By mastering the fundamentals of creating and customising NetSuite workflows,
you can quickly adapt and evolve NetSuite to support the unique operational processes of your business.
Here are some best practices for customising NetSuite workflows to boost efficiency, all without writing a single line of code.
1. SuiteFlow Foundations
SuiteFlow is a graphical tool to create and execute workflows in NetSuite.
First, ensure you have the appropriate permissions; only admins can view, create, and edit workflows. To access and enable SuiteFlow functionality, go to: Setup > Company > Enable Features > SuiteCloud.
Workflow. A workflow defines and automates a business process within NetSuite.
Business processes may include transaction approval, lead nurturing, and record management.
Workflow Elements. The following table describes the elements of a workflow:
2. Workflow Manager
The Workflow Manager is a drag-and-drop tool that is used to create, view, and edit the state, action, and transition of workflow elements.
View Mode. The Workflow Manager Interface has two modes: view and edit. View mode, by definition, allows you to view workflow details. To access view mode, go to the workflow list page (Customization > Scripting > Workflows) and click the name of the workflow you would like to view.
Edit Mode. In edit mode, you can configure workflow details. Access edit mode from the Workflows list page by clicking Edit to the left of a workflow name. When you have
finished any workflow revisions, click “View” to return to view mode and the top of the Diagrammer.
This table describes pages and subtabs within the Workflow Manager.
3. Building a Workflow
It’s a best practice to use workflow templates as a starting point to create customised workflows to define standard business processes. To create a workflow from a template, select the template and then edit the workflow definition properties, states, actions, and transitions to customise the workflow according to your needs.
Common workflow templates include:
- Journal Entry Basic Approval Template
- Purchase Order Basic Approval Template
- Sales Order Basic Approval Template
- Lead Nurturing Template
Creating and editing a workflow. Create a workflow on the Workflow Definition page. Specify the workflow basic properties, event definition, and workflow initiation properties. You can also schedule a workflow, view and edit existing workflows, and copy and deactivate workflows.
Creating and editing states. Use the Workflow Diagrammer to create states, and use the Workflow Diagrammer, Context panel, or Workflow State window to edit or delete states in a workflow.
Create and edit actions. Use the Context panel or the Workflow State window to create, edit, and delete actions. You can also reorder, move, and copy actions; use action groups to use a common condition for actions; or schedule an action.
Create and edit transitions. Use the Workflow Diagrammer or the Workflow State window to create, edit, and delete transitions. You can also schedule transitions.
Create conditions. You can create conditions for workflow initiation or action or transition execution. Conditions may be built with the Condition Builder, or you can create formulas with the Formula Builder.
Create custom fields. Create and edit workflow and state fields in the context panel or Workflow State window.
4. Testing and Troubleshooting Workflows
After you create a workflow, you must test it to verify that the workflow performs correctly and troubleshoot any issues. To test a workflow, complete the following steps:
Set up the workflow for testing. Set the Release Status to Testing. Make sure you are the owner of the workflow, as only the workflow owner can initiate a workflow in testing mode on a record.
Test conditions. To begin testing, set up a scenario where you can verify that the conditions can evaluate to both true and false.
Test actions and transitions. Make sure that actions and transitions complete successfully. Within the workflow executive log, actions and transitions can have one of the following statuses:
- Executed
- Failed
- Skipped
- Considered
Test buttons. Make sure buttons appear in the workflow where required.
Test send email actions. Use the workflow execution log to make sure that the Send Email action works appropriately.
Test for user access. To ensure access, it is recommended to test for specific roles, test within the Employee Center, and test access to related records.
For scheduled workflows, be sure to complete the following additional testing steps:
Test scheduled workflows. Initiate a scheduled workflow to start immediately, and quickly test the logic in the workflow.
Test scheduled actions and transitions. Set the smallest possible delay on a scheduled action or transition for testing.
Tip: If actions or transitions with conditions do not execute, temporarily remove
the condition, and then run the workflow test again. If the workflow runs correctly, the condition has an error.Tip: Workflow errors may occur due to incorrect triggers on actions and transitions.
Make sure you review triggers and the SuiteFlow trigger execution model.
5. Workflow Searches
Use a Workflow Search to gather information, such as which workflows are running, which workflows are inactive, which record types are used in workflows, which employees are using certain workflows, or which workflows came from a bundle installation.
Workflow definition search. Use a workflow definition search on the Workflow Search page to search all workflows in an account by the criteria defined on the workflow definition page. NetSuite searches all workflows with any release status and includes inactive workflows.
Workflow instance search. Use a workflow instance search to get a list of workflow instances that completed or are currently in progress for a specific workflow definition or multiple workflow definitions.
The basic search is the default search option when you search for a workflow instance. Use a basic search to perform a search based on a subset of the workflow instance properties.
Use an advanced search to search on all workflow instance properties using the standard NetSuite search interface.
Tip: To access the results of workflow definition and workflow instance searches from the dashboard, add shortcut links to custom search portlets or the Reminders portlet. Add search results to the dashboard for common tasks, such as approvals of expense reports, budgets, and purchase requests.
Supporting You
Mastering the fundamentals of customising NetSuite workflows can greatly enhance the efficiency of your business processes without the need for coding. By following best practices and testing workflows thoroughly, you can ensure smooth automation and adaptability to your unique operational needs.
If you're looking for assistance with NetSuite customisation or have any questions about optimising workflows, don't hesitate to reach out to us for help. Our team is here to support you in maximising the potential of NetSuite for your business.
