In a previous blog post we talked about different ways workflows can help manage data. Let’s start exploring how to create custom workflows.

Access the process center underneath the settings menu. If you see the Process Center option you can go directly to processes, by selecting it from the menu. If the process center is not listed in your CRM version you can still get to processes by selecting customizations, then customize the system. This will pop up a new window and processes are located near the bottom of the left-hand side list.

This will show a list of processes and you can create new or edit an existing one. When creating a new process you will be prompted to give it a name, select category and select which entity it will apply to. Since we are building workflows, you will select workflow for the category.

Once completed select OK and the workflow creation window will appear. Let’s look at the basic set-up options for a workflow.

Available to Run

• Run this workflow in the background
  • Unchecking this box runs the workflow in real-time, meaning it will use system resources immediately, potentially delaying other processes or causing lagging system performance. Real-time workflows should be used when you need something to occur immediately, such as an error message, versus waiting a minute or two to send an email or update a record.
• As an on-demand process
  • Having a workflow run on-demand makes it available from the toolbar for users to run when accessing that record type. A workflow must be selected as on-demand to be utilized within a business process. Most organizations set up workflows to run automatically versus on-demand eliminating the need for manual selection.
• As a child process
  • A child workflow can be added into another workflow. As a workflow can only affect the record type selected and the related records a child workflow is helpful when needing to perform actions across multiple record types.

Options for Automatic Processes

• Scope
  • The scope defaults to user, meaning the workflow will only occur for that user. Workflows can be set to apply only to a business unit or the entire organization.
• Start when
  • Here you select triggers for the workflow. Commonly used ones are record creation, status changes or field changes. If using fields change the select option will be available allowing for selection of fields to use. Be careful about selecting too many triggers as this can cause the workflow to run repeatedly. If your workflow creates a new record or sends an email and multiple fields are selected you can wind up with many copies of the new record or multiple emails being sent.

Workflow Job Retention

This should be automatically checked so that completed workflows are deleted from tying up system space. If you want to save all workflows to review logs later uncheck the box, but be aware this can use up space quickly creating the need to purchase more storage.

Build Workflow

Now it’s time to begin building the steps of the workflow. We will explore the different step types in future blog posts.

-Jerica Coleman, CRM and Power BI Consultant