SmartFlows allow you to automate business processes by allowing you to create a flow that can collect, calculate, update and create Dynamics 365/CRM information. These SmartFlows can then be connected into any user action such as saving a record, executing a Dialog, Workflow or Action process. In most cases it will be preferable build to business flow logic in a Decision Table (it is easier to visualize) but in some instances you will need to use the SmartFlow capability.
SmartFlows can execute logic, interact with the CRM database, call external web services, execute existing Workflows or Actions and even be set to run on a timed schedule by the North52 Scheduler.
SmartFlows enable you to automate business processes across your organization
Some examples are:
- Diagnostics and troubleshooting guides
- Product configuration
- Sales quotations
- Guided selling with sales methodologies
- Employee on-boarding
SmartFlow – A Business Sample
In this scenario we have a fictitious Insurance company that rents out vehicles. The rental agreement between the Insurance company and the customer is represented by a Contract. The Contract is made up of many (1:N) Rental Payments which are paid on a monthly basis.
The business need here is to calculate the settlement amount when a contract is terminated early via an Early Termination Quote.
The screenshot shows where we have added two new sub-grids to the out of the box contract entity which represent:
- The Rental Payments associated to this contract
- Any Early Termination Quotes associated to this contract
Business Rules
On the contract record an Early Termination Quote record can be added via the sub-grid. The user will enter in a ‘Last Rental Payment Date’ on this record and click save. During the save process the settlement amount must be calculated based on certain rules:
IF 4 or more Rental Payments are due after the Last Rental Payment Date THEN
- Find Max of EITHER
- (-) 40% of Sum of Rental Payment Amounts after the Last Rental Payment Date + Early Termination Admin Fee
- (-) 4 times the Rental Payment Amount + Early Termination Fee
ELSE
- Sum of Rental Payment Amounts after the Last Rental Payment Date + Early Termination Admin Fee
* We assume all rental payment for a contract are the same value per month
Data Model
SmartFlow – Solution
- A formula of type ‘Save To Current Record’ is created that will execute whenever a new Early Termination Quote is created
- The SmartFlow result will be placed into the Settlement Amount field on the Early Termination Quote record
- Next Calculate the Count of Remaining Months
- Next Calculate the Sum of the Remaining Amount
- Next Calculate four times the standard payment
- Next Calculate the Admin Fee
- It then checks if the remaining months are greater than 4
- If yes then it calculates the greater value of
40% of the RemainingAmount + Admin Fee OR Four Times the standard payment + Admin Fee
- Otherwise it returns the Remaining Amount + the Admin Fee
This full sample with step by step instructions can be viewed on our knowledge base.