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!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Reading 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    • Recent Topics

    • Multiple images

      Hi Is there a way to insert multiple images in one image record or any way that instead of one image, I could upload 5 to 10 images together. Looking forward for a solution. Regards

    • Zoho Projects - Custom Objects

      Hello, is there the ability now, or in the near future, to add custom objects to Zoho Projects? The requirement here would be to have the ability to track change requests to a project's budget. The idea here is to have the ability to create a custom Object

    • Access CRM Variables from Formula field

      Is it possible to use a CRM variable (defined in Developer Space -> CRM Variables) in a formula field for calculations ?

    • Announcing Bigin India Meetups Across 8 Cities: July 29 - Aug 07

      Hello Biginners, We've got some exciting news to share! We're hosting our first round of Customer Meetups for 2025 in India, from 29th July - 9th August. Whether you're a Bigin newbie or a seasoned pro, this is your chance to meet customers from your

    • Why isn't there an Expense description field / column?

      Hello! I'm new to Zoho Books and accounting. I'm surprised there isn't a proper expense description field (and column in the overview "all expenses" page)? I thought this was a given in accounting, as visualizing expenses facilitates tracking them down?

    • New in Zoho PDF Editor: Watermarks, password protection, signature collection, and more.

      Hi Zoho Sign users! We are delighted to introduce the latest enhancements to Zoho PDF Editor, designed based on user feedback and feature requests. This update enables you to reorder, extract, and rotate PDF pages, add watermarks, and collect signatures.

    • Cant't update custom field when custom field is external lookup in Zoho Books

      Hello I use that : po = zoho.books.updateRecord("purchaseorders",XXXX,purchaseorder_id,updateCustomFieldseMap,"el_books_connection"); c_f_Map2 = Map(); c_f_Map2.put("label","EL ORDER ID"); c_f_Map2.put("value",el_order_id); c_f_List.add(c_f_Map2); updateCustomFieldseMap

    • Printed Reports, Increase Font SIZE

      I need to send some printed copies of financial reports to my attorney. The reports print out with microscopic fonts. How do I increase the font size so that a normal human can read the text? Every other accounting app can do this so I imagine I have

    • Avoid email sending!

      Hello, Thanks you Zoho for the wonderful apps you provide. Question: Is there a way to disable sending emails when: - creating an estimate or billing. Thanks Tommy

    • Need to show discount before total after subtotal

      Need to show discount before total after subtotal on my estimate template (see attachment)

    • Email a "thank you" note for this payment is NOW checked by default

      Hello Team, Just noticed that Email a "thank you" note for this payment is now checked by default. I tried searching in Preferences and there is no way to turn this off. I do not want this to be the default. Is there a way to turn this off?

    • End-to-end services hours

      We are trying to determine the best method of quoting service hours on quotes but only present the sum amount to a customer, without losing the tracking of quantity of hours for invoicing purposes. Does anyone have a good method they have determined?

    • Specific Approval Question

      Hi everyone, Just a quick question here. I have located the "Approval Type" in the preferences, which is great, and I am sure we could make use of it. However, I am trying to understand how I can implement an approval "workflow". The business call it

    • Zoho Books - Show Discount Totals When Greater Than Zero

      Hi Books Team, I understand that to show or hide discount amount on a Quote or Invoice, I need to use different templates. It would be a great quality of life improvement for users if we had an option to show or hide the discount amount at line item and

    • Specifying a filename for Schedule Reports

      Is it possible to specify a filename to use with scheduled reports? For example: With a general ledger report, instead of general_ledger.pdf I would like to include the date the report was generated in the filename so it is called general_ledger_202

    • Need to upsert "Created Time" field in Leads Module

      I am in the process of implementing Zoho CRM for my business. I need to modify the "Created By' field to reflect the actual date/time the lead was captured in my original Excel file. Otherwise, my conversion velocity data will always be inaccurate, which

    • HTML for confirmation email

      Hi, After a prospect submitted the Zoho form, we want to send a confirmation mail. In this mail we want to add our email signature. However, while this is possible in Zoho CRM this doesn't seem to be an option in Zoho Forms. Also an html editor is not

    • Fire a webhook when the user gets access to portal

      Hello, We would like to know if there is any way in which we can automate a webhook call if the user accepts the portal invitation that Zoho sends by email. The customer module does have the option to trigger webhooks when a customer is created, updated,

    • Enable History Tracking for Picklist Values Not Available

      When I create a custom picklist field in Deals, the "Enable History Tracking for Picklist Values" option is not available in the Edit Properties area of the picklist. When I create a picklist in any other Module, that option is available. Is there a specific reason why this isn't available for fields in the Deals Module?

