Zoho FSM | Workflow Rules and Actions

Workflow Rules and Actions

With field services increasingly gaining traction worldwide, they are continuously evolving into a more systematic and standardized process. Automation plays a pivotal role in this transformation. Studied automation can make all the difference between a mediocre field service management solution and a great one. From the obvious to the obscure, automation can be introduced to all areas of field services. When done effectively, automation can help every key player, such as field agents, dispatchers, and call center agents, carry out their tasks efficiently. This translates to successful completion of contact requests, thereby fostering customer loyalty and retention. The following are some of the areas where automation can be useful:
  1. Providing immediate and accurate response to contact's queries
  2. Keeping the contact updated on the progress of a service appointment
  3. Proper inventory management to ensure field agents have the required resources
  4. Maintaining knowledge repository to share and record gained experience
  5. Identifying cross-selling and upselling opportunities
In Zoho FSM, we provide you with the tools to effortlessly carry out automation. Workflow Rules, Email Notifications, WhatsApp NotificationsField UpdatesWebhooks, and Functions offer you ways to automate your business processes.

Workflow rule: Defines conditions and the Custom Function that need to be executed when the specified conditions are met. A given workflow rule is specified for a particular module. The conditions and rule criteria can only be defined on that particular module and its fields. However, the custom functions can be related to other modules as well.

Email Notification: Notifications are email alerts that are sent to the intended recipients whenever a workflow rule is triggered. For example, creating a workflow rule to automatically send the feedback form to the customer once the requested services have been completed.

WhatsApp Notifications: Effectively inform and engage customers through WhatsApp notifications, ensuring they receive timely and relevant updates that keep them connected to your brand.

Field Update: Workflow field updates allow you to update the value of one or more fields of a module based on a single criteria associated with a work flow rule. For example, use a workflow rule to identify regular customers and reward them appropriately.

Webhook: Use webhooks to trigger event notifications that let you communicate with other applications and exchange information about the event that occurred. For example, when an asset is added to Zoho FSM, send an SMS to the contact with the warranty details.

Custom Function: This is a program used for formulating processes, defining business logic and automating repetitive tasks. For example, notifying the customer when a new request is created for them.

Info
Permission RequiredManage Automation
- Find out the Edition-specific limits for Workflow Rules.

List of Modules Supported

Workflow rules can be created for the following modules:
  1. Addresses
  2. Assets
  3. Attendance*
  4. Companies
  5. Contacts
  6. Equipments
  7. Estimates
  8. Requests
  9. Scheduled Maintenances
  10. Service Appointments
  11. Service Reports
  12. Services and Parts
  13. Time Off
  14. Time Sheets*
  15. Trips
  16. Work Orders
*Internal modules that are supported only in workflow rules.

Components of a Workflow Rule

‌Basic Information

Specify the following details:
  1. Module for which the rule has to be triggered. If you want to create the workflow rule for a note, then choose the module whose note the rule has to be triggered.
  2. Name of the workflow rule
  3. Description of the workflow rule

Rule Trigger

‌Specify when and on what conditions the workflow rule should be triggered for a record. Workflow rules can be triggered when records are created, edited, created/edited, or deleted. Workflow rules are executed when one of the following record actions occurs:
  1. Created - When records are created.
  2. Edited - When existing records are modified.
    If the checkbox Repeat this workflow whenever a <module_name> is edited is selected and no rule criteria is added, the workflow rule will be executed every time a record is edited, else the workflow rule will be executed only the first time the record is edited.
    If the checkbox Repeat this workflow whenever a <module_name> is edited is selected and a rule criteria is added, the workflow rule will be executed every time a record is edited. Otherwise, the workflow rule will be executed only when the rule criteria is satisfied.
  3. Created or Edited - When records are created or existing records are modified.
  4. Deleted - When certain records are deleted

Rule Trigger based on Field Update 

When you choose Edited as the rule trigger, then you can also add conditions based on whether field values are modified or not. You can choose one of the following options:
  1. Any field gets modified: The rule will be triggered whenever any field value is modified.
  2. Specific field(s) gets modified: The rule will be triggered whenever specific field values are modified.
    When you add more than one conditions you can specify whether you want to Execute the rule when any/all of the above criteria(s) are satisfied.
Here is an example for the rule trigger based on field modification. If the Installation Date or Purchased Date of an asset is modified, then the Warranty Expiration of the asset should be modified accordingly. A workflow rule can be created whose rule trigger uses conditions based on field updates (refer to the screenshot below).

 

 

Refer to the table below to know about the operators that can be used in the conditions:

 

Operator

When will the condition be met?

