Phases automation in Zoho Projects simplifies project management by automating routine processes in phase lifecycle, and connecting your projects with other applications.
Software Development: When a development phase is marked "Complete," an email alert is automatically sent to the QA lead and the phase owner, and a WhatsApp notification goes out to the client. No manual follow-up is needed.
Event Management: An event company tracks phases like "Venue Booking," "Catering," and "Logistics." When a phase's start date arrives, a time-based workflow rule triggers, reminding the owner and updating the priority automatically.
Workflow rules for phases are associated with phase layouts. They automatically trigger actions when specific conditions are met - such as when a phase is created, commented on, updated, trashed or when a date-based threshold is reached. Rules can be associated with email alerts, webhooks, WhatsApp notifications, and custom functions.
Time-based rules allow scheduling automation relative to phase date fields such as Start Date, Due Date, or Created Date. These ensure critical reminders and updates happen consistently without manual intervention.
Email templates are pre-defined email formats used for phase-related updates. Placeholders let you dynamically include phase information into each notification.
Email alerts are notifications sent automatically to one or more users when a specific phase action is completed. Alerts can be associated with a workflow rule to notify users whenever the rule is triggered.
Webhooks are HTTP notifications sent from Zoho Projects to any third-party application when a phase event occurs. They allow users to automate updates across external tools by associating them with workflow rules.
WhatsApp notifications let you send real-time phase updates to customers and team members via WhatsApp Business. Using approved message templates, notifications are triggered automatically through workflow rules.
Custom function is a piece of Deluge code that can be called from workflow rules to perform complex automation such as updating linked records, sending Cliq messages, or integrating with third-party apps.