Workflow Automation

Workflows are SurelyCrm's most powerful feature. They let you automate repetitive tasks by defining a sequence of stages that trigger based on customer events, dates, or conditions — all without writing code.

Core Concepts

Term	Definition
Workflow	A reusable automation blueprint made of stages
Stage	A single step in a workflow with an action type and configuration
Instance	A running execution of a workflow for a specific customer
Trigger	The event that starts a workflow (manual, scheduled, or event-based)
Condition	A logical rule that determines whether a stage should execute
Action	What the workflow does at a given stage (send email, update status, etc.)

Creating a Workflow

1. Navigate to Workflows in the sidebar.
2. Click Create Workflow.
3. Enter a Name and optional Description.
4. Add stages by clicking Add Stage.
5. For each stage, configure:
   • Action Type — What this stage does
   • Configuration — The details (template, status, field name, etc.)
   • Conditions (optional) — Rules that must be met for the stage to run
   • Wait Duration (optional) — Delay before this stage executes
6. Save the workflow, then click Activate to make it available for use.

Action Types

Action	Description
Send Email	Sends an email using a template or custom content
Send SMS	Sends an SMS message using a template
Update Status	Changes the customer's status to a new value
Set Custom Field	Updates a custom field value for the customer
Create Record	Creates a new related record (payment, document, etc.)
Start Workflow	Triggers another workflow for the same customer
Wait	Pauses for a specified duration before continuing
Webhook	Sends data to an external URL

Building Conditions

Conditions let you build branching logic into your workflows. You can create rules based on:

• Customer fields (Firstname, Surname, Email, MobilePhone, Postcode, etc.)
• Custom fields
• Status
• Balance amounts
• Age (days since creation)
• Important dates
• Date of birth
• Notifications enabled flag

Conditions support comparison operators such as Equals, Not Equals, Greater Than, Less Than, Contains, and Starts With. You can chain multiple conditions with AND/OR logic.

Starting Workflows

Workflows can be started in several ways:

• Manually — From the customer's profile, click Start Workflow and select the workflow
• From Bulk Actions — Select multiple customers and trigger a workflow for all of them
• From Another Workflow — Use the "Start Workflow" action to chain workflows together
• Scheduled — Set up recurring scheduled actions in the Action Designer

Monitoring Instances

Go to Workflows > Instances to see all running and completed workflow executions. For each instance you can:

• View the current stage and overall status
• See stage-by-stage results and any error messages
• Pause an instance to temporarily halt execution
• Resume a paused instance
• Cancel an instance to stop it permanently
• Advance manually to the next stage (useful for testing)

Example Workflows

Welcome Sequence for New Leads

1. Stage 1: Wait 10 minutes
2. Stage 2: Send Email — "Welcome" template
3. Stage 3: Wait 2 days
4. Stage 4: Send SMS — "Follow-up" template
5. Stage 5: Set Custom Field — LeadQualification = "Engaged"

Payment Reminder

1. Stage 1: Condition — OutstandingBalance > 0
2. Stage 2: Send Email — "Payment Reminder" template
3. Stage 3: Wait 7 days
4. Stage 4: Condition — OutstandingBalance > 0
5. Stage 5: Send Email — "Final Notice" template
6. Stage 6: Update Status — "Payment Due"

Onboarding Tracker

1. Stage 1: Send Email — "Welcome Pack"
2. Stage 2: Set Custom Field — OnboardingStatus = "Welcome Sent"
3. Stage 3: Wait 1 day
4. Stage 4: Send Email — "Setup Guide"
5. Stage 5: Set Custom Field — OnboardingStatus = "Setup Guide Sent"
6. Stage 6: Wait 3 days
7. Stage 7: Set Custom Field — OnboardingStatus = "Completed"

Best Practices

• Name workflows clearly — Use descriptive names like "New Lead Welcome — 3 Day" rather than "Workflow 1"
• Test before activating — Run a workflow manually on a test customer first
• Use conditions liberally — They prevent workflows from running inappropriately
• Monitor instances regularly — Check for failures and address root causes
• Keep stages focused — One action per stage makes debugging easier