Field Types Supported

any value

The value in the field is edited

Single Line

Phone

Email

Pick List

the value

The value in the field is edited to the value specified

a value which is not equal to

The value in the field is not equal to the value specified

a value starting with

The value in the field starts with the value specified

a value ending with

The value in the field ends with the value specified

a value containing

The value in the field contains the value specified

empty

The field does not have a value

not empty

The field has a value

any value

The date in the field is edited

Date

Date Time

the date

The date in the field is edited to the date specified

not the date

The date in the field is not equal to the date specified

a date before

The date in the field is before the date specified

a date after

The date in the field is after the date specified

a date between

The date in the field is between the date range specified

a date not between

The date in the field is outside the date range specified

tomorrow

The date in the field is edited to tomorrow's date

yesterday

The date in the field is edited to yesterday's date

till yesterday

The date in the field is edited to a date on or before yesterday's date

today

The date in the field is edited to today's date

last month

The date in the field is edited to a date in the last month

current month

The date in the field is edited to a date in the current month

next month

The date in the field is edited to a date in the next month

last week

The date in the field is edited to a date in the last week

this week

The date in the field is edited to a date in the this week

next week

The date in the field is edited to a date in the next week

empty

The date field does not have a value

not empty

The date field has a value

any value

The value in the field is edited

Number

Decimal

a value =

The value in the field is edited to the value specified

a value !=

The value in the field is not equal to the value specified

a value <

The value in the field is less than the value specified

a value <=

The value in the field is less than or equal to the value specified

a value >

The value in the field is greater than the value specified

a value >=

The value in the field is greater than or equal to the value specified

a value between

The value in the field is between the range specified

a value not between

The value in the field is outside the range specified

empty

The field does not have a value

not empty

The field has a value

any value

When the checkbox is selected/unselected

Checkbox

selected

When the checkbox is selected

unselected

When the checkbox is not selected

any value

The value in the field is edited

Multi Line

 

Info
Points to Remember
  1. You can specify a maximum of five conditions.
  2. If the checkbox Repeat this workflow whenever a <module_name> is edited is not selected, and the condition is satisfied, then the rule will be triggered the first time the condition is satisfied.
    If the checkbox Repeat this workflow whenever a <module_name> is edited is selected, and the condition is satisfied, then the rule will be triggered every time the condition is satisfied.
  3. You can also use custom fields in the rule trigger based on field update.

Rule Criteria

Specify filter criteria so that the workflow rule can be selectively applied to matching records.
  1. Matching field(s) - You can specify the matching field values for which the workflow rule should be triggered.



    You can specify a maximum of five criteria.

  2. All records - The workflow rule will be triggered for all records of the module.

Actions

Associate action like Email Notifications, WhatsApp Notifications, Field Updates, Webhooks, or Functions that need to be carried out for a workflow rule. You can either associate an existing action to the workflow or create a new action and associate it to the workflow. If you are creating a workflow rule for a note, then in Webhooks, or Functions alone, you will be able to use the notes data.

Creating a workflow rule

A sample workflow rule has been used to explain the steps involved in creating one. This workflow is used to notify the customer when a new request is created for them.
  1. Go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules and click Create Workflow.
  2. Enter the following details, then click Next:
    1. The Module for which the rule has to be triggered
    2. Rule Name
    3. Description of the rule



  3. Select the rule trigger as Created and click Next.



  4. Select the rule criteria as To all Request and click Next.


  5. Click +Function.



  6. Select Create your own Function and click Next.



  7. Enter a Function Name and add the function in the Deluge Script Editor. Click Save and Associate to add the function.
    Click Save & Execute to add the function and execute the workflow.



    You can also add the function if it has already been defined. Select Existing Functions.



    Select the required function and click Next.



  8. Click Save.


Editing a workflow rule

To edit a workflow rule:
  1. In the Workflow Rules page, select the rule you want to edit.
  2. Hover over the workflow where you want to make changes and click Edit [].
  3. Make the necessary changes and click Save.

Disabling a workflow rule

To disable a workflow rule:
  1. In the Workflow Rules page, toggle the Status switch to enable or disable the workflow.


Info
Points to remember
  1. If multiple work flow rules are created for a module, then these rules will be executed in the order in which they were created.
  2. The number of workflow rules you can create will depend on your FSM edition.
  3. When you downgrade the edition of an FSM account from Standard to Free, only one workflow rule will be active (based on the latest modified time). When you upgrade an FSM account from Free to Standard, then the status of previously active workflow rules will be restored.
  4. Workflow rules triggered by Created, Edited, or Created or Edited will not apply to records that have been added or modified through Data Import.

More Examples

Example 1: Notify the customer of service appointment updates

This workflow is used to notify the customer when the status of a service appointment changes.
  1. Go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules and click Create Workflow.
  2. Enter the following details, then click Next:
    1. Module: Service Appointments 
    2. Rule Name: Appointment Updates
    3. Description: Notify the customer when the status of a service appointment changes



  3. Select the rule trigger as Created or Edited and click Next.



  4. Select the rule criteria as Only to the Service Appointment matching certain conditions and add a condition as shown below. Click Next.



  5. Click +Function.



  6. Select Create your own Function and click Next.



  7. Enter a Function Name and add the function in the ‌Deluge Script Editor. Click Save and Associate to add the function.
    Click Save & Execute to add the function and execute the workflow.



  8. Click Save.

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