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Using Automation Triggers and Actions

Action: AUTOTRIG

An Automation a Trigger is created, and when the Trigger happens then one or more Actions occur. A trigger can have conditions. For example, a Trigger for 'New Event' can have a condition for 'Wedding' type events. The trigger will only occur on new weddings, and not on new proms or social events. The Action is what happens, such as 'Send an email via Mandrill' or 'Create a todo' An unlimited number of triggers can be created and each trigger can have any number of actions.

To set up an Automation workflow:

  1. On the Automation form, click Add, select a Trigger, and enter a descriptive Name. Make sure the Enabled? box is checked and click Save.
  2. Click Add Action.
  3. On the Automation Action form, select 'Send email', 'Send SMS', 'Create Todo', or 'Voice Call'
  4. For email or SMS, you must select how the message should be sent. Use ProfitSystem or Mandrill, if a Mandrill account has been set up.
  5. You can include a delay, so an email will be sent after a certain number of days.
  6. Select the target, which is either the Bride, Groom, or Customer. The Trigger will dictate which targets are available.

  7. Finally, select the email or SMS message. When using the ProfitSystem, you can pick from the html emails and SMS messages set up in letters, tags, and mailing labels. When using Mandrill, select a template set up via Mandrill.

    For a Todo, enter the Specific SA, Role, or SA the Todo should be assigned to, and enter the details for the Todo. The Todo will be linked to the appointment, event, customer, etc. in question.

  8. Finally, make sure Enabled? is checked for the Automation action.

Automation Trigger form Reference

Trigger...The Trigger is the foundation of Automation. When the Trigger occurs, all of the actions are run. The triggers are documented in Automation Triggers.

Name...A descriptive name for the trigger and action.

Enabled?...You can disable a Trigger if you don't want to use it but want to save it for later. If you no longer need a Trigger at all, you can Delete it by using the Delete button.

Actions grid...This shows all of the Actions that will occur for this Trigger. A Trigger can have any number of Actions. An Action can be deleted by clicking the Delete button in the grid. To edit an existing Action, click the Edit button in the grid.

Add Action button...Adds a new Action to this Trigger. This will display the Automation Action form.

Automation Action form Reference

Action section

Send email..Sends an email. An email can be sent using the stores SMTP server, which is set up on the Store/Accounts form. It can also be sent using Mandrill, which is a transactional email sending service.

Send SMS...Sends an SMS message using the same methods as Send email.

Create todo...Creates a todo and assigns it to a specified SA. When the store has entered a mobile phone number in Store form then the SMS will use that method for sending SMS messages INSTEAD of entering each customers cell phone service provider. This approach is metered, since the cell carriers charge a fee for SMS messages.

300 messages are included in a BBL Service Agreement, but more may be purchased if needed. Alternatively, not entering a cell phone number (provided by BBL), and capturing each customer's cell service provider instead, unlimited SMS messages may be sent free of charge.

Using section

ProfitSystem SMTP...The email or SMS will be send using the ProfitSystem SMTP server. The actual email or SMS content will be an HTML email from Letters, Tags, and Mailing Labels in the ProfitSystem.

Mandrill...The email will be sent using Mandrill transactional email service. The actual email will be an email template set up at Mandrill.

After section

x days...The action will occur x days after the trigger occurs. For example, you may want to send an email 7 days after a new prospect is created.

Send to the section

Bride...The email or SMS will be sent to the bride associated with the trigger.

Groom...The email or SMS will be sent to the groom associated with the trigger.

Customer...The email or SMS will be sent to the customer. Check the Trigger details to see what the Bride, Groom, or Customer is for each trigger.

Email/SMS/Todo section

Email to send...For the action send email this is the HTML email to send. For Mandrill. this is a template set up on Mandrill.

SMS to send...For action, send SMS, this is the SMS message to send. Create a todo for...The to-do will be assigned to one of the following:

Specific SA...The to-do will be assigned to the SA selected

Role...The to-do will be assigned to the selected role. The role Ordering can be selected, which is the Purchase Order manager.

SA...The to-do will be assigned to the SA based on the context of the trigger. For example, for the trigger A new event is saved the SA options would be Event Bridal SA, Event Rental SA, Event Bridesmaid SA.

Enabled?...You can disable an Action f you don't want to use it but want to save it for later. If you no longer need an Action at all, you can Delete it by using the Delete button.

Automation Logging

Each time an Trigger fires successfully (all the criteria are satisfied) it is logged to the system log under the code AUTOMAT. The system log can be viewed at Setup->System Maintenance->Log.

An example log entry:
Trigger Tuxedo Rental Reminder
Criteria 1: Bride in
Criteria 2: REFERRAL in
Criteria 3: 90 in 90

caused action Send email Tuxedo Followup Prospect using ProfitSystem to bride groom this log entry means the following:

Trigger [name if the trigger that fired]
Criteria 1: [value from the source item] in [criteria set up on the trigger, this is blank if there is no criteria set on the trigger]
Criteria 2: [value from the source item] in [criteria set up on the trigger]
Criteria 3: [value from the source item] in [criteria set up on the trigger]
caused action [Send email, Create todo, etc.] [name of email, SMS, etc.] using [ProfitSystem, Mandrill, etc] to [bride groom, customer, etc.]