Tasks Automation with Flow and Custom Metadata Type

There are various tools that allow us to create predefined-automatic Tasks. These tools are Flow Builder, Process Builder, Workflow Rule and of course - code.

I would use Flow Builder or code when the requirements are impossible or too complex for the other tools to perform.

Using Process Builder for this purpose is rather easy and intuitive. Having said that, there are a couple of drawbacks to Process Builder. The first being the need to clone the process every time you make a change (What if you wish to change the Title or the Comment of the Task?). The second drawback is that there is no standard way to easily view the details of the Tasks definitions. So, if you wish to view which Tasks you've set under the Account in a few Process Builder processes, you'll have to go process by process in order to see them.

Last but not least, there is our good old Workflow Rule. This would be my first choice for creating Tasks. For one, it is a relatively easy and intuitive way of creating Tasks. Furthermore, Task creation through Workflow Rules allows you to display the Tasks in List Views.

On the other hand, the creation of Tasks through Workflow Rules has a major drawback - Standard fields (like 'Type'), and Custom fields (Vote for the Idea posted by Keith Sadler) are not available!

In this article, I would like to run through a scenario where there is a need to create new Tasks following the creation of a new Account.

Let's join Chuck Morris, a Salesforce Admin who works at KarateKit.COM, who has just created this process without coding and with no need to download any app.

Chuck has recently received a new requirement:

• Create automatic Tasks for every new Account
• Initially, one Task will be created upon the Account creation. But the number of Tasks and their content might change over time
• The following Task fields will be used: Due Date, Priority, Status, Subject, and Type. More fields might be added over time.

While jogging and thinking about the requirements, Chuck realized he needed a dynamic, and easy way of creating and modifying the Tasks. He also needed a simple way of viewing them. After giving it some thought, he knew what needed to be done.

His solution is based on Custom Metadata Type (AKA: CMT), Process Builder and Flow Builder.

Let us join Chuck while he creates the CMT:

1. Creating a Custom Metadata Type

Go to Setup | Develop | Custom Metadata Type

A. Click on the 'New Custom Metadata Type' button.

B. Provide a meaningful Label, Plural Label, and a Description and click on 'Save'

This is what the page will look like:

C. Creating custom fields:

• Due Date - A Number field that will be used to add or subtract the number of days from the date the Task is created. Set 0 (zero) as the default value. Example for the way this field is calculated - if you fill in "3" and the Task will be created on September 3, then the Task's Due Date field will be set to September 6.
• Active - A checkbox field to determine whether the Task CMT is active or not. Set the 'Default Value' as 'Checked'.
• Comments - A Text Area (Long) where you can fill in the Task comments.
• Object Name - A required Picklist field to hold the name of the object that the Task data will be used for. Define '--None--' as the default value.
• Priority - A Picklist field to hold the newly created Task Priority level. Define 'Normal' as the default value.
• Record Type Id - A Text field (18) that will be used to define the Task Record Type Id (although we will not use this field in our current process, it can help us in future requirements).
• Record Type Name - A Text field (255) which will be used to write the Task Record Type Name (although we will not use this field in our current process, it can help us in future requirements).
• Status - A Picklist field to hold the newly created Task Status. Define 'Not Started' as the default value.
• Subject - A required Text field (255) to hold the Subject of the newly created Task.
• Type - A required Picklist field to hold the newly created Task Type. Define '--None--' as the default value.

The resulting CMT page will look as follows:

D. Now, let's update the CMT layout as follows:

2. Creating a Flow Builder

Go to Setup | Create | Workflows & Approvals | Flows

A. Creating the Flow

In the 'Flows' screen, click on the 'New Flow' button:

In the 'New Flow' screen, choose the 'Autolaunched Flow' option and click on 'Create':

B. Create the following variables:

Record Collection Variables:

• SOC_TaskCMT - A collection of the 'Task Creation' Custom Metadata Type 

• SOC_TasksToCreate - A collection of the new Task records that will be created

Record Variables:

