Automation

Automation allows you to create a set of rules for modules of Zoho Inventory based on which appropriate actions would be performed. A good example would be the case where a congratulatory e-mail is sent automatically to the team members when a Sales Order is made for over 1000 USD.

In the next few steps, you will be learning about:

• Creating and describing a Workflow.
• Deciding when to execute the workflow.
• Setting the conditions for executing the workflow.
• Connecting to an external web service provider using Webhooks.

Note: When you setup webhooks and connect it to external web service providers, your contacts' details (name, phone number, address and email address) will be shared with the URL you want to notify. For example, if you setup a webhook connecting to an SMS service provider, your contacts' phone number will be shared with them.

To get started with workflows, navigate to Settings > Automation.

Workflow Scenarios

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Setting up a new email alert

A workflow rule consists of actions that comprises of Email Alerts, Field Updates and Webhooks that play an essential role in executing a task. To set up an email alert in Zoho Inventory, navigate to Settings > Automation and click on + New Workflow. After this, make sure you’ve selected the Email Alert tab.

• Name your workflow
• Choose when to trigger the email
• Workflow types
• Advanced Filters
• Setting up the Email Template

Name your workflow

Field	Description
Workflow Rule Name	Give a unique name for the workflow rule.
Module	Select the module for which you wish to create a workflow.
Description	Give a small description for your workflow rule.

Choose when to trigger the email

You can choose when to trigger the workflow based on the parameters you select in the following fields.

Workflow Type

There are two types of workflows:

• Event Based
• Date Based

Event Based: If the workflow is Event Based, then the workflow is triggered when a module is:

• Created
• Edited
• Created or Edited
• Deleted

When a module is Edited or Created or Edited, additional fields appear.

Field	Description
Execute the workflow when	There are 3 options to choose from -When any field is updated. -When any selected field is updated. -When all selected field are updated. If you select When any selected field is updated or When all selected fields are updated in the drop down, an additional box will appear where you can select any 3 fields of the module.
Just Once or Everytime?	Just Once- The workflow would be executed when the criteria is met for the first time. Everytime- The workflow would be executed everytime the criteria is met.

Date Based: If the workflow is Date Based, additional fields appear.

Field	Description
Date of Execution	Select the workflow to be triggered on any number of days before or after Order Date, Shipment Date or Created Time from the drop down.
Execution Time	You may choose the exact time of execution by selecting the corresponding hh or mm .
Execution Cycle	You may choose the frequency of triggering a workflow by choosing Once, Monthly or Yearly from the drop down.

Advanced Filters

Clicking on Apply advanced filters allows you to set one or more conditions based on which the action will be executed.

Field	Description
Condition	The filter will be triggered based on the criteria you set. You can also add multiple criteria by clicking on + Add Criteria based on which the workflow rule will be executed. The condition for the next criteria may be AND or OR depending on whether you wish to include both or either one of the criteria. Also, you can change the criteria pattern as you want by selecting Change Criteria.
Field Attributes	The field is used to select an attribute from the list that broadly covers the terms that are related to the module.
Rules	Select the rules based on which the system should filter the trigger. If the field has alphanumeric values, the rules are, If the field has only numerical values, then the rules are,
Value Field	Enter the value of the attribute for which the filter must be applied.

Editing Criteria Pattern:

You can edit the criteria pattern to suit your requirements by selecting Change Criteria. The editor allows you to define a pattern of your choice using simple AND/OR logic. For example, if you wish to trigger the workflow rule When Sales Order date is 20th July 2016 AND Reference Number is 54321 OR Status isn’t Confirmed,

The pattern is ((1 AND 2) OR 3). If you feel the criteria pattern does not match your requirement, you can edit it to be (1 AND (2 OR 3)).

Click Save to continue.

Note: You can have a maximum of 10 criteria for each Workflow Rule.

Setting up the Email Template

Once the rules have been set, the email alert can be set up. You can customize the alert to suit your business needs and program it to act immediately or at a particular time.

