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Manually Creating Processes in Sentir

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Overview

Your Sentir instance contains preloaded processes that can be used as-is or modified to suit your firm’s workflows. This article will guide you through creating a process from scratch in your Sentir instance. Processes automate repeatable workflows across your firm, enabling your team to deliver consistent client experiences while reducing manual effort. If you have any questions about establishing a process to achieve a specific workflow, please contact your CSM.

If you prefer to accelerate process creation with AI-powered assistance, Smart Process Builder can generate process structures from natural-language descriptions. For more information, see our article Understanding and Using Smart Process Builder in Sentir.

Creating a New Process Shell

This section provides a comprehensive guide to crafting a new process shell within the Settings app. By configuring parameters such as process name, related objects, visibility, order, and group, you’ll establish the foundation for workflows that drive efficiency across your firm. Key settings include the task due date basis, assignment type, and time-based commencement, enabling precise automation tailored to your business needs.

Build a Process Type

A Process Type is a predefined template outlining structured steps and actions to achieve a specific business objective. It acts as a framework for organizing and automating tasks in Sentir, helping your team maintain consistency and quality in client delivery.

This section covers the manual approach to building a Process Type. If you’re working with complex, multi-step workflows and would like to explore an AI-assisted alternative, Smart Process Builder can generate process structures from natural language prompts. For more information, see our article Understanding and Using Smart Process Builder in Sentir.

To begin building a Process Type manually:

  1. Click the App Launcher in the upper-left corner, then search for and select Settings.
               
     
  2. Click the caret and use the Navigation menu to select Process Types.

     
  3. On the Process Types page, click the New button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. This will open a New Process Type subtab with Summary, Process Settings, and System Information sections.

 

New Process Type Summary

The Summary section of a Process Type record contains settings that govern a process’s basic properties. These settings determine where and how your process appears to users. Fill out the following information:

  1. In the Process Name field, enter the name of the process. The Process Name will be what users see when they kick off a process via the Start a Process action.
  2. Within the Related To list, select the objects and areas where you would like this process to be available within Sentir. The items will be highlighted in blue when selected. The following options are available:
    • Asset
    • Liability
    • Team Member
    • Division
    • Service
    • Financial Product
    • Deal
    • Income
    • Expense
    • Goal
    • Policy
    • Objective
    • Retirement Income
    • Acquired Advisor
    • Acquired Firm
    • Advisor in Contention
    • Advisor in Due Diligence
    • Advisor in Onboarding
    • Advisor under Consideration
    • Employer Prospect
    • Firm in Contention
    • Firm in Due Diligence
    • Firm in Onboarding
    • Firm under Consideration
    • Household/Organization Member
    • Influencer
    • Key Entity
    • Member
    • Global Action
  3. Click the right arrow button to move the item from the Available box to the Chosen box. The item will be added to the Chosen list when it is properly added.
  4. Check the Visible checkbox to make the process active and immediately available for launch within the objects and areas set in the previous step.
  5. In the Order field, enter a number. This defines the position where the process appears to end users in the list of available processes.
  6. Optionally, enter a name in the Process Group field to group this process type with other like processes. The Process Group field can be included in reports for better organization and analysis.
  7. In the Description field, enter a short description of the process. This text will be displayed to users on the Process record after it is launched, providing helpful context about the workflow’s purpose.


 

Process Settings

Process settings in Sentir play a pivotal role in tailoring and optimizing workflow management within the platform. These settings allow you to automate task ownership assignments, control form display behavior, and set time-based triggers to ensure work begins at the right moment. The Process Settings section contains the following fields:

  • Stage - This field will be revisited and set later in the process, as outlined in the Creating Process Stages section below. For initial creation, leave the Stage field blank.
  • Task Due Date Basis - The Task Due Date Basis field is set to Trigger Date by default. You can change this to Process Due Date to align all task deadlines with the overall process timeline.
  • Include Active Form in launch action? - This field is set to Yes by default. Change this to No if you do not want the Active Form for the first task in the process to be displayed in the Start a Process workflow. An Active Form will not appear in the Start a Process workflow if the process has more than one initial task that includes forms. Additionally, an Active Form will not be displayed in the Start a Process workflow if a user creates more than one instance of a process.
  • Assignment Type - Specifies which team member will be assigned as the process owner when the process is created. This automation standardizes the assignment of the overall process and ensures accountability from the start. The available options are:
    • None – Auto-assigns the process to the team member who starts it.
    • Specify Now – Allows a specific team member or queue to be assigned the process upon process creation. Teams attempting to assign ownership via Specify Now must make the assignment choice and select the Save button before they can change the Owner field. Once the team selects the Save button, they can change the owner by clicking on the gray person icon next to the current Owner name. A new menu will open, allowing selection of a specific user or queue assignment.
    • Assign to Service/Client Owner – Assigns the process to the related service or entity owner, maintaining ownership alignment with existing relationships.
    • Specify by Servicing Team Role – Allows selecting specific servicing team roles assigned at the entity or team-member level, supporting sophisticated delegation models.
  • Enable Time-Based Commencement - Check this box if you want to begin the process based on various Date fields across the Entity, Contact, Service, and Deal objects. This capability enables proactive workflows that trigger automatically based on important dates.