    • Creating Payrun summary by fetching values from the employee payruns and adding them

      I am trying to make a processing payrun module. I want on Form load to autofill payrun summary eg Total Deductions, Total employer contributions etc by fetching one value after the other in the employee payrun information. So it should loop through the

    • Feature Request - Zoho Books - Add Retainer Invoices to CRM/Books integration

      Hi Books Team, My feature request is to include Retainer Invoices in the finance suite integration with Zoho CRM. This way we will be able to see if retainer invoices have been issued and paid. I have also noticed that when the generate retainer invoice

    • Books <-> CRM synchronisation with custom Fields

      Hello, We are synchronising Books Customers with CRM Accounts. In CRM Accounts I set up last year a "segments" multiselect field shown below In Books, I set up a custom multi-select field with the same value as in the CRM And set up the synchronisation inside Books. Want to synchronise the Books Segments with the CRM Segments, but the later doesn't exist, and another non-existing is there ?! First, I don't understand where the field Segmentation is coming from. Second, I set CRM Segmentation to sync

    • Edit Reconciled Transactions

      I realize transaction amounts and certain accounts cannot be edited easily once reconciled, but when I audit my operational transactions quarterly and at the end of the year sometimes I need to change the expense account for a few transactions. To do

    • Request to Customize Module Bar Placement in New Zoho CRM UI

      Hello Support and Zoho Community, I've been exploring the new UI of Zoho CRM "For Everyone" and have noticed a potential concern for my users. We are accustomed to having the module names displayed across the top, which made navigation more intuitive

    • Sending campaigns from other server

      Hi, Is it possible to send campaigns from another server so customers can see mail direct from our company (Corrata) and not from ZCSend.net? Thanks, Tim

    • Edit a previous reconciliation

      I realized that during my March bank reconciliation, I chose the wrong check to reconcile (they were for the same amount on the same date, I just chose the wrong check to reconcile). So now, the incorrect check is showing as un-reconciled. Is there any way I can edit a previous reconciliation (this is 7 months ago) so I can adjust the check that was reconciled? The amounts are exactly the same and it won't change my ending balance.

    • Admin and Dispatcher Users show as Field Technicians in Dispatch Module?

      Hi Zoho, Our Admin and Dispatch user both show up as Fied Technicians / Field Agents in the Dispatch module, but they most certainly should not be assigned to any of the work orders and service appointments. These users are NOT service resources. How

    • Zoho Payroll: Product Updates - June 2025

      This June, we’re taking a giant step forward. One that reflects what we’ve heard from you, the businesses that power economies. For our customers using the latest version of Zoho Payroll (organizations created after Dec 12, 2024) in the United States,

    • View Products (items) in Contact and Company

      Hi, I would like to know if there is an option to view all the products /(items) that were inserted in the pipeline deal stage for exemple "Win Pipeline" within the company and contacts module section? For instance, view with the option filter for the

    • Update subform dropdown field choices - on load workflow

      Hi, I have a "Check In" form that has "Contacts" subform and a "Tickets" subform. When the form is loaded, I want to populate one contact and the number of tickets. I want the "Contact" field in the "Tickets" subform to have the choice of "Contacts."

    • Upload Zoho Inventory Item Image by API

      itemID = item.get("item_id"); organizationID = organization.get("organization_id"); resvp = zoho.inventory.getRecordsByID("items",organizationID,itemID,"zoho_inventory_conn"); info resvp; image_file = invokeurl [ url: "https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/03/13/59/81/360_F_313598127_M2n9aSAYVsfYuSSVytPuYpLAwSEp5lxH.jpg"

    • Salesforce to Zoho One Migration

      HI, I am about to start a migration from Salesforce to Zoho One I would like to know the best practise for this, my current thoughts to the approach is 1) Create fields, modules as required for migrating data 2) migrate Data 3) go live Will this approach

    • Zoho Expense Integration with Zoho Books

      I want to know what flexibility do i have in selecting the chart of accounts which get a hit whenever we are posting any expense or advance in zoho expense?

    • Custom Function to Update Ticket based on Subject of Ticket

      This may be pretty simple but I'm having issues with getting a custom function to fill out custom fields based on the subject of a ticket and not the body of a ticket. Basically we need to fill in the PO number and Item ID custom fields, both of this

    • Incoming 'Message' data via WhatsApp appears empty

      the Incoming 'Message' data via WhatsApp appears empty; instead of customer messages, I only see CRM system notification messages are being displayed. I have seen 3 messages like this since yesterday it seems that in 'All Message' the message snippet

    • Handling Automatic Replies in Desk

      We send out email campaigns (currently via Klaviyo) and naturally we receive "Automatic Replies" to these mass email campaigns. These responses are all being routed to Zoho Desk. We get two types of "Automatic Replies" Type 1) Customer is out of the office/holiday

    • Zoho Mail API Error EXTRA_KEY_FOUND_IN_JSON

      I have a workflow set up in Pipedream that uses the Zoho Mail API to send emails from my account. It's worked without issue for months but today I'm getting the following 404 error for every email I try to send: { "data": { "errorCode": "EXTRA_KEY_FOUND_IN_JSON"

    • How to search (web API) for a Calls record by phone number?

      Using v8 /Calls/search web api I'm unable to to complete a search request no matter how I use the api: When I try using "criteria=" I get: response: <Response [400]> response_json: { "code": "INVALID_QUERY", "details": { "reason": "the field is not available

    • [Free Webinar] Product Release Updates - Creator Tech Connect

      Hello Everyone! We welcome you all to the upcoming free webinar on the Creator Tech Connect Series. The Creator Tech Connect series is a free monthly webinar that runs for around 45 minutes. It comprises technical sessions in which we delve deep into

    • Zoho GenAI API Error Not a valid response from zia.

      Zoho GenAI API Error Not a valid response from zia.

    • Next Page