Plan: Not Available: Intermediate Available: Pro or Elite
Users: Not Available: All users Available: FYI Admins or User Group permissions
Practice Management Source: Available: All sources
The Create Spreadsheet step is used to create a Spreadsheet document as part of an Automation Process. Spreadsheets are created from the selected Template. The Temaplate can include Merge Fields to create the document content. Refer to Including Merge Fields in Automations.
Create Spreadsheet Step
The following is an example of the Create Spreadsheet step.
Create Spreadsheet Details
Action
| Field | Details |
| Template |
Select the Template to use to create the Spreadsheet document. Click the Open Template icon to open the Template in a new window. If the Template is modified after the process has been created, edit the process and reselect the Template. Otherwise, the changes to the Template will not be included. |
Filing
The Filing section controls the name of the Spreadsheet document and where it is filed in FYI.
| Field | Details |
| Name |
The name of the Spreadsheet document created in FYI. When a Template is selected, the Name can be set to Default from template to use the Template name, or changed to other text as required. |
| AutoFile |
AutoFile can be enabled or disabled as required.
|
| Cabinet | Available when AutoFile is set to Disabled. Select the Cabinet and Categories required for the Spreadsheet document. |
| Filing |
The Filing Status of the Spreadsheet document. This is set to Filed by default. If set to Unfiled, the document will be displayed in the Owner's In Tray. If an Owner is selected in the Workflow section, that user is used. If the Owner is not selected, the owner of the Automation Process is used. |
Workflow
The Workflow section is used to set the approval settings of the Spreadsheet document or set the document as read-only. Refer to Workflows.
| Field | Details |
| Owner |
Used to select the owner of the Spreadsheet document. This can be set to a specific user, or Merge Fields can be used to dynamically select the user. When selecting a Custom Field, only Custom Fields with the Type set to "User" are available. Refer to Custom User Roles. When a drop-down option is used to select the Owner:
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| Approver |
Used to select the Approver of the Spreadsheet document. This can be set to a specific user, or Merge Fields can be used to dynamically select the user. When selecting a Custom Field, only Custom Fields with the Type set to "User" are available. Refer to Custom User Roles. When a drop-down option is used to select the Approver:
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| Workflow | Can be set for information purposes, to set the approval of the Spreadsheet document, or to set it as read-only. This is set to Not Started by default. |
Task
The Task section is used to create a task for the Spreadsheet document when the process runs. The Start Date of the task is automatically set to the current date.
| Field | Details |
| Create a task | Controls whether a task is created by the Automation Process. If set to Yes, additional fields are displayed. |
| Template |
Select a Task Template, if required, to prepopulate the remaining fields, for example, Assignee. Advanced Task Fields, for example, Priority, Job Category, or Work Type, can only be populated using the selected Task Template. |
| Subject | Enter a brief subject for the task. Merge Fields can be selected to add relevant Client or Job information. |
| Assignee |
Select a specific user, or use Merge Fields to assign the task dynamically. Depending on the Automation Filter, this can include roles such as the Job Manager or Partner. For manual processes, the task can be assigned to the Automation Initiator User. Custom User Roles can also be selected from the Merge Fields window. When using the drop-down option to select the Assignee:
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| Delegator | Select a specific user, use Merge Fields, or select an available role based on the Automation Filter. When unassigned, the Delegator is set to System. The Delegator receives a notification when the task is completed. |
| Due date |
Select when the task needs to be completed as the number of days. Set this to 0 days to make the task due immediately. If Custom is selected, the Days field is displayed, allowing a value up to 365 days. |
| Status | Defaults to Not started. The Status can be changed to In Progress. |
| Cabinet | If Task Security is set in Practice Settings, select a Cabinet to apply Cabinet Security to the task. Refer to Managing Practice Settings. |
| Blocking |
Set Blocking to On to stop the process until the task created by the Automation Process is set to Completed. When the task is completed, the next step in the process commences. Note: If the process only contains one step, do not set a task created with Blocking to On, as the process will remain outstanding until the task Status is set to Complete. |
| AutoComplete | Allows Tasks created by an Automation Process to be automatically set to Complete when the selected condition is met. Refer to AutoComplete Tasks. |
| Details | Enter brief details of the task. Merge Fields can be selected to add relevant Client or Job information. |
Time
This feature is available to practices on the Elite plan.
The Time section in the drawer is automatically displayed when the Create a task option is enabled.
Time in Task Automation Process steps is used in Capacity Planning and AutoTime.
By adding time, you can forecast the time required for users to complete tasks and create draft timesheets when the task is complete.
When Time has been added to an Automation Process step, a clock icon is displayed in the drawer next to the Time heading.
| Field | Details |
| Allocation |
The method used to calculate the time assigned to the task. Fixed - The Default Time entered is always used when the time entry is created, regardless of the size of the Client or the Job Time Budget. Relative - Calculates the time relative to all Tasks on the Job. The total Default Time for all Tasks in the process is compared to the Estimated Hours for the Job, and Relative times are proportionately increased or decreased. For example:
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| Default Time |
Set the estimated time that the action or Task will take. Time can be entered using hours and minutes (hh:mm), a whole number, or a decimal. Decimals are converted using 6-minute increments. Once entered, the time is displayed using the hours and minutes format. Refer to Time Overview. For example, to add 12 minutes, enter:
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| Custom Fields |
Used to update Custom Fields when a time entry is created after completing a task. When a Custom Field is selected, a new field is added to the drawer and the selected field is removed from the available options. Additional Custom Fields can be selected from the drop-down. Update the added Custom Field by selecting a value from the drop-down or clicking the Merge Field icon. When updating a Custom Field that is a Date, it is set to Current Date by default. Custom Fields on the time entry are updated using the selections made in the Automation Process step, along with any values inherited from the Job. Note: To inherit from the Job, the Custom Fields must be enabled for both Job and Time. |
Comment
Automatic notifications can be defined and triggered by an Automation Process using Comments.
| Field | Details |
| Create a Comment | Set the option to Yes to display the Comment field. |
| Comment |
Enter the details of a comment, using the @ symbol to notify a specific user. Note: The following Merge Fields do not work in the Name field or Comments in processes.
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Using Merge Fields with Spreadsheet
Merge Fields can be used in the Create Spreadsheet step to insert data dynamically when the Automation Process runs. Merge Fields can insert data from:
- Data from the selected Filter, for example, trigger Clients or Jobs.
- Steps earlier in the process.
- A CSV Import file, where relevant to the Automation Process.
Click the Merge Field icon to select from the available Merge Fields. Refer to Including Merge Fields in Automations and Merge Fields Glossary - Automation Fields. For advanced formatting options, refer to Formatting Merge Fields.
For the Create Spreadsheet step, Merge Fields can be used in the Template to insert content into the Spreadsheet document. They can also be used in supported fields in the step, including the document Name in the Filing section, and relevant fields in the Workflow, Task, and Comment sections.
If you are importing a CSV file, the Trigger Data section in the Merge Fields window displays the CSV file columns that can be selected.
Note: The following Merge Fields do not work in the Name field or Comments in Automation Process steps.
- Original File Name, except in the Alter Document step.
- Upload Folder.
- Share Folder.