Time-Based Commencement Settings

Sentir's Time-Based Commencement settings enable users to automate processes based on specific Date fields across objects like Entity, Contact, Service, and Deal. This feature is valuable for automating time-sensitive workflows such as annual reviews, quarterly check-ins, or milestone-based deliverables, helping your firm deliver timely service while reducing manual calendar monitoring.

This section is displayed only if the Enable Time-Based Commencement? box has been checked. The following steps can be skipped if you are not using time-based commencement settings. Use the steps below to establish time-based commencement settings:

  1. Target Object - Select the pencil icon in the Target Object field to enter edit mode. Once in edit mode, select the desired object from the drop-down menu. This is the object whose Date field you will use to determine when to kick off the process.

  2. Target Field - Enter the API Name of the Date field you would like the timing to be based on. The API Name can be found in the Object Manager in Salesforce Setup. To find the API Name, do the following:
    1.  Select the gear icon in the screen’s upper right-hand corner and select Setup from the drop-down menu. A new tab opens.
    2. Select the Object Manager tab and use the Quick Find field to search for the object. Next, click the object’s name in the Label field to open the Object record.
    3. On the Object record, select the Fields & Relationships heading on the left-hand side of the screen to open a list of fields on the object.
    4. Locate the Date field you would like the time-based settings to be based upon and copy the name displayed in the Field Name column. This is the API Name of the field.
    5. Paste the API Name from Object Manager into the Target Field on the Process Type screen.
  3. Commencement Timing - Select Before or After to determine whether the process will begin before or after the date in the Target Field.

  4. Number of days - Enter the number of days that the process should begin before or after the date specified in the Target Field. The numbers for this field begin at one and count calendar days, not business days. This means if you enter a seven, the process will begin a week before or after the date in the Target Field.

Portal Settings

Portal settings determine the availability and functionality of a process type in client-facing portals for organizations with Portals enabled. This enables your clients to initiate and participate in firm processes directly, creating a more collaborative and transparent service experience.

Check the Enable for Portal Users box to make this process type available in a client-facing portal.

 

System Information

In this section, you can select the Locked checkbox to prevent other users at your firm from changing the Process Type. We recommend enabling this checkbox only after you have fully created and tested your process type, to ensure it functions as intended before protecting it from modification.

If a locked process needs to be unlocked for changes, only the original creator can do so. Once unlocked, the Process Type record can be modified by all System Administrator users in your organization. The Created By and Last Modified By fields are auto-generated by the system and cannot be modified.

 

Creating Process Stages

Each process has open configuration options for custom stages for each transitional state, meaning you can create as few or as many as needed. Process stages represent distinct phases or steps within a defined workflow, providing visibility into the status of work at any given moment. These stages structure the progression of a process and provide a systematic framework for completing tasks and achieving specific objectives. Each stage typically represents a significant milestone or set of related activities in the overall process. Use the following steps to create the process stages:

  1. In the Process Overview page, select the Process Stages header.

     
  2. Click the New button on the right.
  3. In the Process Stage Name field, enter a name for the stage.
  4. Click the Group picklist and select the option that best fits the information entered in the Process Stage Name field to group the stage with other stages. The group definitions are as follows:
    • Not Started - The process has not begun and is not being worked on by any team members within the firm.
    • In Progress - Team members at your firm are actively working through the process tasks.
    • Completed - All process tasks have been completed, and the overall process is now closed.
    • Canceled - The process has begun, but is closed before all tasks are completed.
  5. In the Process Type field, search for and select the name of the Process Type.
  6. In the Order field, enter a whole number. This defines the position where the process stage appears in the list of available process stages.

     
  7. Click Save to finalize the creation of the process stage.

Establishing the Initial Process Stage

Setting the initial process stage is foundational, contributing to clarity, organization, and efficiency throughout the workflow and ensuring a smooth, well-defined progression to subsequent stages. The initial process stage can be established in the creation of the process type, but to establish the initial process stage after the initial creation, do the following:

  1. On the Process Type record, navigate back to the Process Settings section.

     
  2. Select the pencil icon next to the Stage field to enter edit mode.

     
  3. In the Stage field, search for and select the stage you would like the process to enter when it is initiated.

     
  4. Click Save to finalize this change.

Creating Process Tasks

Process Tasks are the main components of a process that help build each step and set various outcomes that move the process forward through actions. These tasks represent the actual work your team performs and form the building blocks of your automated workflows.

