Workflow Basics

Creating Your First Workflow#

This section walks you through creating a simple workflow step-by-step.

Example Scenario: Sales Order Notification#

Business Requirement: When a new sales order is created with an amount over $10,000, send an email notification to the sales manager.

Step 1: Create the Workflow#

Navigate to Customization > Workflow > Workflows > New
Configure Basic Information:
- Name: High Value Sales Order Notification
- ID: customworkflow_high_value_so_notify
- Record Type: Sales Order
- Description: Notifies sales manager of high-value orders
Owner Settings:
- Owner Role: Administrator
- Owner: Select yourself or appropriate admin
Initiate On:
- Select: After Record Submit
- Context: Create
Click Save

Step 2: Add Initial State#

Every workflow needs at least one state.

On the workflow manager screen, click New State
Configure State:
- Name: Check Order Value
- Description: Evaluate if notification needed
- Workflow Entry: Check this box (makes this the starting state)
Click Save

Step 3: Add a Condition#

On the state, click the Conditions tab
Click New
Configure Condition:
- Type: Field Value Comparison
- Formula: {amount} > 10000
- Name: Amount Greater Than 10000
Click Save

Step 4: Add an Action#

On the state, click the Actions subtab
Click New Action
Configure Email Action:
- Type: Send Email
- Trigger On: Entry
- Execution Context: If workflow condition is true
Email Details:
- Recipient: Select sales manager or role
- Sender: From record (sales rep) or specific email
- Subject: High Value Sales Order Created - {tranid}
- Body:
```
A high-value sales order has been created:
Order Number: {tranid}Customer: {entity}Amount: {amount}Sales Rep: {salesrep}
Please review at: {url}
```
Click Save

Step 5: Make Workflow Active#

Return to the main workflow screen
Check the Inactive box to toggle to Active
Click Save

Step 6: Test the Workflow#

Create a test sales order
Set amount to $15,000
Save the sales order
Check that email is sent
Create another order under $10,000
Verify no email is sent

Understanding Workflow Elements#

Workflow Properties#

Name: User-friendly identifier (appears in lists)

ID: System identifier (used in scripts, must be unique)

Record Type: Which record type this workflow processes

Release Status:

Testing: Can be edited freely
Released: More restricted editing

Initiate On:

Before Record Load
Before Record Submit
After Record Submit (most common)
On Schedule

Trigger Type:

Create
Edit
Delete
Create or Edit
All Events

State Properties#

Name: Clear description of what happens in this state

Position: Visual positioning in workflow manager

Workflow Entry: First state in workflow (only one per workflow)

Workflow Exit: Ends workflow execution when reached

Entry Actions: Execute when entering this state

On Field Changed Actions: Execute when specific fields change

Exit Actions: Execute when leaving this state

Transition Properties#

To State: Which state to move to

Trigger Type:

On Entry: Immediately upon entering current state
On Field Change: When specific field values change
On Schedule: At specified time/interval
User Button: When user clicks custom button

Conditions: Rules that must be true for transition to occur

Workflow Execution Order#

Understanding the execution sequence is crucial:

Record Save Process#

Before Submit Workflow Triggers
- Validation
- Field updates
- Can prevent save
Record Validates
- Required fields
- Field validation
- Business rules
Record Saves to Database
After Submit Workflow Triggers
- Email notifications
- Record creation
- Field updates on saved record

Action Execution Order#

Within a state:

Entry actions execute first
On Field Changed actions (if field changes)
Transition evaluation
Exit actions (when transitioning)
Actions in next state

Using Field References#

Workflows can access record fields using curly braces:

Syntax#

{fieldname}

Common Examples#

Standard Fields:

{tranid} - Transaction number
{entity} - Customer/vendor name
{amount} - Total amount
{trandate} - Transaction date
{memo} - Memo field

Custom Fields:

{custbody_fieldname} - Custom body field
{custentity_fieldname} - Custom entity field

Related Record Fields:

{entity.email} - Customer email
{salesrep.supervisor} - Sales rep's supervisor
{location.name} - Location name

System Fields:

{url} - Link to record
{today} - Current date
{now} - Current date and time

Field Reference in Conditions#

Simple comparison:{amount} > 5000
String comparison:{status} = 'Pending Approval'
Date comparison:{shipdate} < {today}
Related field:{entity.custentity_credit_status} = 'Hold'

Workflow Conditions#

Condition Types#

Formula (Boolean)

Custom formula returning true/false
Most flexible option
Example: {amount} > 1000 AND {status} = 'Pending'

Compare Field Values

Compare two fields
Example: {shipdate} > {orderdate}

Field Value

Single field comparison
Example: {status} equals "Approved"

