Understanding Workflow Rules

Understanding Workflow Rules

Workflow Rules: Automate Actions Based on User Activity

In monitored IoT networks, there are times when you need to automatically perform certain actions when specific conditions are met in the application. The actions may include sending email notifications, executing your custom business logic, or triggering webhooks to notify other applications, etc. 
 
For example, you may want to send an email to supervisors automatically when a new asset is added to your Zoho IOT application. Implementing such condition-based simple to complex automation ensures that actions are performed promptly without requiring manual intervention, and thereby considerably enhances the efficiency and overall reliability of the system.

Idea
Difference between Workflow Rules and Alarm Rules

Workflow Rules are designed to automate processes when users interact with records in the application. They trigger actions based on CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete) performed on records. Example: When a user creates a device (record) →  send a notification email to the supervisor to initiate onboarding the device.  

Alarm Rules are triggered only by device data (e.g., sensor readings, KPIs). They monitor real-time data or calculated metrics and send alerts when thresholds are breached. Example:  If a device reports temperature > 100°F → Send an SMS alert to the maintenance team.   


Benefits of Workflow Rules

Workflows enable automation in your Zoho IOT application. Some of the top benefits of defining workflow rules with automated actions in the application are provided below.
  1. Automate Tasks in Real Time Monitoring: Workflows help to perform automated tasks or business logic based on different conditions. This enhances system responsiveness and minimizing downtime.

  2. Increased Efficiency: Workflow rules streamline processes by reducing the need for manual intervention, which enhances operational speed and facilitates quicker issue resolution.

  3. Enhanced Reliability: Accurate execution of tasks based on conditions defined in the workflow rules minimizes human error, boosting system reliability.

  4. Scalability: Well-defined workflows facilitate the easy scaling of IoT applications by handling increasing amounts of data and more complex processes without requiring proportional increases in human resources.
 

Sections of a Workflow Rule

The application offers easy steps to configure workflow rules. The configuration is done in three sections: When, Condition, and Action.
 
Workflow Section
Description



The first step in configuring the workflow rule is to identify when the rule needs to be triggered, i.e. the "Rule Trigger".

Based on record action

  1. Created: when a record is created.
  2. Edited: when any field in the record is edited, specific fields are edited, or any field in a section gets edited.
  3. Edited/Created: when a record is edited or created.
  4. Deleted: when a record is deleted.

Based on a date/time field's value

  1. When the incoming records matches the configured rule criteria. The trigger will be triggered monthly or yearly once or repeatedly based on the date/field selection.
 
 

The next step is to configure the condition to validate if the incoming record matches the condition to trigger the action.

Apply Condition 
  1. The rule is triggered for the records that meet the configured condition.

All <Module/Model>
  1. The rule is triggered for all incoming records.




The final step is to define the action to be performed.

  1. Here, you need to select the email notification, custom function, or webhook action to be performed when the rule trigger and condition is met.
 

Sample Workflow Rule Scenarios  

Below are three sample scenarios where workflow rules are used to perform appropriate actions using email notification, custom function, and webhook action.

1. Energy Monitoring System for a Smart Building  

Workflow Rule: Notification for New Asset Addition  

Objective: To improve the operational efficiency of a smart building by sending notification emails to a device administrator in another team whenever a new asset is added to the application. 

Workflow Rule Description: Define a workflow rule to automatically send an email notification to the device administrator whenever a new asset say energy meter is added to prompt the administrator to configure the energy meter and enable it to be monitored in the application.

Steps to Define the Workflow Rule  
  1. When :Addition of new asset to the IoT Application.
  2. Condition :All asset models.
  3. Action :Send an email notification to the supervisor. 
     
2. Messaging on Asset Performance in Industrial IoT Application 

Workflow Rule: Switch the motor ON or OFF based on the time condition.

Objective: To improve the efficiency in the IIoT setup, write a business logic that switches a motor On or OFF.

Workflow Rule Description: Define a workflow rule to fetch the current status of a production motor and switch ON or OFF the motor based on the time condition.

Steps to Define the Workflow Rule  
  1. When :On the set data/time.
  2. Condition :The status of the Motor asset.
  3. Action :Execute custom logic to switch the motor ON or OFF. 

3. Fuel Level Monitoring System for Diesel Generator

Workflow Rule: Send fuel stock details to initiate invoice generation.   

Objective: To improve efficiency and minimize downtime in the IIoT setup, write a business logic which fetches details and directs to third party invoice application.

Workflow Rule Description: Define a workflow rule to fetch fuel stock details for the asset and initiate generating a purchase order (PO) by sending data, rate, and quantity, via webhook.

Steps to Define the Workflow Rule  
  1. When :On the set data/time.
  2. Condition :When the AMS renewal date is nearing. 
  3. Action :Execute webhook to initiate generating a purchase order (PO) 

Availability

Info
All Workflow Rule actions operations require necessary permissions. Refer to Users and Profiles document for more details.

Check Feature Availability and Limits


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