Process Task Creation

In Sentir, a Process Task is a unit of work or action within a defined process. It represents a specific step or activity that needs to be completed to advance the overall process. Use the following steps to create a Process Task:

  1. At the top of the Process Type record, click on the Process Tasks tab. This opens the Process Tasks list view for this process.

     
  2. Click the New button to create the new Process Task.

     
  3. In the Subject field, enter a name for the task.
  4. From the Priority picklist, select a priority to indicate the task’s importance.
  5. Select the most suitable starting status for the process task from the Status picklist. If you select Completed as the default status for the process task, you will see an alert when running a validation check on the task.
  6. Enter a short description of the task in the Description field.
  7. In the Order field, enter a whole number. This defines the task’s position within the overall process.
  8. Optionally, select a type from the Task Type picklist.
  9. Enter any internal information about the task into the Details field. This information appears on the Task record in the Settings app. This field can only be viewed by users who have access to Process Types in the Settings app.
  10. Specify how the task assignee is determined with the Assignment Type field. The assignment types follow the same definitions as those for the overall process. For further explanation of these options, please consult our Understanding Processes in Sentir article.
  11. If desired, create a Task Group for the task. 
  12. In the Due Date Interval field, enter the number of days between when this task was created and when it should be due.
  13. The Suppress At Launch checkbox determines whether this process task is launched immediately upon process creation or waits for an action to trigger it later. If this checkbox is checked, the task will not be triggered when the initial process is created. Typically, the first process task does not have this box checked when creating a process.
  14. Check the Enable Advanced Execution Management box to allow users other than the task’s owner to complete the task. Click to highlight the role(s) you want to add, then click the right arrow to add to the Chosen box. If you choose Client Service, users must be part of an Entity’s Servicing Team to edit tasks related to them.
  15. Click Save to finalize the process task.

Using Process Task Settings

This section covers key features of Process Task Settings, including linking tasks through predecessors, defining outcomes for decision-tree logic, specifying actions triggered by task completion, and creating preset checklist items for task tracking. These capabilities enable you to build sophisticated workflows that adapt to different scenarios and maintain quality standards.

Predecessors

Most of the information in the Predecessors section is system-generated and does not need to be edited. However, this section is where Process Tasks can be linked together in spaces where a group of tasks runs concurrently and must all be completed before the next task can be initiated. This prevents bottlenecks and ensures all preparatory work is finished before moving forward. To group tasks, do the following:

  1. On the Process Task record, click the caret in the Predecessors area and select Edit.

     
  2. In the Dependency Group field, enter a name.

     
  3. Click Save to finalize this change.
  4. Repeat the steps above for each task you want to group, entering the same value in the Group field.

Task Outcomes

Outcomes serve as answers to each Process Task and can be used to create decision-tree logic within a process that branches into the various scenarios that may exist. This branching capability allows your firm to handle different situations within a single process framework, reducing the need for multiple similar processes. Outcomes determine the path that the overall process will take and determine which task should follow next. To create a task outcome, execute the following steps:

  1. On the Process Task record page, click the caret in the Task Outcomes section and select New.

     
  2. In the Name field, enter a name for the outcome.
  3. In the Order field, enter a whole number. 

     
  4. Click Save to finalize the creation of the task outcome or click the Save & New button to save and create another task outcome. It is best practice to create all task outcomes before creating task actions.

Actions

Actions are the next steps that can result from any movement on a process task once a process step reaches a completed status. These can range from a simple stage change in the overall process to creating a new service and starting an additional process. Actions are where automation truly comes to life, enabling your processes to trigger subsequent work without manual intervention. To formulate Actions, complete the following steps:

  1. On the Process Task record page, click the caret in the Actions section and select New.

     

  2. In the Action Name field, enter a name for the action.
  3. Click on the From Outcome picklist and search for and select the outcome that should trigger this action when it is selected upon task completion.
  4. From the Action Type picklist, select the action that should occur when the task is completed with the specified outcome. 
  5. Once the action has been specified, complete the fields that populate based on the Action you chose in the previous step.
  6. If you want to create a grouped action, you can optionally enter a group name in the Dependency Group field. When an action is grouped, all tasks with the same value in their associated actions’ Dependency Group field must be completed before the action is executed. When an end user completes a task with a grouped action but has not completed all necessary predecessor tasks, a message will inform them that the action has not been completed and list the outstanding tasks.

