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What are Workflows?
Imagine you're collecting data in the field, and based on certain information you enter, you want something to happen automatically – like sending an email, updating a team member, or pushing data to another system. That's exactly what Fulcrum Workflows do!
In simple terms, workflows are like smart assistants that automate data-driven processes right within Fulcrum. They watch for specific events (like a new record being created) and, if certain conditions are met, they perform actions on your behalf.
Think of it like this:
If something happens in your Fulcrum app (e.g., you mark a task as "Complete"),
And if certain conditions are true (e.g., the task was assigned to John),
Then Fulcrum can automatically do something (e.g., send an email to his manager saying his task is complete).
This automation can save you a lot of time, reduce manual errors, and keep your teams better informed. See below for an example of one of the ways you can send automatic text messages upon failed inspections.
Setting up automatic text messages like you see above is easy! Keep reading to see what other options Fulcrum has to offer.
Fulcrum Supports Four Types of Workflows:
Send an Email:
Imagine you're inspecting a park, and you find a broken swing. You fill out your Fulcrum form and mark "Broken Swing."
What it does: Fulcrum can automatically write and send an email to the park manager's computer or phone.
What you can do:
You can tell the Fulcrum who to send the email to (e.g., "send to parkmanager@city.com").
You can list out what the subject should be (e.g., "Broken Swing at Central Park!").
You can even have a template of what to write in the email (e.g., "Hi, there's a broken swing at the park. Here's a picture!").
Super cool trick: You can put a special link in the email that, when clicked, instantly takes the park manager right to the information you just collected in Fulcrum! It's like a magical shortcut.
Send a Webhook:
This one sounds fancy, but it's like Fulcrum telling another computer program a secret message or sending over specific information.
What it does: Fulcrum sends a coded message to another website or system you use. It's like the smoke alarm in your house: when it detects smoke (an event), it immediately sends a loud alert (the notification) to everyone in the house.
What you can do: You tell Fulcrum where to send the message (like an address on the internet) and what information to put in the message.
Why it's cool: This is super helpful if you have other computer programs that need to know about the data you're collecting. Maybe you have a map program that needs to show where all the broken swings are, or a spreadsheet program that keeps track of all your findings.
Another Example: You just finished inspecting 10 trees for safety. Your Fulcrum robot sends a webhook to your "Tree Safety Dashboard" website. This website then automatically updates to show 10 new safe trees, without you having to type anything into that website!
Send an SMS (Text Message):
Need someone to get a direct alert and without having to check their email? You can send text massages to help them get the message even quicker.
What it does: Fulcrum sends a regular text message to someone's phone.
What you can do: You tell it which phone number to send the text to (it needs to be a 10-digit number) and what your message should say.
Why it's cool: It's super fast for quick alerts!
Example: A water pipe just burst in your town, and you mark it as "Major Water Leak" in Fulcrum. Fulcrum can immediately send a text message to the emergency water crew chief's phone: "Urgent: Major Water Leak reported at Main St. See Fulcrum for details!"
Assign a Record:
Sometimes, when you finish collecting information, you want to make sure the next step is handled by a specific person on your team.
What it does: Your Fulcrum robot automatically gives the "job" (which is your Fulcrum record) to another team member. It's like putting their name on the task so they know it's their turn.
What you can do: You tell Fulcrum who to give the record to.
Why it's cool: It helps everyone know who's responsible for what, and ensures tasks don't get forgotten.
Example: You've just finished documenting a pothole. Fulcrum sees you marked the status as "Needs Repair." It then automatically assigns that pothole record to "Bob the Fixer," so Bob knows it's his job to go repair it!
Examples of Setting Up a Workflow
Workflows can greatly benefit your team by automating repetitive tasks, improving communication, and ensuring data integrity.
When setting up a new automated workflow in Fulcrum, the platform guides you through three steps. Below are three examples of how you can configure your automations for seamless execution:
Instant Notifications:
Use Case: When a high-priority issue (e.g., a critical safety hazard, a damaged utility pole) is marked in the field app.
Workflow:
Trigger: Record Updated
Filter:
Severityfieldequals"Critical"Action: Send an Email or SMS to the supervisor and maintenance team with a link to the record, alerting them immediately.
Streamlined Approvals:
Use Case: A field inspection is completed and needs review.
Workflow:
Trigger: Record Updated
Filter:
Inspection Statusfieldequals"Complete"Action: Assign Record to the designated reviewer (e.g., the team lead) and send an Email to them with a link to the record for review.
Automated Data Sync to Other Systems:
Use Case: New customer survey data was collected and needs to be pushed to your CRM or internal dashboard.
Workflow:
Trigger: Record Created
Action: Send a Webhook with the survey data to your CRM's API, eliminating manual data entry.
Where to find Workflows:
You can access workflows from your App Dashboard page. Just click on the WORKFLOWS tab to see your existing workflows or create new ones.
For a more detailed step-by-step guide on how to create a workflow, see How Do Workflows Work?
Ready to Learn More?
Workflows are a powerful feature! To dive deeper and explore more advanced examples, we highly recommend taking the 'Web Intermediate Certification' course in Fulcrum Academy. It provides additional information on workflows, repeatable sections, calculation fields, PDF reports, and more. Register for free and take your apps to the next level!