Automation - Controlled Resultant Automation aka Chain Automation
Proposal : Add the ability to add resultant automation rules to a trigger in manner that keeps control and prevents looping
Use Case:
Currently have 2 subtasks (Custom Item Type: SubApproval Task), when they complete, I would like them to
1. Update their direct parent task(Custom Item Type: Approval Task) to Complete
2. As a result of the Part Task (Custom Item Type: Approval Task) status changing to Complete, have it's successor task (Custom Item Type: Scheduling Task) to status "In Process"
3.As a result of the Part Task (Custom Item Type: Approval Task) status changing to Complete, have it's Parent Project (Custom Item Type: Metal Project) to status "Scheduling - In Process"
Application of concept.
I would like to see an option to add "Resultant Automations" (up to three additional item types impacted) to the automation rule screen. (see screen shot below. This would allow the secondary actions and their conditions to be controlled and intentional and should prevent run away automation looping.
Yes, I realize there is currently no way to cascade automation per https://help.wrike.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057941793-Automation-in-Wrike
I'd use this to create a sub-item and then the subautomation to assign the sub-item to the person who triggered the rule.
This kind of setup allows project owners to see at a glance, on a dashboard, where the project is at in the downstream workflow. It makes it easier for project managers to know which projects are near completion, and which projects are just starting, and which projects need their attention. Since tasks and projects can't sit together in a single widget of a dashboard, this makes everything much more visual in every place: the project itself in the Table view, and any corresponding dashboards.
One note, it would be great to have not only the parent project of the task, but the parent project of the sub-project update as well. Again, for the purpose of keeping things visual everywhere. So you can have a project that has sub-projects and tasks in the sub-project but also have upstream project statuses change so that the main project always reflects specifically what is happening downstream.
For example, let's say I have a task in a sub-project. I use a predecessor rule to change the task status to "Ready for Work." The task that is ready to work is "Create Second Draft of Copy." When the status changes to "Ready to Work." I'd like to also change the sub-project and main project status to "Ready for Second Draft" or something along those lines, again, so project owners can see all of their projects on a widget of a dashboard and see where those projects are at in the workflow. I understand that I could create a widget of tasks, and people can work from those tasks, but all of these tasks sit in a project, and it's not easy to see how many total projects those tasks all relate to unless you have a widget of just projects. But without more specific statuses, it's not easy to see where the project is at in the workflow at a glance without more specific statuses, or without clicking into the project and looking at the Table View or List View.
It's very difficult to move statuses up when there are sub-projects or folders added to the project, but adding those make it much more visual when there are different teams or phases of a project.
Please add this ability as described above with the above use cases in mind.
Thanks a lot for your detailed feedback here, folks! Just to make sure I fully understand the concept here: do you mean you'd like to create a chain of automations that are triggered sequentially based on the completion of previous automations?
Lisa Community Team at Wrike Wrike Product Manager Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover
Lisa Wrike Team member Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover
Lisa Yes, would the ability to chain a series of sequential automations
Case1 User updates a tasks that updates a subproject status that then causes a Project status change (if conditions are right)
Case 2 User (status change) completes the last subtask under a task, that updates the takes, that then updates the project status and moves it to another folder.
Many others are out there
We understand the risk of allowing cascading automation rules to creating loops, but are hoping this will be a path to have very very controlled cascading automations that have a definite end to them(aka no looping)
Yes, there are many use cases for this. Allowing this type of cascading automation will allow us to more fully automate our workflows as needed, make work more visual at both the project and task levels and move projects/folders from team to team for better cross-functional teamwork.
Thank you for clarifying, folks! I've shared your feedback with the team at Wrike responsible for automation 👍
Lisa Community Team at Wrike Wrike Product Manager Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover
Lisa Wrike Team member Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover
Updated title, realized it may not had been clear to everyone at a glance