3.3.2. Investigating Workflow and Automation Failures

💡 First Principle: Systematically analyzing the execution path and logs of automated workflows ensures reliable process completion, identifies bottlenecks, and prevents operational disruptions, directly upholding the principle of workflow automation.

Automated workflows (built with Flow Designer or Workflow Editor) are critical for efficient service delivery. When these automations fail, it can halt business processes, lead to delays, and impact service quality. The fundamental 'why' of investigating workflow and automation failures is to quickly diagnose the root cause of disruption, restore the automated process, and implement preventative measures to ensure continuous, reliable operations. This requires a methodical approach to tracing the flow's execution.

Common Workflow and Automation Failures and Diagnostic Steps:

• Flow/Workflow Not Starting:
  • Trigger Conditions: Did the record meet the defined trigger conditions for the Flow Designer flow or Workflow? (e.g., correct table, state, field values).
  • Active State: Is the Flow/Workflow published and active?
  • Order: If multiple automations could trigger, is the order correct?
  • Security: Does the user or system account triggering the automation have sufficient roles/permissions to execute the trigger?
• Flow/Workflow Stuck/Not Progressing:
  • Approvals: Is the flow waiting for an approval that hasn't been granted? Check the Approval record's state.
  • Wait Conditions: Is the flow waiting for a specific condition (e.g., "State is Resolved") that hasn't been met, or a field that hasn't been updated?
  • External Integration: If the flow integrates with an external system, is that system responsive? Check integration logs.
  • Subflow/Sub-workflow Issue: Is a sub-flow or sub-workflow stuck? Drill down into its context.
• Incorrect Behavior/Wrong Data:
  • Action Configuration: Are the inputs/outputs of actions configured correctly within the flow? (e.g., mapping wrong fields).
  • Flow Logic: Is the If/Else logic or loop condition correct?
  • Scripting: If custom scripts are used within actions or business rules triggering the flow, are there errors in the script? (Check System Logs for script errors).
  • Data Integrity: Is the data in the record itself incorrect, leading to the flow taking the wrong path? (Check record history).
• Performance Issues:
  • Complex Loops: Flows with many iterations or nested loops can be slow.
  • Inefficient Script Includes: Script Includes called by the flow might be poorly optimized.
  • External System Latency: Slow responses from integrations.

Troubleshooting Tools:

• Flow Context / Workflow Context: The most important tool. Navigate to the record that triggered the flow/workflow, then find the "Flow Context" or "Workflow Context" related list. This provides a visual map of the execution, showing which paths were taken, which activities completed, and where it's currently stuck or failed. Crucial for tracing execution path.
• System Logs (All): Filter for errors or warnings, especially from gs.log() statements you might have added in scripts.
• Automated Test Framework (ATF): For complex automations, ATF tests can simulate scenarios and quickly identify regressions before deployment.
• gs.log() and gs.debug(): Add these into your custom scripts within flows/workflows for detailed logging during debugging.

Systematic use of the Flow/Workflow Context is paramount for quickly pinpointing where an automation process has deviated from its expected path, enabling efficient resolution and robust process automation.

💡 Tip: Always start troubleshooting workflow failures by examining the Flow Context (for Flow Designer) or Workflow Context (for Workflow Editor). This visual debugger provides an invaluable step-by-step breakdown of what happened during execution, including any errors or waits.