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Process Builder and Workflow Rules Retirement

Process Builder and Workflow Rules Retirement

Sejo Jahic
CEO
·
Salesforce
·
October 3, 2024
In this article
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Currently, Salesforce has three automation tools – Workflow Rules, Process Builder and Flow.  

Workflow has been there for the longest but has the most limited capabilities. Process Builder has broadened Workflow rules possibilities, and now the most powerful automation tool is Flow.  

Recently, Salesforce has been adding more and more functionality to the Flow, which led to speculations that the retirement of two other tools will take place soon. Trailhead and other articles recommended Flow as an optimal tool for all new automations. They suggested using Process Builder only with existing processes, and not when creating new ones. Patrick Stokes, the Product Manager responsible for retirement, confirmed this in one of Dreamforce’ 21 sessions. Following his announcement, Salesforce published an official article titled Go with the Flow on October 4th.

This is a big change, especially for Admins, many of whom were good at Workflow Rules and Process Builders, and who are not familiar with the Flow. Salesforce is aware of this, and that’s why we have this announcement early, as the official retirement will not happen soon, even more so as there is not yet an official End-of-Life announcement.

However, there is a rough plan of how this transition will take place.

  1. There will be a migration tool that will convert Workflow Rules to Flow automatically. We are expecting this with the Spring ’22 release.
  2. Next, a migration tool that converts Process Builder to Flow will be available, but that one is still in the development phase.
  3. With Salesforce Winter ’23 release, it will probably only be possible to create new Flows, and no other automation tools. We will most likely have the option to maintain the existing Process Builders and Workflows for the time being, until Salesforce pulls the trigger and retires them entirely. All organizations should be prepared for that, but there is still time, and we will keep you updated!

One great thing that this transition offers is the time that it provides before migrating existing automations, and an opportunity to rethink if Flow will offer a better way to automate a process, or whether it is needed at all. It happens to everyone – with time, processes and workflow rules pile up, so before the migration itself, it would be a good idea to review everything.

The frequently asked question is: Are workflow actions and approval processes also retiring?

Currently, the answer is no. Workflow actions, from which email alerts are most used, will continue to exist and will be available for use in Flows. Approval processes are widely spread amongst Salesforce users, and they are staying. Salesforce has a new tool – Flow Orchestrator, that may once replace Approval Process, but it doesn’t have all the capabilities at the time.

As for the next steps – for all Admins, it is time to dig into the Flows, if you haven’t by now. Trailhead has some great modules and projects to get you up and running. Flows are a bit more complicated to learn and adapt to – but that is only because they are so powerful. Once you get to know the Flow – you will love it. Salesforce will also be coming up with articles and documentation to help this transition go as smooth as possible.

How can ECHO assist you?

At ECHO, you have an awesome team of developers who are great at everything Flow related. We can work with you on the initial review, help you understand your current business processes, help you find better ways to solve those tasks, and finally build out these new automation processes for you. Call us or contact us at [email protected]

Sejo Jahic
CEO
·
Salesforce
·
October 3, 2024

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