Role

Current user's role
Example: Current User is Sales Manager

User

Specific user check
Example: Current User is John Smith

Formula (Numeric/Text)

Return numeric or text value
Used in decision branching

Combining Conditions#

AND Logic: All conditions must be true

Condition 1: {amount} > 1000Condition 2: {status} = 'Pending'Result: Both must be true

OR Logic: At least one condition must be true

Use multiple transitions orComplex formula: ({condition1} OR {condition2})

Common Actions#

Send Email#

Notify users or customers
Include record data in message
Attach PDFs or files
Use templates

Set Field Value#

Update record fields
Calculate values
Set status or flags
Update dates

Create Record#

Generate related records
Create tasks
Create custom records
Link to source record

Transform Record#

Sales Order → Invoice
Purchase Order → Bill
Estimate → Sales Order

Return User Error#

Stop process with message
Validate data
Enforce business rules

Go to State#

Force transition to specific state
Jump around workflow
Handle exceptions

Execute Script#

Run custom SuiteScript
Complex logic
External integrations

Create Task Record#

Assign work to users
Set deadlines
Track completion

Debugging Workflows#

Workflow Execution Log#

Access at: System > Diagnostics > Workflow Execution Log

What to Look For:

Which workflows executed
Which states were reached
Which actions fired
Any errors encountered
Execution duration

Troubleshooting Steps#

Workflow Not Triggering:

Check workflow is Active
Verify trigger conditions met
Check record type matches
Review initiate on settings
Check for errors in execution log

Actions Not Executing:

Verify conditions are met
Check action trigger settings
Review execution context
Check permissions
Look for script errors

Emails Not Sending:

Verify recipient email address
Check sender permissions
Verify workflow has email permission
Check for email template errors
Review execution log

Testing Best Practices#

Test in Sandbox:

Never test in production first
Use realistic data
Test all condition paths

Test Checklist:

Test Different Scenarios:

Happy path (everything works)
Edge cases (boundary values)
Error conditions (invalid data)
Different user roles
High volume (performance)

Workflow Permissions#

Required Permissions#

To Create Workflows:

Customization > Workflows > Full

For Workflows to Execute:

Workflow must have permissions for actions
Consider execution as workflow owner
Some actions require specific permissions

Email Permissions:

Workflow needs send email permission
Sender must have valid email

Create Record Permissions:

Workflow needs create permission for target record type

Role Considerations#

Current User Context:

Some workflows execute as current user
User must have necessary permissions
May affect record visibility

Workflow Owner Context:

Can execute as workflow owner
Provides consistent permissions
Useful for system-level actions

Performance Considerations#

Governance Limits#

NetSuite imposes limits on workflow execution:

Usage units per execution
Total actions per workflow
Script governance for custom scripts

Best Practices:

Minimize number of actions
Use conditions to limit execution
Avoid unnecessary field updates
Be cautious with scheduled workflows

Optimization Tips#

Reduce Actions:

Combine multiple field updates into one
Use formulas instead of multiple conditions
Remove unnecessary actions

Efficient Conditions:

Put most restrictive conditions first
Use simple comparisons when possible
Avoid complex formulas if simple logic works

Scheduled Workflows:

Run during off-peak hours
Process in batches
Monitor execution time
Set appropriate frequency

Real-World Examples#

Example 1: Order Approval#

Scenario: Require manager approval for orders over $5,000

States:

Pending Approval (Entry state)
Approved
Rejected

Logic:

On Create of Sales Order:  If Amount > 5000:    Set Status = Pending Approval    Create Task for Manager    Send Email to Manager      If Amount <= 5000:    Set Status = Approved    Go to Approved State

Example 2: Customer Onboarding#

Scenario: Automate new customer setup tasks

States:

New Customer Created
Documents Requested
Completed

Logic:

After Customer Create:  Send Welcome Email to Customer  Create Task: "Request W-9" for Accounting  Create Task: "Schedule Kickoff" for Sales Rep  Set Custom Field: Onboarding Status = In Progress

Example 3: Invoice Payment Reminder#

Scenario: Send reminders for overdue invoices

States:

Invoice Created
Payment Reminder Sent
Second Reminder Sent
Collection Process

Logic:

Scheduled Daily:  For Each Invoice where Status = Open:    If Days Overdue = 7:      Send Email Reminder to Customer      Go to Payment Reminder Sent State          If Days Overdue = 14:      Send Second Email Reminder      Create Task for Collections Team      Go to Second Reminder Sent State          If Days Overdue = 30:      Create Task for Manager Review      Go to Collection Process State

Next Steps#

Now that you understand workflow basics, continue to:

Workflow States: Deep dive into state management
Workflow Actions: Explore all available actions
Workflow Conditions: Master conditional logic
Workflow Examples: See complex real-world workflows