Salesforce Automation Tools

Salesforce offers a suite of automation tools that cater to a variety of complexity levels and use cases. Whether you’re looking to automate simple tasks or complex business processes, understanding the capabilities of each tool is key to optimizing your Salesforce environment. 

In this blog, we will understand automation tools to help you excel in your Salesforce ecosystem. Let’s get started!

Process Builder: A Versatile Automation Powerhouse

• Complexity: Process Builder is designed to handle multiple if/then conditions and can integrate multiple workflows into a singular, streamlined process.
• Initiation: Triggers when a record is created, updated, or when another process builder or a platform event message is received.
• Time-based Actions: Supports scheduled actions to execute at specific times.
• Record Creation: Capable of creating new records as defined by process criteria.
• Record Updates: Allows updates to any related records based on the process conditions.
• Deletion of Records: Does not support record deletion.
• Chatter Integration: Enables posting to Chatter, facilitating collaboration and communication.
• Outbound Messages: Process Builder does not support outbound messaging natively.

Flows: For Complex Logic and User Interactions

• Complexity: Flows are ideal for complex logic that requires user input, branching, data manipulation, and more intricate DML operations.
• Initiation: Activated through various user actions such as button clicks, links, or navigation through Lightning pages, Experience Cloud pages, or custom tabs. Additionally, Flows can be invoked via Apex or another process builder.
• Time-based Actions: Like Process Builder, Flows also support time-based actions.
• Record Creation and Updates: Flows offer the flexibility to create and update any records within Salesforce.
• Record Deletion: Unique among the automation tools, Flows can delete records when necessary.
• Chatter and Outbound Messages: Flows allow posting to Chatter and support outbound messaging.

Workflows: Streamlined for Simple If/Then Automations

• Complexity: Workflows are best suited for simple if/then automations that don’t require the more complex functionalities of Process Builder or Flows.
• Initiation: Triggered when a record is created or updated.
• Time-based Actions: Workflows can perform time-based actions, though with some limitations compared to Process Builder and Flows.
• Record Creation: Limited to creating tasks only.
• Record Updates: Can update the current record or its parent in a master-detail relationship only.
• Chatter and Outbound Messages: Workflows do not post to Chatter but do support outbound messaging.

Approvals: Streamlining the Approval Process

• Complexity: Focused on automating approval processes with straightforward if/then logic.
• Initiation: Can be triggered by user actions and called via process builder, flow, and Apex.
• Record Updates: Allows updates to the current record requiring approval.

By leveraging these tools, Salesforce administrators and developers can automate a broad spectrum of business processes, from simple notifications to complex, multi-step workflows. 

Advanced Salesforce Automation Use Cases and Solutions

Salesforce automation extends beyond simple task creation to encompass sophisticated business scenarios requiring multiple actions and triggers. Below we explore various use cases that demonstrate the adaptability and power of Salesforce’s automation tools.

1. Automating Account Verification Processes at GiveHelp Labs

Use Case: At GiveHelp Labs, there’s a need to send a welcome email and assign verification tasks automatically when a doctor’s account status updates to “Initiate Verification”.

Solution: The optimal solution involves a combination of a Screen Flow and Record Triggered Flow, which provides a seamless verification process. Alternatively, a Screen Flow coupled with Process Builder can also serve the purpose effectively.

Reason: A Screen Flow can create an engaging verification wizard, which is then integrated with a public Experience Cloud site page. The welcome email, containing the public site URL, is triggered to the external user’s email using either a record triggered flow or Process Builder.

2. Creating Renewal Opportunities in Sales Management

Use Case: The Sales Manager at a company requires an automated process to create a renewal opportunity each time an opportunity is closed as won.

Solution: A Record Triggered Flow is the preferred tool for this automation, although Process Builder can also achieve the desired outcome.

Reason: A Record Triggered Flow can be established on the opportunity object to run after saving and create a new opportunity marked as a renewal. Process Builder offers similar functionality by triggering upon the opportunity’s closure.

3. Optimizing Data Storage for Auto Car

Use Case: Auto Car needs to manage its data storage by deleting closed tasks and activities that accumulate rapidly on a daily basis.

Solution: A Scheduled Triggered Flow or Batch Apex is the solution to this requirement.

Reason: Given the volume of tasks, a Scheduled Triggered Flow can be configured to delete records based on specific criteria at regular intervals. Batch Apex, alternatively, can be coded and scheduled to perform the same operation, handling large volumes of data effectively.

Understanding Salesforce’s Order of Execution

Salesforce’s order of execution lays the groundwork for understanding how different automations interact:

1. System validations check field formats and lengths.
2. Before Save Record-Triggered Flows.
3. Apex before triggers.
4. Custom validation rules.
5. Duplicate rules, followed by after triggers, assignment rules, and auto-response rules.
6. Workflow rules, with flow automations like Process Builder and Flows launched by workflow rules in pilot phases.
7. After Save Flow and roll-up summary fields.
8. Lastly, post-commit logic such as sending emails.

Use Case

When an Email-to-Case is created, an auto-response rule is set to trigger an email based on the case type.

Solution: If the Process Builder updates the Case Type to Structural after the case is created, it’s the second order of the Auto-Response Rule that will activate.

Reason: Due to Salesforce’s execution sequence, the auto-response rule will evaluate before the Process Builder, sending an email with Template-2 when the Case Type is initially blank. The subsequent update to the Case Type by the Process Builder occurs too late to influence the initial auto-response rule firing.

Conclusion

As we conclude our exploration of Salesforce’s automation tools, remember that your journey toward mastery is an ongoing adventure. If you’re ready to take your Salesforce expertise beyond the basics and engage with a network of peers, our Slack community awaits. It’s a place where ideas flourish and learning never stops.

For a deeper dive, enroll in saasguru’s Salesforce Administrator Bootcamp. This isn’t just another online course; it’s an interactive experience with hands-on training and projects that mirror the real world. It’s tailored to fit where you are in your Salesforce journey and designed to propel you to the next level.

Join us. Grow with us. And together, let’s unlock the full potential of your Salesforce capabilities.