You can set up automated workflows using specific timing conditions. This allows you to fine-tune message delivery and actions, aligning them with your operational requirements. The goal is to maximize engagement and ensure full compliance with your organization's communication policies.

Consider a situation where you've developed an impactful customer outreach campaign, but you need to guarantee that messages reach your audience at the most opportune moment for maximum resonance. For instance, you might want a follow-up message dispatched exclusively during specific business hours, or an action postponed to account for a previous interaction. Automation Scheduling provides the agility to strategically manage these workflows. It enables you to incorporate intentional delays, establish dynamic schedules based on customer behavior, or strictly observe predefined business hours, thereby ensuring optimal relevance and efficiency.

You can refer to the Survey Workflow Overview report to get further details.

Prerequisites

This feature is generally available as part of CFM. No specific permissions are required to access this node.

How does it work?

Automation Scheduling lets you set up the following conditions:

1. Adding a Delay
   Delay workflow actions to strategically space out communications or allow for a waiting period after specific events.
   Example:
   After a customer completes a purchase, you might want to wait 24 hours before sending a satisfaction survey to give them time to experience your product fully.

2. Static and Dynamic Scheduling
   Set workflows to trigger at fixed times or dynamically based on event-specific timestamps or interactions.

   1. Static Scheduling: Schedule messages or actions for fixed calendar dates and times.
      Example:
      Sending monthly feedback reminders on the first Monday of every month.

   2. Dynamic Scheduling: Schedule workflows dynamically based on a timestamp from a triggering event or interaction.
      Example:
      Sending a personalized follow-up exactly 48 hours after a customer submits a support ticket.

3. Scheduling during Business Hours
   Restrict actions to occur only during designated business hours to ensure timely and appropriate customer engagement.
   Example:
   Customer support follow-up messages can be restricted to weekdays from 9 AM to 6 PM, ensuring that customers receive communications at convenient times.
   Defining Business Hours:
   You have the flexibility to set your organization's business hours, including weekdays, weekends, or specific holidays, to ensure workflows adapt appropriately.

Setting up Scheduling Conditions

To configure scheduling conditions, follow these steps:

1. Add a Delay

   1. Click the plus button on the workflow canvas.

   2. Select the Delay node under timer section in the dropdown.

      

   3. Define the delay duration with the following available frequencies:

      1. Minute

      2. Hour

      3. Day

      4. Week

      5. Month

      6. Year

         

   4. Hit Save and your delay node will be saved.

2. Schedule your workflows actions

   1. Click the plus button and select the Schedule node.

      

   2. Static Scheduling (On a fixed date or time):

      1. Choose scheduling On a fixed date of time option

      2. Specify an exact date and time for scheduling the workflow node trigger.

      3. Add the country to specify the timezone for the date and time selected above.

      4. Hit Save and your schedule node will be saved.

         

   3. Dynamic Scheduling (Relative to a custom event)

      1. Choose scheduling Relative to an custom event.

         

      2. Select the scheduling options with the same frequency as mentioned in delay node.

      3. Choose whether you want to schedule before of after any custom event.

      4. Choose either the date/time custom field or the variable created earlier in the journey, which should hold a valid Epoch value. This flexibility allows for dynamic scheduling based on specific events or variables within the workflow.

         

         

3. Business Hours Scheduling:

   1. Click the plus button and select the Business Hours node.

   2. You can either choose an existing business hour option or create a new one.

   3. Set conditions for actions outside business hours (e.g., queue until next available business hour).