Introduction

Scheduled workflows run periodically. If there is a periodic task that you must execute, all you need to do is schedule a workflow. Pick the date and time at which it must run, and you are done!

Workflows automate your tasks big time! When you automate redundant tasks, you get to concentrate on the business operations that need more of your time. 

Getting started

Scheduled workflows are similar to Standard Workflows, and they have four components.

• Basic information
• Workflow trigger
• Entry Criteria
• Actions

However, what you choose to be the workflow trigger determines whether a workflow is Scheduled or Standard. 

In this article, we will focus on the workflow trigger that defines scheduled workflows. To learn about the other components of workflows, click here.

Accessing scheduled workflows

Only Admin users can access workflows. 

Follow these steps to access scheduled workflows:

1. Click the User Menu on the top right corner of the screen
2. Click the Settings button
   • You will land on the Settings page
3. Look for the Automation section
4. Select Workflows
5. Click the +New Workflow button
6. Select Standard 
7. Enter the Basic Information about the workflow
8. Choose Time Interval under Workflow Trigger
9. Enter the Entry Criteria and set up Actions
10. Click Save

Feature Availability and Limits

Note: 

• The maximum number of Scheduled workflows that you can create in Help Desk Starter and Help Desk Professional are 10 and 20, respectively.
• The maximum number of workflow actions that you can set up per workflow in  Help Desk Starter and Help Desk Professional are 6 and 8, respectively.

Workflow Trigger

A workflow trigger defines when the workflow must get triggered. For scheduling, you must choose the Time Interval option and then choose the Frequency. Frequency is the rate at which the workflow must get triggered.

You have multiple options for Frequency:

• Hourly - Runs the workflow every hour
• Daily - Runs the workflow daily. You must pick the time at which it must run. 
  • For example, daily at 10:00 AM
• Weekly - Runs the workflow weekly. You must pick the days and the time at which it must run 
  • For example, on Monday and Wednesday at 10:00 AM
• On Specific Date - Runs the workflow on a specific date that you choose. You must also choose the time at which it must run 
  • For example, on 15-09-2020 at 10:00 AM
• Monthly by Date - Runs the workflow monthly on the selected days. You must also choose the time at which it must run 
  • For example, on the 1st and 28th day of the month at 11:00 AM
• Yearly -  Runs the workflow on the selected days of the current year. You must also choose the time at which it must run 
  • For example, on 20-09-2020, 30-10-2020, and 10-11-2020 at 12:00 PM

Examples

Here are three examples that we have curated to help you gain clarity on the working of scheduled workflows.

Example 1: Escalate a case if it is Open for more than four  hours

This workflow runs hourly. It sends an escalation email to the Customer Support Manager if the Status of a case remains Open for more than four hours. When the Status is Open, it means the case has not been looked into since its arrival. 

Here is how you will configure the workflow for the situation mentioned above.

Step 1: Accessing scheduled workflows

1. Click the User Menu on the top right corner of the screen
2. Click the Settings button
3. Look for the Automation section
4. Select Workflows
5. Click the +New Workflow button
6. Select Standard
7. Select Cases as the Target Module and enter other information such as workflow name, status, and description
8. Select Time Interval under Workflow Trigger
9. Set Frequency to Hourly
10. Click +Add Condition under Entry Criteria
11. Add this condition: Time Spent in Status (Hours), Open, Greater than, 4
12. Click the Add Action drop-down and select Update Fields
13. Enter the Action Title 
    • For example, Escalate Case
14. Click the +Add Record Field button
15. Choose Assigned To from the Select Field drop-down 
16. Enter the name of the support manager in the text area on the right
17. Click Save

Example 2: Send an email to a customer if the invoice amount has not been paid until two days before the due date

When a customer has not paid the invoice amount, this workflow sends them a reminder email two days before the invoice due date. This helps automate your follow-up process. You can send this email once daily until the invoice due date.