Field	Description
Email Recipients	Enter the email address of the person who is meant to receive the email alert.
Additional Recipients	Additional email addresses, if any, can be mentioned here.
From	The email address from where this email is sent can be defined here.
Subject	The subject of the email alert.

Immediate Trigger:

If the When to Trigger option is set as Immediate, then the email alert is sent immediately after the conditions defined in the workflow are met.

Time Based Trigger: If you wish to schedule the email for a particular time, set When to Trigger option as Time Based.

Field	Description
Execution Time	Enter the desired number of Days/Hours before or after, -Rule Trigger Date -Order Date -Shipment Date -Created Time -Modified Time

Finally, click Save to create the Email Alert workflow to implement it for the modules in Zoho Inventory.

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Setting up a new Field Update

A workflow rule consists of actions that comprises of Email Alerts, Field Updates and Webhooks that play an essential role in executing a task. To set up a field update in Zoho Inventory, navigate to Settings > Automation and click on + New Workflow. After this, make sure you have selected the Field Update tab.

• Name your workflow
• Choose when to trigger the field update
• Workflow types
• Advanced Filters
• Setting up the Field Update

Name your workflow

Field	Description
Workflow Rule Name	Give a unique name for the workflow rule.
Module	Select the module for which you wish to create a workflow.
Description	Give a small description for your workflow rule.

Choose when to trigger the Field Update

You can choose when to trigger the workflow based on the parameters you select in the following fields.

Workflow Type

There are two types of workflows:

• Event Based
• Date Based

Event Based: If the workflow is Event Based, then the workflow is triggered when a module is:

• Created
• Edited
• Created or Edited
• Deleted

When a module is Edited or Created or Edited, additional fields appear.

Field	Description
Execute the workflow when	There are 3 options to choose from -When any field is updated. -When any selected field is updated. -When all selected field are updated. If you select When any selected field is updated or When all selected fields are updated in the drop down, an additional box will appear where you can select any 3 fields of the module.
Just Once or Everytime?	Just Once- The workflow would be executed when the criteria is met for the first time. Everytime- The workflow would be executed everytime the criteria is met.

Date Based: If the workflow is Date Based, additional fields appear.

Field	Description
Date of Execution	Select the workflow to be triggered on any number of days before or after Order Date, Shipment Date or Created Time from the drop down.
Execution Time	You may choose the exact time of execution by selecting the corresponding hh or mm .
Execution Cycle	You may choose the frequency of triggering a workflow by choosing Once, Monthly or Yearly from the drop down.

Advanced Filters

Clicking on Apply advanced filters allows you to set one or more conditions based on which the action will be executed.

Field	Description
Condition	The filter will be triggered based on the criteria you set. You can also add multiple criteria by clicking on + Add Criteria based on which the workflow rule will be executed. The condition for the next criteria may be AND or OR depending on whether you wish to include both or either one of the criteria. Also, you can change the criteria pattern as you want by selecting Change Criteria.
Field Attributes	The field is used to select an attribute from the list that broadly covers the terms that are related to the module.
Rules	Select the rules based on which the system should filter the trigger. If the field has alphanumeric values, the rules are, If the field has only numerical values, then the rules are,
Value Field	Enter the value of the attribute for which the filter must be applied.

Editing Criteria Pattern:

You can edit the criteria pattern to suit your requirements by selecting Change Criteria. The editor allows you to define a pattern of your choice using simple AND/OR logic. For example, if you wish to trigger the workflow rule When Sales Order date is 20th July 2016 AND Reference Number is 54321 OR Status isn’t Confirmed,

The pattern is ((1 AND 2) OR 3). If you feel the criteria pattern does not match your requirement, you can edit it to be (1 AND (2 OR 3)).

Click Save to continue.

Note: You can have a maximum of 10 criteria for each Workflow Rule.

Setting up the Field Update

Once the rules have been set, the field update can be set up. You can customize the update to suit your business needs and program it to act immediately or at a particular time.

