Automations

Locating the Automations feature

Anyone in a Role with the Edit Automations privilege can edit Automations by opening the PROGRAM DESIGN menu and clicking on Automations as shown in Figure 1: PROGRAM DESIGN >> Automations below.

How to create an Automation

Automations allow you to automatically trigger PowerClerk to perform different actions or validate user input on your Forms. For example, an automation action rule could advance a project’s status, send out a Communication Template, Set Data Fields, start a Deadline, and more. The general approach for Automations in PowerClerk is:

• When [a trigger happens], if [a condition is met], then [perform an action automatically].

For instance, Automations expands the available list of triggers, conditions, and automatic actions to enable more granularity in the actions that take place, and the combination of triggers and conditions that initiate those actions.

A few common examples are listed below using example statuses of Submitted, FAST TRACK – Submitted and Inspection Pending:

• When [Application Form is Submitted], if [System Size > 10kW], then [Change Status to FAST TRACK – Submitted]
• When [FAST TRACK – Submitted status is entered], if [New Service Requested = true], then [Send Communication: New Service Request]
• When [Inspection Pending status is entered], if [every time], then [Send Communication: Inspection Needed]

Validation Rules

PowerClerk supports Validation Rules to ensure specific criteria have been met for data entry on specific data fields on a form. If the criteria have not been met, the form submittal will be blocked, and a custom error message will display.

Validation Rules are a type of Automation Action Rule that utilizes a formula to test a criterion of a data field. Validation Rule formulas need to be Boolean formulas, or true/false formulas. The formula should be structured such that the criteria that needs to be met will resolve as “true” when the data field has passed the validation test. If the formula resolves as “false”, the validation rule will block form submission and allow an error message to display on the form to guide the user on how to resolve the invalid data entry.
 
Form Validation Rule Example

For example, a form may request an “account number” in which all “account numbers” are required to be 10 digits long. A Boolean formula to test for this criterion would be structured as follows. Note that this formula resolves as “true” when the length of the data field is 10 digits and “false” when the length does not equal 10 digits.

Once the formula has been created, a Validation Rule can be added to the form submittal Automation. In this example, the Validation Rule will be as follows. Validation Rule for [Application Form is Submitted], if [Validation: Account Number Length formula is FALSE], then [block the form submission and display a custom error message]. The Validation Rule will block form submission and guide the user to correct the account number if the data field does not have exactly 10 digits.
 

Action Rules

A variety of Action rules within PowerClerk allow you to model a broad range of business scenarios and streamline process steps tailored to your needs.
 

• Call Web Adapter: You have the option to call a previously configured web adapter through this Action rule to receive the web adapters response for further processing.
• Clear Assignee: This Action Rule allows you to remove a project’s assignee. You cannot automatically designate an assignee due to possible load balancing implications for projects that could get routed inadvertently to a backlogged assignee queue.
• Generate Attachment: Triggering this Action rule allows you to automatically generate an attachment which you can pre-configure to your needs utilizing a backoffice form and implement these attachments automatically for your Communication Templates.
• Send Communication: Sending automated status notifications with PowerClerk allows you to keep all stakeholders of a project continuously informed on important aspects of your projects.
• Send Signal to Channel: Signal to a previously configured channel through this Action Rule to receive data or output data.
• Set Data Field: With this Action rule you can automatically set String, Integer, Decimal, and Boolean data type fields to a pre-defined value, or set Date fields accordingly, which in turn can trigger Validation rules or denote expiration deadlines. You also do have the option to copy one data field/data field group to another.
• Set Deadline: Upon execution of this Action rule, a Deadline will be set to add timing functionality to your projects and ensure the proper timeframes are being met while processing a project.
• Satisfy or Pause Deadline: Similarly as the prior Action rule, you can define which deadlines to satisfy or pause with this Action rule.

Scheduled Triggers

PowerClerk offers the option to setup a Scheduled Trigger. These triggers allow you to run one of your Reports on a scheduled basis set to either daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. You can also denote the time of day when you require your Report to run and become available within the Reports section of PowerClerk in the individual Reports’ history.
 
Please note: A scheduled trigger has to be individiually setup by a CPR Admin; please contact us at support@powerclerk.com to check on the availability of this feature for your program and submit the configuration details as needed.
 

Video Guides

Would a video guide help to better explain Automations? Contact us and let us know.
 
A full list of all Video Guides can also be found here.

FAQs

Have additional questions? Contact us to nominate your FAQ and help others find answers to your own questions concerning this feature.

Create A Support Ticket

Not finding your answer here?  Submit a question to our support team at the PowerClerk Ticket System and leverage the PowerClerk team’s expertise.