1. Click the User Menu on the top right corner of the screen
2. Click the Settings button
3. Look for the Automation section
4. Select Workflows
5. Click the +New Workflow button
6. Select Standard
7. Select Invoices as the Target Module and enter other information such as workflow name, status, and description
8. Select Time Interval under Workflow Trigger
9. Set Frequency to Daily
10. Select the time from the At Time drop-down 
    • For example, 09:30 AM
11. Click +Add Condition under Entry Criteria
12. Add the following two conditions: 
    • Due Date, days later, 2
    • Status, is not, Paid 
13. Click the Add Action drop-down and select Send Mail
    • Note: To learn in detail about the Send Mail action, click here.
14. Enter the following details under the Send Email action:
    • Action Title - For example, Two days to invoice due date
    • From address -  Enter the From address by clicking the text area on the right side. This is the sender of the email. You have the following options -
      • Enter a From address - Lets you enter an email address manually
      • Helpdesk support email ID - Use the email address set up under Settings > Configuration > Email Settings as Helpdesk Email
      • Assigned To: (Users) Primary Email - Use the email address of the user/group to whom the invoice is assigned. If the group or the user address is blank, then the CRM account owner’s email address is used as From address
      • Last Modified By: (Users) Primary Email - Use the email address of the user who last modified the invoice (check the Last Modified By field in the invoice record)
      • Created By: (Users) Primary Email - Use the email address of the user who created the invoice (check the Created By field in the invoice record)
    • Reply To address - This is the email address that can be replied to by the customers. You have the following options:
      • Enter a From address - Lets you enter an email address manually
      • Helpdesk support email ID - Use the email address set up under Settings > Configuration > Email Settings as Helpdesk Email
      • Assigned To: (Users) Primary Email - Use the email address of the user to whom the invoice is assigned
      • Last Modified By: (Users) Primary Email - Use the email address of the user who last modified the invoice (check the Last Modified By field in the invoice record)
      • Assigned To: (Users) Reports To - This is the email address of the user whom the case assignee reports to
    • To address - This is the customer’s primary email address. Choose Contact Name: (Contacts) Primary Email
    • Subject of the email. You can insert the invoice number in the subject by selecting the Invoice Number field
    • Information to insert in the email body from Add Record Field and General Fields
    • Email template from Add Template
    • Other details in the email body
15. Click Save

Example 3: Set automatic follow-ups with contacts 10 days before a deal is closed

1. Click the User Menu on the top right corner of the screen
2. Click the Settings button
3. Look for the Automation section
4. Select Workflows
5. Click the +New Workflow button
6. Select Standard
7. Select Deals as the Target Module and enter other information such as workflow name, status, and description
8. Select Time Interval under Workflow Trigger
9. Set Frequency to Daily
10. Select the time from the At Time drop-down 
    • For example, 09:30 AM
11. Click +Add Condition under Entry Criteria
12. Add the following two conditions: 
    • Expected Close Date, more than days later, 10
    • Sales Stage, is not, Closed Won 
13. Click the Add Action drop-down and select Send Mail
14. Enter the following details under the Send Email action:
    • Action Title - For example, Two days to invoice due date
    • From address - Enter the From address by clicking the text area on the right side. This is the sender of the email. You have the following options:
      • Enter a From address - Lets you enter an email address manually
      • Helpdesk support email ID - Use the email address set up under Settings > Configuration > Email Settings as Helpdesk Email
      • Assigned To: (Users) Primary Email - Use the email address of the user to whom the invoice is assigned
      • Last Modified By: (Users) Primary Email - Use the email address of the user who last modified the deal (check the Last Modified By field in the deal record)
      • Created By: (Users) Primary Email - Use the email address of the user who created the deal (check the Created By field in the deal record)
    • Reply To address - This is the email address that can be replied to by the customers. You have the same options in Reply To as in the From address 
    • To address - This is the sales rep’s primary email address. Choose Assigned To: (Users) Primary Email
    • Subject of the email 
    • Email template from Add Template
    • Email body
15. Click Save