Select the field which you wish to update from the dropdown list.

Immediate Trigger:

If the When to Trigger option is set as Immediate, then the email alert is sent immediately after the conditions defined in the workflow are met.

Time Based Trigger: If you wish to schedule the email for a particular time, set When to Trigger option as Time Based.

Field	Description
Execution Time	Enter the desired number of Days/Hours before or after, -Rule Trigger Date -Order Date -Shipment Date -Created Time -Modified Time

Finally, click Save to create the Field Update workflow and implement it for the modules in Zoho Inventory.

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Webhooks

Webhooks facilitate communication with third-party applications by sending instant web notifications every time an event occurs in Zoho Inventory. With Webhooks, you can configure both HTTP & HTTPS URLs and associate them in workflow rules to automate the entire notification process.

For example, you can associate your Zoho Inventory account with an SMS provider with a webhook to thank your customer by sending a message automatically if the total amount paid exceeds $1000. For general information about webhooks, please refer to webhooks.org.

To set up a webhook, navigate to Settings > Automation and click on + New Workflow. In the subsequent page, select the Webhook tab.

• Name your workflow
• Choose when to trigger the webhook
• Workflow types
• Advanced Filters
• Setting up the Webhook trigger
• Entity Parameters
• User Defined Parameters
• Other Actions

Name your workflow

Field	Description
Workflow Rule Name	Give a unique name for the workflow rule.
Module	Select the module for which you wish to create a workflow.
Description	Give a small description for your workflow rule.

Choose when to trigger the webhook

You can choose when to trigger the workflow based on the parameters you select in the following fields.

Workflow types

There are two types of workflows:

• Event Based
• Date Based

Event Based: If the workflow is Event Based, then the workflow is triggered when a module is:

• Created
• Edited
• Created or Edited
• Deleted

When a module is Edited or Created or Edited, additional fields appear.

Field	Description
Execute the workflow when	There are 3 options to choose from -When any field is updated. -When any selected field is updated. -When all selected field are updated. If you select When any selected field is updated or When all selected fields are updated in the drop down, an additional box will appear where you can select any 3 fields of the module.
Just Once or Everytime?	Just Once- The workflow would be executed when the criteria is met for the first time. Everytime- The workflow would be executed everytime the criteria is met.

Date Based: If the workflow is Date Based, additional fields appear.

Field	Description
Date of Execution	Select the workflow to be triggered on any number of days before or after Order Date, Shipment Date or Created Time from the drop down.
Execution Time	You may choose the exact time of execution by selecting the corresponding hh or mm .
Execution Cycle	You may choose the frequency of triggering a workflow by choosing Once, Monthly or Yearly from the drop down.

Advanced Filters

Clicking on Apply advanced filters allows you to set one or more conditions based on which the action will be executed.

Field	Description
Condition	The filter will be triggered based on the criteria you set. You can also add multiple criteria by clicking on + Add Criteria based on which the workflow rule will be executed. The condition for the next criteria may be AND or OR depending on whether you wish to include both or either one of the criteria. Also, you can change the criteria pattern as you want by selecting Change Criteria.
Field Attributes	The field is used to select an attribute from the list that broadly covers the terms that are related to the module.
Rules	Select the rules based on which the system should filter the trigger. If the field has alphanumeric values, the rules are, If the field has only numerical values, then the rules are,
Value Field	Enter the value of the attribute for which the filter must be applied.

Editing Criteria Pattern:

You can edit the criteria pattern to suit your requirements by selecting Change Criteria. The editor allows you to define a pattern of your choice using simple AND/OR logic. For example, if you wish to trigger the workflow rule When Sales Order date is 20th July 2016 AND Reference Number is 54321 OR Status isn’t Confirmed,

The pattern is ((1 AND 2) OR 3). If you feel the criteria pattern does not match your requirement, you can edit it to be (1 AND (2 OR 3)).