• SO_EachTaskCMT - A Record Variable of the 'Task Creation' Custom Metadata Type

• SO_NewTask - A Record Variable of the new Task (the 'Task' object)

Variables:

• VarT_AccountId - The Id of the Account (don't forget to check the 'Available for input' checkbox)

Formulas:

• FOR_DueDate - This formula calculates the current date + The number of days entered in the Task CMT

> Before we continue, click on the 'Save' button located at the top-right of the screen

Provide the Flow with meaningful and clear information and click on 'Save':

C. Creating a Get element

Add the 'Get Records' element to the canvas in order to look for the Task CMT

Set the Condition Requirements as follows:

At the bottom of our 'Get Records' element, define the information as follows, then click on 'Done'.

Now you can connect the Start element to the Get Records element you just created:

D. Our next step is to create a Decision element

Drag the Decision element to the canvas and define the following information:

When you're finished, click on 'Done'.

> The Decision element criteria check whether the process found matching criteria. If not, the process will stop.

Now, connect the Get Records element to the Decision element you just created:

E. Creating a Loop element

Drag the Loop element to the canvas and provide it with the following information:

When you're finished, click on 'Done'.

Connect the Decision element to the Loop element you just created and click on the 'Done' button in the new screen that will appear:

The flow will look as follows:

> Make sure you save your flow occasionally. Just in case...

F. Creating an Assignment element

Drag the Assignment element to the canvas and provide it with the following information:

When you're finished, click on 'Done'.

Connect the Loop element to the Assignment element you just created and then click on the 'Done' button in the new screen that will appear:

The flow will look as follows:

G. Creating the second Assignment element

Drag another Assignment element to the canvas and provide it with the following information:

When you're finished, click on 'Done'.

Connect the first Assignment element to the Assignment element you just created, and then connect the second Assignment element back to the Loop element (see screenshot below):

H. Creating the Create Records element

Drag the Create Records element to the canvas and provide it with the following information:

When you're finished, click on 'Done'.

Connect the Loop element to the Create Records element you just created - The Flow is ready:

> Make sure you click on the 'Save' button before you exit the flow

I. Activating the Flow

After saving the flow, click on the 'Back' button located at the top-right side of the screen:

Now, click on 'Activate':

3. Creating a process using Process Builder

Go to Setup | Create | Workflows & Approvals | Process Builder

A. In order to create a new Process Builder process, click on the 'New' button located at the top-right of the screen:

B. Provide the process with a meaningful name and a description, and select 'A record changes' under the 'The process starts when':

When you're done, click on 'Save'.

C. Adding an Object

In the Process Builder canvas, click on the 'Add Object'. Then, fill in 'Account' under the 'Object' option and choose the option 'only when a record is created':

Click on the 'Save' button when you're done.

D. Adding the Criteria

Click on 'Add Criteria' and add the following details in the new window on the right:

1. Provide a meaningful Criteria Name: An Account is created
2. Under 'Criteria for Executing Actions' section, choose the 3rd option: 'No criteria-just execute the actions!'
3. Click on 'Save'

E. Adding an Immediate Action

1. Click on 'Add Action' under the 'Immediate Actions'.
2. Under the 'Action Type' picklist located at the right side of the screen, choose 'Flows'.
3. Provide a useful name under the 'Action Name'.
4. Under 'Flow', choose the Flow we've previously created.
5. Under 'Set Flow Variables', set as follows: VarT_AccountId > Field Reference > [Account].Id.
6. Click on 'Save'

This is what the screen will look like after we've defined the Flow and its variable:

F. Activating the flow

Click on the 'Activate' button located at the top-right of the screen and then hit the 'Confirm' button in the new window

The full process will look as follows:

We are done!

A few important notes:

1. As always, many thanks to Daniela Shibi who did her best to reduce my grammar mistakes.
2. The process will only work if the Custom Metadata Type has records with data (metadata).
3. Make sure you test the process in your sandbox environment before deploying it to your production environment.
4. In this example, I created a new Process Builder. Adding the process to an existing Process Builder is also a possibility.
5. The same Flow can be used for multiple objects

Good Luck!!!