Workflow Step Automations

Workflow steps can run automations, called functions, at key moments in a card's life: sending an email or text, adding people to a campaign, group or access pass, updating data, starting another workflow, or running your own action. Functions are built in. You pick them from a list and fill in a form, with no code required.

Where to add functions

1. Open the workflow's Kanban view and click Edit Steps.
2. Open the step's menu and choose Edit Step.
3. Scroll to Functions and add one or more functions under the moment you want.
4. Click Save.

When functions run

You can add several functions to each section, and drag them into order. Give each one a Title so you can tell them apart later.

Available functions

Send email

Sends an email. Choose the Email Recipient:

• Key People/Referenced Profile (Default): the people the card is about.
• Assignee(s): the people assigned to the card.
• Specific People: profiles you choose.
• Specific Email Address: a fixed address, for example a shared inbox.
• Field on card: people held in profile fields on the card.

Then set the sender (Send From Profile, or a Sender First Name, Sender Last Name and Sender Email), the Subject and the HTML Message. You can also set Scopes for the email; if left blank, the card's scope is used. Messages can include merge fields such as the recipient's first name, the card title, the card's due date, the step title or the referenced item's details.

Send a text message

Sends an SMS. The SMS Recipient options match email (with Specific Phone Number in place of an address). Write the message in Text Message. SMS must be available for your organisation; see Sending SMS.

Add to campaign

Adds the card's people to one or more email campaigns, which then send to them. This is a rolling send: each card's people receive the campaign as their card reaches the step, rather than everyone receiving one blast. Options:

• Select campaign: the campaign(s) to add people to.
• Ignore duplicates: send again even if the person has already been added to this campaign in the past.
• Ignore unsubscribed: send even if the person has unsubscribed. Use with care.

If the card has no people on it, nothing is sent. See Email Campaigns.

Modify item data

Updates field values automatically. Choose the Item to update:

• Update the card
• Update the referenced item (form submission): choose its Update type so only items of that type are changed.
• Updated profiles listed on the card

Then set the fields to change in Update Data. A common pattern is to stamp a value onto the card in an early step (for example an assigned coordinator, or a value copied from the submitted form) and use it in later steps.

Add to group or scope / Remove from group or scope

Adds people to, or removes them from, groups or scopes. Choose the Scopes, or use Scope from field to take the scope from a field on the card. Choose the People to add/remove (Key People, Assignee(s), Specific People or Field on card). When adding, you can set a Position, which is created on the group if it does not exist yet; it defaults to "Member". See Scopes and Groups.

Add access pass / Remove access pass

Adds or removes Access Passes on the logins of the card's people. This is useful for granting access at the end of an approval or induction, and removing it when someone leaves. When adding, a person who has no login yet gets one created to hold the pass. When removing, people without a login are simply skipped. See Managing Users and Access Passes.

Add to another workflow

Starts a card in another workflow, in parallel. The current card is not removed. Options:

• Workflow to add to and Add at step (blank means the first step).
• What to add: Add the whole card (same reference & key people), or Add specific people.
• With specific people, choose Which people (Key People, Assignee(s) or Field on card) and How should the cards be created?: Single card (with all key people) or Separate card for each profile.

Run an action

Runs one or more of your organisation's actions for custom logic, integrations or calls to outside systems. Actions run in the background; the card's move does not wait for them to finish.

Testing safely

Turn on Stealth Mode on the workflow's Workflow Settings tab while you build. Every email and SMS sent by the workflow's functions is then diverted to a test address or number, or dropped if none is set, so real people are not messaged.

Chains and loops

Automatic moves can trigger further functions. For example, if a step moves cards to the next step on success, that step's "enters" functions run too. Qik detects loops: if an automatic chain would bring a card back to a step it has already passed through in the same chain, it stops.

Example: staff induction

1. Welcome
   • When a card enters: Send email to the key person with a welcome message.
   • Completion Behaviour: Requirements are met (no requirements, so it completes at once). When complete: Move to next step.
2. Complete Paperwork
   • Requirement: Forms must be submitted, using the "Employment Details" form. The form request is emailed automatically when the card enters.
   • Completion Behaviour: Requirements are met. When complete: Move to next step.
3. Training
   • When a card enters: Add to group or scope, adding the person to the "Inductees" group.
   • Requirement: Tasks must be completed ("Safety briefing", "Systems training"). Due Date Behaviour: Due after entering, 2 weeks.
   • Completion Behaviour: Due date occurs. When complete: Archive. If not done by due date: Move to previous step.
   • When a card successfully completes: Add access pass "Staff" and Remove from group or scope "Inductees".
   • When a card fails: Send email to the assignee(s) so they can follow up.

FAQs