Click Save to continue.

Note: You can have a maximum of 10 criteria for each Workflow Rule.

Setting up the Webhook trigger

Once the rules have been set, the webhook can be set up. You can customize the update to suit your business needs and program it to act immediately or at a particular time.

Field	Description
URL to notify	Enter the URL of the external service provider’s API. For example, if you want Zoho Inventory to add or change data in Zoho CRM, the URL would be https://crm.zoho.com/crm.
Method	Specify the function you want to call at the external service: POST: Requests that data sent must be considered as new. PUT: Requests that data sent should be considered as a modified version of the one already present. DELETE: Requests that the data must be deleted.
Custom Parameters	You can add custom parameters. in the webhook such as Auth Token, Security Token, API Key etc. based on which the URL will be appended. Enter the required parameter under Parameter Name and the corresponding value under Parameter Value. If you wish to add multiple parameters, select + Add Custom Parameters.
Entity Parameters	Append All Parameters- Select this option to send all parameters from Zoho Inventory to the external service. Append Selected Parameters- Select this option to send selected parameters from Zoho Inventory to the external service.
URL Preview	The URL generated for this webhook will be displayed here.

Custom Parameters

If you wish to specify any custom parameters like your API Key, Auth token etc., you can make use of the custom parameters option.

HTTP Headers

If you wish to specify any HTTP headers in your webhook, you can check the INCLUDE HTTP HEADERS option.

Entity Parameters

There are two options available while communicating data with a third party application, namely,

• Append All Parameters- Select this option to communicate all data as and when it is created.

• Append Selected Parameters- Select this option to transfer only the data you want to send. If you choose this option, additional fields appear.

Field	Description
Parameter Name	Enter the name of the parameter that you wish to append and select the module in the corresponding box.
Parameter Value	Select the desired parameter from the drop down.

Note: You can add multiple entity parameters by selecting +Add Entity Parameter. You can add a maximum of 10 entity parameters.

User Defined Parameters

If you wish to add user defined parameters while accessing an external service, select the box Add User Defined Parameters.

Field	Description
Parameter Name	Enter the name of the parameter which you wish to update.
Value Description	Select a module of Zoho Inventory from the first drop down and select the corresponding parameter from the drop down of the adjacent box. This will generate the placeholder string for that parameter. You can enter the custom code in different formats. For example, if you wish to send a JSON or XML string with parameter values from a Sales Order, you can use the user defined parameters and placeholders format. If you wish to include the placeholder in the string, select Insert Placeholder.

Click on Save to create a webhook. You can now select one of the many webhooks created to connect with an external service provider when a workflow rule is triggered.

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Custom Functions

Custom functions in Zoho Inventory allows you to write small pieces of code to automate your business processes. Be it providing a special discount on your customers' invoice, or adding a late fee when an invoice becomes overdue, all you have to do is write a piece of code using Deluge script for a workflow rule and automation of the process will be taken care of.

• Creating and Executing a Custom Function
• Default Fields

What is Deluge?

Deluge is an online scripting language integrated with Zoho Creator. It enables users to add logic to the application, incrementally, making it more powerful and robust.

To know about Deluge, refer the Deluge Reference Guide.

If you wish to learn Deluge by writing code samples, click here.

Creating and Executing a Custom function

To create a custom function,

• Click the Gear icon and go to Automation
• Click the drop-down button next to + New Workflow Rule.
• Select Custom Function.

• Enter a name for your custom function and provide a short description.
• Choose the module for which you wish to create the custom function.
• Now, type in or drag the parameters that are mentioned on the left side of the script-box. This will place the syntax of the function.
• Choose the parameters of your choice and set the conditions for your custom function.

• Click Save for the changes to take effect.

Now, whenever the criteria is met, the workflow rule with the custom function will be triggered.

Default fields

As of now, custom functions support Invoices, Sales Orders, Purchase Orders and Bills.

