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Overview of Workflow Rules

Workflow Rules in Zoho POS allow businesses to automate a sequence of tasks based on defined conditions to streamline operations and improve efficiency. By specifying when and why an action should be triggered, what needs to be done, and where it should take place, users can create powerful automations tailored to their business needs.

Summary

Workflow Rules in Zoho POS enable businesses to automate a sequence of tasks based on defined conditions, streamlining operations and improving efficiency. Users can create powerful automations tailored to their business needs by specifying when and why an action should be triggered, what needs to be done, and where it should take place. A Workflow Rule consists of a set of conditions that perform a series of steps or tasks in a specific sequence to achieve a goal or complete a process. It outlines who does what and when in a systematic and repeatable way. To create a Workflow Rule, users can follow a step-by-step process, starting from the Settings menu, selecting Workflow Rules under Automation, and clicking + New Workflow Rule. They can then fill in the necessary fields, including Workflow Rule Name, Description, Module, Workflow Type, Action Type, Condition/Criteria, and Immediate/Time-Based Action. Once a Workflow Rule is created, users can edit, clone, mark as inactive, or delete it as needed. They can also configure notification preferences, setting daily limits for workflow alert triggers and adding email recipients to receive notifications when the daily threshold is reached. Workflow Rules are a set of conditions defined to perform a series of steps or tasks in a specific sequence to achieve a goal or complete a process. It often outlines who does what and when in a systematic and repeatable way. By creating a workflow rule, you can automate various tasks such as sending emails, updating fields, custom functions, and much more. The process of creating a workflow rule involves specifying the Workflow Type and Action Type, adding criteria, and associating actions. Users can also reorder workflow rules, edit existing rules, clone rules, mark rules as inactive, and delete rules. Additionally, users can configure notification preferences, setting daily limits for workflow alert triggers and adding email recipients to receive notifications when the daily threshold is reached.
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Workflow Rules are a set of conditions defined to perform a series of steps or tasks in a specific sequence to achieve a goal or complete a process. It often outlines who does what and when in a systematic and repeatable way. By creating a workflow rule, you can automate various tasks such as sending emails, updating fields, custom functions, and much more.

A Workflow rule has the following fields:

FieldsDescription
Workflow TypeWhen does this action need to be executed? Should it be triggered only based on an event, or when an event occurs at a specific time?
Action TypeWhere should the workflow rule be initiated? For example, when an invoice is created, or when an order is edited.
Condition/CriteriaWhy should the action be executed? For instance, when the order amount exceeds a certain value.
Immediate/Time-Based ActionWhat actions should be executed? For example, the system should trigger an email notification.

Imagine a scenario where you run a supermarket and want to send offer mail to your customers if they make a purchase over a certain amount.

Workflow Type: Since this scenario is entirely based on the event, not based on time, we can select Event Based.

Action Type: The rule needs to be executed based on the purchase made by the customer. Here, customer purchases can be recorded via invoice creation. So, we can set the action type as when the invoice is created or edited.

Condition/Criteria: An action should be triggered if the invoice value of the customer exceeds a certain value like 1000, 2000, or 3000. So, we can set the criteria as Invoice greater than or equal to 1000/2000/3000.

Action: You can create an offer mail template and map it to this action. So, if the invoice amount exceeds your defined limit, an offer mail will be sent to that customer.

Create a Workflow Rule

Go to Settings

Select Workflow Rules under Automation.

Click + New Workflow Rule in the top-right corner.

In the New Workflow Rule pop-up, fill in the following fields:

Workflow Rule Name: Enter a name for the workflow rule.

Description: Add a description if necessary.

Module: Select the module for the workflow rule from the drop-down menu. For example, Invoice, Order, Customer Payments, and much more.

Click Next.

Under WORKFLOW RULE EXECUTION CONDITION, choose the Workflow Type and Action Type

Click Next

Click + New Criteria to create a new criteria for the worflow rule.

In the right sidebar, click Yes to add criteria or No to skip.

Select a field, the comparator, and enter the necessary value.

Click + Add Criterion or + to create additional criteria if necessary.

If you add multiple criteria, select either AND or OR from the dropdown based on how you want the criteria to work. You can also edit the criteria pattern by manually entering the criteria in the CRITERIA PATTERN field.

Once you've added the necessary criteria, click Done.

Add actions by selecting from the below option:

+ Immediate Actions: Triggers actions immediately when the criteria are met.

In the right sidebar, select the type of workflow action you want to associate with the workflow rule from the Type dropdown. Next, from the Name dropdown, choose the workflow action you created and configured, or click Add New "Workflow Action" from the dropdown to add a new workflow action.

Click + Add New Action to add more actions if necessary.

Click Associate to finish associating actions with the criteria.

+ Time Based Actions: Triggers actions based on the scheduled time.

In the right sidebar, In the EXECUTION TIME field, set the time for when the action will be executed.

Select the type of workflow action you want to associate with the workflow rule from the Type dropdown. Then, from the Name dropdown, choose the workflow action you created and configured, or click Add New "Workflow Action" from the dropdown to add a new workflow action.

Click + Add New Action to add more actions if necessary.

Click Associate to finish associating actions with the criteria.

Click Save to finalize and save the workflow rule.

Other Actions in Workflow Rules

Change the Order of Workflow Rules

If you want to view specific workflow rules at the top of the List View page or in a specific order, you can reorder them.

Go to Settings.

Select Workflow Rules under Automation.

Select the module where you want to change the order of workflow rules by clicking the Module dropdown.

Click Change Order in the top-right corner and reorder the rules based on your preference.

After making the necessary reorder, click Save Reorder.

Edit a Workflow Rule

If you need to modify the existing workflow rule, you can edit the existing workflow.

Go to Settings.

Select Workflow Rules under Automation.

Hover over and select the workflow rule you want to edit, and click Edit.

Make your changes, then click Save.

Clone a Workflow Rule

If you need a new workflow rule with the same details present in an existing workflow rule, you can clone the existing rule.

Go to Settings.

Select Workflow Rules under Automation.

Hover over the workflow rule you want to clone, click the dropdown to the right, and select Clone.

In the New Workflow Rule page, review the cloned details.

Verify the WORKFLOW RULE EXECUTION CONDITIONS, and click Update.

Click Save.

Mark a Workflow Rule As Inactive

If you won’t be using a workflow rule for a while but want to keep it for future use, you can mark it as inactive instead of deleting it.

Go to Settings.

Select Workflow Rules under Automation.

Hover over the workflow rule you want to mark as inactive, click the dropdown to the right, and select Mark as Inactive.

Delete a Workflow Rule

Go to Settings.

Select Workflow Rules under Automation.

Hover over the workflow rule you want to delete, click the dropdown to the right, and select Delete.

In the popup, click Yes to confirm.

Configure Notification Preferences

Note

Maximum of 500 workflow alerts can be triggered per day.

Admins will also receive in-app notifications when any workflow action crosses the specified threshold.

You can set daily limits for workflow alert triggers and add email recipients to get notified when the daily threshold is reached. You can also configure how you receive failure log notifications when a workflow rule fails.

Go to Settings.

Select Workflow Rules under Automation.

Click Configure Notification Preferences in the top-right corner.

In the Configure Notification Preferences popup, fill in the following fields:

Usage Limit Notifications: Choose a limit for sending notifications for workflow actions like email alerts, webhooks, and custom functions.

Failure Log Notifications: Select the frequency and time for notifications, and specify the email recipients who will receive the failure log updates if needed.

Click Save.

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