Power of Automation - Series 1

User requirement

To automate the update of Task owner field based on the creator for the project using template.

How did we solve it using Zoho Projects?

We created a custom function using the Projects automation feature.

This was requested by a Project manager who runs a medium-scale marketing agency with multiple users heading different projects, this custom function will help ensure that all Tasks are assigned to the right user from the start, reducing confusion and duplication of efforts. Additionally, since all projects will have the same set of Tasks depending on the template they use, this function will help standardize the Task assignment process across different projects, further improving efficiency and productivity.

What does this do?

This custom function will automatically update the Task owner fields for all Tasks within a project when created using the template, ensuring that they are assigned to the project creator. This will save time and reduce the risk of errors, as it eliminates the need for manual Task assignment.

Here are the steps we followed:

Create a new automation in the setup (developer space -> Custom function -> Projects ).
Created a Project work flow rule and selected the trigger as "created".
Marco rules created using Task automation.
Add a condition to check if the project was created using the template
Add the action "Update Tasks" to the automation.
The custom function will execute "Update Tasks" action from Marco rules and then "Set Task owner" as to "Project creator".

Attached is the sample Code used for this automation.

Creating custom functions in Zoho Projects is straightforward and well-documented. If you're facing a complex use case in Zoho Projects, I highly recommend giving custom functions a try.

Watch this space for more such custom function codes.

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