Introduction
In Salesforce, flows are a powerful tool for automating business processes, handling tasks without the need for manual intervention, and improving efficiency across teams. With flows, users can trigger actions based on events, records, or schedules, making Salesforce a dynamic system that adapts to real-time business needs. Among the many types of flows, Platform Event-Triggered Flows and Record-Triggered Orchestration Flows stand out for their ability to handle complex, event-driven processes and orchestrate multi-step tasks across departments.
What is Salesforce Flow?
Salesforce Flow is a robust tool that enables users to automate complex business processes using clicks instead of code. With Flow, you can automate data collection, updates, and approvals across multiple objects within Salesforce. By leveraging this tool, users can ensure that repetitive tasks are streamlined, allowing teams to focus on higher-value work.
Flow comes with a drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for both technical and non-technical users. The versatility of Flow lies in its ability to integrate with multiple systems and customize automation to suit business needs. It can be used to create workflows that trigger based on user actions or specific dates.
Key Benefits of Salesforce Flow
One of the main advantages of Salesforce Flow is its ability to reduce manual effort and human error. By automating routine tasks, businesses can improve efficiency and accuracy. Flow enables businesses to quickly respond to changing needs by offering real-time flexibility in workflow adjustments.
Additionally, Salesforce Flow can improve customer experiences by ensuring consistent processes. From handling service requests to approving quotes, Flow allows for smooth operations without delays. For teams, Flow increases productivity by reducing time spent on repetitive, low-value tasks, which, in turn, improves overall satisfaction.
Types of Flows in Salesforce
Screen Flows
Screen Flows allow you to design interactive user interfaces where users input data. These are most commonly used in scenarios requiring user interaction, such as customer service agents gathering information from clients. With Screen Flows, businesses can provide a step-by-step guided experience
Auto-Launched Flows
Auto-Launched Flows execute without user input. These flows are triggered by specific events such as changes in records or platform actions. They are ideal for automating tasks like sending notifications, updating records, or creating follow-up activities.
Scheduled Flows
Scheduled Flows run at a pre-defined time, making them useful for automating processes that happen at regular intervals. For example, you can use a Scheduled Flow to send weekly reports or to update data periodically.
Record-Triggered Flows
Record-Triggered Flows are triggered automatically when certain conditions are met on a specific Salesforce record. These flows execute when a record is created, updated, or deleted. They are commonly used to update related records, send email alerts, or launch other processes when specific criteria are met.
For example, when an opportunity reaches a “Closed Won” stage, a Record-Triggered Flow can notify the finance team to start the billing process.
Platform Event-Triggered Flows
Platform Event-Triggered Flows respond to platform events in Salesforce, which are messages or notifications sent when something important happens, either inside Salesforce or from external systems. These flows are designed to handle large-scale, event-driven processes, such as when a certain action needs to happen in response to data from an external system or a custom event inside Salesforce.
For example, a Platform Event-Triggered Flow could be set up to automatically create a case when a customer submits a complaint via a third-party app integrated with Salesforce. The flow listens for the platform event (like “New Complaint Received”) and triggers actions like creating a case and notifying the support team.
Platform Event-Triggered Flows are particularly useful in real-time integrations and asynchronous processing, where actions need to be taken as soon as an event occurs, but without requiring immediate user interaction.
Record-Triggered Orchestration Flows
Record-Triggered Orchestration Flows allow you to manage complex, multi-step processes that involve various records and stages. Unlike regular Record-Triggered Flows, which typically perform a single action when a record is created or updated, Orchestration Flows enable more sophisticated workflows that span across multiple records and phases.
These flows help you coordinate tasks across departments or systems and ensure that each step in a process is completed before moving to the next. For example, in a contract approval process, a Record-Triggered Orchestration Flow might first trigger a legal review, followed by a financial review, and finally, approval from management—each step occurring in sequence based on the status of related records.
Record-Triggered Orchestration Flows are ideal for long-running processes that involve multiple teams, records, or approval stages, ensuring the right actions are taken at the right time throughout the process.
How to create a flow in Salesforce?
To create a flow, follow these steps:
Go to Setup → Quick Find Box → Search for “Flows” → Click on Flows → Then, click New Flow.
This will open a new screen.
You can create any of the four types of flows. In this example, we will create a Record-Triggered Flow.
First, select the object. For this example, we’ll select the Lead object to trigger the flow when a lead is created and to send an email to the lead owner.
Next, go to the Elements tab and select Action for sending the email.
Then, create a new resource to define the email body and subject.
Select the resource type as Text Template.
Once the flow is set up, it will send an email to the lead owner when a lead is created.
Debug the flow and skip any start condition requirements.
The email will be sent to the lead owner when the flow is triggered.
Salesforce Flow Constraints and Key Points
Flow interview limitations:
- Maximum number of elements executed during runtime: 2,000
General Flow Constraints:
- Maximum versions per flow: 50
- Active flows allowed per flow type: 5 for PROFESSIONAL EDITIONS, and 2,000 for all other editions
- Total flows permitted per flow type: 5 for PROFESSIONAL EDITIONS, and 4,000 for all other editions
Per-Transaction Flow Constraints:
- Maximum SOQL queries allowed: 100
- Maximum number of records that can be retrieved via SOQL queries: 50,000
- Maximum DML statements allowed: 150
- Maximum records processed due to DML operations: 10,000
Summary
Salesforce Flow is a powerful tool that can greatly enhance business efficiency by automating routine tasks. With its user-friendly interface and wide range of capabilities, Flow can streamline processes across departments, from sales and service to operations. By implementing best practices and leveraging use cases, businesses can maximize the value of Salesforce Flow and drive better outcomes.
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