Power of Automation :: SLA for Tasks

Power of Automation :: SLA for Tasks

Hello Everyone,

In this 'Power of Automation' series, we are focusing on the feature "Time-Based Workflow Rules for Tasks."

Workflow rules help project managers organize tasks in a project by setting criteria and actions that meet the project requirements. Zoho Projects now allows users to schedule and streamline rules based on date & time.

We have the SLA feature supported at Issues level. You can create escalation procedures in terms of which issues are subject to escalation, the escalation criteria to be applied, and the action to execute upon a specific escalation level.

We received a specific requirement from our customer to create SLA at task level and we accomplished it using the combination of the following features

'Time Based Workflow Rules' & Email Alerts under Task Automation

Steps to be followed

1. Create a picklist type custom field 'Escalation Level' in the Task Layout
2. Create the required number of Email Alerts i.e. if you would like to have 3 levels of escalation, configure 3 email alerts
3. Configure the Workflow Rule and choose the trigger as 'Based on Date & Time'.
4. Select the criteria as to when the SLA must be executed for the task.
5. Under Actions, choose the update fields option and select 'Escalation Level'. Also, Email Alert also be associated.

Likewise, you can configure multiple workflow rules and set the required number of escalation levels.

We have set 3 levels of escalation as per below and this is how it works :

1 day before due date -> Level 1 escalation :: Escalation Level field will be updated to 1 and Email Alert will be triggered to Task owners

2 hours before due date -> Level 2 escalation :: Escalation Level field will be updated to 2 and Email Alert will be triggered to Task owner & Reporting Manager of Task Owners

On due date -> Level 3 escalation :: Escalation Level field will be updated to 3 and Email Alert will be triggered to Task Owners, Reporting Manager of Task Owners & Project Owner

Below is a quick video demonstration of the above use case.


​
Hope this post is interesting!! Watch this space for more such features.



      • Sticky Posts

      • Automation Series: Auto-create Dependent Task on Status Change

        In Zoho Projects, you can automatically create and assign a dependent task when a task’s status is updated. This helps teams stay aligned, ensures reviews happen on time, and reduces manual effort. In this post, we’ll walk through an easy setup using

      • Time Log Reminder

        Tracking the time spent on tasks and issues is one of the most important functions of a timesheet. However, users may forget to update the time logs because they have their own goals to achieve. But, time logs must be updated at regular intervals to keep

      • Introducing the Zoho Projects Learning Space

        Every product has its learning curve, and sometimes having a guided path makes the learning experience smoother. With that goal, we introduce a dedicated learning space for Zoho Projects, a platform where you can explore lessons, learn at your own pace,

      • Update on V2 API End-of-Life Timeline

        Dear Users, Earlier this year, we shared the launch of the V3 APIs and requested users to migrate from the older V2 APIs by December 2025. We have received valuable feedback from our users and partners regarding their migration timelines. We are happy

      • Automation Series: Auto-update Phase Status

        Hello Folks! You can auto-update your phase's status based on status of underlying tasks using custom functions. In this series, we will showcase how to create and run custom functions, using Deluge, with ease. Follow the steps below and automate your

        • Recent Topics

        • Mail Merge is not working properly as far as the AUTOMATE section is concerned

          Hi there, I created a Mail Merge template for the Deal module. I would like Deal owners to mail merge their Deal records, download the Mail Merge document as a Word doc and make a few changes before sending it to the customer. Thing is, neither the "Merge

        • Canvas Detail View Related List Sorting

          Hello, I am having an issue finding a way to sort a related list within a canvas detail view. I have sorted the related list on the page layout associated with the canvas view, but that does not transfer to the canvas view. What am I missing?

        • project name field issue- n8n

          Hey guys, I have a question. I want to create a new product using the workflow. The problem is with the product name field; I don't know how to fill it in. The workflow starts with retrieving information from the leads table, retrieving links to scrape

        • Function #20: Custom calculation in item table of invoices

          When you create an invoice in Zoho Books, the 'Amount' of a line item is typically calculated as the product of the "Quantity" and the "Rate" of the item. For instance, if an item has a sales rate of $50 and a quantity of 5 is sold, then the amount would

        • Critical:- Eneble TDS filing for 26Q from the zoho book

          We currently extract TDS data from Zoho Books and manually input it into a separate TDS software to generate the FUV file and file returns. Previously, while using Tally, we benefited from an integrated feature that seamlessly recorded transactions and

        • How to track repeat customers?

