What Are Actions And How Can You Create Them

In today's business landscape, reporting often involves user interactions within a data dashboard. After analyzing the data, it is either aggregated into a condensed format or printed for further discussion in meetings. During these meetings, actions are defined and assigned to individuals for follow-up. Unfortunately, this manual process lacks feedback mechanisms, hindering efficient workflow and accountability. However, there is an improved alternative: leveraging proactive scheduling with specific conditional logic to automate action-oriented steps.

Introducing Actions: A Proactive Approach to Workflow Management

Actions are the backbone of a streamlined workflow. They enable users to seamlessly schedule and automate the next steps based on predefined conditions. By integrating notification capabilities, Actions can alert relevant stakeholders, ensuring that tasks are never overlooked. This innovative feature empowers managers to stay ahead of potential bottlenecks, address critical issues promptly, and drive meaningful outcomes.

 

1. Where are Actions Located?

When it comes to accessing and managing Actions, the process is designed to be seamless and intuitive. Currently, Actions are generated within Scorecards and can be easily created from any Scorecards Panel. Once created, they are conveniently orchestrated and tracked within the dedicated Actions Dashboard. To access the Actions Dashboard: 

1. Login inside Scorecards 
2. Click from the top menu Actions->Action

 

2. Who has the ability to create an action in Scorecards?

Any user with access to a panel can create an action related to that panel in Scorecards.

 

3. What is the process of starting creating an action in Scorecards?

To start creating an action, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the panel where you want the action to be associated.
2. Click on the three dots located in the top right corner of the panel.
3. From the dropdown menu, select the "Create Action" link.

4. What are the steps to create an actual action in Scorecards?

Once you click on "Create Action", follow these steps:

1. An Action Create a form will appear, allowing you to create a single action.
2. The form is divided into three segments: Criteria, Output, and General.
3. You can fill out the form by providing the necessary information.
4. At any point, you can cancel the action creation or continue to complete the form.

5. Fill in the Criteria segment when creating an action.

The Criteria segment consists of two parts: 

1. Date range - which is calendar-driven and allows you to select the type of rolling for the time period you want to create the action for and second, allows you to define under what conditional logic this action will be created.
2. The actual types for Date Range are:
   • Rolling Date Range- a rolling type date range refers to a dynamic time period that continuously adjusts based on the current date. Instead of having a fixed start and end date, a rolling type date range moves with the passage of time.
   • Custom Rolling Date Range- A custom rolling date range is a dynamic time period that can be user-defined and adjusted according to specific needs and requirements. Unlike a fixed rolling date range, which typically has predefined intervals like 30 days or 90 days, a custom rolling date range allows users to define the start and end dates based on their desired timeframe.
   • Static Date Range - It refers to a fixed period of time with pre-determined start and end dates that do not change regardless of the current date. It remains constant and does not automatically update as time progresses.
   • All-time Date Range - refers to a timeframe that encompasses the entire available historical data. It includes all data captured from the earliest recorded date up until the present or a specific point in time.

5.2 Conditional Logic  

In the conditional logic, you are empowered to create intricate conditional statements that function as a cohesive unit. These statements are formulated based on the combination of public, custom, and synthetic metrics accessible within the panel.

It's important to note that any metrics that are either absent or inaccessible to the panel will not be displayed as selectable options at this stage. The idea is to create a Boolean expression that will resolve to either true or false when fired. The expression will consist of one or more mini-expressions combined together and it will be set to false by default and will continue to be false if even a single one of the mini-expressions does not match. The Boolean expression as a single simplified structure will be of the type:

