Kaizen #188 - Building a Timer and Worklog Widget (Part 2)

Kaizen #188 - Building a Timer and Worklog Widget (Part 2)



Welcome back, Tech Wizards!

In Part 1, we developed a Timer Widget that logs active work sessions into the Timer Entries module. 

Now, let's enhance this functionality by transferring these entries into the Work Log subform within the Cases module using a workflow with Deluge function and APIs. We will also explore how to generate insightful reports from the Timer Entries module data.

Here is a consolidated view of the outcomes we aim to achieve through these sequential posts.



The following data model illustrates the modules and subforms involved in this use case to help you understand the structure more clearly.


Learn more about the Data Model and how it helps to simplify the understanding of complex processes.

Auto-Syncing Timer Entries to Case Work Logs

For automating the data transfer from the Timer Entries module to the Work Log subforms within Cases module, we will create a workflow rule with an instant action defined in Deluge function. 

Prerequisites

Create a subform named Work Log in the Cases module with the following fields. 

Field Name
Data Type
Actual Time Taken(in mins.)
Aggregate

(sum of Total Duration (in mins.) field in related case )
End Time
DateTime
Related to Case
Lookup to Cases
Related to Current Case
Checkbox
Start Time
DateTime
Timer Entry
Lookup to Timer Entries
Total Duration
Aggregate 

(sum of all the Total Duration (in mins.) field )
Total Duration (in mins.)
Number
Work Description
Multi Line

Follow the Building a Subform and  Working with Custom Fields help pages for creating the subform and fields in Zoho CRM UI, or you can also make Post Custom Fields API calls to create the custom fields in the subform. 

Step 1: Create a Workflow

  • Login to your Zoho CRM and go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules and click Create Rule.
  • Choose the Timer Entries module from the dropdown. Provide name and description for the workflow rule.
  • In the 'When' section of the workflow, choose the trigger as Record Action. In record action, define the trigger as when the End Time field is modified to any value. 
  • In the 'Condition' section, choose all timer entries. In the 'Instant Actions' section, select Function and choose Write your own. 

Step 2: Create a Deluge Function

  • In the pop box that appeared after choosing to write your own function. Fill in the following details as shown in the image and click Create.
  • A code editor will open, where you have to define the data transfer logic in Deluge. 

Code logic

The UpdateDataInWorkLog function automates the process of syncing a completed Timer Entry with its associated Cases in Zoho CRM by populating the Work_Log subform for each case.

Fetches Target Case Records

The function uses a predefined custom view (cvid) that we created in Part I of this post to retrieve a list of Case records that are eligible for update. It extracts their record IDs and prepares them for bulk processing.

paramMap = Map();
paramMap.put("cvid","5545974000011183885");
getRecordsResponse = invokeurl
[
type :GET
parameters:paramMap
connection:"crm_oauth_connection"
];
responseDataArray = getRecordsResponse.get("data");
idList = List();
for each  item in responseDataArray
{
idList.add(item.get("id"));
}
caseRecordsToUpdate = idList;

Retrieves Timer Entry Details

The selected Timer Entry (identified by recordId received through workflow trigger) is fetched to extract its key details like, Start and end times, Total time spent (duration), Work description, the Case it’s directly related to (if any).

record = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Timer_Entries",recordId,Map(),"crm_oauth_connection");
startTime = record.get("Start_Time");
endTime = record.get("End_Time");
totalTime = record.get("Total_Duration");
workDescription = record.get("Work_Description");
relatedToCaseId = "";
if(record.get("Related_to_Case") != null)
{
relatedToCaseId = record.get("Related_to_Case").get("id");
}

Prepares Work_Log Subform Entries

For each retrieved Case, a new subform entry is created in the Work_Log subform. This entry contains the time details, work description, and a reference to the Timer Entry. A flag (Related_to_Current_Case) marks whether the Timer Entry is directly associated with the Case.

caseRecordIds = caseRecordsToUpdate;
if(!caseRecordIds.isEmpty())
{
recordUpdateArray = List();
for each  caseRecordId in caseRecordIds
{
TimerArray = List();
TimerObj = Map();
TimerObj.put("Work_Description",workDescription);
TimerObj.put("Timer_Entry",recordId);
TimerObj.put("Related_to_Case",relatedToCaseId);
TimerObj.put("Start_Time",startTime);
TimerObj.put("End_Time",endTime);
TimerObj.put("Actual_Duration_in_mins",totalTime.toNumber());
info totalTime;
TimerObj.put("Related_to_Current_Case",caseRecordId == relatedToCaseId);
TimerArray.add(TimerObj);
recordUpdateObj = Map();
recordUpdateObj.put("id",caseRecordId);
recordUpdateObj.put("Work_Log",TimerArray);
recordUpdateArray.add(recordUpdateObj);
}

Bulk Updates Case Records

All Case records are updated in bulk via the Update Records API. Each gets its Work_Log subform updated or appended with the latest Timer Entry details.

updateRequestBody = {"data":recordUpdateArray};
updateResponse = invokeurl
[
type :PUT
parameters:updateRequestBody + ""
connection:"crm_oauth_connection"
];
}

Once done, click Save and associate the merge field (Timer Entry ID) with the function.


This workflow is triggered when the timer widget is stopped and the end time is updated in the corresponding timer entry record. 

Following is a GIF that illustrates how the data sync reflects in the case records.

Generating Reports from Timer Entries

With the Timer Entries and Work Log data in place, you can create comprehensive reports to analyze work patterns, SLA adherence, and productivity trends.
  1. Navigate to the Reports module and click Create Report.
  2. Choose Cases as the primary module and include the Work Log subform.
  3. Select the desired fields like Case Subject, Start Time, End Time, Total Duration, and Work Description. 
  4. Group data by fields like Case Owner or Status to gain insights into workload distribution and case progress.
  5. Apply filters as needed, such as date ranges or specific case statuses.

Refer to the Understanding and Building Report help page for more details. 

With the Timer Widget, automated data transfer to Work Logs, and insightful reporting, we have established a robust system to track and analyze multiple active work times within Zoho CRM.

If you have specific scenarios or challenges you'd like us to address in future Kaizen posts, feel free to share them in the comments or reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com.

Cheers!

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