📙 Note: This article assumes you have a good understanding of creating Workflows and Rules. You can learn more about these in the Workflows + Rules Collection of the Help Center.
Overview
Element451's Workflows offer a dynamic way to automate task creation, enhancing efficiency and ensuring timely follow-ups. This article guides you through setting up Workflows and the 'Create Task' action, as well as configuring the triggers that initiate these automated tasks.
Workflow triggers in Element451 are primarily based on user activities, allowing you to integrate task creation into your daily processes seamlessly. Automatically generate tasks when specific actions are taken. For instance, you can set up a workflow to create a 'Phone Call Follow-Up' task once a student is admitted or a 'Review Documents' task after a residency form submission.
Step 1: Create the Workflow
Navigate to Data + Automations > Workflows > All Workflows.
Click the + New Workflow button
in the top right corner of the header. Provide a Name and a short description of the workflow.
Click Add in the top right corner.
You will be taken to the edit page for your new workflow, where you can configure your trigger(s) and action(s).
Step 2: Add Your Action (Task Creation Process)
Technically, the first step listed in the workflow is to configure your audience and trigger, but we will save that for the end.
To begin the task creation process:
Click on the plus sign to add a new action.
Select Create Task from the action type dropdown menu.
Complete the fields for your task (most of these fields align with the values you would use when creating a task manually).
Task Template
If you want to create your task based on a preconfigured template, use the drop-down to select the template.
Task Name
Assigned to
Can be an individual or a Team
Due Date Type
Exact or relative - see description below
Due Date
Type
Status
Priority
Assignment Behavior: Selected, Rotational, Balanced
The assignment behavior field is a unique way to assign tasks to users.
Assignment Type | Explanation |
Selected (Default) | Assigns tasks to all user(s) listed in the Assigned To field. This assignment will take place every time the workflow runs.
|
Rotational
| Assigns the newly created task to a single user listed in the Assigned To field on a rotational basis. The assignment will occur in order each time the workflow runs, and when each person on the list has received an assigned task, the rotation will start back at the beginning.
📙 Note: The rotation history automatically resets every month, regardless of whether it has reached all users in the cycle or not. After this reset, the workflow begins anew, starting with the first user in the rotation rather than continuing from the last point. If you often have just a few assignments each month, consider opting for a balanced assignment method instead. This approach takes into account the total workload for each user on the list, ensuring tasks are distributed more evenly. |
Balanced Assignment
| Assigns tasks to one user on the Assigned To list. However, instead of assigning tasks to individuals in a specific order, the workflow will assign the task to the individual with the lowest number of assigned tasks. Thus, this feature balances out the task assignments for all individuals in that particular Assigned To field of that particular task. |
Due Dates
When a workflow creates a task, the due date can be set in two ways: Exact or Relative.
Exact
You can set a specific date and time for each task created by the workflow no matter when the workflow runs—for example, Sept 1, 2024, at noon. Remember, workflows will create overdue tasks if this date is in the past and is not updated.
You might use Exact to create a task to remind you to print name badges for event registrants the day before the event.
Relative
You can set a date in the future relative to when the workflow creates the task. This is ideal for ongoing activity-based follow-up tasks. For example, you could set a task due five days after an inquiry submits an RFI form.