Process Step Details - Updating Clients, Creating and Updating Jobs – FYI

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

This article contains the following sections:

Update Client
- Updating a Client Custom Fields that is a Date
Create Job
Create Jobs using Values from the Trigger Job(s) - Copy from Trigger
Update Job

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, a field is added above this and shows as the field name. You are prompted to enter the value to set it to.

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

You can add additional Custom Fields to be updated by the step. Select the additional Custom Field(s) and add the value to set for each.

Updating a Client Custom Fields that is a Date

When updating a Client Custom Field that is a Date, this is set as the "Current Date". An example of this would be updating the Engagement Date on the client record as a result of a client signing an engagement letter. An automation can be set up using a view that detects that the engagement letter has been signed by the client and to update a Custom Field such as "Last valid engagement date" in the client record with the current date stamp.

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

This process step is used to update the record with the current date so this would not be used for a Custom Field date such as a date of birth.

Create Job

When using a process with a Client View, the Create Job step can be used to create a Job (refer to Custom Processes using Views and Summary Notifications).

The information is the same when using Create Job from the + button (refer to Create Job in FYI) except the Client is not selected and the Job is created for the Client(s) selected from the Client View in the 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", that is, 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 the User Group they belong to. Refer to Managing Practice Settings 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 "Current Date" for 'todays' date' or as 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 Job(s) using Values from the Trigger Job(s) - Copy from Trigger

The Create Job step in an Automation Process, can be used to create new Jobs using the values from the Job(s) that triggered the Process (that is, from the Job(s) in the Job View selected as the Filter).

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

This is a useful way to set up Jobs, for example, when creating Jobs at the end of the financial year for Job rollover. For this example, you would create a View in the Jobs list with the Jobs for the current year that you want to recreate. You can then copy any relevant values from the trigger Jobs to the new Jobs and select any of the other values that need to be different. In this example, it is likely you would set the State as something different so that all the new Jobs have the State set as required (for example, set them all to "Planned"). 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.

Another example of when this could be used is 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 the 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 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, this will only copy the relevant Template if the triggering Job was created in FYI, not if the triggering Job was created in 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 is being 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

In the Update Job step you can set this 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.