Zapier is a workflow automation tool that allows for 7,000+ applications to be connected together. You can learn more about Zapier from this site here: https://zapier.com/workflows.
Zapier offers a FREE account where you can create "zaps" that connect your different software applications together. The paid accounts allow you to have more connections within a single zap - please refer to Zapier's pricing page for more details.
Zapier works on the principles of a Trigger and an Action (see their glossary here).
Trigger - is what starts any workflow sequence.
Action - is what needs to be done because the Triggering event occurred.
This is the scenario we'll use for laying out the use cases for the different Triggers and Actions available:
You met a new prospect named Mary Smith. You entered Mary Smith as a new contact in CRM and placed her in the Prospect stage of your CRM.
As part of your process, you ask prospects to complete the New Prospect Info Request.
Once this stage is completed, you send them an engagement letter via Docusign
When they sign the Docusign, you move them to the Active Client stage
You also need to send disclosures, consent forms, fund facts and an Estate Planning Info Request
SideDrawer has the following Triggers and Actions available in Zapier. As you build these "Zaps" out, please be familiar with the type of information you'll need - see the Glossary below.
Triggers | Description | Example |
1. Info Request Plan Complete | When an Info Request in your Tenant is completed, you can then automate workflows elsewhere | When Mary completes the New Prospect Info Request, you can automate Docusign to send the engagement letter to Mary. |
2. Updated Info Request Plan Item | When a specific field within a specific Info Request in your Tenant is updated, you can then instruct to update that datapoint in another system. | Mary has a work and a personal email address.
You sent the New Prospect Info Request to Mary's work email address. She updated the "Email" field in the Info Request to be her Personal one.
This Trigger can watch for this change, and you can update the email address within your CRM, or you can automatically send an email to your Ops team to confirm with Mary that she'd like to use her revised email address. |
3. Info Request Sent X Days Ago and N Percent Complete | If an Info Request has been sent to a client for some time and is still below a certain % threshold, then you can initiate actions in other systems. | You met Mary as she was heading out on a family holiday. She said she'd have time to complete the Info Request before she left.
It's now been 10 days and she's only got through 50% of the Info Request.
By configuring this Trigger with 7 days and 65% complete, you can create create a Reminder email // or send a Slack message to the team to reach out to Mary.
Allows pro-active follow up if Info Requests are not addressed within a timely basis. |
Actions | Description | Example |
1. Create a SideDrawer | Creates a SideDrawer automatically when an event occurs in another platform. | When you add Mary to your CRM in the Prospect stage - it would automatically create a SideDrawer for her. |
2. Send an Info Request | Send an Info Request to a specific SideDrawer (perhaps the one just created above) when an event happens. | When you add Mary to your CRM in the Prospect stage - it would automatically create a SideDrawer for her (as above) and send the New Prospect Info Request. |
3. Create a Simple File Request | Creates a specific type of Simple File Request at a specific point in time in your process. | As Mary completes her New Prospect Info Request, you find out that Mary is divorced.
This would be picked up by the Updated Info Request Plan Item Trigger above, and you have another zap to automate the sending of the Simple File Request to get her Divorce Certificate. |
3. Send a Content Package | Automate the sending of Content Packages to the SideDrawer when a drawer is created (possibly in the step above). | Now that Mary has signed the Docusign client agreement, you can automate Docusign to be a trigger event, and send a Content Package to the SideDrawer that was created for Mary. |
4. Create a Record | This creates a new Record within the specific SideDrawer. | This allows the creation of a specific folder if required. |
5. Update a File to a Record | Add a file to a specific Record. | In the earlier step when the Docusign client agreement is completed, the signed document can be uploaded to Mary's SideDrawer automatically. |
6. Add a Collaborator to a SideDrawer | If a new individual is associated with a contact, then add a Collaborator to the SideDrawer. | In the New Prospect Info Request, if Mary enters the email address of her new partner and wants to have them engaged in future information exchange, this would be picked up by the Updated Info Request Plan Item Trigger above, and you have another zap requests they be included to add them as a Collaborator. |
7. Add a Team to Collaborate with a SideDrawer | When a SideDrawer is created, then add a specific Team to the SideDrawer as a Collaborator. | If through the Info Request completion process, Mary selects that she wants to have an estate plan engagement review with your Partners, then you can add the team of estate lawyers and executors that are outside your organization. |
8. Create a Reminder | When an event occurs, you can create a Reminder to be sent to specific Collaborators. | This allows the creation of a specific Reminder based on any Trigger event. |
Some relevant glossary items which may not be completely obvious:
Tenant or Tenant ID: this is your master Tenant environment. The ID is the uniqueID of your tenant which can also be found in the console.
https://console.sidedrawer.com/core/home/5fe4aXXXXXXXXXX916073ee/dashboard
SideDrawer or SideDrawer ID: this is the uniqueID of the specific SideDrawer. The ID can also be found in the front-end app URL as follows:
https://yourcompany.sidedrawer.com/core/home/6758XXXXXXXXXX4c94dde3/dashboard
Affiliate or Affiliate ID: this is the name of your specific Affiliate under the Tenant.
Info Request ID: you'll need to select the specific Info Request you're either creating, watching for an update or watching for completion.
Days since sent (specifically for Trigger: Info Request Sent X Days Ago and Y Percent Complete): this is how many days prior was the Info Request sent. Please enter only a number, like "7" days.
Minimum completion % (specifically for Trigger: Info Request Sent X Days Ago and Y Percent Complete): this is the % level which can not be crossed for this trigger event to take place. For example, if the value is "65" then this trigger will take place if the Info Request has been sent more than X days ago, and is still under 65% completed. Please only enter the number "65" and the system will covert it to a %.