Last Updated on April 3, 2022 by Rakesh Gupta

Big Idea or Enduring Question:

How to use Salesforce Flow to automate business scenarios that involve cloning an existing record. 

Objectives:

After reading this blog, you’ll be able to: 

• Understand how to clone a record by using the create record element
• Use decision element to validate the data
• Use formulas in the flow to dynamically generate name and date
• Concatenate 2 fields in the flow formula
• and much more

Business Use case

Steve Cartwright is working as a System Administrator at Universal Containers (UC). He received a requirement to auto-create a new Opportunity (Similar to an old record) whenever an Opportunity is successfully closed with the following details: 

• Set the Close date for the new Opportunity to 365 days from today
• Append + sign to Opportunity Name
• Stage = Prospecting

Automation Champion Approach (I-do):

Usually, with Salesforce multiple approaches are available to solve a business requirement. Choose the ones that are simple, straightforward, and consume fewer resources. 

Let’s solve this scenario using Salesforce Flow, as this business case involves only one level of cloning. To implement a deep clone – Renewal Opportunity with Line Items (Multilevel cloning), either Salesforce Flow or Apex Programming can be used. 

Before discussing the solution, let me show you a diagram of a Process Flow at a high level. Please spend a few minutes going through the following Flow diagram and understand it.

Let’s begin building this automation process.

Guided Practice (We-do):

There are 5 steps to solve Steve’s business requirement using Record-Triggered Flow. We must:

1. Define flow properties for record-triggered flow
2. Create a Formula field to generate a close date for the renewal opportunity 
3. Create a Formula field to generate a name for the renewal opportunity 
4. Add a Decision element to validate opportunity Stage equals Closed Won
5. Add a Create Records element to generate a renewal opportunity

Step 1: Define Flow Properties

1. Click Setup.
2. In the Quick Find box, type Flows.
3. Select Flows then click on the New Flow.
4. Select the Record-Triggered Flow option, click on Create and configure the flow as follows:
   1. Object: Opportunity
   2. Trigger the Flow When: A record is created or updated
   3. Set Entry Criteria
      1. Condition Requirements: None
   4. Optimize the Flow For Action and Related Records
5. Click Done.

Step 2: Create a Formula to Generate Close Date For the Renewal Opportunity 

1. Under Manager click New Resource to create a formula for renewal opportunity close date.
2. Input the following information: 
   1. Resource Type: Formula
   2. API Name: forD_RenewalOpportunityCloseDate
   3. Data Type: Date
   4. Formula: {!$Record.CloseDate} + 365
3. Click Done.

Step 3: Create a Formula to Generate Name for the Renewal Opportunity 

1. Under Manager click New Resource to create a formula for renewal opportunity name.
2. Input the following information: 
   1. Resource Type: Formula
   2. API Name: forT_RenewalOpportunityName
   3. Data Type: Text
   4. Formula: {!$Record.Name}+’ +’
3. Click Done.

Step 4: Using Decision Element to Check if Opportunity is Closed Won or Not

Now we will use the Decision element to check the StageName to ensure that it is equal to Closed. 

1. On Flow Designer, click on the + icon and select the Decision element. 
2. Enter a name in the Label field; the API Name will auto-populate.
3. Under Outcome Details, enter the Label the API Name will auto-populate.
4. Condition Requirements to Execute Outcome: All Conditions Are Met (AND)
   1. Row 1:
      1. Resource: {!$Record.StageName}
      2. Operator: Equals 
      3. Value: Closed Won
5. When to Execute Outcome: Only if the record that triggered the flow to run is updated to meet the condition requirements.
6. Click Done.

Step 5: Add a Create Records Element to Generate Renewal Opportunity 

 The next step is to create a new Opportunity, for this we will use the Create Records element.

1. On Flow Designer, below the Closed Won node, click on the +icon and select the Create Records element.
2. Enter a name in the Label field; the API Name will auto-populate.
3. Input the following information:
   1. Enter Label the API Name will auto-populate.
   2. How Many Records to Create: One
   3. How to Set the Record Fields: Use separate resources, and literal values
   4. Object: Opportunity
   5. Set Field Values for the Opportunity
   6. Row 1:
      1. Field: CloseDate
      2. Value: {!forD_RenewalOpportunityCloseDate}
   7. Click Add Field
   8. Row 2:
      1. Field: Name
      2. Value: {!$forT_RenewalOpportunityName}
   9. Click Add Field
      
   10. Row 3:
       1. Field: Pricebook2Id
       2. Value: {!$Record.Pricebook2Id}
   11. Click Add Field
       
   12. Row 4:
       1. Field: RecordTypeId
       2. Value: {!$Record.RecordTypeId}
   13. Click Add Field
       
   14. Row 5:
       1. Field: StageName
       2. Value: Prospecting
   15. Click Add Field
       
   16. Row 6:
       1. Field: AccountId
       2. Value: {!$Record.AccountId}
4. Click Done.

In the end, Steve’s Flow will look like the following screenshot:

Once everything looks good, perform the steps below: 

1. Click Save.
2. Enter Flow Label the API Name will auto-populate.
3. Click Show Advanced.
4. API Version for Running the Flow: 54
5. Interview Label: Generate Renewal Opportunity {!$Flow.CurrentDateTime}
6. Click Save.

Almost there! Once everything looks good, click the Activate button.

Proof of Concept

From now onwards, a new opportunity will be automatically created whenever an opportunity is updated as Closed Won. 

Formative Assessment:

I want to hear from you!

What is one thing you learned from this post? How do you envision applying this new knowledge in the real world? Feel free to share in the comments below.