Set up an automation action
Grazi Sabatini avatar
Written by Grazi Sabatini
Updated over a week ago

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🎯 For those who want to create automation action

⏩ Content Summary:

  • Get to know the variety of actions you can create with automation.

Every time an event happens in your process, it will trigger an automation action.

Example: every time a card enters a phase β†’ send an email template to an assignee (automation action).

You can trigger the following automations:

  • Send an email template

  • Move card

  • Update a card or record field

  • Create a connected card or record

  • Create a card or record

  • Move the parent card

  • Make an HTTP Request (Beta)

  • Distribute assignments

  • Run a formula (Beta)

  • Apply SLA rules (Beta)

Send an email template

As you create an email template, you can automatically send it from a card whenever a field is updated, if it's moved to another phase, or when an alert is triggered (among other options).

Automating email templates helps you streamline your communication with stakeholders or team members. All without the need to handle many email inboxes or to write the same thing multiple times.

πŸ‘‰ Example: Every time a ticket is solved in a Customer Support helpdesk, an email confirming the resolution is submitted to the customer who requested support.

Move card

Automatically move a card to a phase depending on previous events.

This automation is great for eliminating manual work, such as checking if the fields in the card are updated before moving it to another phase. And it streamlines the information flow, such as approvals, screenings, etc.

πŸ‘‰ Example: in a Sales CRM process, if a lead is marked as qualified, it will move from phase Prospect to Discovery.

Update a card or record field

Update fields on cards or database records automatically with the exact information you want. For example, whenever a card is moved to phase X, update the assignee field of the same phase with a specific team member.

Another possibility is to update a database record according to the actions that happen on the card or in the phase. For example, if a lead becomes a customer in a Sales Funnel process, the information in the database is automatically updated.

Such automations are valuable for processes with well-defined business rules, such as approval flows, that require constant updates.

πŸ‘‰ Example: in a Customer Onboarding process, every time a customer (card) is ready for implementation (phase), update the field assignee with Nex Nix.

Create a connected card or record

This automation works similarly. In this case, there must be an active connection between the cards and databases.

This way, it's possible to create a card connected to another card in different pipes. Or between a pipe and a connected database.

πŸ‘‰ Example: in a Purchase Process, every time a purchase order is paid (moved to the Paid phase), create a record in the Expenses database.

Create a card or record

Match the fields from a pipe to fields from another pipe (or from a database record) and update them simultaneously.

This way, whenever a field is updated in a card, another card or record will be created with the same intakes.

It's especially useful for teams updating the same information across multiple processes. It cuts out the manual work and avoids duplicated data.

πŸ‘‰ Example: use fields from a Recruitment Process to create employee records and automatically update information in both.

Move the parent card

A parent card contains other cards connected to it (called the child cards). In this automation, every time a child card moves to a phase (either in the same pipe or another pipe), the parent card also moves.

It's great for teams that work with the same information across different processes.

πŸ‘‰ Example: cards in Purchase Process and Expense Reimbursement pipes are connected. They share the same information: product's cost and payment information.

A parent card in the Expense pipe represents an expense, and it shares the same information with a card in the Purchase pipe.

Every time a card with the purchase order is paid (moved to phase Done), it becomes an expense ready for approval (the parent card is moved to the Approval phase).

Make an HTTP Request (BETA)

Easily integrate Pipefy with other tools without exiting the platform.

With an HTTP request, you just need to select the trigger and then select the HTTP request to start communicating with another system.

πŸ‘‰ Example: Every time the Finance team needs to approve a request, send a message through Slack. Or when a new collaborator finishes onboarding in the HR process, give them access to different software.

Distribute assignments

Evenly or randomly distribute the demands from your process to your team members. For example, always that a card is created, assign the card to a different person from your team, following a rotating sequence (also known as Round Robin distribution). You can choose among all pipe members which ones will participate in the rotation and the distribution strategy.

It is especially useful for pipes with a high volume of cards, with 2 or more people working on those cards, assuring the best efficiency possible for your process.

πŸ‘‰Example: on an IT tickets pipe, always that a new ticket gets on the Backlog phase, distribute them evenly among the IT analysts available by filling in the Responsible for this ticket field.

Run a formula (BETA)

You can use formula automations to make calculations in a simple and objective way in your processes.

You can apply the following functions:

  • Mathematics: sum ( + ), subtraction ( - ), multiplication ( * ), division ( / ), percentage ( % ), and potentiation ( ^ ).

  • Numerics:

    • SUM ( ): sum the values

    • AVERAGE ( ): calculates the average of numbers

    • MIN ( ): calculates the minimum value

    • MAX ( ): calculates the maximum value

    • MULTIPLY ( ): multiply values

    • DIVIDE ( ): divide values

    • SUBTRACT ( ): subtract valores

    • COUNT ( ): count the quantity of values

    • ROUND ( ): round numbers, for example, the number 4.89 turns into 5

  • Comparisons: less than ( < ), more than ( > ), less or equal to ( <= ), more or equal to ( >= ), different ( <> ), and equal ( = )

πŸ‘‰ Example: In a Purchasing Process, subtract the value negotiated from the total foreseen spent and update the Discouts field automatically.

Apply SLA rules (BETA)

Create advanced SLA rules to gain more visibility into your team's efficiency and greater reliability on operation data.

With this automation, you can:

  • Define working hours;

  • Exclude holidays from SLA counting;

  • Adjust deadlines for different time zones.

You can apply this rule every time a card is created, for example. This way, the resolution time for requests will only consider working days and hours, excluding holidays, and adjusting to each time zone.

πŸ‘‰ Example: In a procurement process, where many people and teams with different working hours and locations may be involved, apply SLA rules so that everyone has visibility of deadlines realistically and adapted to each individual's reality.

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