Workflow automation launch checklist

A workflow that creates the wrong task, or a hundred of them, is worse than no workflow. People stop trusting the automation and start ignoring the tasks. Many workflow problems come from the same few mistakes: a trigger that is too broad, an action with no owner or a rule nobody tested.

Use this checklist before you switch a new workflow on. It suits sales leaders at manufacturers and distributors who want fewer dropped follow-ups. If you haven't built one yet, start with how to build your first sales workflow. To compare CRMs on this feature, see best CRM with workflow automation.

Confirm the job is worth automating

Automate a step that people forget or do the same way each time. Don't automate a decision that needs judgement. If you picked the job with the first-workflow guide, this is a quick confirmation.

Choose the trigger and the action

A trigger is the event that starts the workflow. The action is what happens. PromptLab workflows can start when a deal changes stage, a quote is created or changes status, a sample is created or changes status, an email, WhatsApp or Telegram message arrives, or a meeting, task or note event happens. Actions include creating a task, assigning an owner, creating a meeting and posting to Slack.

Name an owner and set limits

Every workflow needs a person who answers for it. Without an owner it runs for months after the process has changed.

Test before you switch on

Run it on a test record first, and read what it produced as the person who will receive it.

Launch and tell the team

A workflow people don't expect looks like a mistake. Say what is changing and what you want them to do with it.

Review after a few weeks

Look at what the workflow did. Compare it to the problem you meant to fix.

The items people skip

• The test. Teams switch on a workflow and find the mistake from a customer, or from a hundred tasks.
• An owner. The rule outlives the person who made it.
• Overlap. Two workflows reacting to the same quote status create double tasks.
• The review. A workflow that made sense in spring may be noise by autumn.

How PromptLab helps

Workflow automation is on every plan. A workflow can start when a deal changes stage, a quote or a sample changes status, or a message arrives by email, WhatsApp or Telegram, and it can create a task, assign an owner, create a meeting or post to Slack. Because the quote, deal, sample and conversations are in the same CRM, the workflow reacts to the records your team already works in. For setting up the first one, read the workflows reference and see sales automation.

Frequently asked questions

What should I check before I switch on a workflow?

That the trigger is as narrow as it can be, the task has an owner, a clear title and a sensible due date, and the workflow doesn't clash with another one on the same event. Then test it on a dummy record and check for duplicates.

How do I test a workflow before launch?

Trigger it on a test record on a dummy account, then check the task, owner, due date and any Slack post. Trigger it twice to look for duplicates, then delete the test records.

How do I stop a workflow creating duplicate tasks?

Pick a narrow trigger, such as one quote status rather than any change, and check no other workflow reacts to the same event. Trigger it twice on a test record before launch, and look at the first day's tasks once it is live.

Who should own a workflow?

One named person, usually a sales manager or a sales operations lead. They answer questions about it, review it after a few weeks and turn it off when it is out of date.

Can a workflow post to Slack?

Yes. In PromptLab a workflow can post to Slack as an action, as well as create a task, assign an owner or create a meeting. Send posts to a channel your team reads.