Role of Legacy Workflows in Real-Time Operations

Automation tools like Power Automate help keep operations running smoothly by handling tasks behind the scenes. But sometimes, we need things to happen right now—not later, not after a delay—but in real-time. That’s where legacy workflows step in and save the day.

Why Do We Need Real-Time Actions?

Power Automate excels at managing tasks behind the scenes, but it’s not built for instant responses. Let’s take a real-world example to see why that matters:

Imagine you’re managing a project. A task’s status is marked "Pending" because someone is about to start working on it. The moment they do, you want the system to automatically update the "Worked by" field to show who’s handling the task. This update needs to occur immediately to ensure alignment across the team, as waiting for an automated flow to process in the background is not efficient.

This implementation can be achieved by using a Legacy Workflow.

Implementation:

1. Open Solution:

• Open an existing solution or create a new solution.
• Click New → Automation → Process → Workflows.

2. Set Workflow Properties:

• In the pop-up, enter a name for the workflow (e.g., Update Worked By When Status Changes).
• Select the table (entity) you want to work with (e.g., Project Tasks).
• Uncheck the Run Workflow in the Background option to ensure real-time execution.
• Click Create to create the workflow.

3. Configure Workflow Trigger:

• In the workflow editor, set Start when: Record is updated.
• Specify the fields to monitor: Ensure the Status field is selected.

4. Add a Condition:

• Click Add Step → Check Condition.
• Define the condition:

Field:? Task Status.

Condition: Equals.

Value: In Progress (or another value indicating the user has started working).

• This ensures the workflow runs only when Status is updated to In Progress.

5. Update the "Worked By" Field:

• Inside the condition block:

Click Add Step → Update Record.

Select the same table (e.g., Project Tasks).

Click Set Properties.

Find the "Worked By" column in the form.

Set its value to Modified By (this will refer to the user making the update).

• Click Save and Close.

6. Save and Activate:

• Click Save to ensure the workflow is saved.
• Click Activate to enable the workflow.

7. Test the Workflow:

• Navigate to the Project Tasks table.
• Create or edit a record: Set the Status field to Pending initially.
• Update the Status to In Progress.
• Save the record and verify that: The Worked By field is updated to the Current User who made the change.

Legacy workflows, however, are built for exactly this kind of real-time operation. They respond instantly, making them perfect for scenarios where timing is everything.

What Makes Legacy Workflows Special?

Legacy workflows excel at synchronous operations, meaning they respond instantly. Here’s why they’re still so valuable:

• Instantly update fields or send notifications as soon as something happens.
• Ensure critical tasks are completed on time, especially when delays could cause issues like in financial records or compliance tracking.
• Seamlessly integrate with existing systems, allowing quick responses without requiring extra triggers or steps.

What’s Next?

Legacy workflows are nearing the end of their journey, making way for something new: low-code plugins. These plugins are starting to step in, offering a simpler, more efficient way to handle automation.

We’re just scratching the surface now, but there’s so much more to explore. In the next article, we’ll dive deeper into how these plugins work and the value they bring to real-time automation.

Stay tuned!