Workflow Automations & Rules Engine

Workflow Automations in Print Life Software eliminates repetitive manual administration by autonomously routing jobs across your Kanban pipeline, sending customer update emails, and notifying shop staff when predefined shop milestones occur.

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1. Feature Scope & UI Navigation

How to Access the Automation Command Center

Automations are managed directly from your shop's main production board:

• Location: Navigate to Dashboard (/dashboard) in the left navigation sidebar.
• Header Button: Look at the top-right header action bar (between Shop Workflow Guide and Manage Dashboards).
• Button Name: Automations (Outline button with a Lightning icon).
  • Empty State Neon Highlight: When no automation rules are configured in your shop, the Automations button illuminates with an animated neon border (animate-glow) to encourage workflow setup.
• Mobile / Tablet: On mobile devices, the Automations button is located in the bottom action bar.
• Trigger: Clicking Automations opens the Automation Command Center modal (AutomationBuilderDialog).

[!NOTE] Managed from the Dashboard: Automations are configured directly from the Dashboard (/dashboard) header, not from /settings. This ensures your automation triggers remain immediately accessible while reviewing live production pipelines.

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2. Capabilities & Operational Boundaries

                             ┌───────────────────────────────────┐
                             │    Automation Command Center      │
                             └─────────────────┬─────────────────┘
                                               │
         ┌─────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┐
         │                                     │                                     │
         ▼                                     ▼                                     ▼
┌───────────────────┐               ┌────────────────────┐               ┌────────────────────┐
│ Stage 1–5 Events  │               │ Custom 1-Click SOP │               │ Multi-Action Exec  │
│ (System & Client) │               │ Workflow Buttons   │               │ (Simultaneous)     │
├───────────────────┤               ├────────────────────┤               ├────────────────────┤
│ • Quotes Sent     │               │ • Header Shortcuts │               │ 1. Move Job Status │
│ • Digital Signs   │               │ • Source-Status    │               │ 2. Email Customer  │
│ • Proof Approvals │               │   Gated Visibility │               │ 3. Internal Staff  │
│ • Card Deposits   │               │ • e.g. "Send to    │               │    Notifications   │
│ • PO Receipts     │               │   Screen Room"     │               │ 4. Audit Log Entry │
└───────────────────┘               └────────────────────┘               └────────────────────┘

Supported Capabilities

• 5 Structured Lifecycle Stages: Rules are organized logically into Quoting & Sales (Stage 1), Artwork & Proofing (Stage 2), Payments & Deposits (Stage 3), Purchasing & Production (Stage 4), and E-Commerce & Inbound (Stage 5).
• Simultaneous Multi-Action Execution: A single trigger event can execute up to three coordinated actions at once:
  1. Move Status: Moves the job card into a specific Kanban column or sub-status.
  2. Send Customer Email: Dispatches a personalized, branded email template to the client.
  3. Notify Shop Staff: Sends an internal alert notification to your production crew.
• Custom 1-Click SOP Workflow Buttons: Create custom action buttons that appear in the Quote Builder header exclusively when a job is in a designated status (e.g., "Send to Screen Room" or "Notify Receiving").
• Permanent Activity Audit Trail: Every automated card move and email dispatch is timestamped and recorded in the job's vertical activity log (/quotes-invoices/[id]).
• Bidirectional Trigger Support: Automations respond to both internal staff actions (sending a quote, checking in blanks) and external customer actions (digital quote signatures, proof change requests, online card payments).

Operational Boundaries

• Connected Email Required: Automated customer emails require an active email integration (Gmail, Outlook, or SMTP) configured under Settings $\rightarrow$ Connections.
• Draft Mockup Uploads Do Not Auto-Email: Uploading artwork or mockup images to a quote does not prematurely email the client. Proof emails are dispatched when staff triggers proof delivery or clicks a dedicated workflow button.
• Terminal Status Protections: Jobs in terminal statuses (system_complete or system_rejected) are protected from accidental automated regressions.

