Process Step Details - Updating Clients, Creating and Updating Jobs

This article gives details and examples of the functions that are available in steps used to update Clients and create and update Jobs.

Update Client

The Update Client step can be used to update Client Custom Fields.

When a Client Custom Field has been selected from Set Custom Field in the step, the Custom Field will be added directly above. Enter or select the value.

Once a Custom Field has been selected, it will be removed from the drop-down list as it is already part of the Step.

Repeat the steps for any additional Custom Fields to be added.

Updating a Client Custom Fields that is a Date

Date custom fields are set automatically to "Current Date" (but can be updated to select "Month End" if required).

For example, a custom automation can be created to update the Engagement Date on the client record when the client signs the engagement letter. A view can be used to detect the engagement letter has been signed, and then update a Custom Field such as "Last valid engagement date" in the client record, set to the current date.

Another example could be to record the last date that a partner made contact with a client, triggered when a Phone Call or Meeting interaction is created in FYI.

This process step is not suitable for historical Custom Field dates, such as date of birth.

Create Job

Client Views can be used with a custom automation process to create a Job. Refer to Custom Processes using Views and Summary Notifications.

The Create Job process is the same as creating a job using the + button (refer to Create Job in FYI), except that instead of manually selecting a client, the job is created for the clients from the Client View Filter selected in the Automation Process.

For practices integrated with Xero Practice Manager, the Job is synced to Xero Practice Manager where the job number will be applied.

Note: If you select a Template with a Description in the Create Job, the Description from the Template will not be added to the Job that is created. If relevant, you can add the Description directly in the Create Job step.

Selecting the Client

You can create the Job for the "Current Client" (the Client that triggered the Process) or you can select a specific Client by searching in the Client field.

Job Cabinet

If your practice has Job Cabinet Security enabled in your Practice Settings you can select a Cabinet to assign to the Job. As well as giving additional information about Jobs, this allows Cabinet Security to be set on any relevant Jobs.

Users only have access to those Jobs for the Cabinets to which they have been given access via their User Group. Refer to Managing Practice Settings for Documents and Managing User Groups.

If Job Cabinet Security is not enabled in your Practice Settings, the Cabinet field is not displayed in the Create Job Step.

Setting the Start Date or Due Date

When creating a Job with a Process Step, you can set the Start Date or Due Date as the "Current Date" or a specific date.

Selecting "Select a Date" displays a pop-up calendar.

Adding Client Name as a Merge Field to the Job Name

When creating a Job with a Process Step, you can use the Merge Field for "Client Name" to add the relative Client Name to the Job Name.

To add the Client Name Merge Field to the Name field of the Create Job step, type this as follows (ensure there is a space after the opening curly brackets and before the closing curly brackets).

{{ ClientName }}.

Setting Job Custom Fields

When a Job Custom Field has been selected in the step, this shows as the field name and you are prompted to enter the value to set it to.

Setting a Job Custom Field that is a Date

When updating a Job Custom Field that is a Date, this is set as the "Current Date". An example of this would be updating the Work Commenced Date on the Job record as a result of a status being set.

2054_Process_Create_or_Update_Job_add_Second_Custom_Field.gif

Create Jobs using Values from the Trigger Jobs - Copy from Trigger

When creating a new job, you can automatically select the same values as the job that triggered the automation process to run, for example, the Cabinet. This is particularly useful when you create the same job each year, for example, End of Financial Year Job Rollover.

This function is only available if the Process Filter Type has been set to a Job View.

For example:

Create a View in the Jobs list of the Jobs for the current year. These are the jobs that will be recreated.
Select the Trigger option in the job fields to copy the values from the trigger Jobs to the new Jobs. Refer to Setting up the Create Job Step with Values from the Trigger Job(s) below.
Update any Job Fields that are different for the new job. For example, the Job State would likely be set to "Planned" as the new job has not yet commenced.
Note: If you include the year in the name of your Jobs, you would also need to enter the required Name for all the new Jobs instead of using the value from the trigger Jobs.

You can also use this feature to add a final Create Job step at the end of your Automation Process for Compliance. When the current Job goes to a "Completed" State, the next step can be set up to create a new job for the next financial year.

Setting up the Create Job Step with Values from the Trigger Job(s)

Depending on the Job field, there are different ways in which to set up the Create Job to use values from the Trigger Job(s).

Template, State, Cabinet, Category, Start Date, Due Date, Assigned User, Manager and Partner

The Create Job fields for Template, State, Cabinet, Category, Start Date, Due Date, Assigned User, Manager and Partner include the option in the drop-down "Trigger ... ", for example, "Trigger State".

Name, Budget and Description

Values from the Trigger Job for the Create Job fields for Name, Budget and Description can be included using Merge Fields.
These are entered by typing the relevant Merge Field into the field as follows (ensure there is a space after the opening curly brackets and before the closing curly brackets).
{{ TriggerName }}
{{ TriggerBudget }}
{{ TriggerDescription }}

Custom Fields

Values from the Trigger Job for the Create Job fields for Custom Fields can be included.

Where relevant, when selecting the Custom Field, this includes an option "Trigger ...". In the following example, this will add the value for the Annual Review Meeting from the triggering Job.

For Custom Fields that are entered as text and the value has been typed in, you can add the value from the triggering job using Merge Fields.

These are entered by typing the relevant Merge Field into the field as follows.

Ensure there is a space after the opening curly brackets and before the closing curly brackets.
Ensure you enter the Merge Field in the same case as the Custom Name
Remove any spaces.
Remove any characters that are not a number, letter or the underscore (_)

Trigger Template only applies to a Job created in FYI

For Template, using the option Trigger Template will only copy the relevant Template if the triggering Job was created in FYI and not Xero Practice Manager.

Multiple Assigned Users

For Assigned User, when using Trigger Assigned User, if there are multiple Assigned Users in the triggering Job, currently only the first user will be copied to the new Job.

Update Job

When a Custom Process is filtered on a Jobs view, or on a Documents view and a Job is assigned to the relevant document(s) in the view, you can use Update Job in an Automation Process.

In the Action for Update Job, you select the Job State, Manager or Partner to be set by the process. The Manager or Partner can be set to a specific person in your user list. Any of these can be set as "‘Unchanged’ if the State, Manager or Partner are not going to be changed by the process.

The Update Job step can also be used to update one or more Job Custom Fields.

Updating the Current Job or a Specific Job

The Update Job step can be set to update the Current Job (the Job that triggered the automation or a Job created from another step). You can alternatively select a specific Job to update by searching in the Job field.