In today’s business environment, achieving efficiency, consistency, and accuracy in daily operations is crucial. Netsuite Workflows provide us a standardized method to automate our daily activities by defining a sequence of predefined actions and conditions. These Workflows can be easily tracked by the use of logs and can be visually represented through graphical connections between States and transitions.
Content:
Define the process
To effectively use workflows, start by defining the goals you want to achieve. Ask yourself: “What do we want to accomplish with this workflow?” Potential objectives might include reducing manual data entry, streamlining approval processes, or ensuring compliance with business rules.
Triggers and conditions
Once you have your goals defined, determine the triggers for the workflow. Triggers specify when the workflow should activate, such as after field editing or before record load on clients side. Next, identify the actions and conditions that will drive the workflow. For example, actions might include setting a field value if an amount exceeds a certain threshold, sending an email notification, or adding a button.
Common Use Cases for NetSuite Workflows
Here are some of the most common scenarios where NetSuite Workflows are used to automate processes:
Approval Workflows: Automate approval processes for transactions such as purchase orders, sales orders, and invoices.
Notifications and Alerts: Set up automated notifications for task assignments, pop-ups, or status changes.
Data Updates and Validation: Manage updates and validation for fields, such as changing status or validating required information.
Scheduled Actions: Schedule actions like sending email notifications at specified intervals.
Record Creation and Updates: Automate the creation and updating of records, such as converting a purchase order into a bill.
Workflow Elements
Context Panel: Located on the right side of the screen, this panel displays general information about the workflow, including states and workflow settings.
States: Represent stages of the record and activities with various actions.
Workspace: A graphical representation of the workflow elements and their relationships.
Record Type: Defines the record type associated with the workflow, such as transaction types for automating processes (e.g., Bill Payment, Customer Payment, Invoice,etc).
Description: A brief text explaining the functionality of the workflow.
Actions:
Record Actions: Operations such as submitting, locking, or updating records.
Field Actions: Operations like setting field values, validating fields, or showing/hiding fields.
User Notifications: Actions including sending approval requests.
Transition Conditions: Graphically represented by arrows in the workspace, these conditions dictate how the workflow transitions between states based on specific criteria.
Triggers: Define when the workflow should execute or when actions should be initiated. NetSuite categorizes triggers depending on the side where workflow is executed:
Client Triggers: Events executed in the client’s browser during interaction with the record.
Server Triggers: Events executed on the server side.
Triggers examples
On Create: Activates when a new record is created and saved. Example: Automatically assign a new customer to a sales representative.
On View: Triggers when a record is viewed. Example: Display an alert when a user views a specific record.
On Edit: Executes when an existing record is opened for editing. Example: Automatically update the “discount” field when the sales order amount exceeds a certain value.
Before Record Load: Runs before a record is loaded for editing or viewing. Example: Add a new button if the user role is an administrator.
Before Record Submit: Executes before a record is saved to the database. Example: Validate that the email field is filled out before allowing the user to save a purchase order.
After Record Submit: Activates after a record has been saved. Example: Automatically generate a bill after saving a purchase order.
Conclusion
NetSuite Workflows are an excellent tool for reducing manual data entry, minimizing errors, and optimizing daily procedures. It offers the flexibility to be customized to meet specific business needs. The graphical representation of workflows makes it easy for users to design solutions and understand how processes flow through various stages.
By Federico M.
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