Using the Update block to add a timestamp to a workflow

 In order to maximize your ability to create powerful and timely automations, it's extremely valuable to be able to capture the dates of key events as they occur. Oomnitza enables its users to create custom date fields to reflect any value desired and to automatically capture these datestamps using workflows. This article will show you how to create those custom fields, and create the workflow-based automations that populate them with dates.

Creating custom date fields

Before creating a workflow to automatically populate a date field, you'll have to create a custom date field to store that value.

To create a custom field, complete the following steps:

1. Click Configuration > Data model > Field Configuration. By default, a list of the asset fields are displayed.
2. Click Add. 
3. You'll be prompted to name the field and select a Data Type.  The Data Type should be set to DateTime. The other options can typically be left to their defaults. However, if you want the new field to be fillable exclusively through the automation, you can deselect Editable.
4. Once you've done this, click Create in the lower right, and your field will be created.

Creating the workflow

Once you've created the custom field, complete the following steps:

1. Click Configuration > Workflows 
2. Click Add (+) and select Assets from the list.

Give the workflow a name.

Drag the Update workflow block into the sandbox, and connect the block splines. It should look something like this:

Configuring the Begin block

The Begin block should be set to trigger when an asset is edited, and when the Assigned To field has been changed. 

Configuring the Update block

The Update block should be set to update the Assigned To Date to today. To do this, you can compare the date field to a dynamic value which equals Today. 

Or you can enter a static value with the current date.

Running your workflow

Select Save, Validate and Activate to run your workflow. The Assigned to Date field should be updated. You can view this field by opening an asset in the Hardware > All Assets tab.