Workflows are automatic processes that you can set up within Operate in order to take action automatically, based on certain criteria. You can find them under Settings > General > Workflows.
This guide will give you an overview on why you might want to to use them, how to set them up (briefly), what you can do with them and what kind of workflows are available within Operate.
Why Use Workflows?
Workflows take care of different types of tasks, so you don’t have to spend time on them.
You can automate a significant part of your communication process (such as sending email and SMS alerts); you can update fields in the system and create tasks for your staff according to the criteria you set. Everything happens automatically, without any manual intervention needed in order to perform the action that the workflow is set to perform. Let’s take a look at how it’s done.
How to Use Workflows?
Each workflow is based upon two important parts:
The Criteria - Where you set specific criteria and filters that the workflow needs to take into account and only trigger when these criteria are met.
The Action - This is what the workflow needs to perform if the set criteria are met.
In a nutshell, all you need to do in order to use a workflow is to set up the criteria you want it to meet and then choose the action you want it to perform.
What Can You Do with Workflows?
A few examples of actions that you can automate using workflows are:
Sending email or SMS confirmations, notifications or reminders for tours or bookings.
Communicating with customers, prospects or leads via email or SMS - for quotes, sales related information, license related correspondence, etc.
Updating information within the system.
Creating tasks for someone - For example, when a customer books a meeting room, you can create a task for a staff member to make sure that the room is prepared and ready to use at the right time.
What Types of Workflows Are Available?
There are two types of workflows:
Immediate - The workflow will initiate the set action immediately after the associated criteria has been met. For example, you can use such a workflow to immediately send a booking confirmation message immediately after someone books a meeting room.
Time Based - The workflow will initiate the action in the number of days, hours or minutes that you can set) before or after a certain time reference (e.g.: record creation date, start date/time, end date/time or update date. This type of workflow can be used, for instance, when you want to remind a prospect about a tour or a customer about their booking, a certain amount of time before the tour/booking is due to take place.
In addition, workflows may be categorised as:
Standard - Workflows that are pre-configured within Operate: you will find them under Settings > Workflows, as soon as you start using the platform.
Custom - The workflows that you create yourself.
Please click the following link for a List of Default Workflows, Pre-Configured in Operate.
Lead Workflow Order
If you have Workflows, Auto Assignments and Auto Responses set up for Leads, this is the order that they execute in:
Auto Assignment Rules
Workflows Rules
Auto Response Rules