Automation Manager Blocks

Send Email

An action block used to send an email to users

Key Properties

• Recipients: Can be individual Users or Roles to send the email to
• Subject: The subject of the email to be sent
• Message: The content of the email to be sent

Optional:

• Record Source: Optional
• Fields: A list of features from the selected Record Source whose values are to be included in the email

Usage

• Used to send a notification email as a result of something happening in the system. For example, if a Task is 30 days past due, send an email to the supervisor.
• Email notification recipients must be users in the system, you cannot enter a direct email address. For example, if you want to send an email to Pat Summers, you must select the name, not just enter Pat's email address.
• The fields included in the email notification can only be selected from one record source and may not include fields through a lookup.

Send Email to Assignments

An action block used to send an email to Laborers assigned to a Task

Key Properties

• Same properties as Send Email
• Recipients are read-only

Usage

• Can be used to notify all Assignments to a new Task
• Can be used to notify one laborer recently assigned to an existing Task
• The email will be sent to the Labor record's email address. If blank, the associated user account's email address is used.

Send Email to Requesters

An action block used to send an email to Requesters associated to a Request

Key Properties

• Same properties as Send Email
• Recipients are read-only

Usage

• Can be used to notify all requesters to a new Request
• Can be used to notify one requester recently assigned to an existing Request

Update Record

An action block used to retrieve a record, set some fields on the record, then save it.

Key Properties

• Record: The record to update
• Fields: The list of fields whose values need to be updated

Usage

• Can be used to update a parent record. For example, After a Material Log is added, update the parent Material
• Can be used to update an associated record. For example, After a Task is Completed, update the associated Request.
• Cannot be used to update fields on a read-only library or recordset. For example, Status field on the Status library.

Set Fields

An action block used to set fields on a record that was retrieved in a previous block

Key Properties

• Record source: The block whose record needs to be updated
• Fields: The list of fields whose values need to be set or updated

Usage

• Can be used to set values on the trigger record before it is saved.
• Typically used with a Get Record block, or a Loop Records block to set field values for each of the records retrieved in the loop.
• Always needs an accompanying Save Record block unless you are altering the trigger record and the trigger is before a record is saved.
• Read-only fields cannot be set in an Automation.
• Fields on read-only libraries or recordsets cannot be set in an automation.
• Geometry cannot be set in an Automation. Location fields such as address and street can be set.
• Updating the Notes field, Description fields, or other text fields will replace the existing text.  To append instead of replace the existing text, use the appropriate expression in syntax mode.  

Save Record

An action block used to save a record

Key Properties

• Record Source: The block to save. For example, Get Record or Loop Records

Usage

• Always used with a Set Fields block
• Get Record > Set Fields > Save Record
  
  OR
  
  Loop Records > Set Fields > Save Record
• Cannot be used on the Trigger Record in an Event-based trigger

Create Task

An action block used to create a task

Key Properties

• Fields: A list of fields to set on the task

The following fields are required and will automatically be added to the list of fields:

• Asset Type
• Asset ID (only required if the Asset Type is not Non-Asset)
• Activity
• Start Date
• Stop Date

Optional

• Assignments: List of laborers to be assigned to the task

Usage

• Can be used in Event-based triggers after another record is created or modified. For example, After a Request with a specific issue is created, create a task and associate it to the request.
• Can be used in Scheduled or Manual Triggers to create repeating tasks.
• Geometry cannot be set in an automation, created tasks do not have a location set. Location fields such as address and street can be set.
• When creating a task, include and set all required fields.
• Read-only fields cannot be set in an automation.
• When automating the creation of a task from a request, create a non-asset task. An asset task cannot be created because the system cannot know the specific asset to associate to the task. 
• To prevent the creation of duplicate tasks, use an Aggregate block to see if the task you are creating already exists and only create the task if it does not already exist. 

Create Record

An action block used to create a record

Key Properties

• Recordset: The type of record to be created
• Parent record: Only required when creating a child record. The parent record has to be available in a previous block or as the Trigger Record
• Fields: A list of fields to set on the record

Usage

• Can be used to create any top-level or child record, excluding Tasks and Libraries
• Geometry cannot be set in an Automation, created records will have no location set.  Location fields such as address and street can be set.
• When creating a record, include and set all required fields.
• Read-only fields cannot be set in an Automation.
• Fields on read-only libraries or recordsets cannot be set in an automation.
• To prevent the creation of duplicate records, use an Aggregate block to see if the record you are creating already exists and only create the record if it does not already exist. 

Error Message

An action block used to display a validation error message

Key Properties

• Message: The error message to display

Usage

• Used before a record is saved when performing validation checks For example, Before a Task is created, if the Due Date is not set, display an error message indicating that a value is required for that field.
• The automation stops executing any remaining actions when an error message that is the result of an Error Block is displayed.
• Should not be used with Scheduled or Manual triggers
• Any user who triggers the error message will be blocked by the error, regardless of role.
• All verification for a recordset should be included in a single automation.

Get Record

A support block used to retrieve a record associated to a record from a previous block

Key Properties

• Record—the record to be retrieved, available from a list that contains all of the lookups for blocks (records) in scope; i.e., the trigger

Usage

• Used to get a parent or associated record whose values need to be updated
• Used to get a parent or associated record whose values are needed to set values on other records

Aggregate

A support block used to return an aggregate of a filtered set of records

Key Properties

• Aggregate: The type of aggregation to use; e.g., Count, Sum, Min, Max and Avg
• Recordset: The type of records (top level or child) to apply the aggregate on
• Filter: Optionally used to filter down the records
• Field: The attribute to apply the aggregate on, not required when using Count

Usage

• The result of an aggregate can be used to set the value of a field on another record.
• The result of an aggregate can be used in a Condition block.

For example:

• Aggregate: Count of Tasks associated with a specific Work Order that have a status of open.
• Condition: If the result of the aggregate is 0, update the associated Work Order to set the status to closed.

Condition

A support block used to determine if a condition is true before performing an action or set of actions. When used in the context of an event-based trigger after a record is edited, the filter field list will contain:

• Current user: The signed-in user whose action triggered the automation.
• Current role: The role of the logged-in user whose action triggered the automation.
• Initial value fields with "(initial values)": These represent the field's value before the edit occurred.

Key Properties

• Expression: A filter expression that evaluates to true or false.

Usage

• Requires at least one action or support block to be included.
• If the Condition block evaluates to true then the nested action blocks are executed.

Loop Records

A support block used to retrieve some records, loop through them one at a time, perform an action or set of actions, then move to the next record.

Key Properties

• Recordset: The name of the recordset (top level or child) whose records you want to loop through.
• Filter: Optionally used to search through the records and eliminate those that do not meet the filtered condition

Usage

• Can be used to loop through records to update values on them.
• Requires at least one action or support block to be included.

Import/Export Records 

A block used to run an import or export using an existing .imx or .BMX file and a data file or ODBC connection. For full details, see Schedule an Import or Export.  

Key Properties

• Recordset: The name of the recordset (top level or child) whose records you want to loop through. 
• Filter: Optionally used to search through the records and eliminate those that do not meet the filtered condition 

Usage

• Can be used to loop through records to update values on them. 
• Requires at least one action or support block to be included.