Use the Flow actions

In Flow Studio, the actions are one of the two element types that you use to configure flows. The other element type: The controls)

When creating a flow, place an action element at the step where you want the respective action to be executed for objects reaching that step.

Examples of actions in a flow.
Examples will be added later.

1. Add an action to a flow

To add an action to a flow, proceed as follows:

  1. Open an existing flow or create a new flow in the Automation » Flow Studio menu.

  2. Identify the flow position where the action is to be carried out.

  3. Open the Actions tab in the left-hand column.
    → The tab with available actions, organized into categories, opens.

  4. Select the action that is to be carried out. Refer to the section Selecting an action for detailed information on the individual actions.

  5. Add the action to the flow by dragging it to the appropriate flow position.
    Note: The plus symbols (add_circle) that appear when you drag the action onto the canvas indicate the available points in the flow.

  6. If necessary, configure the additional settings for the action. Refer to the section Selecting an action for detailed information on the individual actions.
    Note: Many actions require additional settings to be configured. In such cases, the additional settings appear in the column on the right.

1.1. Selecting an action

You select the actions for a flow in the column to the left of the canvas. In the Actions tab, the actions are divided into the following categories:

1.1.1. Documents category

Table 1. Documents category
Event Explanation

Archive document

This action archives specific documents for the affected orders.
Additional settings:
From the drop-down list, select the type of documents to be archived.

1.1.2. Multichannel category

Table 2. Multichannel category
Event Explanation

Post feedback on eBay

This action submits a positive rating for the affected orders. The rating is set up in the menu below.

Prerequisites:
An automatic rating saved in the following menu: Setup » Markets » eBay » Settings » Tab: Account Settings » [Section: Automatic ratings].

Start dispute on eBay

This action starts a dispute on eBay for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
Select the appropriate reason from the first drop-down list and the corresponding explanation from the second drop-down list.

1.1.3. Order category

Table 3. Order category
Event Explanation

Register order with shipping service provider

This action registers the order with the shipping provider
via the already configured interface/plugin, and
using the selected shipping profile.

Additional settings:
No additional settings.

Prerequisites:
Already configured interfaces/plugins of the respective shipping provider.

Note: You cannot use this action together with the Amazon service Amazon Prime.

Create messenger conversation

This action creates a new Messenger conversation for the affected orders.

Settings:

Select a template for the conversation. You can create templates in EmailBuilder.

Select a channel for the conversation. You can find more information on how to configure messenger channels here.

If Amazon is selected as the channel, you can select the message type for Amazon under Amazon message type.

Create order

This action creates a suborder (child order) for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
Select the order type that will be created. The options in the drop-down list are s follows:

  • Order

  • Credit note

  • Warranty

Copy order

This action creates an order copy for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
Select the order type to be assigned to the copies. The options in the drop-down list are as follows:

  • Order

  • Reorder

Split order

The procedure splits the order items of an order into separate delivery orders.

Additional settings:
Choose the criterion by which to filter. The options in the drop-down list are as follows:

  • Split by item availability

    • Then, from the drop-down list, select the item availability group by which to split the order.

  • Split by delivery date

  • Split by available line of items

    • Then, from the drop-down list, select the attribute by which to split the order.

Change order status

This action changes the order status for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
Select the order type that will be assigned to the affected orders.

Change order type

Select the status that the affected orders will be changed to.

Additional settings:
Select the order type that will be assigned to the affected orders. The options in the drop-down list are as follows:

  • Sales order

  • Advance order

Select order template

This action automatically applies a previously set up order template to the affected orders.

Additional settings:
Select an order template from the drop-down list.

Prerequisites:
Existing order templates.

Note: Order templates are created in the Setup » Orders » Order template menu.

Create document

This action creates an document for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
From the drop-down list, select the document type to be created for the affected orders.

Prerequisites:
Existing templates of the required document type.

Note: Document templates are created in the menu Set up » Documents » DocumentBuilder.

Send email

This action sends an email for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
From the drop-down list, select the email template to use when sending the emails for the affected orders.
From the second drop-down list, select the recipient of the email.
Select check_box_outline_blank Enter email address manually from the drop-down list if the desired email address is not listed, and enter it in the field below.

Set order entry date to today

This action sets the order’s receipt date to today’s date (today = the day on which the flow run takes place).

Add weight to packages

This action adds a weight to the packages of the affected orders.

Additional settings:

Specify the weight (in grams) to be added.

Assign sales representative to customer

The procedure assigns a sales representative to an order.

