coreILLA - Workflows - 'Set Event Start Date' Action in Workflows

How to Use the 'Set Event Start Date' Action in coreILLA Workflows

Scheduling events automatically based on user actions can streamline your business processes and ensure timely communications. In coreILLA, the Set Event Start Date action allows you to schedule events dynamically within workflows. This guide will walk you through setting up this action and integrating it into your automation, using a real-world example of scheduling webinar reminders.

What Does 'Set Event Start Date' Do?

The Set Event Start Date action enables you to schedule an event automatically within a workflow. You can set the date based on custom fields, specific dates, or dynamically, depending on other workflow actions. It’s particularly useful for webinars, appointments, or any event where timely notifications and follow-ups are crucial.

1. Log in to coreILLA and navigate to the Automations section.
2. Create a new workflow by clicking the Create Workflow button.
3. Click on Start from Scratch
4. Once inside the workflow editor, decide where in the sequence you want to add the 'Set Event Start Date' action. Within the workflow editor, click the ‘+ Add Action’ button where you want to schedule the event start.
5. From the action menu, select ‘Set Event Start Date’. This will open a configuration panel where you can set up the event's date parameters.
6. Customize the Event Start Date/Time
7. Click on Custom Field…
8. Click on Specific Date/Time

9. The "Set Event Start Date/Time" action often allows you to use a variety of date and time formats. Here are some formats that are commonly accepted:

MM-DD-YYYY HH:MM: This format includes the month (MM), day (DD), and year (YYYY), followed by the time in 24-hour format (HH:MM). For example, December 21st, 2021 at 8:30 AM would be written as 12-21-2021 08:30.

DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM: This format includes the day (DD), the abbreviated month (MMM), and the year (YYYY), followed by the time in 24-hour format (HH:MM). For example, October 21st, 2021 at 8:30 AM would be written as 21-OCT-2021 08:30.

10. For Custom Fields, you can use pre-created Custom Date Field custom values to tell the workflow what event date you want to specify.
11. Add a Wait for Event/Appointment Time Action
After setting the event start date/time, add a "Wait for Event/Appointment Time" action in your Workflow.
Set the action to wait until a certain number of days/hours/minutes before or after the event start date/time.
For example, if you set this to 2 days before, the Workflow will wait and send off the next action 2 days before the scheduled Event Start Date.

The Wait for Event/Appointment Time Action has some further configurations.

Event / Appointment Time: This field typically relates to the event or appointment you've set with the "Set Event Start Date/Time" action. The "Wait for" action will hold until the specified time relative to this event or appointment.

UNTIL - 
When: This configuration allows you to set the wait time until the next action occurs. This is based on a period of months, days, hours, and minutes. For example, you could set this to wait until 2 days and 3 hours before the event time. Values that exceed the max limit will be distributed to the larger units of time. For instance, if you input 60 minutes, it will be converted to 1 hour.

IF THE TIMING OF THIS WAIT STEP IS ALREADY IN THE PAST, HOW SHOULD THE CONTACT PROCEED?: This configuration determines how the system should handle instances where the wait time is already past due. Options typically include:

Move to the next step: The workflow will skip the wait and proceed to the next step in the workflow.

Move to a specific step: The workflow will skip the wait and move to a specific step that you designate.

Skip all outbound communication actions, till next wait or Event Start Date action: The workflow will skip any actions that involve sending communication (such as emails or SMS) until it encounters the next "Wait for Event/Appointment Time" or "Set Event Start Date/Time" action.

coreILLA - Workflows - 'Set Event Start Date' Action in Workflows

1. Log in to coreILLA and navigate to the Automations section.

2. Create a new workflow by clicking the Create Workflow button.

3. Click on Start from Scratch

4. Once inside the workflow editor, decide where in the sequence you want to add the 'Set Event Start Date' action. Within the workflow editor, click the ‘+ Add Action’ button where you want to schedule the event start.

5. From the action menu, select ‘Set Event Start Date’. This will open a configuration panel where you can set up the event's date parameters.

6. Customize the Event Start Date/Time

7. Click on Custom Field…

8. Click on Specific Date/Time

9. The "Set Event Start Date/Time" action often allows you to use a variety of date and time formats. Here are some formats that are commonly accepted:

10. For Custom Fields, you can use pre-created Custom Date Field custom values to tell the workflow what event date you want to specify.

11. Add a Wait for Event/Appointment Time Action