Learn About Flows in Salesforce

Salesforce flow, together with process builders and workflows, is a very powerful automation tool. A flow conducts any of the actions specified at the moment of record creation, update, or any other action. Salesforce Flow is a declarative (Drag & Drop) method of automating a business process that is an alternative to using code.

The automation saves users time and ensures that the necessary tasks are completed, as well as improves the quality of your data.

Type of Flows

Screen Flows:

Screen flows have a user interface component or screen that requires user input. These kinds of flows can be initiated as an action or integrated as a Lightning page element.

Screen Flows can help us reduce the number of validation rules we need to enter data. It gives us a logical data entry flow that can alter dynamically depending on the values entered. With a good screen flow, we can guide a user through a business process without having to deploy huge top-to-bottom screens.

Schedule-Triggered Flows:

By using schedule-triggered flow, you might be able to avoid utilising Apex Schedule Jobs by using Batch Apex. You may now address repetitive business requirements without having to use the platform's development capabilities.

Schedule-triggered flows are set to run at a specific time Once, Daily or Weekly as per requirement.

Don't forget to check out: Skill Based Routing with Apex/Flows in Salesforce

Auto launched Flows:

With this flow type, you can do automated operations. Auto-launched flows can be triggered from the process builder, an Apex class, a schedule, record updates, the REST API, Web tabs, or platform events.

We can do complex backend processing without a user's knowledge using an auto-launched flow. Because there is no user interface to engage with, an auto-launched flow is also known as a headless flow.

Record-Triggered Flows:

When a record is created, edited, or removed, these auto-launched flows execute in the background. It functions as a trigger.

Assignment, Decision, Get Records, and Loop are the only elements that are supported.

Platform Event-Triggered Flows:

This flow is launched automatically and runs in the background. You can do all of your automation in one location with platform events–triggered flows. When a platform event message is received, users can initiate a Flow. When a Flow is triggered by a platform event message, users have access to all available records, unlike Process Builder. 

Check out another amazing blog by Sandeep here: Validation Rules in Salesforce - Get Started

Things you can do using Flow:

1. Guided Selling:

Flow is ideal for complex sales processes or those that require an agent to navigate through a sequence of questions. Using Flow to set up screens, fields, and options ensures that our users enter the data in a directed manner and that you capture the necessary data.

2. Call Scripting:

The major segment that can benefit from Flow isn't sales. It can also be used in our Service Centers. The Flow is ideal for call scripting when a representative must walk through a series of questions and responses in order to gather the relevant data.

3. Perform Multiple Updates From a Single Screen:

Multiple records must frequently be updated in order to keep several departments informed about client activity. Making a case and taking action, updating data and contact information, and responding to cases are just a few examples. With Flow, we show the operator a single screen on which they can refresh numerous records based on their actions.

4. Reduce Training:

Small adjustments to business procedures can be removed with minor acclimations to training by employing Flow and permitting clients to enter specific data. Client manuals, recordings, and other materials can now relate to prompts that the client should follow to ensure correct data entry. This reduces overall training time and increases the pace with which new clients are onboarded.