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3. Complete Trigger Inventory (Stages 1–5)

Print Life Software provides 18 dedicated event triggers across 5 operational stages:

Stage	Trigger Event	Trigger Actor	Condition & Description
Stage 1	New Quote Created	Staff Action	Fires on the initial save of a new draft quote by shop staff.
Stage 1	Quote Emailed to Customer	Staff Action	Fires when a quote is first emailed to a customer for pricing review.
Stage 1	Quote Re-emailed to Customer	Staff Action	Fires when revised quote pricing is re-sent to the customer.
Stage 1	Quote Approved by Customer	Customer Action	Fires when the customer digitally signs approval on the public quote page.
Stage 1	Quote Declined by Customer	Customer Action	Fires when the customer clicks "Decline Quote" with optional feedback.
Stage 2	Proofs Emailed to Customer	Staff Action	Fires when digital mockup proofs are emailed to the customer for visual review.
Stage 2	Revised Proofs Re-emailed	Staff Action	Fires when updated mockup proofs are emailed following customer change requests.
Stage 2	Revisions Requested by Customer	Customer Action	Fires when a customer submits change notes or rejects artwork on the proof page.
Stage 2	All Proofs Approved (Awaiting Payment)	Customer Action	Fires when 100% of proofs are approved, but no deposit/payment has been recorded yet.
Stage 2	All Proofs Approved (Payment Received)	Customer Action	Fires when 100% of proofs are approved AND an order deposit or payment is already on file.
Stage 3	First Payment / Deposit Recorded	System Event	Fires when the initial card payment or manual deposit is recorded.
Stage 3	Subsequent Payment Recorded	System Event	Fires when subsequent progress payments or final balance payments are recorded.
Stage 4	100% Garments Ordered / Sourced	System Event	Fires automatically when all blank garments are linked to POs or pulled from shop inventory.
Stage 4	100% Garments Checked In	System Event	Fires automatically once all wholesale distributor boxes arrive and are received.
Stage 4	Order Marked Complete	Staff Action	Fires when an order is moved to final fulfillment or marked complete.
Stage 5	Store Production Batch Created	Staff Action	Fires when an online merch store campaign closes and orders are finalized into a batch.
Stage 5	Online Design Lab Submission	Customer Action	Fires when a customer submits a new custom project from the Public Design Lab.
Stage 5	Gang Sheet Sent to Production	Staff Action	Fires when an approved DTF gang sheet is dispatched to the print queue.
Custom	Custom 1-Click SOP Button	Staff Action	Fires when staff clicks a custom SOP action button in the Quote Builder header.

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4. Shop Operating Models: Choosing Your Flow

Print shops typically operate under one of two core sales models. The Automation Command Center supports both seamlessly:

Model A: "Deposit / Estimate First" (Financial Protection Model)

• Philosophy: Protect graphic designer hours by requiring price sign-off and a financial deposit before artwork mockups are created.
• Recommended Automation Setup:
  1. Stage 1: Set Quote Approved by Customer to move jobs to "Deposit Pending".
  2. In Settings $\rightarrow$ Features, enable Auto-Convert to Invoice on Approval.
  3. Stage 3: Set First Payment / Deposit Recorded to move jobs to "Art In Progress / Needs Proofs".
  4. Stage 2: Set Proofs Emailed to Customer to move jobs to "Proofs Sent".
  5. Stage 2: Set All Proofs Approved (Payment Received) to move jobs directly to "Needs Blanks / Purchasing".

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Model B: "Proofs Upfront" (Visual Closer Model)

• Philosophy: Win deals quickly by delivering impressive visual mockups alongside the initial quote.
• Recommended Automation Setup:
  1. Staff creates the quote, adds garments, and attaches mockup artwork upfront.
  2. Stage 2: Set Proofs Emailed to Customer to move jobs to "Proofs Sent".
  3. Customer approves proofs on the portal and pays their deposit online.
  4. Stage 2: Set All Proofs Approved (Payment Received) to advance the order directly into Stage 4: Purchasing & Production.

