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Automated Functions

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Overview

You can create an automated report (using Automated Functions) that sends to selected people at a chosen interval. For example, you can have the Quote Summary report send certain people at your company every day at 8 A.M.

You can create as many automated reports as you want.

Creating a New Automated Function

  1. On the System Settings menu, click Automated Functions.
  2. Click New Automated Function in the Workbench Menu.
  3. Enter the new automated function information.
    • Name: The name of the automated function for easy reference.
    • Description: Optional description of what the automated function will do.
    • Enabled: Choose Yes to enable. You can return and change this to No whenever you need to disable the automated function.
    • Recurring: Choose Yes, since you want this automated function to occur repeatedly.
    • Task Provider: For automated reports, choose Run Custom Report.
    • Cron Expression: Advanced option for schedule timing. Not required.
    • Time Interval: Determines how often the automated function will occur.
    • Start Date: Determines when the automated function should start, which is typically the current day. The time that you choose will be the time of day that the automated report will send.
    • End Date: Determines when the automated function should stop. This is typically left blank unless you know exactly when you want it to stop.
    • Day Of Month: Determines which day of the month the automated function will occur if you choose the Monthly time interval.
    • Enabled Weekdays: Determines which days of the week the automated function will occur.
  4. Click CREATE.

create-automated-function.png

After you click CREATE, you will see a new section appear called FUNCTION PARAMETERS. See the Editing the Function Parameters Settings section below to learn how to set up the function parameters.

Editing an Automated Function

  1. On the System Settings menu, click Automated Functions.
  2. Double-click the automated function that you want to edit.
  3. Edit the automated function information.
    • Name: The name of the automated function for easy reference.
    • Description: Optional description of what the automated function will do.
    • Enabled: Choose Yes to enable. You can return and change this to No whenever you need to disable the automated function.
    • Recurring: Choose Yes, since you want this automated function to occur repeatedly.
    • Task Provider: For automated reports, choose Run Custom Report.
    • Cron Expression: Advanced option for schedule timing. Not required.
    • Time Interval: Determines how often the automated function will occur.
    • Start Date: Determines when the automated function should start, which is typically the current day. The time that you choose will be the time of day that the automated report will send.
    • End Date: Determines when the automated function should stop. This is typically left blank unless you know exactly when you want it to stop.
    • Day Of Month: Determines which day of the month the automated function will occur if you choose the Monthly time interval.
    • Enabled Weekdays: Determines which days of the week the automated function will occur.
  4. Click UPDATE.

See the Editing the Function Parameters Settings section below to learn how to set up the function parameters.

Editing the Function Parameters Settings

The function parameters settings includes the following:

  • Distribution List: Determines who will receive the automated report. You can either add Flex users, contacts in your Flex system, or manually add an email.
  • Custom Report: Determines which report will send (Quote Summary, Maintenance Report, Unreturned Items Report, etc.).
  • Paper Size: Determines the paper size of the PDF report.
  • Page Orientation: Determines the page orientation (portrait or landscape) of the PDF report.

After adding people to the distribution list and choosing a custom report, click UPDATE.

When you click UPDATE, the options for the report you chose will appear, if any. This might include a start and end date, status, etc. The date options will determine the date range that is used for the report. You can hand type the "NOW" parameter to represent the day that the report is being generated, then use + or - to represent days in the future or days in the past.

edit-function-parameters.pngFor example, if you choose the Quotes: Summary report, you might want to view Quotes that are happening in the upcoming week. So for the start date you would enter "NOW" and for the end date you would enter "NOW+7". Flex will automatically fill in the correct dates based on the day that the report is being generated.

Remember to click UPDATE after making any changes to the function parameters.

Deleting an Automated Function

  1. On the System Settings menu, click Automated Functions.
  2. Double-click the automated function that you want to delete.
  3. Click Delete this Automated Function in the Workbench Menu.

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