00:00:04 Introduction

Welcome once again to everyone in today's webinar. We will cover the principles of automations in ActivityInfo. We will provide practical techniques for designing and implementing automations through a live demo. We would also showcase these techniques in action. Additionally, we will share best practices for optimizing automations, followed by a Q&A session where you can engage directly and discuss any gray areas or possibilities that we might be able to assist you with.

00:00:41 Foundational principles of automations

Let's delve into the foundational principles of automations in ActivityInfo. This will basically help us understand the concept and the makeup of these processes. Have you ever wondered how you could effortlessly or automatically receive notifications? Say you are a caseworker, whenever cases are assigned to you, without having to go check the records from your table view. Or perhaps when field staff modify sensitive details such as the age of a minor, and the minor in question is transitioning into adulthood, and so that edit is necessary because it has to be updated in line with project interventions. Or you might have found yourself wishing for a seamless way to monitor the deletion of records without constantly needing to inspect your table view or your audit log. If this is the case, then automation in ActivityInfo is a solution that you can explore.

What are automations? Automations within the context of ActivityInfo help you to optimize your workflow. By reducing the tasks that are done manually, you can create automations tailored to your unique processes so you can get value from your data even more quickly. These automations enhance efficiency by minimizing manual interventions and ensuring accuracy and even the relevance of events by executing tasks only when predetermined conditions are met.

00:02:55 Components of automations: Triggers, filters, and actions

There are components of automations in ActivityInfo: triggers, filters, and actions. These are fundamental building blocks of automations. Generally, triggers are events that initiate the automation. Filters are rules that define which events should result in action being taken, and actions are the tasks to be carried out.

Triggers are events that initiate the automations. An event is something that takes place in a database, including changes to your records or forms. Automation processes are triggered by specific events known as triggers, and they include adding, editing, or deleting records. When one of these events occurs, it activates the automation, prompting the system to carry out predefined actions automatically. It is important to note that only events that occur in a single record can trigger an automation. This means that bulk record events that occur when you are using the importer cannot trigger an automation.

Filters in ActivityInfo help you to set specific conditions that must be met for an automation to execute. These conditions are defined using formulas, and the formulas evaluate to either true or false. ActivityInfo provides a built-in formula editor for defining this formula. If the formula evaluates to true for a given event, the associated action will be carried out. When the automations are triggered by record edits, the formula editor also displays previous values of the field or record, allowing you to reference them in your formula. This feature is particularly useful when actions depend on specific changes made to your records, such as comparing a previous age with a current age.

Actions in ActivityInfo are tasks that are carried out by automations when the specific conditions are met. In ActivityInfo, automation actions are primarily limited to sending webhooks to external applications. Webhooks serve as an automated message which is dispatched from the application upon certain events. These messages contain a payload which includes information relevant to the event triggering the webhook. To set up an automation action, you first need to generate a unique webhook URL using an external application like Power Automate or Pipedream, and then integrate this URL into your automation setup within ActivityInfo.

00:08:52 Principles for effective utilization

To effectively utilize webhooks and notification workflows, it is essential for you to have access to an application that supports these features, such as Power Automate. If Power Automate isn't available to you, you can still test your automation functionalities using developer tools like Pipedream or Webhook.site. It is important to note that only the database owner and users with the "manage automations" operation granted have the authority to create and modify automations within ActivityInfo. For users with automations operations activated or granted, they only have view access to data. Additionally, automations are configured for specific forms or subforms, ensuring targeted workflow optimization. To ensure that automations run smoothly, they must be set to active.

As you already know, the audit log in ActivityInfo serves as a vital tool for tracking and monitoring activities within your database. It does this also in relation to automation. It records details such as when automations were created, when they were modified, or when they were executed, as well as any errors encountered during operation. This comprehensive record-keeping ensures transparency and accountability in the automation process and in administering your database.

00:11:15 Practical techniques: Setting up automations manually

You can set up automations in two ways. One is directly and manually from the interface within ActivityInfo, and the other is automatically through Power Automate. If you are setting up automations in ActivityInfo, you have to ensure that you already have added a database and you have been assigned to a role with permissions to perform automation operations. The steps involved in setting up automations usually begin with identifying your resource, meaning your forms or subforms. It is also important that in your resource, you have used field codes to ensure easy readability of your event data.

In the ActivityInfo interface, you access your database settings and select the resource, such as the beneficiary form. Clicking on "Automations" allows you to add a new automation. You give it a label, such as "Add records," and select the trigger event, for example, "On record added." Optionally, you can include a filter to refine your trigger options using the formula editor. Most importantly, you have to specify a webhook URL from an external system.

