Plan: Not Available: Intermediate, Pro Available: Elite
Users: Not Available: All users Available:FYI Admins or User Group Permissions
Practice Management Source: Not Available: APS, Iris, MYOB AE & AO, CCH, MYOB Practice Management (formerly GreatSoft) Available: FYI or Xero Practice Manager
This article explains how to use the Create Form Process step to automatically create forms for clients. This can also be combined with other steps, for example, using the Create Email step to email the form to the client.
Note: Ensure the Forms feature has been enabled for your practice. If Forms has been subsequently disabled and a Create Step runs, an error will displayed in Automation History.
The following is an example of a Create Form step.
Create Form Fields
Each field in the Create Form step is detailed below, separated by the section of the drawer.
Action
The Action section is used to select the form that will be created by the automation process.
| Field | Details |
| Form Template | Creates the Form using the fields and layout specified in the Form Template. This ensures a consistent format for collecting data from clients. |
Filing
The Filing section controls how the document is named and where it is filed.
Note: If a Job view has been selected for the Automation Filter, and the Cabinet selected in the filing has been enabled for Jobs, the Form will automatically be assigned to the job as per the Job View. This can be updated later if required.
| Field | Details |
| Name | The name of the form created in FYI. This can either default to the Name specified in the template, or customised if required. Merge Fields can be used to personalise the name, for example, adding the Client Name. |
| AutoFile |
Can be set to either Enabled or Disabled. When disabled, the Form will be filed using the settings for the Cabinet and Categories in the process step. When enabled, the Filing Defaults for the current client are used for each form, if available. |
| Client |
Only displayed when AutoFile is set to Disabled. This field specifies the client the form has been created for. This will be set to "Don't update" by default. Select Current Client to select the client A client can be nominated if preferred, however this will apply to all forms created by the automation process. |
| Cabinet |
Only displayed when AutoFile is set to Disabled. A Cabinet must be nominated, where the form will be filed when created. |
| Categories | Only displayed when AutoFile is set to Disabled, and categories have been created for the selected Cabinet. If any of the Categories have been set to Required, an option must be selected in the Automation Step. |
| Filing | Set to Filed by default. If this is set to Unfiled, it will appear in the owner's In Tray ready for filing, either the Owner specified in the Workflow section, or the automation process owner. |
Workflow
The Workflow section is used to manage the life cycle of the form. When the form is first created, it's recommended to set the Workflow to Not Started. Once the form has been shared, the Workflow will be automatically set to Pending Submission.
In the example below, a Merge Field has been used to set the Owner of the form to be the Client's Manager.
| Field | Details |
| Owner | The owner of the form when created. This can be set to a specific user, or a Merge Field can be selected, for example, to automatically select the Client Manager or Partner, or the user that triggered the automation. |
| Approver | The user responsible for approving the form before it's sent to the client. This can be set to a specific user, or a Merge Field can be selected. |
| Workflow |
The status of the form, typically set to "Not Started". If using Workflow to approve the form before sending it to the client, this may be set to another status if required. All Workflow states will appear in the drop-down. When the form is shared, this will be automatically updated to "Pending Submission". |
Task
The Task section is used to create a task for the form when the process runs. For example, if using Workflow to approve forms, a task may be created to review and approve the form.
By default, the Task field is set to No. Click the toggle to display the Task fields, to create a task as required. Refer to Process Step Details - Create Task.
Comment
Automatic notifications can be triggered as part of the automation process. For example, a comment may be used to alert the Client Manager or Partner that the form has been created. Refer to Automation Notifications.
By default, the Comment field is set to No. Click the toggle to display the Comment fields.