed, someone needs to know).
Pro Tip: Review exceptions weekly at the start. That’s where you’ll spot messy data or rules you forgot.
Step 5: Sync With Other Tools
Chances are, your leads touch other systems—marketing automation, chatbots, maybe even a data enrichment tool. Bad integrations are a common source of routing failures.
Check:
- Are all sources (web forms, imports, integrations) pushing leads into Aptiv with the right fields?
- Are any automations (like email sequences or Slack alerts) triggered by lead assignment?
- If you’re using tools like Zapier, test the whole flow end-to-end.
Don’t bother: Trying to automate every edge case out of the gate. Nail the main flow; then layer on extras.
Step 6: Monitor, Review, and Improve
Setting up automation isn’t “set it and forget it.” Watch how the system runs for a few weeks.
What to keep an eye on:
- Are leads getting assigned quickly? (Check timestamps.)
- Any reps overloaded while others get nothing?
- Are certain rules never triggering? That’s a sign of bad logic or missing data.
Hold a quick review with sales every month or so. Ask them where things are falling down. Adjust your rules—this is normal.
What to Skip (At Least for Now)
- Over-customizing: Don’t build rules for every hypothetical scenario. Start with the 80% case.
- Heavy code-based automations: Aptiv’s built-in tools are enough for most teams. Bring in IT only if you hit a real wall.
- “AI-powered” routing promises: Unless you have a ton of clean data and a clear business case, these features tend to create more noise than value.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
- Messy data: Bad input ruins everything. Clean up before you automate.
- Too many cooks: Limit admin access. One person should own routing logic, with feedback from the rest.
- Ignoring feedback: Your sales team will find the holes—listen to them.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Automating lead routing in Aptiv isn’t about complexity or fancy features. It’s about getting leads to the right people, fast, and letting your sales team do their job. Start simple, test, adjust, repeat. Don’t try to build a perfect system in one go. The best setups are the ones you actually maintain.
If you keep your rules clear, your data clean, and your ears open to feedback, you’ll see faster response times and a happier sales team. And really, that’s the whole point.