Using a tool like Pipedream, you can create a workflow to generate a unique URL. You copy this URL and paste it into the automation setup in ActivityInfo. Once saved and set to active, the automation is ready. When a record is added in ActivityInfo, the event triggers, and the data is sent to the external system. This allows you to examine the raw data, which includes updated values for the different fields within the form.

00:20:10 Automating with Power Automate

The second way to set up automations is through Power Automate. Before you begin, ensure you have access to a database, the correct permissions, and access to Power Automate. The first step is to set up your custom connector. The ActivityInfo custom connector will be published soon, giving you automatic access in Power Automate. Once you have your custom connector set up, you can begin to create your automation workflow.

In a real-world scenario, such as a humanitarian organization where new cases are regularly assigned to caseworkers, it is crucial to promptly inform the caseworkers that a record has been assigned to them. An automation solution can notify the caseworker immediately upon the assignment of new cases. This involves setting up triggers to detect the new case assignment and applying filters to ensure notifications are sent only to the respective caseworkers.

To do this in Power Automate, you create an automated cloud flow. You add a trigger using the ActivityInfo connector, specifically "On record added," and select the specific form. You can then add an action, such as "Send an email." In the email body, you can use dynamic content from the form, such as the beneficiary's name. To ensure the notification is only sent when a specific condition is met—for example, if the case is assigned to a specific caseworker named Faye—you must add a filter in ActivityInfo.

Back in ActivityInfo's automation settings, you can add a filter formula, such as Caseworker == "Faye". This ensures the webhook is only triggered when that specific condition is true. It is important to note that this is case-sensitive. After saving, you can test the automation by adding a record that meets the criteria. The external system (Power Automate) will receive the trigger and execute the action, sending the email notification.

Another practical example involves setting up a filter to trigger actions based on changes in beneficiary age, such as when a minor transitions to adulthood. In this case, you would use the "On record edited" trigger. This trigger activates the "previous" field options in the formula editor. You can create a formula that checks if the previous age was below 18 and the current age is 18 or above. The email notification can then include details about the previous age and the new age, ensuring timely intervention.

00:37:22 Best practices

There are several best practices to keep in mind. First is the use of field codes. You want to ensure that you make it easy for you to engage with your event data. If you do not use codes for your fields, what you would see are combinations of numbers and letters, making it difficult to read.

Second, efficiently streamline your process. Automations should be designed to streamline workflow, not to make it cumbersome. You want to reduce manual intervention and enhance overall efficiency, but you don't want a situation where everybody is receiving notifications for every record added. Use filters to ensure notifications are targeted.

Third, implement precise triggering mechanisms to ensure that automations are activated only when specific conditions or criteria are met.

Fourth, perform thorough testing and validation. Before you deploy, you have to thoroughly test and validate the automation, perhaps using a pilot, to ensure they function as intended and integrate seamlessly with the external application.

Fifth, ensure robust error handling. Implement mechanisms to gracefully manage errors that may occur during automation execution to ensure reliability and continuity. For instance, use the flow checker in Power Automate to identify potential errors.

Lastly, ensure regular monitoring and maintenance. Continue to monitor and maintain automations proactively by identifying and addressing any issues or bottlenecks. This helps you to optimize performance and ensure seamless integration within your project.

00:41:01 Q&A session

Would it be possible to use more than one automation for a resource or form?

Yes, you can use more than one trigger for a single form. For example, you can use a trigger for adding records and another trigger for editing records on the same beneficiary form.

If we have 20 caseworkers, do we have to set up 20 automations to send emails?

Yes, you would, but it is important to realize that the caseworkers themselves can set up the automations if they have the appropriate permissions. If you grant a caseworker automation permissions, they only have view access to the data, ensuring you do not override permissions. Alternatively, you can explore the capabilities of the external workflow provider. For example, in Power Automate or Pipedream, you can use connectors to specify contacts or dynamically use information stored within the record (like an email address field) to determine where the notification should go.

How much workload does it reduce?

It significantly reduces workload. Instead of going through the audit log one by one to check what was edited and who edited it, you can receive a notification. It saves time on tasks that you would ordinarily have to check manually.

Can the automations be imported or exported? Can they be conditional?

Regarding conditions, yes, that is where the use of filters comes in. You can create conditions so the automation only deploys when specific criteria are met. Regarding importing/exporting, if you mean can someone else create it for you, yes. An administrator can set up automations. Depending on the external tool you are using, you can explore various possibilities, such as rule-based notifications in Outlook. If there is a specific use case you would like to explore, we are happy to provide support.