          I own a food business and every order is entered into Zoho with: a unique Customer ID total order amount date of order With this information, I want to be able to see a list of my "best" customers. In other words, descending lists arranged according to:

        • Zoho Books - Breaking A Working App

          We've been using Zoho for many years now. Across all apps, entering phone numbers in standard formats was enabled in all apps. These formats are: xxx.yyy.zzzz xxx-yyy-zzzz (xxx) yyy-zzzz and we were able also to add extension numbers in these formats:

        • Build data protection into your support

          At Zoho, privacy is our principle. Every Zoho product is built with privacy as the foundation and the finishing touch, guiding every decision we make. Security, privacy, and compliance are woven into the software development lifecycle, starting from how

        • Conditional formatting: before/after "today" not available

          When setting conditional formatting, it only allows me to set a specific calendar date when choosing "Before" or "After" conditions. Typing "today" returns the error "Value must be of type date". Is there a workaround? Thanks for any help!

        • Display Client Name in Zoho Creator Client Portal Dashboard

          Hello Zoho Creator Team, We hope you are doing well. Zoho Creator recently introduced the option to set a client’s display name in the Client Portal settings, which is very helpful for providing a personalized portal experience. However, there is currently

        • Customizable UI components in pages | Theme builder

          Anyone know when these roadmap items are scheduled for release? They were originally scheduled for Q4 2025. https://www.zoho.com/creator/product-roadmap.html

        • Amazon.in FBA multiple warehouse integration with Zoho Inventory

          My organisation subscribed to Zoho One looking at the opportunity to integrate Amazon.in with Inventory. But during the configuration, we understood the integration has severe limitations when it involves multiple warehouses in the same Organisation.

        • Feature Request - Set Default Values for Meetings

          Hi Zoho CRM Team, It would be very useful if we could set default values for meeting parameters. For example, if you always wanted Reminder 1 Day before. Currently you need to remember to choose it for every meeting. Also being able to use merge tags

        • Windows Desktop App - request to add minimization/startup options

          Support Team, Can you submit the following request to your development team? Here is what would be optimal in my opinion from UX perspective: 1) In the "Application Menu", add a menu item to Exit the app, as well as an alt-key shortcut for these menus

        • Ability for admin to access or make changes in zoho form without asking for ownership

          Currently in zoho form only form owner can make the changes in the form and if someone else has to make changes then we have to transfer the ownership to them and even admin also cant access it . So i think admin must have the ability or option to access

        • Issue with WhatsApp Template Approval and Marketing Message Limit in Zoho Bigin

          We are facing issues while creating and using WhatsApp message templates through Zoho Bigin, and we request your clarification and support regarding the same. 1. Utility Template Approval Issue Until December, we were able to create WhatsApp templates

        • Zoho CRM Calendar View

          Hello Zoho team, We need desperately a calendar view next to list, kandan and other views. I think it should be easy to implement as you already have the logic from Projects and also from Kanban View in CRM. In calendar view when we set it up - we choose

        • Camera

          I can sign on to a meeting and see the other participants, but my screen is dark. The instructions for Zoho "Camera Settings" say "click on lock icon in address bar," but I don't see that icon! Suggestions?

        • What is Workqueue and how to hide it?

          Hi， My CRM suddenly have this "Workqueue", may I ask how to set the permission of this tab?

        • Batch/lot # and Storage bin location

          Hi I want to ask for a feature on Zoho inventory I own a warehouse and I've gone through different management software solutions with no luck until I found Zoho, it has been a game changer for my business with up to the minute information, I'm extremely happy with it. It's almost perfect. And I say Almost because the only thing missing for me (and I'm sure I'm not alone) is the need of being able to identify the lot number of my inventory and where it is located in the warehouse. Due to the nature

        • Adding Sender Address with Basic Plan

          According to the knowledge base, I should be able to add Sender addresses with the Basic Plan. But whenever I try to add an email, it takes me to a search window and I cannot find any emails in the list. Even mine, which is the admin. email.

