Unlock Prodsmart Potential In Salesforce With Zapier

Introduction

In today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape, the need for seamless operations and real-time data management is more critical than ever. Prodsmart, a robust manufacturing execution system (MES) and manufacturing resource planning (MRP) software, offers unparalleled capabilities to track and manage production data. However, to fully harness its potential, integrating Prodsmart with Salesforce—the world’s leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform—is essential. This is where Zapier, a no-code automation tool, steps in, acting as the bridge that connects these two powerful platforms.

Understanding Prodsmart and Salesforce

Prodsmart is a comprehensive solution designed to streamline manufacturing processes by providing real-time data tracking, enabling better decision-making, and improving operational efficiency. It is particularly valuable in industries ranging from automotive parts to textiles, where precision and timing are paramount. On the other hand, Salesforce excels as a CRM tool that centralizes customer data, tracks interactions, and manages sales pipelines. The integration of these two platforms allows manufacturers to link production data with customer and sales information, creating a cohesive ecosystem that drives productivity and customer satisfaction.

Introduction to Zapier

Zapier is an innovative automation tool that empowers businesses to connect disparate applications without the need for complex coding. By creating automated workflows known as “Zaps,” Zapier enables users to set up Triggers—events that initiate the workflow—and Actions—tasks that are performed in response. This automation simplifies routine tasks, reduces manual labor, and ensures that data flows seamlessly between applications like Prodsmart and Salesforce. Zapier’s flexibility and ease of use make it an ideal choice for businesses looking to enhance their operational efficiency through automation.

Prodsmart Potential in Salesforce with Zapier

Manufacturing companies rely on streamlined processes to stay competitive, and the right technology stack can make all the difference. Integrating Prodsmart with Salesforce using Zapier opens up new avenues for automation and efficiency. By connecting these powerful platforms, manufacturers can automate data flow, reduce manual errors, and improve overall operational management.

In this article, we explore how Zapier acts as the middleman between Prodsmart and Salesforce, offering simple yet effective automation options. We’ll guide you through the steps of setting up this integration and show how it can significantly impact your manufacturing workflow.

Why Integrate Prodsmart with Salesforce?

Integrating Prodsmart with Salesforce combines two of the most powerful tools available to manufacturers and businesses. Prodsmart tracks every aspect of production, from materials to finished goods, while Salesforce offers best-in-class CRM tools that help manage customer relationships, sales data, and service needs. But why connect them?

Connecting Prodsmart and Salesforce allows companies to ensure that production data is always in sync with customer and sales information. This real-time connection helps companies keep track of orders, manage inventory efficiently, and deliver products faster without sacrificing quality. Moreover, it opens doors for more personalized customer service as businesses can anticipate delays or issues with production and communicate them to clients directly through Salesforce.

How Zapier Simplifies Integration

Zapier acts as a bridge between applications that don’t natively connect. For example, Prodsmart and Salesforce may not have a built-in integration, but Zapier can facilitate communication between the two systems. By setting up “Zaps” (automated workflows), data flows seamlessly from one platform to the other, reducing the need for manual intervention.

One of the main benefits of Zapier is its user-friendly interface. Even if you don’t have a technical background, you can easily create automations that enhance your business workflows.

Zapier Action

Till now we see about Zapier Trigger but now Late see about the second part of zap that is Actions. Zapier actions push or put new data into apps through API calls that pass data from user-customized input fields. Action steps in Zaps can create new items in an app update existing items with a create action, or find existing items in an app with search actions. Search actions can optionally be paired with create actions to add a new item if the search does not return a result. 

Actions should also return output fields detailing what was created (or found) so that data can be used in subsequent steps to build detailed workflows. Webhooks typically are used to connect two different applications. When an event happens on the trigger application, it serializes data about that event and sends it to a webhook URL from the action application—the one you want to do something based on the data from the first application. The action application can then send a callback message, often with an HTTP status code like 302 to let the trigger application know if the data was received successfully or 404 if not. By using Webhooks we send different types of requests.

Example: We select in Action webhooks by Zapier and as an event, we select Post request. and POST requests are used to send data to the API server to create or update a resource. In this example, we get the access token of the salesforce account.

To set up action In URL we give a standard URL to access Token (It’s used for Production if you want to use sandbox make sure Instead of login use Test) And Data set Username, Password, Client ID, client secret, Grant type. then we get our result in Test action. We can add multiple Actions in one Zap. In Zap add a new Action client on “+” (Plus).

Let’s see another Webhook Action using another event like Custom Request. In Custom Request firstly we need to select which type of method we used like POST, GET, DELETE, etc. In this example, we selected GET request. GET is used to request data from a specified resource. Custom request Have URL We use SQL stands for Structured Query Language. SQL lets you access and manipulate databases. In this Query we access Order-related Account details and also using sub Query get details of the Order product. To get these details in the Header use the access token that we get above using Post method.

We use Utilities in formatter by Zapier for Separated of Order Product. Utilities are mostly focused on working with lists or list items; they’ll let you split up lists, put them together, pick a single item from a list, and more. They’ll also let you build a simple lookup table, giving your automation the ability to handle several different scenarios with a single step. Add a Formatter step to your Zap, select the Text action, and then choose the Split Text transform option. Add the text you want to split to the Input field and the delimiter that’s splitting up the text to the Separator field.