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5. Step-by-Step Operating Procedures

Workflow 1: Creating an Automated Status & Email Rule

1. Navigate to Dashboard (/dashboard) $\rightarrow$ click the Automations button in the top header.
2. Locate your target event across Stages 1–5 (e.g., First Payment / Deposit Recorded under Stage 3).
3. Toggle the rule switch to Rule Active.
4. Configure your actions:
   • Then Move Job To: Select your target Kanban column (e.g., In Printing) or a specific sub-status (e.g., Press Setup).
   • And Send Email: Select an email template from the dropdown (e.g., Order Confirmed & In Production). Leave as No Template Set if you only want the card to move.
   • Notify Shop Staff: Toggle ON to trigger internal staff notifications.
5. Click Save Automations at the bottom of the modal.

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Workflow 2: Creating a Custom 1-Click SOP Button

1. Open the Automation Command Center from /dashboard.
2. Scroll to the Custom Workflow Buttons section.
3. Click + Add Custom SOP Button.
4. Configure button parameters:
   • Button Label: Enter the button title (e.g., "Send to Screen Room" or "Order Blanks").
   • Show When Status Is: Select the source column or sub-status where this button should appear (e.g., Art Approved).
   • Target Status: Select the column or sub-status the job moves to when clicked (e.g., Screens Prepped).
   • Automated Email: Select an optional email template to dispatch upon click.
5. Click Save Automations.
6. When staff opens any quote matching the source status, the new custom button appears prominently in the top header action bar.

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6. Troubleshooting & Diagnostic Matrix

Symptom / Question	Root Cause	Exact Remediation Step
I cannot find where to configure automations	Looking in Settings instead of Dashboard.	Go to Dashboard (/dashboard) and click the Automations button in the top-right header action bar.
Job moves columns but no customer email is sent	Trigger rule has "No Template Set" selected.	Open Dashboard $\rightarrow$ Automations, expand the trigger rule, and select a valid email template in the "And Send Email" dropdown.
Automated emails fail to send completely	Email account is not connected.	Go to Settings $\rightarrow$ Connections and verify that Gmail, Outlook, or SMTP has a green Connected badge.
Custom workflow button is missing from quote header	Quote is not in the required source status.	Check the button's "Show when status is" setting in the Automation Command Center and verify the quote's current column/status.
Uploading a mockup did not email the client	Mockup uploading is an internal drafting action.	To email proofs, click Send Email on the quote (selecting your proof template) or click a configured "Send Proofs" workflow button.
Customer approved proof but job did not move to Purchasing	Customer has not paid required deposit.	Check if the job moved to All Proofs Approved (Awaiting Payment) instead of All Proofs Approved (Payment Received). Once payment is recorded, the job advances.

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7. Frequently Asked Questions & Action Prompts

Where do I configure shop automations?

1. Click Dashboard (/dashboard) in the left navigation sidebar.
2. In the top-right header action bar (next to Manage Dashboards), click the Automations button (with the Lightning icon).
3. The Automation Command Center modal opens, allowing you to configure all 18 triggers across Stages 1–5 and custom SOP buttons!

[Show me the Dashboard](chat:Show me the Dashboard) • [What triggers are available in automations?](chat:What triggers can I set up in automations?)

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How do I make jobs move columns automatically when a deposit is paid?

1. Open Dashboard $\rightarrow$ click Automations in the header.
2. Scroll to Stage 3: Payments & Deposits.
3. Under First Payment / Deposit Recorded, toggle the switch to Rule Active.
4. In the "Then Move Job To" dropdown, select your destination column (e.g., Art In Progress or Needs Blanks).
5. (Optional) In "And Send Email", pick a payment confirmation email template.
6. Click Save Automations.

[How do I create custom workflow buttons?](chat:How do I create custom workflow buttons in the quote header?)

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How do custom 1-click SOP buttons work?

Custom SOP buttons let you add fast 1-click action buttons (e.g., "Send to Screen Room", "Order Blanks") to the Quote Builder header:

1. Open Dashboard $\rightarrow$ Automations.
2. Scroll down to Custom Workflow Buttons $\rightarrow$ click + Add Custom SOP Button.
3. Set the button name and choose when it should appear (e.g., only when a job is in Art Approved).
4. Select the target status the job should jump to when an operator clicks the button.
5. Save changes. When staff works on quotes in that status, the button appears right at the top of their screen!

[Show me the Dashboard](chat:Show me the Dashboard)