These modules will have the following fields from which you can get the necessary parameters for your custom function.

invoice

The invoice map supports the following fields:

Key Fields	Description
due_date	Invoice due date
payment_expected_date	Expected payment date for the invoice
reference_number	Reference number of the invoice
customer_id	Customer ID
customer_name	Name of the customer who is assigned to the invoice
currency_id	Currency ID
currency_code	Currency code
currency_symbol	Currency symbol
exchange_rate	Exchange rate involved in the invoice
discount_amount	Discount amount involved in the invoice
discount	Discount involved in the invoice
shipping_charge	Shipping charge entered in the invoice
adjustment	Adjustments
sub_total	Sub total of the invoice
tax_total	Total tax amount in the invoice
total	Total amount
balance	Balance
price_precision	Number of Decimal places
billing_address	Billing address of the customer
shipping_address	Shipping address of the customer
notes	Notes
terms	Terms and conditions
custom_fields	Invoice custom fields
salesperson_id	ID of the salesperson

Sample map:

{
	"total": "0.0",
	"payment_terms": "0",
	"terms": “Checking”,
	"price_precision": "2",
	"payment_expected_date": "2016-06-31”,
	"date": "2016-06-30",
	"shipping_address": {
		"zip": "94588",
		"country": "USA",
		"address": "4910 Hopyard Rd",
		"city": "Pleasanton",
		"state": "CA",
		"fax": "Fax Number"
	},
	"balance": "0.0",
	"adjustment": "0.0",
	"currency_symbol": "Rs.",
	"salesperson_id": “7605000000336089”,
	"currency_code": "INR",
	"shipping_charge": "0.0",
	"custom_fields": [
		{
			"customfield_id": "7605000000336081",
			"is_active": true,
			"show_in_all_pdf": false,
			"value_formatted": "INV-8",
			"data_type": "autonumber",
			"index": 1,
			"label": "AutoNumber",
			"show_on_pdf": false,
			"value": "INV-8"
		},
		{
			"customfield_id": "7605000000351027",
			"is_active": true,
			"show_in_all_pdf": true,
			"value_formatted": "01 Aug 2016",
			"data_type": "date",
			"index": 2,
			"label": "Date",
			"show_on_pdf": true,
			"value": "2016-08-01"
		}
	],
	"currency_id": "7605000000000099",
	"exchange_rate": "1.0",
	"status": "draft",
	"sub_total": "12000.0",
	"customer_name": “Customer”,
	"invoice_number": "INV-000087",
	"discount_amount": "12000.0",
	"discount": "100.00%",
	"tax_total": "0.0",
	"reference_number": “checking”,
	"due_date": "2016-06-30",
	"invoice_id": "7605000000369043",
	"notes": "Thanks for your business.",
	"customer_id": "7605000000258011",
	"billing_address": {
		"zip": "94588",
		"country": "USA",
		"address": "4910 Hopyard Rd",
		"city": "Pleasanton",
		"state": "CA",
		"fax": "Fax Number"
	}
}

sales order

Key Fields	Description
date	Sales Order date
tax_total	Total tax amount in the sales order
zcrm_potential_id	ID of the potential in Zoho CRM
discount_amount	Discount amount involved in the sales order
salesorder_id	Sales order ID
discount	Discount
shipment_date	Date on which shipment is made
billing_address	Billing address of the customer
line_items	Line items
currency_code	Currency code
total	Total amount
delivery_method_id	Delivery method ID
terms	Terms and conditions
delivery_method	Method of delivery
shipping_address	Shipping address of the customer
exchange_rate	Exchange rate involved in the sales order
currency_symbol	Currency symbol
custom_fields	Sales order custom fields
estimate_id	Estimate ID
reference_number	Reference number of the sales order
salesperson_name	Name of the salesperson involved
salesperson_id	ID of the salesperson involved
shipping_charge	Shipping charge entered in the sales order
salesorder_number	Your sales order number
sub_total	Sub total of the sales order
zcrm_potential_name	Name of the potential in Zoho CRM
adjustment	Adjustments made
customer_name	Name of the customer who is assigned to the sales order
customer_id	ID of the customer who is assigned to the sales order
currency_id	Currency ID
status	Status of your sales order