     
  7. Click Save to finalize the action.
  8. After saving the action, you can optionally click the Execution Rules tab. Here you will find a Rule Builder component that lets you specify criteria for when the action fires as a task completes, adding a layer of conditional logic to your workflows.

Preset Checklist Items

Checklists help end users track the jobs to be done for a given task, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. There are two types of items you can add to a Task record:

  • A manual item is considered complete when the task owner checks its box.
  • An automatic item is considered complete when its criteria are met. Criteria logic is handled by a checkbox field elsewhere, which is automatically checked via formula logic or other automation. The automatic checklist item simply reflects the status of that field.

When process tasks are completed, you can report on checklist items using the Completed By and Completed On fields with the following report types:

  • Checklist Items
  • Checklist Items with Process Task
  • Checklist Item History

To add a Checklist item to a task, do the following:

  1. On the Process Task record page, click the caret in the Preset Checklist Items area and select New.

     
  2. In the Label field, enter a description of the checklist item.
  3. In the Order field, enter a whole number. This dictates the order in which the item appears in the Checklist side panel on the Task record.
  4. In the Help Text field, you can enter short instructional text for the item. This text will appear within a tooltip at the end of the checklist item’s label.
  5. From the Action Type drop-down menu, select Manual or Automatic. Manual is selected by default.
  6. If you selected Automatic, enter the path for a checkbox field in the Criteria Location field using Salesforce syntax.
  7. For automatic items, click the If Criteria Location Isn’t Accessible drop-down and select Display this item or Display this item as incomplete.
  8. If you want the item fulfilled before the task can be marked complete, check the Required box.

     
  9. Click Save to finalize the Checklist item, or Save & New to add another item.

Using Rule-Based Actions

In the Rule-Based Actions area of the Process Type record, you can create rules with criteria that trigger actions at the process level. This enables process-wide automation that responds to changing conditions or important milestones. Use the steps below to activate Rule-Based Actions:

  1. On the Process Task record, click the caret in the Rule-Based Actions section and select New.

     
  2. In the Name field, enter a name for the new rule criteria.
  3. The Status field is set to Inactive by default. Set this field to Active to have the Rule-Based Action applied immediately upon saving. Leaving the field as Inactive will prevent the action from occurring until it is set to Active.
  4. In the Description field, enter a short description of the rule.

     
  5. Move to the Criteria Settings section and use the next section to set these.

Creating Time-Based Execution Criteria

Time-based rules are triggered a certain number of days before or after a given date. The field referenced should have a field type of Date. This functionality supports proactive engagement with clients around important dates and deadlines. To set time-based execution for a rule:

  1. Check the Use time-based execution checkbox to show the relevant settings.
  2. In the Execute based on field, select Days before the target field date or Days after the target field date.
  3. In the Number of Days field, enter a whole number to set the number of days before or after the Target Field date that you want the rule to be run.
  4. In the Target Field, enter the API Name of the Date field you would like the timing to be based on. The API Name can be found in the Object Manager in Salesforce Setup. If you want to reference a Date field on a related record, you should use Salesforce syntax.

     
  5. Once Time-Based Execution Settings have been entered, click Save to finalize this change.

Adding Actions

This is where you specify what happens when the rule criteria are met. To add a rule action:

  1. Select the caret to the right of the Rule Actions list on the right-hand side of the Rule Criteria page to add actions to your rule, as well as any required settings. If an email or notification action is selected, the settings for controlling recipients will appear once the Rule Action record has been saved.

     
  2. On the New Rule Action screen, click the Type drop-down menu and select from the following action types:
    • Create a Task
    • Post to Noticeboard
    • Send a Notification
    • Send an Email
    • Start a Process

       
  3. Complete the remaining fields that populate based on the selected action.
  4. Click Save.

Using the Available To Setting

In the Available To area of the Process Task record, click the New button to specify the Team Members, Divisions, and Financial Products for which the process is available. This granular control ensures processes appear only to relevant users, reducing clutter and improving user experience.

Each of these relationships has a different impact on workflow availability:

  • If a process type is related to a Team Member, that user will see the item appear in the Start a Process action wherever it’s been exposed, as per the item’s Related To options.
  • If a process type is related to a Division, any user who’s a member of that Division will see that item appear in the Start a Process action wherever it’s been exposed, as per the item’s Related To options.
  • If a process type is related to a Financial Product, any user will see that item appear in the Start a Process action for an Entity that has one or more related Asset/Liability records, which are themselves related to that Financial Product via either the Financial Product or Parent Financial Product lookup fields.

 

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