        • Conditional Field Visibility in Bigin CRM

          I would like to request support for conditional field visibility within Bigin CRM. This feature should allow administrators to configure show/hide rules for fields based on predefined criteria (e.g., field values, picklist selections, stage changes,

        • Bill automation in Zoho Books

          Hi I am looking for 3rd-party options for bill automation in zoho which are economical and preferably have accurate scanning. What options do I have? Zoho's native scanning is a bit pricey

        • Reporting Tags

          We've been using reporting tags for years (before itemizing was available) and now we are finding reporting these tags are impossible to track. Reports have changed in the customization and our columns of reporting tags no longer show up. We do not use

        • Consumption based inventory

          I am currently using Zoho Books for my hospitality business, which includes lodging and restaurant services. We purchase many items in bulk for storage and consumption as needed. I'd like these items to be recorded as inventory when purchased and categorized

        • Smarter Access Control: Role-Based Access vs. Responsibility-Based Profiles

          Every business has roles, responsibilities, and workflows. While roles help define structure, responsibilities within those roles are rarely the same. As your team grows, some members need access to only a specific set of features. Others require visibility

        • Partner with HDFC And Sbi Bank.

          Hdfc and sbi both are very popular bank if zoho books become partner with this banks then many of the zoho books users will benefit premium features of partnered banks.

        • API in E-Invoice/GST portal

          Hi, Do I have to change the api in gst/e-invoice portal as I use zoho e books for my e-invoicing. If yes, please confirm the process.

        • Member role in zoho meeting

          does a user with member role can see other users in the organization

        • How to post more than 4 Images on Instagram?

          Hi I read several articles to the topic od how to post more than 4 images on instagram, but i can't figure out how it works. I can't find the content editor and i installesd the z share extension for google chrome. Could someone please help me? Than

        • Clone Recurring Expenses

          Our bookkeeping practices make extensive use of the "clone" feature for bills, expenses, invoices, etc. This cuts down significantly on both the amount of typing that needs to be done manually and, more importantly, the mental overhead of choosing the

        • Zoho Books - How to Invoke a Custom Function in Schedulers

          We have multiple schedulers that send emails to customers in batches. Currently, we are maintaining the same code across several schedulers. Is it possible to use a custom function inside a scheduler script? If yes, how can we invoke the custom function

        • Special characters (like â, â, æ) breaking when input in a field (encoding issue)

          Hey everyone, We are currently dealing with a probably encoding issue when we populate a field (mostly but not exclusively, 'Last Name' for Leads and Contracts). If the user manually inputs special characters (like ä, â, á etc.) from Scandinavian languages,

        • Set Custom Icon for Custom Modules in new Zoho CRM UI

        • Notes badge as a quick action in the list view

          Hello all, We are introducing the Notes badge in the list view of all modules as a quick action you can perform for each record, in addition to the existing Activity badge. With this enhancement, users will have quick visibility into the notes associated

        • Is Zoho Live Chat compatible with WordPress CMS?

          Hello, I have a website called www.jjrlab.com and I'm interested in using Zoho Chat on it. Does it support WordPress CMS? Thanks.

        • Introducing spam detection for webforms: An additional layer of protection to keep your Zoho CRM clean and secure

          Greetings all, One of the most highly anticipated feature launches—Spam Detection in webforms—has finally arrived! Webforms are a vital tool for record generation, but they're also vulnerable to submissions from unauthenticated or malicious sources, which

        • Bring your CRM and Desk app inside SalesIQ with widgets

          Have you ever been confused and frustrated with multiple open tabs and switching back and forth from SalesIQ to other apps to perform your business-specific operations? How effective would it be to have all the required tools and data of the apps you

        • Speak Your Customers' Language: SalesIQ's chatbots now support 30 languages 🤖

          We're unveiling some major upgrades to our chatbot that are set to revolutionize your experience! Now SalesIQ support 30 languages for both Zobot and Answer bot. By speaking your customers' language, you can enhance engagement, improve customer satisfaction,

        • Repeat Column merge in ZOHO writer columns doesn't allow to set max columns per row

          I'm using ZOHO writer to merge data from a ZOHO CRM subform and I want it to make a table. We're using Insert Table for Column Repeat, because this is what we need. (Name of column (Teamname) and underneath that a list of names of teammembers). It works

        • Next Page