Let’s check the List of clients Prodsmart, In the above first step we get Account details using the GET Method. To get a List of clients we use the Account Name as a code. In Prodsmart Code is Unique.

Let’s see about Path in Zapier.

Zapier Paths tool is built to navigate those twists and turns with conditional workflows. Building on multi-step Zaps, Paths lets one Zap (our word for automated workflows) do different tasks depending on the data you provide. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure story for your work. At first, it might look like you’d need to build multiple Zaps to achieve this. Instead, you can use Paths to do it in one Zap. Paths lets you split your Zap into the different outcomes your data needs. Your Zap starts with a trigger app that tells Zapier something happened: Someone bought your product, emailed your team, created a new project, or found a bug to fix.

Example: In the above, we get a List of Clients now using Paths we check first whether the client exists or not. we need to set the path Rule first. If Client exists in Prodsmart then only this path is run.

If the Client exists then run this path and go to the next step we use Code by Zapier using this action and selecting action Run Javascript, Separated Billing address and shipping address in Prodsmart format. After Separating Addresses Using Update Client Event We Update Existing Client Addresses.

Now Create a new Sales Order in Prodsmart related to the Client Order. For this, we need to create a sales order event.

Need to set up the create sales order action for this we use the Order Number as Code. code is required to create a sales order time of creating a sales order make sure that the Billing Address of the client and the Shipping address of the client is exactly match with sales order Address. If it does not match it’s a clause error in Zapier. creating sales orders Product and Quantity are required.

After setting up the action our sales order is created in Prodsmart.

The last Update These details are in the Salesforce record. For this need to add a new action select Update record event and set up this action with Order ID in the Prodsmart field updating all details that we get in the above steps means sales order details.

above Path works when a client exists in Prodsmart.

add a second Path and set up Path rules if the Client does not Exist in Prodsmart.

After Setting up the path rule if the client does not exist then the next step we create a new client. For new clients in Prodsmart, we select create client events.

for this Code and Client Name is required. We also create contact related to this client and set up Addresses.

Below are the Required fields in Prodsamrt to create a Client:

“Code”: Number that identifies the client.

“Name”: Name and surname of the client.

“VAT Number”: VAT identification number of the client.

“Address”: Address of the person or business.

“Phone Number”: Phone number of the person or business.

“Email”: E-mail of the person or business.

After Creating a New client in Prodsmart. We create Sales orders related to that new client and  Update sales order details in Salesforce as we did for our first path.

The Benefits of Prodsmart for Manufacturing

Prodsmart is designed specifically for the manufacturing industry. Its primary goal is to track production lines, equipment efficiency, and employee output. This allows manufacturers to have a clear understanding of their overall operational effectiveness.

With Prodsmart, businesses can identify bottlenecks in production, minimize waste, and optimize resource allocation. Combining these insights with Salesforce ensures that you can directly connect production data with customer orders and fulfillment, delivering a more efficient operation.

The Power of Automation with Zapier

Zapier is a no-code tool that allows users to automate tasks between different apps, making it easy for non-developers to connect platforms like Prodsmart and Salesforce. Zapier works by triggering actions when certain conditions are met – for example, creating a new customer order in Salesforce when Prodsmart updates a production line report.

With Zapier, businesses can automate routine data entry tasks and free up employees to focus on higher-value work. By setting up these automations, you reduce human error, increase speed, and improve communication across departments. Let’s explore a few key automations you can set up between Prodsmart and Salesforce.

Advanced Integration Techniques

For more complex integration needs, Zapier offers advanced features like Webhooks, Paths, and Custom Requests.

• Webhooks for Real-Time Data Transfer: Webhooks provide a way to send data between Prodsmart and Salesforce in real-time, ensuring that both systems are always up-to-date.
• Zapier Paths for Conditional Workflows: Paths in Zapier allow you to create conditional workflows where the process splits based on specific criteria. For example, if an order in Salesforce is marked as urgent, a different production process might be initiated in Prodsmart.
• Custom Requests Using GET, POST, and SQL Queries: Custom requests allow you to perform more complex operations, such as querying Prodsmart for specific data or updating multiple records in Salesforce simultaneously. Using SQL queries within Zapier, you can extract detailed information from Prodsmart, such as client lists or order details, and feed this data back into Salesforce.

Benefits of Integrating Prodsmart with Salesforce via Zapier

The integration of Prodsmart with Salesforce via Zapier offers numerous benefits:

• Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Automating data transfer between Prodsmart and Salesforce reduces the time spent on manual data entry, allowing employees to focus on more strategic tasks.
• Real-Time Data Synchronization: With Webhooks and real-time data transfer, both Prodsmart and Salesforce are always in sync, ensuring that production and sales teams are working with the most up-to-date information.
• Reduction in Manual Data Entry and Errors: By automating routine tasks, the risk of human error is significantly reduced, leading to more accurate and reliable data.

   

Summary

Integrating Prodsmart with Salesforce via Zapier unlocks a new level of efficiency and productivity for manufacturing operations. By automating data flows and creating seamless workflows between these two platforms, businesses can ensure that their production processes are tightly aligned with their sales strategies. As automation continues to evolve, the potential for further integration and optimization will only grow, making it essential for forward-thinking companies to embrace these tools and technologies today.