Note: The sales representative is assigned based on the postcode of the address linked to order recipient. For a sales representative to be assigned, it is mandatory that a range of postcodes is saved in the representative’s contact data. The contact ID of the sales representative is saved instead of the name.

For further information, refer to the Editing a contact page of the manual.

Change customer rating

This action changes the respective contact’s customer rating for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
!Select the appropriate rating from the drop-down list.

Change customer class

This action changes the respective contact’s customer class for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
Select the appropriate customer class from the drop-down list.

Prerequisites
Already set up customer classes.

Note: You set customer classes up in the menu Set up » CRM » Classes.

Change customer type

This action changes the respective contact’s customer type for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
Select the appropriate customer type from the drop-down list. The options are as follows:

  • Customer

  • Sales lead

  • Sales representative

  • Supplier

  • Producer

  • Partner

Assign storage location

This action assigns a storage location to the affected orders.

Note: The storage location is assigned based on your warehouse settings. Use the option Unassign old storage location if you want to unassign any previously assigned storage locations before you assign new ones.

Unassign storage location

This action unassigns any storage locations previously assigned to the order items.

Create delivery orders

This action automatically splits the affected orders into delivery orders.

Additional settings:
From the drop-down list on the right, select the criterion that will be used to split the orders. The options are as follows:

  • Split automatically

  • Split by gross value of items

  • Split by item availability

Change dunning level

This action changes the dunning level for the affected orders.

Additional settings:

From the drop-down list on the right, select the dunning level that will be assigned to the affected orders.

Register return with shipping service provider

This procedure registers the order via the interface or the plugin that you have already set up.

Prerequisites:

  • The shipping service provider must allow registration of returns.

Assign serial numbers

This action assigns a serial number to the affected orders.

Tags

This action adds tags to or removes tags from the affected orders.

Additional settings:
From the drop-down list on the right, select

  • Add tags

  • Remove tags or

  • Remove and add tags.
    From the second drop-down list on the right, select the tags to be added to/removed from affected orders.

Note: You can also choose to remove all tags by ticking the corresponding box.

Open URL

This action opens the URL entered. The URL can be used to transmit information on orders. For example, the order ID can be included by attaching the template variable $OrderID to the URL. The URL has to be entered in its full length and according to the template https://www.example.co.uk.

Example including the attached order ID: https://www.example.co.uk/$OrderID/.

The following template variables can be used:

  • $OrderStatus

  • $ReferrerID

  • $CustomerID

  • $CustomerNumber

The available template variables are listed within the procedure.
HTTP method = Select GET, PUT or POST.
Content type = Enter the content type for the URL.
Example: If XML content should be transferred, enter text/xml.
Request Content = Texts, for example XML or JSON content can be transferred.

Add variations to order

This action adds a specific variation to the affected orders.

Additional settings:
Enter the corresponding variation ID for this. You cannot enter more than one ID.

Cancel shipment

This action cancels the shipping for the affected orders.

Reset shipment

This resets the shipping for the affected orders.

Request shipping label from Amazon Prime

This action requests a shipping label from Amazon Prime for the affected orders.

Create shipping packages

This action creates shipping packages for an order before the order is opened in the shipping centre.

Change shipping profile

This action changes the shipping profile for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
Select the shipping profile from the drop-down list.

Change order payment method

This action changes the payment method for the affected orders.

Additional settings:
Select the order payment method that will be assigned to the affected orders. To do so, use the drop-down list on the right.

1.1.4. Order item category

Table 4. Order item category
Event Explanation

Recalculate shipping profile of order items

This action recalculates the shipping profile for the order items in the affected orders.

Book outgoing items

This action books the outgoing items for the affected orders.

1.1.5. Plugins category

The Plugins category contains all plugin-specific actions that are available in the event procedures (the predecessor system to Flow). Which actions appear here will depend on the plugins that you use.

1.1.6. Purchase order category

Table 5. Purchase order category
Event Explanation

Finish purchase order

This action finishes reorders and redistributions.

Note: You can no longer edit orders that have been set to finished.

Initiate purchase order

The procedure initiates reorders and redistributions.

Note: For reorders, this means that the reorder is transmitted to the supplier. For redistributions, this means that the process of booking items from a sending warehouse to a target warehouse begins with this procedure.

Cancel open quantities in reorder

This action cancels all open quantities in a reorder.

Set delivery date (reorder only)

This action saves the delivery date in reorders.

Note: The system then calculates the estimated delivery date on the basis of the Delivery time saved in the Supplier tab of the variations included in the reorder. For more information on saving the delivery time for a variation, refer to the Managing items page of the manual.