36. Triggers - Help Center

Triggers are powerful automation rules that automatically update item fields when certain conditions are met. This feature, available to Business subscribers, allows you to create "if-then" rules that save time and ensure consistency across your inventory.

For example, you might create a trigger that says: "When a storage box's Status equals 'Full', automatically set its Condition to 'Salvage' and update its Location Status to 'In Transit'." This automation eliminates manual updates and reduces errors in your inventory management workflow.

a. Understanding Triggers

A trigger consists of two parts:

The Condition - What needs to happen for the trigger to activate
The Action - What field gets updated when the condition is met

Triggers monitor field changes in real-time. When you update an item's field value (either through the app or web interface), Scanlily checks if any triggers match that change. If a match is found, the corresponding field updates happen automatically.

b. Common Use Cases for Triggers

Here are practical examples of how triggers can streamline your workflow:

Equipment Maintenance

When Flag equals "Broken", set Equipment Status to "Out of Service"
When Last Serviced is 365 days ago, set Flag to "Need to Service"

Storage Management

When a container's Status equals "Full", set Location Status to "In Transit"
When Status equals "Trash", clear the Condition field (set to null)

Asset Lifecycle

When Warranty Expiration Date equals today, set Flag to "Warranty Expired"
When Asset Life Years exceeds 5, set Flag to "Consider Replacement"

Use case more applicable to Alerts:

The following is a Use Case that could be implemented with Triggers, but would more likely be implemented with the Alerts feature because of all the additional reporting and display capabilities that Alerts provide for Inventory management.

Inventory Management

When Quantity falls below 10, set Flag to "Restock"
When Quantity equals 0, set Location Status to "Empty"

c. Accessing Triggers

To manage triggers, you need to access the Scanlily User Website:

Log in to the User Website at https://s.scanlily.com
Click on your profile icon in the upper right corner
Select "Triggers" from the dropdown menu

d. Creating a New Trigger

On the Manage Triggers page, you'll see the "Add New Trigger" form:

To create a trigger:

Select the Trigger Field - Choose the field that Scanlily will monitor for changes
Choose the Trigger Type - Select the comparison operator:

= (equals) - Triggers when the field exactly matches the value
≠ (not equals) - Triggers when the field doesn't match the value
(greater than) - Triggers when the field is greater than the value

Enter the Trigger Value - The value to compare against (leave blank for null/empty)
Select Field Changed - The field that will be automatically updated
Enter Field Changed Value - The new value to set (leave blank to clear the field)
Click "Add Trigger" to save

e. Managing Existing Triggers

The "Current Triggers" section displays all active triggers for your account. This table shows:

Trigger Field - The field being monitored
Type - The comparison operator
Trigger Value - The value that triggers the action
Field Changed - The field that gets updated
Field Changed Value - The new value applied
Actions - Delete button to remove triggers

You can sort the triggers by clicking on any column header. This helps you organize and find specific triggers when you have many automation rules.

f. Important Notes About Triggers

Field Types Triggers work with all standard Scanlily fields and custom attributes you've created. The system automatically handles different data types (text, numbers, dates, currency) appropriately.

Null Values To check if a field is empty, leave the Trigger Value blank. To clear a field when a trigger fires, leave the Field Changed Value blank. The system treats both empty fields and the text "null" as null values.

Multiple Triggers You can create multiple triggers for the same field. All matching triggers will execute when conditions are met. For example, you might have different triggers for Status = "Full" that update different fields.

Immediate Execution Triggers execute immediately when conditions are met. There's no delay or batch processing - as soon as you update a field that matches a trigger condition, the corresponding updates happen automatically.

Permissions Only Superusers and Administrators can create and manage triggers. The triggers apply to all items in your subscription, regardless of which user makes the triggering change.

g. Example Trigger Workflow

Let's walk through a practical example using the triggers shown in the image:

You have storage boxes with a Status field that can be "Empty", "Partial", "Full", or "Trash"
You create triggers that automatically update other fields based on the Status:

When Status = "Full" → Set Condition to "Salvage"
When Status = "Full" → Set Cost to "12"
When Status = "Full" → Set Location Status to "In Transit"
When Status = "Trash" → Clear the Condition field

Now, whenever any user changes a box's Status to "Full" through the app or website, Scanlily automatically:

Marks it as salvage condition
Sets its cost to $12
Updates its location status to indicate it's being moved

This automation ensures consistent handling of full storage boxes across your entire organization without requiring users to remember multiple update steps.

h. Deleting Triggers

To remove a trigger:

Find the trigger in the Current Triggers list
Click the trash can icon in the Actions column
Confirm the deletion when prompted

Deleted triggers stop working immediately, but any field updates already made by the trigger remain unchanged.

i. Best Practices

Test First - Create triggers on a test item before applying them broadly
Document Purpose - Keep notes about why each trigger exists
Review Regularly - Periodically review triggers to ensure they still match your workflow
Avoid Conflicts - Be careful not to create triggers that might conflict with each other
Use Specific Values - The more specific your trigger conditions, the more predictable the automation