Expression + Logical Operator + Values is always either True or False

1. To begin incorporating conditional metrics, simply click on the metrics dropdown  
   • This event will unveil the conditional logic metric form, showcasing the metrics currently placed on the panel. Additionally, you will find the metrics that are generally available for addition to the panel. Moreover, instead of scrolling through the array of metrics, you have the ability to search for specific metrics by name, streamlining the process further.
2. In this example, we will choose a metric called Pipeline Created. This metric allows us to track the cumulative value of opportunities in USD created by each user, grouped by the date they were created. Once you have located the metric, simply select it by clicking on it.
3. You will know it has been selected when a checkmark appears next to its name. To confirm your selection, click on the "X" button to save it.
4. Next is to select the logical operators by selecting from the drop-down comparator value. We can choose less than (<). 
5. And finally, we can select a value for it. We can choose $3,000,000
   • At this point, our expression will read like this:
     Pipeline Created is less than 3,000,00 and will resolve by default to false. 
6. Next, we can continue building the expression by adding an additional mini-expression by clicking either the Or or the And Button. In our case, we would lick And.
7. and we can another metric from the panel, called Close rate with a value of less than 50%

 

 

6. Output the action notification.

In the process of creating actions, it is essential to define the custom messages you want to send and specify the recipients who should receive them. This section focuses on how to create one or more custom messages and choose the appropriate recipients based on roles, groups, or individual users. By tailoring your messages and selecting the right recipients, you can ensure effective communication and engagement within your sales processes.

1. Create custom message(s) and recipient selection:
   • New message  - Click on the +New message button, which will open a new section.
   • Message type - Choose the type of message you want to create. By default, it is set to email.
   • Specify the recipients  - To specify the recipients for the message, click on the edit icon and select the desired recipients.

6.2 Three recipient list collections

The objective is to have three different groups of recipients who will receive different messages. The recipient groups can be defined based on roles, groups, or individual users. When creating an Action, you, as the Action creator, later will have the choice to specify to automatically receive notifications, even if your name is not included in any of the recipient groups.

 

6.3 Selecting recipients

1. Recipient selection window - After clicking on the edit icon, a new form window will appear for recipient selection.
2. Choose from the three tabs - You can choose from three tabs: Roles, Groups, and Individuals.
3. Finalize the selection - Select the recipients from the desired tab, keeping in mind that it is recommended to specify recipients from one tab per message, although you can choose to mix them if needed. Once you are satisfied with the selection, click on Add
4. For our example, let's select individuals from the Individuals tab.

6.4 Verifying and saving the recipient selection - On the right side of the window, you can verify the selected recipients. Once you are satisfied with the selection, click on Save.

The counter for the individual tab will now represent the number of recipients selected (in our case, 1).

 

6.5 Adding subject and description - Enter a subject for the message, providing information about the action. Add a description that describes the desired outcome in clear and plain words.

 

7. General properties

In the final step of creating an action, you have the opportunity to define its general properties. By specifying the action's name, description, frequency, active date range, and activation status, you can customize its behavior and ensure it aligns with your sales objectives. This section explores these general properties and highlights their importance in optimizing the effectiveness of your actions.

1. Naming and Description - Provide a meaningful and descriptive name for your action to clearly represent its purpose. Include a plain text description to provide additional context about the action's objectives and functionality.
2. Frequency and Date Range - Specify the frequency at which the action should run. Options include daily, weekly, monthly, or as a one-time action. Define the date range during which the action will be active, ensuring it operates within the desired timeframe.
3. Activation Status - Choose whether the action should be active or inactive. An active action will be fired as configured, while an inactive action will remain dormant until activated again.
4. Notification Confirmation - Optionally specify if you, as an action creator,  would like to receive notification confirmations when the action is fired.

 

8. Save Action

To finalize the action creation, click the Create button 

 

9. Email Notification

Email notifications for your actions will be sent from "Bigtincan Scorecards Actions" and will contain information about the action that has been fired. This email notification serves as an alert to all relevant recipients, notifying them of the action that has taken place.

The email will typically include details such as the name of the action, a description of the action's purpose, and any other pertinent information that helps recipients understand the context and importance of the action. This ensures that everyone involved is informed about the action and can take appropriate actions or responses based on the notification received.