Sample map:

{
	"date": "2016-05-23",
	"tax_total": "0.0",
	"zcrm_potential_id": "",
	"discount_amount": "1200.0",
	"salesorder_id": "7605000000295003",
	"discount": "10.00%",
	"shipment_date": "2016-05-23",
	"billing_address": {
		"zip": "94588",
		"country": "USA",
		"address": "4910 Hopyard Rd",
		"city": "Pleasanton",
		"state": "CA",
		"fax": "Fax Number"
	},
	"line_items": [
		{
			"bcy_rate": 12000,
			"line_item_id": "7605000000295011",
			"quantity": 1,
			"item_id": "7605000000259147",
			"tax_name": "",
			"description": "",
			"discount": 0,
			"item_total": 12000,
			"item_custom_fields": [
			],
			"tax_id": "",
			"is_invoiced": true,
			"item_order": 0,
			"tags": [
			],
			"stock_on_hand": "",
			"unit": "",
			"rate": 12000,
			"tax_type": "tax",
			"name": "Moto",
			"tax_percentage": 0
		}
	],
	"currency_code": "INR",
	"total": "10820.0",
	"delivery_method_id": "7605000000461053",
	"terms": "Terms & Conditions",
	"delivery_method": "Door Delivery",
	"shipping_address": {
		"zip": "",
		"country": "",
		"address": "",
		"city": "",
		"state": "",
		"fax": ""
	},
	"exchange_rate": "1.0",
	"currency_symbol": "Rs.",
	"custom_fields": [
		{
			"customfield_id": "7605000000321009",
			"is_active": true,
			"show_in_all_pdf": true,
			"value_formatted": "Text",
			"data_type": "string",
			"index": 1,
			"label": "Text",
			"show_on_pdf": true,
			"value": "Text"
		}
	],
	"estimate_id": "7605000000405047",
	"reference_number": "Reference",
	"salesperson_name": "Arun",
	"salesperson_id": "7605000000135003",
	"shipping_charge": "10.0",
	"salesorder_number": "SO-00002",
	"sub_total": "12000.0",
	"zcrm_potential_name": "",
	"adjustment": "10.0",
	"customer_name": "Arun",
	"customer_id": "7605000000101007",
	"currency_id": "7605000000000099",
	"status": "invoiced"
}

purchase order

The purchase order map supports the following fields:

Key Fields	Description
date	Date of the purchase order
delivery_address	Delivery address
tax_total	Total tax amount in the purchase order
delivery_org_address_id	ID of delivery org address
purchaseorder_id	Purchase order ID
expected_delivery_date	Expected delivery date
billing_address	Billing address of purchase order
line_items	Line items in the purchase order
currency_code	Currency code
total	Total of the purchase order
delivery_customer_id	Delivery customer ID
exchange_rate	Exchange rate involved in the purchase order
currency_symbol	Currency symbol
custom_fields	Purchase order custom fields
ship_via_id	ID of mode of shipping
vendor_name	Name of the vendor
reference_number	Reference number of your purchase order
purchaseorder_number	Purchase order number
delivery_date	Delivery date
vendor_id	Vendor ID
sub_total	Sub-total of the purchase order
ship_via	Means of shipping
attention	Attention
crm_owner_id	ID of Zoho CRM owner
currency_id	Currency ID
status	Status

Sample map:

{
	"date": "2016-07-11",
	"delivery_address": {
		"zip": "94588",
		"country": "USA",
		"address": "4910 Hopyard Rd",
		"city": "Pleasanton",
		"state": "CA",
		"fax": "Fax Number"
	},
	"tax_total": "0.0",
	"delivery_org_address_id": "7605000000054013",
	"purchaseorder_id": "7605000000378500",
	"expected_delivery_date": "",
	"billing_address": {
		"zip": "94588",
		"country": "USA",
		"address": "4910 Hopyard Rd",
		"city": "Pleasanton",
		"state": "CA",
		"fax": "Fax Number"
	},
	"line_items": [
		{
			"bcy_rate": 1000,
			"line_item_id": "7605000000378504",
			"quantity": 1,
			"item_id": "7605000000298021",
			"tax_name": "",
			"description": "",
			"item_total": 1000,
			"tax_id": "",
			"item_order": 0,
			"tags": [

			],
			"unit": "No",
			"account_id": "7605000000000403",
			"rate": 1000,
			"tax_type": "tax",
			"account_name": "Advertising And Marketing",
			"name": "Moto G Turbo Edition",
			"tax_percentage": 0
		}
	],
	"currency_code": "INR",
	"total": "1000.0",
	"delivery_customer_id": "",
	"exchange_rate": "1.0",
	"currency_symbol": "Rs.",
	"custom_fields": "[]",
	"ship_via_id": "7605000000461053",
	"vendor_name": "Mr. Vendor",
	"reference_number": "Reference",
	"purchaseorder_number": "PO-00006",
	"delivery_date": "2016-07-11",
	"vendor_id": "7605000000112009",
	"sub_total": "1000.0",
	"ship_via": "Door Delivery",
	"attention": "Arun",
	"crm_owner_id": "",
	"currency_id": "7605000000000099",
	"status": "billed"
}

bill

The bill map supports the following fields:

Key Fields	Description
date	Date on the bill
bill_id	ID of the bill
purchaseorder_ids	ID of the purchase order involved
tax_total	Total tax amount in the bill
exchange_rate	Exchange rate involved in the bill
currency_symbol	Currency symbol
custom_fields	Bill custom fields
due_date	Due date of the bill
vendor_name	Name of the vendor involved
billing_address	Billing address
line_items	Line items in the bill
payment_terms	Payments terms associated to vendor
payment_expected_date	Expected payment date
reference_number	Reference number of the bill
currency_code	Currency code
total	Total on the bill
bill_number	Bill number
payment_made	Payment made for the bill
balance	Balance amount
recurring_bill_id	ID of the recurring bill profile
vendor_id	ID of the vendor involved
sub_total	Sub-total on the bill
status	Bill status

Sample map:

{
	"date": "2016-10-12",
	"bill_id": "348960000000193039",
	"purchaseorder_ids": "[]",
	"tax_total": "0.0",
	"exchange_rate": "1.0",
	"currency_symbol": "£",
	"custom_fields": "[]",
	"due_date": "2016-10-15",
	"vendor_name": "Vendor",
	"billing_address": {"zip":"","fax":"","address":"","state":"","country":"","city":""},
	"line_items": [{"tags":[],"tax_name":"","project_name":"","tax_type":"tax","account_id":"348960000000000412","customer_name":"","is_billable":false,"product_type":"goods","line_item_id":"348960000000193047","invoice_number":"","sku":"","purchaseorder_item_id":"","account_name":"Credit Card Charges","unit":"1","item_order":0,"rate":33000,"bcy_rate":33000,"item_id":"348960000000087031","description":"","project_id":"","name":"refrigerator","tax_id":"","quantity":1,"invoice_id":"","tax_percentage":0,"customer_id":"","item_total":33000}],
	"payment_terms": "3",
	"payment_expected_date": "",
	"reference_number": "1",
	"currency_code": "GBP",
	"total": "33000.0",
	"bill_number": "Bill-001",
	"payment_made": "0.0",
	"balance": "33000.0",
	"recurring_bill_id": "",
	"vendor_id": "348960000000051033",
	"sub_total": "33000.0",
	"status": "open"
}

To know more about how to use Deluge scripts for writing custom functions, refer the Deluge Reference Guide.

To know more about different scenarios where custom functions could be useful, refer our Custom Function Scenarios page.

