Salesforce is Withdrawing Workflow Rules and Process Builder- Here is What You Need to Know

Salesforce is the most popular Cloud-based CRM system that helps businesses connect – and get information about their customer base. It is packed with many features like no other CRM offers.

Automating complex business processes without using a single code has been the most vital aspect of Salesforce. The Salesforce process builder and workflow rules were two strong features of the platform.

Process builder offered some amazing results that weren’t limited to updating parent records. The features could create new records – and also update created records in both – custom and standard objects. The process builder provided the admins with a tool – that could compete with APEX.

By the end of 2022, Salesforce is withdrawing Workflow rules and Process builder. While your current workflow and process builder feature will continue to run, you will not be able to create new and improved automation using these tools.

For a long time – Salesforce has been enhancing the Flow’s functionality and encouraging migration to the Flow. People who keep a close eye on the support documentation would know about the advice the platform has been making.

Additionally, the Flow has some amazing advantages over Process builder – and you need to know about some of them.

• Flow runs faster than the Process builder – making it efficient and quick.
• It does more complex actions across a different set of objects, which saves time.
• Flow is less likely to hit the system limit – when there are a large number of records to process.
• It can delete the records in one go.

Salesforce is now planning to convert Workflow rules to Flow.  You will need to fine-tune and edit the flows – and you’ll also have to build new flows for the processes you will need.

It comes with a feature that helps run the record-triggered flow – before the save. Compared to Process builder, it is a more valuable feature.

What does it mean?

For a written example, if the state changes on an opportunity record, and you want to update some other opportunity field – with the Workflow rule and Process builder, the system first saves the opportunity with the stage value. And then it saves the other fields, which helps to save the opportunity again.

Moreover, if your process builder works on multiple steps with different updates to the opportunity, you could end up saving the record many times. Each added save may cause automation like Apex triggers, which run a new time on the record.

With the Flow feature, the other field is updated before the opportunity is saved, so the single stage contains both – desired field update and the stage change. However, there are chances that your Process builders or Workflow rules involve similar records and updates – so converting the records before the save should give you great results and improve the performance.

What Exactly did Salesforce say about this?

In June 2020, Salesforce published a blog that gave a detailed view. The blog post listed three vital points you need to know.

1. While updating a Salesforce record, it’s essential to use a – before the save flow as it’s much faster than the Process builder option. It can outperform the process builder option by a factor of 10, and that’s huge. As a result, the end-users will be able to save or update the records much faster.
2. For creating new records or sending emails, it’s vital to use the after-saving flow. It will increase the performance of the end-user compared to the Process builder option.
3. If a particular logic of the flow gets complex, it is vital to use Apex coding.

What Flow can offer you after the Withdrawal of Workflow Rules and Process Builder?

• You can expect better performance and the ability to refine the automation via fast field updates and entry conditions.
• It offers exceptional extendibility with invocable actions – and different sub-flows.
• It packages up pieces of automation inflow or Apex. Also, it can reuse around your org to create building blocks that authorize more admins and helps to regulate common interactions.
• The best features offered by Flow are – better error handling, debugging, and troubleshooting. Additionally, you can click directly from the error email to the flow – and see what path was run.
• It lets you try to record updates straight from the debugger in a triggered flow. Following this, you can see how the limits will be impacted – while debugging.
• It’s a gateway to the More. If you pay attention to the beta version across Salesforce, you will see more things like Flow. The next best action is piloting the moving plan builder to flow.
• Additionally, the orchestrator is a unique tool that builds on the top of flow that helps to orchestrate multi-user workflow and interactions.

The Timelines for withdrawal:-

At the moment, there is no official timeline for the phases of Workflow rules and Process builder withdrawal. However, shutting off the automation would be the EOL in the final phasing process.

But before that happens, the platform will give time – and the ability to create new workflows and new processes, so that there can be a smooth migration to Flow. The turning off could be dated by the end of 2022.

The current timelines are:

• Spring ’22 – will be the launch of the migration tool for the Workflow rules.
• Summer ’22 – launch of a migration tool for the Process builder.
• Winter ’23 – you won’t be able to create new processes for workflow or process builders.

Winding Up

Process Builder and Workflow rules have been around for a long time now. However, migrating your existing process to Flow is something you will have to do over time. The migration process is not that simple – you will eventually get hold of it.

Besides, setting up new flows may take time – and you will need skills for Salesforce admin and consultants who will guide you to Flow. If you are looking for a seamless migration of process builder and workflow rules to flow? Talk to our Salesforce consultants today!

Additionally, there are some great training materials available to help you with the migration process, once the tools retire.