Can Sugar BPM create a follow-up Call?

Hi Tony Romano,

I have three considerations about this: how a definition targeting Calls might work, how a definition targeting a related module (Contacts/Accounts) might work, and the benefits of a custom logic hook in this scenario.

Regarding A definition that targets Calls:

This is possible, but the relationship to other modules such as Contacts or Accounts is not a part of this approach.

SugarBPM is capable of creating a new related record. That is, a new record in a module related to the target record in the target module. Sugar is capable of custom self-referencing relationships, so this is possible with a custom relationship between Calls and Calls. SugarBPM could then be configured to make a new Call related to the target Call across the custom relationship.

Custom Relationship made in Studio:

BPM Process Definition Action Settings:

A Different BPM Approach to Consider:

One alternative I would consider is designing the definition to target the Contact or Account, and have some automation (related/rollup calculated field or other BPM) update the Contact or Account when the Call is saved, then have this definition that is targeting the Contact or Account create the new related follow-up call. This is the way to relate the new Call to the Contact or Account scheduled to be called.

This approach does not cover every use case because changes to the Calls module can be tricky to represent in the related Contact or Account in such a way that the Process Definition reacting to said changes can account for consistent with your stated goal.

A Logic Hook Approach:

Logic hooks offer so much more functionality than any user interface product, particularly because they allow you to leverage the broad possibilities of PHP in designing the automation that works best for your use case. Module Loader empowers the administrator to manage logic hook customization installation and removal right in the user interface, so you can leverage this awesome capability without needing direct access to the code of your Sugar instance. Pragmatically, a logic hook:

1. can achieve awesome results with only a few lines of code. 
2. does not clutter a database table with multiple rows every time it runs.
3. requires some knowledge of PHP to maintain.

I hope this helps!

Hi Tony Romano,

I have three considerations about this: how a definition targeting Calls might work, how a definition targeting a related module (Contacts/Accounts) might work, and the benefits of a custom logic hook in this scenario.

Regarding A definition that targets Calls:

This is possible, but the relationship to other modules such as Contacts or Accounts is not a part of this approach.

SugarBPM is capable of creating a new related record. That is, a new record in a module related to the target record in the target module. Sugar is capable of custom self-referencing relationships, so this is possible with a custom relationship between Calls and Calls. SugarBPM could then be configured to make a new Call related to the target Call across the custom relationship.

Custom Relationship made in Studio:

BPM Process Definition Action Settings:

A Different BPM Approach to Consider:

One alternative I would consider is designing the definition to target the Contact or Account, and have some automation (related/rollup calculated field or other BPM) update the Contact or Account when the Call is saved, then have this definition that is targeting the Contact or Account create the new related follow-up call. This is the way to relate the new Call to the Contact or Account scheduled to be called.

This approach does not cover every use case because changes to the Calls module can be tricky to represent in the related Contact or Account in such a way that the Process Definition reacting to said changes can account for consistent with your stated goal.

A Logic Hook Approach:

Logic hooks offer so much more functionality than any user interface product, particularly because they allow you to leverage the broad possibilities of PHP in designing the automation that works best for your use case. Module Loader empowers the administrator to manage logic hook customization installation and removal right in the user interface, so you can leverage this awesome capability without needing direct access to the code of your Sugar instance. Pragmatically, a logic hook:

1. can achieve awesome results with only a few lines of code. 
2. does not clutter a database table with multiple rows every time it runs.
3. requires some knowledge of PHP to maintain.

I hope this helps!

very useful as always Patrick McQueen
any chance of recovering the missing images in your reply?

Hi,

Actually, Logic Hook Approach does not require the knowledge of PHP to achieve awesome results - Sugar Admin with access to Logic Builder no-code tool (http://logicbuilder.integroscrm.com) can create and maintain logic hooks without any coding skills

Here is a simple logic hook that creates a follow-up call automatically in X days on call is Held and tagged with "follow-up X".

Therefore, if X=8 it automatically creates follow up in 8 days:



Zip with a logic hook that implements this behavior:

FollowUpCallInXdays.zip

Please feel free to use.

If you like to make adjustments to this logic or configure your own follow-up logic, please sign up for Logic Builder ( https://logicbuilder.integroscrm.com) and drop me a line via Club messaging, so that I could share this follow-up configuration flowchart with you - for adjustments and as example.