workflow prioritization

ross chambers

I have a workflow where when an "owner" column is filled and a decision column is set to active it will move the row into an "active" sheet and on this sheet it checks if 3 columns are blank as at least one or all 3 need to be filled and moves it back to the original intake sheet if they are blank. This causes an infinite loop but I already have a workflow on the "intake" sheet to change the decision to intake when any row is added which would stop the loop. Is there any way to set the order at which workflows are run. I seen on a post in this forum that it goes by the most recently saved workflow last but that doesn't seem to be the case for me.

sharkasits

You need to change the value prior to sending it back. I would do it with a helper column checkbox. So in your automation that checks the 3 columns, instead of moving the row, change the decision column value and set the helper column to checked.

You can then have a second automation that looks for when the helper column changes to checked to move the row back.

In your intake sheet when new rows are added, make sure you also set that helper column to unchecked otherwise if it gets submitted incorrectly again it won't be caught.

Toufong Vang

@ross chambers One approach that does not require additional formulas or helper columns is to add another set of conditions to the workflow automation.

Assuming that the triggers for your current automation is when Owner Column is changed or when Decision Column is changed...

• Add a condition block that checks to see if Decision Column is equal to Active.

• Add a second condition block that checks to see if any of the other 3 columns contains something.

...before moving the row. (See screengrab below.)

Essentially, your condition blocks say "...WHERE Decision Column is equal to Active AND WHERE (Column1 is not blank OR Column2 is not blank OR Column3 is not blank)".

sharkasits

@Toufong Vang that's a better solution to not move it in the first place.

I would just add to make sure you add a decision path for when they are all blanks that changes the decision column back so that it can be activated once the required column is filled in.

Toufong Vang

As configured above, the row won't move if all 3 columns are blank.

However, @ross chambers, if you configure the conditions to evaluate for when all 3 columns are blank, as @sharkasits noted above, then you can use the one automation to (1) change the value in the decision column from "active" to "intake"; or (2) move the row to the Active sheet when Decision Column is "active" and any 1 of the 3 columns is not blank.

ross chambers

Thanks @Toufong Vang, @sharkasits I ended up adding a condition path to the first workflow and that seemed to work as I think your workflow would still move the row if set to active without the owner because of the or trigger which would be a problem

I have another work flow that's sets them to intake then

id still love to be able to prioritize which workflow runs first

sharkasits

@ross chambers sorry I haven't been able to figure that one out yet. I'm with you though, I would love to be able to prioritize my workflows. The only thing I've done with that is to have helper columns that get checked at the end of one workflow that then kickoff the next. You have to be really careful with that though, because if it causes a chain of 5+ workflows they will deactivate (also frustrating).

Toufong Vang

Hi, @ross chambers, if your processes allow it, one way to work around the inability to prioritize automations is to configure them to run at set times. (Or maybe this is as designed.)