Workflow Rules

When we left off last week our next step was to add functionality to the object that would automatically mark overdue payments. This is done by using the SFDC workflow engine, and more specifically workflow rules. Workflow rules allow the end user to initiate actions based on new records entered, field updates, or even the passage of time. When one of these rules is triggered it can create tasks on Salesforce and assign them to the end user or automatically update field values, send email alerts, and send outbound XML messages.

For our particular object we are going to create a workflow rule that will mark a payment as past due once it has exceeded its due date and has a status of pending. An important thing to remember if you are using a new system is that you will have to set-up a default workflow user. You can set yourself up as the default workflow user by going to

‘Set-Up’, then ‘Customize’, then ‘Workflows & Approvals’, and finally ‘Settings’. Utilize the lookup button next to the ‘Default Workflow User’ field and set yourself up and click ‘Save’.

Once the user is established go to ‘Workflow Rules’ under the ‘Workflows & Approvals’ tab and click ‘New Rule’. Select our Scheduled Payment object and hit ‘Next’. Make the rule name “Schedule Payment – Process Past Due”. Leave the evaluation criteria as the default but add the following new ‘Rules Criteria’:

-         Scheduled Payment: Status Equals Pending

-         Scheduled Payment: Due Date less than TODAY

Click ‘Save’ and hit ‘Next’. Following all of this the workflow actions screen should appear. Basically this screen allows you to set up an action, most likely a field update, to our particular trigger. Initiate this by clicking ‘Add time trigger’, set the time to zero hours after Scheduled Payment: Due Date and click ‘Save’. The following is an example of what the screen should look like:

We will add Workflow Actions in the next post. Until then everyone should go run off all the food you ate this weekend…or at least try. I need to lose the 10 pounds I gained on Thanksgiving.