How to Automate a Process from Start to Finish in a Motion 2 Workflow

The following is a high-level outline of the process used to build an automated workflow in Motion 2. 

Please be aware that automating a process is a challenging endeavor that requires a high level of analytical thinking, organizational awareness, and technical skills. While Motion 2 automation is available to all organizations using Site Stacker, our automation features are designed for users with substantial product training and experience. Because automated workflows may involve user data, it is also extremely important that this data be processed with great care. For these reasons, we recommend that current clients work with WMTEK to implement their first automated process before automating additional processes on their own.

Whether a workflow is built by a client or WMTEK, Motion 2 workflows are custom configurations tailored to each client's individual needs. For this reason, consultation, configuration, troubleshooting, etc. regarding Motion 2 is considered billable project work and falls outside of free support. Our free support is limited to providing our clients with help and training resources they can use to build and troubleshoot their own work. In the event a client needs help with a Motion 2 workflow, WMTEK will charge hourly for assistance. Please see our support guidelines or contact our support staff for further details. 

Step 1: Planning

• Create a visual flowchart of the process you intend to automate.

• Remember to take into account all starting points, all possible tasks for all users involved in the process, and all ending points of the process.

• If needed, create a Word document that supports your visual flowchart and provides further details. 

• Gather all forms and documents that will need to be incorporated into the process.

• Create a list of all user roles that play a role in the process

• Create a list of all CRM record types that will be used in the process

• Create a list of all CRM relationships that will be used to link various user roles

• Create a map of how you intend to organize your custom data points into CRM entities and entity groups. 

Step 2: Setup

• Build CRM entities in the CRM Component, creating custom dropdowns in the Datagroup component as needed.

• Configure the Process Notification message in System Messages and verify that it is active.

• Set up all needed user groups in the Users Component, adding permissions as needed. 

• Create your workflow in Motion 2. Further reading: How to Configure a New Workflow in Motion 2

• Set up all needed dashboard pages in Site Planner.

• You will need a few basic modules for your dashboard as a whole, plus a few specialized modules for each workflow you build.

• Please see “Site Planner Modules and Components Needed for a Motion 2 Workflow” for more information. (Please note that before adding dashboard pages, you will need a site channel configured using the dashboard template and its own domain. If this is not already configured, you will likely need further assistance from WMTEK in order to proceed.)

Step 3: Automation

• Return to your workflow in Motion 2. Add user roles, and connect the secondary user roles to the user groups set up in the User Component.

• Build the high-level structure of your workflow using landmarks. Please note that you can nest landmarks. 

• Next, build tasks inside of your workflows.

• Add all form fields to any form tasks.

• Add all triggers to the tasks and landmarks. 

Step 4: Testing and Refinement

• Roleplay through workflows from beginning to end, with a user and dashboard for each role. Make adjustments to the workflow as needed. 

• After you are confident that each landmark or section of the workflow is complete, review your workflow with the administrative users who will be involved with the process in that section, and make further changes until all administrative user groups are satisfied. 

Step 5: Final Testing

• Roleplay through workflows from start to finish, with a user and dashboard for each role.

• Review all tasks

  • Test all kick-off forms.

  • Check that variables in the front end/dashboard are displaying properly.

  • Check that fields are being saved properly in the CRM Record Module.

  • Check links.

  • Check form tasks are set up properly, including the “Cancel” button, and form fields.

  • Spell-check all tasks.

• Review all triggers

  • Proper tasks are being assigned.

  • Proper tags.

  • Proper wording, variables, and links in notifications, spell check notifications.

• Review kick-off forms

  • In Site Planner, verify that the “Auto Log Out” feature is enabled for all kick-off forms, such as event forms or sign-up forms. (This setting is not needed for reference forms)

• Review Dashboard

  • Navigation links working.

  • Contact lists (CRM Grids) are being filtered.

  • The task list is working properly.

  • Proper permissions, ACL security tags, and visibility settings are in place for admin users.

  • Pages require authentication.

• Review Users, Entity Permissions

  • Proper entity security and structure.

  • Each user is in all proper roles, including parent folders.

Step 6: Go Live

• Before going live, verify that all user groups are trained on the workflow and that they have been added to the relevant groups in the user component.
• Once you are ready to go live, you’ll simply need to publish and/or begin using the starting points that launch the workflow.