How To Set Up Automations

Automations reduce repetitive work by triggering actions when specific events or conditions occur in SubcontractorHub. You can use them to send emails or text messages, update fields, schedule appointments, create tasks, and manage other workflow actions.

Automation options depend on the selected module and job type. For Appointment automations, automated emails can also use proposal information through Proposal merge fields, allowing appointment communications to include relevant proposal details automatically.

Follow the steps below to create and configure an automation.

Step 1: Navigate to “Manage Database” and click “Database” from the main menu.

Step 2: Under “Additional,” click “Automation.”

Step 3: Click “Add New Automation.”

Step 4: Enter the “Title” of the automation.

Step 5: Select the module for the automation, then click “Next.”

Step 6: Select the applicable job type, then click “Start Now!”

Step 7: Click “Add Start Trigger” to define when the automation should run.

Step 8: Select the trigger for the automation.

Step 9: Click the “+” icon to add an action.

Step 10: Select the action you want the automation to perform. To send an automated email, select “Send Email.”

Step 11: Select the recipient from the “To” dropdown and any additional recipients from “CC.” Enter the subject and message, add any applicable merge fields, then click “Save.”

Step 12: Click the “+” icon to add another action.

Step 13: Select “Send Text Message.”

Step 14: Select the recipient from the “To” dropdown and enter the message.

Step 15: Click the “+” icon to add another action.

Step 16: Select “Update Fields” to automatically update applicable fields.

Step 17: Select the applicable “Field” and “Field Stages,” then click “Save.”

Step 18: You can also select If/Else action from the list.

Step 19: You can choose from a list of conditions, fields, and operators.

Step 20: Click the “+” icon to set another action.

Finance Partner fields can be used in automations for the Projects and Proposals modules.

Step 1: After selecting the job type, choose “When Field Updated” as the trigger.

Step 2: Under “Select Field,” choose “Finance Partner.”

Step 3: Select the applicable finance partner from “Field Value.”

Step 4: Click “Save.”

Step 1: Under “Automation Ends Here,” select “If/Else.”

Step 2: Click “Add Condition.”

Step 3: Select “If Field Value,” then choose “Finance Partner” for the field.

Step 4: Set the operator to “Equal To” and select the applicable finance partner in “Field Value.”

Step 5: Click “Save” to apply the condition.

Change Order Status supports:

For instance: You can set up an automation to send a notification to the user when a change order is marked as completed.

This update makes it easier to track progress and communicate change order updates without manual follow-ups.

Step1: Select "When Change Order" as the trigger condition.

Step 2: Choose "Completed" from the status options and click “Save”.

Step 3: Under "Automation Ends Here", select the desired action (e.g., send email, send SMS, etc.).

Step 4: Choose your preferred notification method and complete the setup.

Step 1: Select the “When Message Received” trigger.

Step 2: Choose the mode of message, “SMS” or “Email,” and click “Save”.

You can add an automation specific to “Project Module” that triggers specific actions when a project's status changes to "On-Hold." It helps to streamline project management and ensure consistent handling of projects placed on hold. Follow the steps below to configure this automation.

Step 1: After clicking on “Add Start Triggers,” click on “When Stage Changes To” to set up the automation.

Step 2: From the tab, select “On-Hold.”

Step 3: Click on “Save.”

Step 4: When you click on “Automation Ends Here,” you can choose the necessary follow-up actions to be executed automatically when a project is moved to On-Hold. For instance, you can send an Email, set up an SMS or any other automation of your desired choice.

Before putting your automation into live use, it's important to run a test to ensure everything is configured correctly and triggers as expected. The update has been implemented for leads, proposals, projects, customers, and organizations; however, it is not currently supported for Proposal QC or Project Service. Follow the steps below to run a test on your automation and validate its functionality.

Step 1: Navigate to your automation dashboard where all existing automations are listed. Find the specific automation you want to test, and click “Edit” to open its configuration.

Step 2: From the dropdown menu, select “Edit”

Step 3: Once inside edit mode, locate the “Run Test” button in the top-right corner of the screen. This button initiates the test process.

Step 4: After clicking the button, a new tab or modal will appear that allows you to patch sample data into the automation. You can either select a test dataset from the dropdown or manually search for specific data records to run the test against.

Step 5: If the automation is configured correctly and the test runs successfully, the “Automation Ends Here” step will turn green, indicating that the automation completed its flow without any errors.

Step 6: If the automation is misconfigured and the test run fails, the “Automation Ends Here” step will be highlighted in red, indicating that errors occurred during the automation process.

Step 19: Click “Wait/Delay” to specify the duration of the automation’s waiting period.

Step 20: Enter the waiting period duration and click “Save”.

Step 21: Click the “+” icon to set another action.

Step 22: You can also schedule and manage an appointment here.

Step 23: To schedule the appointment, select the “Appointment Type”, add “Title”, select “Attendees” and “Tags”, and add the “Description”.

Step 24: Set the custom scheduling options such as the date, time, and duration of the appointment. Click “Save”.

Step 25: Click the “+” icon to set another action.

Step 26:Click “Create Task” to generate a task linked to this project.

Step 27: Enter the “Subject” and “Description”, and select "Assign To”, “Stage” and “Priority”.

Step 28: Set the number of days to set the task and click “Save”.

Step 29: Once the automation is set, click “Launch”.

Step 30: Click “Yes”.

Step 1: Click “If/Else”.

Step 2: Click “Add Condition” button.

Step 3: Select the “Condition” and “Field”, and click “Save”.

Step 4: Your automation is now split based on Conditions.

The “When Tag Added” trigger runs an automation when a selected tag is added to a project. This trigger is available for the Project module across all job types.

Step 1: Create or edit an automation for the Project module, then click “Add Start Trigger.”

Step 2: Select “When Tag Added.”

Step 3: Under “Select Field,” choose the project tag that should trigger the automation.

Step 4: Click “Save.”

The “When Perfect Packet Question Answered” trigger runs an automation when a selected Perfect Packet question receives the configured answer. This trigger is available for the Proposal module across all job types.

Step 1: Create or edit an automation for the Proposal module, then click “Add Start Trigger.”

Step 2: Select “When Perfect Packet Question Answered.”

Step 3: Under “Select Field,” select the applicable Perfect Packet question.

Step 4: Under “Field Value,” enter the answer that should trigger the automation. Leave the field blank if any value should trigger the automation.

Step 5: Click “Save.”

A team creates an Appointment automation that sends an email when a customer appointment reaches the selected trigger. The email uses Customer merge fields for the recipient's information and Proposal merge fields for relevant proposal details. When the automation runs, SubcontractorHub fills those fields with information from the associated records instead of requiring the team to enter the same information manually for every appointment.