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Custom Schedules

Zoho Inventory lets you create and run predefined tasks at the specified time intervals using schedules. You can create your tasks using a deluge script and schedule this task to be executed at a particular time or on a recurring basis.

• Scenarios
• Creating New Schedules
• Sample Function

Scenarios

Here are a few scenarios where schedules can be created to execute custom actions. However, you can create custom schedules based on your firm’s requirements.

Creating New Schedules

To create a custom schedule in Zoho Inventory:

1. Go to Settings > Automation > Schedules.

2. Click the + New Schedule button.

   

3. Enter a Name for your schedule.

4. Set the Frequency and recurrence pattern for the schedule to be executed. This can be hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.

   • Hourly: The task will be executed every hour (or based on your recurrence pattern).

   • Daily: The task will be executed every day (or based on your recurrence pattern). You can choose to exclude the weekends.

   • Weekly: The task will be executed once a week (or based on your recurrence pattern). Select the day(s) of the week on which the task should be executed.

   • Monthly: Task will be executed once a month (or based on your recurrence pattern). This can be a specific date or a day in a month. For example, you can choose to execute it on the 5th of every month or the Second Saturday of every month.

   • Yearly: Task will be executed once a year (or based on your recurrence pattern). You can select the month and specify the date of execution or specify the day. For example, the task can be executed on the first Sunday in January or just January.

5. Set the Start Date and Time.

6. Select when the schedule should expire. It can expire after a number of executions or on a set date or not expire at all.

7. Drag and drop options to create a Deluge function that will help to create your function.

8. Click Save or Save and Execute to run it.

Sample Function

Here’s a sample function for Scenario 1:

organizationID = organization.get("organization_id");
name = organization.get("name");
orgEmail = organization.get("email");
salesResponse = invokeUrl
 [
 url: "https://inventory.zoho.com/api/v1/organizations?organization_id=" + organizationID + "&from_date=" + toStartOfMonth(today).toString("YYYY-MM-dd") + "&to_date=" + eomonth(today,0).toString("YYYY-MM-dd")
 type: GET
 connection: "inventory_api_connection"
 ];
salesDetails = salesResponse.get("sales").toList();
for each  sales in salesDetails
{
	amount = sales.get("sales_with_tax");
	if(amount > "<ENTER AMOUNT>")
	{
		customerName = sales.get("customer_name");
    customerResponse = invokeUrl
     [
     url: "https://inventory.zoho.com/api/v1/contacts/" + sales.get("customer_id") + "?organization_id=" + organizationID
     type: GET
     connection: "inventory_api_connection"
     ];
    customerDetails = customerResponse.get("contact");
		customerEmail = customerDetails.get("email");
		sendmail
		[
			from :zoho.adminuserid
			to :customerEmail
			subject :"Thank you for shopping! Here's a 10% discount!"
			message :"<div>Dear&nbsp;" + customerName + ",<br></div><div><br></div><div>We just wanted to take a moment of our time to thank you for your continuous support.<br></div><div><br></div><div> Based on your recent purchases, we'd like to offer you a 10% off on your next purchase with us.&nbsp;<br></div><div><br></div><div>Please show this email during billing to avail this discount!<br></div><div><br></div><div>Regards,<br></div><div>" + name + "<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>"
		]
	}
}

Learn more from the Connections help document.

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Other Actions

Mark automation as active or inactive:

If an automation is no longer useful to you, you can mark it as Active or Inactive. To do so, place your cursor over the automation you want to deactivate and click the Mark as Inactive button.

Edit an automation:

To edit the details of an automation, place your cursor over the automation and click the Edit button.

Filter workflow rules:

To filter the automations list, follow these steps:

• Navigate Settings > Automation.
• Under Module, select one from the drop down to filter the workflows based on the module for which the workflow has been created.

You can also filter workflow rules based on whether they are active or inactive. Based on your selection, the corresponding workflow rules will be displayed as a list.

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