Process automation

Process automation enables you to easily engage users without having to repeatedly complete time-consuming processes. This RiSE feature is comprised of scheduling tasks based on a time and date that is convenient for your organization or company. Once a task is set up, you can have it automatically run when needed, ensuring perfectly tailored and timed communications to the specified recipients. You have the ability to schedule two different types of tasks, configure how you want the task to be executed, and design the task's appearance.

Note: In order to edit system tasks or create your own tasks, you must be licensed. For more information, contact your AiSP or ASI Technical Support.

Scheduled tasks

The following types of scheduled tasks that are termed Actions:

  • Send a communication - Sends a pre-created communication
  • Run a report - Sends a report as an attachment to a communication
  • Run a stored procedure - Runs a specific stored procedure on a scheduled basis
  • Calculate engagement scores - Runs a task to calculate engagement scores
  • Run content workflow - Sends expiration notices and removes content and navigation that has expired

Once you decide on the type of task you want to send, you can define how often the task will run, what conditions must be met in order for the task to run, and the data sources that comprise the task:

Scheduled tasks are sent based upon a specific occurrence called a Process Automation Trigger. For example, the occurrence could be as simple as every Saturday and Wednesday at noon, or on the 15th of each month at 7:00 PM. The frequency combinations of dates and times is truly up to you!

The second type of scheduled task trigger is called On database change. To minimize performance impacts, it is suggested that this trigger be used sparingly.

Warning! An On database change trigger will fire every time the specified table is accessed. Whenever possible, add your triggers to low-volume tables. Triggers on the Trans table can be difficult to troubleshoot and will cause performance problems.

Conditions allow you to filter when the tasks are sent by specifying query data sources. When you set up Conditions for a scheduled task, the data source, or query, must return records when a Process Automation Trigger (specified date and time) occurs in order for the task to execute its Actions.

For example, you have a scheduled task enabled that sends a communication to all staff members every Monday at 8:00 AM. The purpose of the communication is to inform the staff of any new members who joined in the previous week.

To ensure that communications are not being sent when there are no new members, you would need to add the query that identifies last week's new members to the Conditions tab. If that query returns no results, meaning that no new members joined last week, then the task would not execute.

New queries added to the Conditions tab automatically appear in the Data sources tab.

Data sources allow you to define and edit IQA queries to be used by Conditions, or within the Actions.

The Data sources tab shows a list of all data sources that are available to be used in the task. This tab is mainly used to manage all data sources being used throughout the task. You can edit any aspect of the data source from this tab, or delete the data source altogether if it is not being used by the task. The data sources can be used in the following areas of the task:

  • Conditions - If included as a condition, the task will only run if the data source returns results
  • Actions - Insert the data source into an Action where applicable

The same data source can be used in any combination of these, including in multiple different actions. A new data source can be added in the data sources tab, but it can also be added right from where you want to use it - in the Conditions, Alert, or Action.

You can review Logs to determine which scheduled tasks have been run, which actions have been performed, and whether any scheduled tasks did not complete successfully.

For more information on Standard and PLUS functionality for Process Automation tasks, see Using scheduled tasks.

Alert display

The Alert display task is often used to serve as a reminder for something. For example, you could enable an alert to display on every user's profile page to remind them about an upcoming event, or that their membership is expiring soon.

Each alert display is comprised of the Alert, Conditions, and Data sources:

  • Alert - The actual text, images, links, and buttons that encompass the alert. When the data sources return records, the task generates the alert.
  • Conditions - The queries added here determine which records qualify for the alert. Only users who qualify will see the alert.
  • Data sources - From this tab, you can edit or delete any data source that is being used in the alert. Display fields from provided data sources can be inserted into the alert.

For more information on Standard and PLUS functionality for Process Automation alerts, see Displaying automated alerts.