Initiating Milestone Creation Using Salesforce Flow

As part of the Squivr package, a Salesforce Flow Template is created as a reference point. This article will walk you through utilizing that template on the Opportunity object as well as how to build a new Flow if you are using Timeline on a different standard or custom object.

Timeline & Milestones on Opportunity

Note: You must activate the Flow and confirm that the Start Date Field and End Date Field for which the Milestones will be calculated from are accurate.

1. Navigate to Salesforce Setup
2. In the Quick Find box, search Flow
3. Find the Milestone Template Flow - Opportunity flow and click the name to open
   
   
   
   
4. Optional: Double Click on the Apex Action to open and change the Start Date Field and End Date Field (by default, these are set to Opportunity CreatedDate and Opportunity CloseDate)
   
   
   
   
5. Activate the Flow
   
   

Timeline & Milestones on Standard or Custom Object

Before setting up a Flow to run on an Object, standard or custom, other than the Opportunity, you need to add a lookup field to both the Objective and Plan Summary objects. For example, if you are setting Playbook up to run on the Case object, add a Case lookup field on Objective and Plan Summary. 

This example will walk you through creating a Salesforce Flow that fires on Case creation and update. We are using Case CreatedDate as the Start Date Field and a custom formula field, SLA_Close_Date__c, as the End Date Field.

1. Navigate to Salesforce Setup
2. In the Quick Find box, search Flow and click New Flow
3. Select Record-Triggered Flow and click Create
4. Select the desired object from the Start Element
5. The flow should fire when  "a record is created or updated"
   
6. From the Manager tab, create a new Resource of type Variable
   • Data Type = Record
   • Allow multiple values (collection) = true
   • Object = [select your object here]
     
     
     
     
7. Click Done
8. From the Elements tab, create a new Assignment
   • Variable = variable created in step #5
   • Operator = add
   • Value = {!$Record}
     
     
   • NOTE: You will still need to create a old Record variable for all objects.
9. Click Done and connect the Start Element to the Assignment Element
10. From the Elements tab, create a new Action
    • Select the Create Milestones action & click Done
      
      
      
      
11. Configure the Action
    • Object for Input = [select your object here]
    • Object for Output = Task
    • Set Input Values
      • End Date Field = the end date used when calculating Milestone Due Date
      • Records to add Milestones = variable created in step #5 
      • Start Date Field = the start date used when calculating Milestone Due Date
        
        
12. Click Done and connect the Assignment Element to the Action Element
13. Activate the Flow