Business Process

Business Process/Logic

Implenting Business Processes

• can be used for
  • preserving data quality
  • automatic processes
  • keeping processes from getting ‘stuck’
  • keeping systems in sync
  • auditing
• Features
  • Formula fields
  • Validation rules
  • Approval process
  • Workflow Rules
  • Outbound Messaging
  • Field History Tracking
  • Setup Audit Trail
• Functions
  • ischanged – compares with previous value and returns true if it is changed
  • priorvalue – returns the previous value of the field
  • isnew – checks if a formula is running during creation of new record and returns true if it is
  • ispickval – determines if the value of pickuplist is equal to specified string
  • regex – string used to describe the format of the string according to certain syntax rules. It compares a text field to regular expression and returns true, if there is a match
  • vlookup – returns value by looking up a record value in a custom object. It checks against a key and returns value from that key.
  • isnumber – returns true if a text value is number
  • case – checks against a series of values
  • image – inserts an image
  • htmlencode – encodes text stings and merge field values for use in html (e.g. ‘<’)
  • jsencode – encodes text strings and merge field values for use in javascript (e.g. apostrophe)
  • jsinhtmlencode – encodes text strings and merge field values for use in javascript within html tags
  • urlencode – encodes text strings and merge field values for use in URLs
• System Logs
  • display logging info, cumulative limits and source code of transaction
  • used for debugging code snippets
  • used to view debug log or execute anonymous code blocks
  • display system resource info
• Log levels
  • from lowest to highest
  • Error – lowest, produces distinct results and only error messages
  • warn – warn and error
  • info – info, warn and error
  • debug – includes low level and calls to system.debug
  • Fine/Finer – system.debug, dml, soql/sosl, entrance and exit
  • Finest – includes all messages in previous levels and on apex scripts
• Debug Logs
  • contain info on database changes, automated workflow processes, validation rules
  • request-response xml, apex script errors, and resources used by an apex script
  • records errors and system processes that occur in an org
  • can be retained and managed for specific users
  • 20 logs can be retained for an org, when max is reached, oldest one is overwritten
  • debug log is different system log
  • system log refers to console link at the top of the page
  • underlying logging system is same
  • sysetm log is live console, debug log is persistent store

Preserving Data Quality

• Validation Rules
  • used to verify that the data entered meets the standards before the user saves the record.
  • Can contain formulas or expressions that evaluate the data in one or more fields
  • return true or false
  • are executed for fields that are stored in the object, but not part of the displayed page layout
• can be used for
  • enforce conditionally required fields
  • enforce required data formats
  • enforce data consistency
  • prevent data loss
• can be used in conjunction with a roll-up summary field can be used to prevent users from adding or deleting records

Automating Business Processes with Workflow

• Workflow Rules
  • Entry Criteria then Immediate Actions or Time dependent actions
  • Steps
    • Specify the object (both standard & custom objects are ok)
    • Select Evaluation Criteria
      • only when a record is created
      • when it’s created or edited and now meets the cirteria
      • every single time the record is created or updated
    • Define rule criteria
      • filters or formulas
    • Workflow Actions: immediate or later time
      • Tasks – can be assigned to user, role or record owner
      • Email Alerts – can send email to one or more recipients (from address can be current user address or org wide address)
      • Field Updates – can update a field value on a record (including record type/owner)
      • Outbound Messages – can send specific info to designated endpoint in form of API/SOAP message
    • Time-Dependent Workflow
      • triggered depending on elapsed time (evaluated off of any date field in Salesforce)
      • time-dependent actions have a time trigger
      • the action is queued to fire
    • Some considerations
      • cannot use time-dependent workflow when a rule is set for evaluation, every time a record is created or updated
      • when a new workflow rule is created, it does not affect existing records
      • can monitor and remove pending actions by viewing the time-dependent workflow queue
      • if a record that has an action pending against it in the time-based workflow queue is modified so that the record no longer meets the criteria or the timing changes, the action will be updated in the queue
      • if a record no longer meets the time-based workflow rule criteria, the action is removed from queue

Automating business processes with Approval Processes

• automates routing of records for approval
• contain one or more steps and can be logically split into 6 steps
• not automatically sent for approval, user has to submit
• steps
  • process definition
    • it is determined which records should enter the process and what settings should apply to the whole process.
  • initial submission actions
    • developers decide what happens to a record after it is submitted for approval – actions are locking a record, assigning a task, sending an email, updating a field, sending an outbound message
  • step definition
    • developers determine whether all records should enter the step or whether records only meeting the criteria are chosen.
      • if later is chosen, developer defines the criteria for entry to the step. developer also assigns the approver and determine whether the approver can delegate
      • if there are multiple steps, developers can decide what should happen if a record is rejected at a step after the first step: should it go back one step, or should it be considered a final rejection
  • final rejection actions
    • developers define the actions to be taken when a record is rejected
    • actions are: unlock a record, assign a task, send an email, update a field, send an outbound message
  • final approval actions
    • developers define actions to be taken when a record is approved
    • actions are: unlock a record, assign a task, send an email, update a field, send an outbound message
  • recall actions
    • developers define actions to be taken when a record is recalled from the process.
• Workflow Rule vs Approval Process
  • Workflow rule
    • are triggered upon save
    • consist of one set of criteria and actions
    • can be modified or deleted
  • Approval process
    • triggered only when a user clicks submit for approval
    • consist of multiple steps, have entry criteria, step criteria and step actions; have initial submission actions, rejection and approval actions and actions for each step
    • some attributes can’t be modified, processes must be deactivated before they can be deleted
• Skipping steps
  • allows developers to skip steps within an approval process based on specific criteria
  • skip step is a step that has criteria defined to determine whether or not approval is required
  • 3 options
    • go to next step
    • approve record
    • reject record
  • considerations
    • Go to next step” option is only available when editing a step that already has an ensuing step (so first create ensuing step)
    • selection the “go to next step” option in a step and subsequently delete all ensuing steps, sf changes the step to automatically reject record, if the step criteria are not met
    • selecting the “go to next step” in the first step when the record does not meet the criteria for any of the steps in the approval process, rejects the record
• Parallel approval process
  • can send approval upto 25 different users simultaneously
• Dynamic Approval Process
  • Used to route records for approval based on complex approval matrices
  • Used to route approval requests to users listed in lookup fields on the record requiring approval
  • Steps
    • create a lookup fields on the object beign approved
      • uses lookup relationship
      • if it requires 3 approvers, then create 3 lookup relationships
    • Create a custom object as an approval matrix
    • Populate the approval matrix
    • Create Apex code to fill in the lookup fields from the approval matrix
    • Create or update an approval process to utilize the new lookup fields
• Automated processes occur in the following order
  • Validation Rules->Assignment rules->Auto-Response rules->Workflow rules->Escalation rules

Auditing Processes

• Setup Audit Trail
  • tracks changes made to the setup of an org
  • lists the date of the change, the name of the user who made the change and a description of the change
  • displays 20 most recent changes
  • tracks changes for 180 days
  • can choose upto 20 fields per object for tracking changes
• Field History Tracking
  • allows to track the history related lists for cases, contacts, leads, opportunities, solutions, accounts, contracts, and custom objects
  • modification to any standard or custom field, whose history is set to be tracked, results in a new entry in the History related list
  • for most field types, both the old and new values are captured in the History related list; however those values are not tracked for long text area and multi-select picklist type fields
  • tracks changes for upto 20 fields
• 3 tools
  • debug logs, setup audit trail, field history