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Notify Task Owners When Dependent Predecessor Tasks Are Completed

If you would like TaskRay to automatically send out notifications to task owners when dependent predecessor tasks are completed, you can do so using a custom workflow. In addition to the notification, you can also make the tasks that are ready to be worked on automatically move to a specific status list (i.e. Prioritized). This automation will help your users easily stay up to date on their projects and quickly see the tasks that are ready to be worked on.

This article walks through setting up an automated process that sends out email notifications to task owners when the preceding tasks are moved to a specific status column (i.e. Finished), as well as moves the next dependent tasks that are ready to be worked on to the appropriate status column (i.e. Prioritized). 

 

Step 1: Set Up Dependencies

In order for the automation to work, it is important that dependencies are enabled and set up correctly between tasks on your projects. You can read more about enabling and setting up dependencies in the Task Dependencies support article.

 

Step 2: Create Email Template [Admin]

The next step of the process is to create the email template that would be used to notify task owners when preceding tasks are completed. 

  1. From Setup, navigate to:
    • Lightning: Email | Email Templates.
    • Classic: Communication Templates | Email Templates.
  2. Click on New Template.
  3. Step 1: Choose the preferred template type. Select Custom (without using Letterhead). Click Next.

    Note: The Custom (without using Letterhead) option allows you to use basic HTML for a more polished look and feel.
  4. Step 2: Select a Folder, check the Available for Use checkbox, enter Email Template Name (i.e. Completed Predecessor Task Notification) and Description. Click Next.
  5. Step 3: Draft the email. Enter the Subject. For HTML Body, you can use the sample text below. Click Next. 

    Note: If you use the sample HTML text below, make sure to replace the URL to make it work for your org. Notice that the link in the sample text includes "taskray.na1...". To make the URL work, you must replace the na# to match your production. Look at your web address while in Salesforce and note the first three or four digits (na#). In the sample code below, change na1 to match the number from your own production instance. 
    completed_task_email_template.png

    Sample HTML Text: 

    <html>
    <body style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size:12px;">
    <p>Hello {!TASKRAY__Project_Task__c.OwnerFirstName},</p>
    <p>Great news! Your task is ready to be started.</p>
    <p>Task: <a href="https://taskray.na1.visual.force.com/apex/TASKRAY__trtaskboard?taskid={!TASKRAY__Project_Task__c.Id}" target="_blank">{!TASKRAY__Project_Task__c.Name} </a>
    <p>Project: {!TASKRAY__Project_Task__c.TASKRAY__Project__c}</p>
    <p>Due Date: {!TASKRAY__Project_Task__c.TASKRAY__Deadline__c}</p>
    </body>
    </html>

  6. Step 4: Create text-only version. Click on the Copy text from HTML version button to add a plain text version of the notification. In the Warning dialog, click OK. Click Save.
  7. On this page, review the HTML and the Plain Text message versions. If you would like, you can send a test email by clicking on the Send Test and Verify Merge Fields button.

 

Step 3: Create Email Alert Workflow Rule [Admin]

Now that you have a notification template, the next step is to create an Email Alert Workflow Rule to specify who the alert should be sent to. In this case, it will be the TaskRay Task Owner of the task that is ready to be worked on.

  1. From Setup, navigate to:
    • Lightning: Process Automation | Workflow Actions | Email Alerts.
    • Classic: Create | Workflow & Approvals | Email Alerts.
  2. Click on New Email Alert.
  3. Enter a Description (i.e. "Notify Dependent Task Owner When Predecessor Task Is Completed").  The Unique Name field should populate automatically.
  4. For Object, select TaskRay Task.
  5. For Email Template, click on the lookup icon and select the Completed Predecessor Task Notification template that you created previously (from the section above).
  6. Select Recipient Type. For Search, select Owner. This will filter the list of Available Recipients below. From the list, select TaskRay Task Owner and move it to the Selected Recipients section using the Add button.
  7. Click Save.

new_email_alert2.png

 

Step 4: Create a Custom Field on TaskRay Task [Admin]

Next, you will need to add a custom field to the TaskRay Task object that will indicate when the alert email should be sent. This field is necessary because it will be used in the Process Builder, which will be explained further in the next section of the setup process.

  1. From Setup, navigate to:
    • Lightning: Objects and Fields | Object Manager.
    • Classic: Create | Objects.
  2. Click on TaskRay Task.
  3. Under Fields and Relationships, click on New.
  4. Step 1: Choose the field type. Select Checkbox and click Next.
  5. Step 2: Enter the details. Enter the Field Label (i.e. Dependency Notification). Click Next.

    Note: Remember the field label that you enter in this step. You will reference it later when you set up your process in the Process Builder.
  6. Step 3: Establish field-level security. Mark Visible for all necessary profiles and click Next.
  7. Step 4: Add to page layouts. Keep Project Task Layout checked and click Save.

 

Step 5: Build the Process to Move Next Task to Prioritized [Admin]

Using the Lightning Process Builder, build out the process to move the task that is ready to be worked on into the Prioritized status column (or any other status column that makes sense in your instance) when the dependent predecessor is completed. 

 

Create a New Process

  1. From Setup, navigate to:
    • Lightning: Process Automation | Process Builder.
    • Classic: Create | Workflow & Approvals | Process Builder.
  2. Click New.
  3. Enter the Process Name (i.e. "Move Task to Prioritized When Predecessor Is Complete"), API Name, and Description.
  4. For The process starts when field, select A record changes.
  5. Click Save.

new_process_-_move_to_prioritized.png 

Select the Object for the Process 

The first step is to select the object that will trigger the automated process. In this case, we will select the TaskRay Task object, because that is where the initial action will take place.

  1. On the canvas, click on + Add Object.
  2. For the Object field, select TaskRay Task.
  3. Under Start the process, select When a record is created or edited.
  4. Click Save.

pb_select_object.png

Define the Criteria That Triggers the Process

The next part of building the process is to define the criteria that will trigger the process. In this case, it would be the act of finishing the predecessor task (moving it to the Finished (or whichever is the final) column).

  1. On the canvas, click on + Add Criteria.
  2. Enter the Criteria Name.
  3. Under Criteria for Executing Actions, select Conditions are met.
  4. Under Set Conditions, select the following:
    • Field = [TaskRay Task] List
    • Operator = Equals
    • Type = Picklist
    • Value = Finished
  5. Under Conditions, select All of the conditions are met (AND).
  6. Click Save.

pb_add_criteria.png

Define the Actions That Occur When the Process Runs

Next, you need to define the actions that should occur when the process is fired (predecessor task status is changed to Finished). In this case, the action that should occur when the process is fired is moving the next dependent task to the Prioritized column and checking the Dependency Notification checkbox (created earlier) on that task.

  1. On the canvas under Immediate Actions, click on + Add Action.
  2. For Action Type, select Update Records.
  3. Enter the Action Name (i.e. "Update Task Ready for Work").
  4. Click into the Record Type field
    • Select the Select a record related to the TASKRAY__Project_Task__c option.
    • In the exposed Type to filter list... field, select TASKRAY__TaskRay_Tasks__r.
    • Click Choose.
  5. Under Criteria for Updating Records, select Updated records meet all conditions.
  6. In the Filter the records you update based on these conditions box, set the following:

    Note: This step ensures that dependent tasks that have already been started are not moved back to the Prioritized column.
    • Field = List
    • Operator = Equals
    • Type = Picklist
    • Value = Holding
  7. In the Set new field values for the records you update box, set the following:
    • Field = List
    • Type = Picklist
    • Value = Prioritized
  8. In the Set new field values for the records you update box, click on + Add Row and set the following:
    • Field = Dependency Notification (this is the field that was created earlier in this article)
    • Type = Boolean
    • Value = True
  9. Click Save.

 

Activate the Process

  1. Click Activate.
  2. In the dialog, click Confirm.

 

Step 6: Build the Process to Send the Notification Email [Admin]

Next, you will need to build a process that would send the notification email to the task owner that his/her task is ready to be worked on. 

 

Create a New Process

  1. From Setup, navigate to:
    • Lightning: Process Automation | Process Builder.
    • Classic: Create | Workflow & Approvals | Process Builder.
  2. Click New.
  3. Enter the Process Name (i.e. "Send Email Notification to Task Owner When Predecessor Task Is Finished"), API Name, and Description.
  4. For The process starts when field, select A record changes.
  5. Click Save.

 

Select the Object for the Process 

  1. On the canvas, click on + Add Object.
  2. For the Object field, select TaskRay Task.
  3. Under Start the process, select When a record is created or edited.
  4. Click Save.

 

Define the Criteria That Triggers the Process

  1. On the canvas, click on + Add Criteria.
  2. Enter the Criteria Name (i.e. "Dependent Task is Ready for Work").
  3. Under Criteria for Executing Actions, select Conditions are met.
  4. Under Set Conditions, select the following:
    • Field = [TaskRay Task] List
    • Operator = Equals
    • Type = Picklist
    • Value = Prioritized
  5. Under Set Conditions, click on + Add Row and set the following:
    • Field = [TaskRay Task] Dependency Notification
    • Operator = Equals
    • Type = Boolean
    • Value = True
  6. Under Conditions, select All of the conditions are met (AND).
  7. Click Save.

 

Define the Actions That Occur When the Process Runs

  1. On the canvas under Immediate Actions, click on + Add Action.
  2. For Action Type, select Email Alerts.
  3. Enter the Action Name (i.e. "Send email alert to task owner").
  4. Click into the Email Alert field and search for the email template that you created earlier ("Notify Dependent Task Owner When Predecessor Task Is Completed").
  5. Click Save.

 

Activate the Process

  1. Click Activate.
  2. In the dialog, click Confirm.

 

Try It Out!

That's it! Now, every time a task is completed in TaskRay, the next dependent task will automatically move to the Prioritized column and the task owner will get an email notification to begin work.