--- title: "AutomationManager" canonical: "https://support.plunet.com/space/KB/895761/AutomationManager" format: markdown --- > Macro (toc) > ✅ **VIDEO** > ✅ > ✅ [Advanced Automation Features: How to run fully automated features with Plunet's AutomationManager](https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/6616067556037140995) (43:43 min.) > ✅ > ✅ - How to create a fully automated translation project with the AutomationManager > ✅ - Configuration and setup needed for full automation > ✅ > ✅ [Fully automated MTPE workflow without CAT tool](https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/5552214192184390145) (55:44 min.) > ✅ > ✅ - How to use the AutomationManager without a CAT tool > ✅ > ✅ [Hands-free automation loop](https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/1977731579883911939) (48:46 min.) > ✅ > ✅ - Different use cases showcasing four fully and partially automated workflows ## Introduction The AutomationManager adds process jobs to your workflow that allow you to automate the stages of a project after a request is received from the customer portal. Project managers can automate quote and order creation and, as of Plunet 9.1, even the assignment of resources. This means that it is possible to carry out a whole project without any intervention from the project manager, from request creation in the Customer Portal to customer delivery. The workflows enabled by the AutomationManager are customizable, meaning the project manager can control the level of automation. ## System requirements - Plunet BusinessManager version 7.2 or higher - For the step "Start assignment round", Plunet 9.1 or newer is needed - AutomationManager module ## CAT tools A dynamic integration with the AutomationManager is possible with the following CAT tools: - memoQ (memoQManager) - Trados Studio (TradosStudioManager) - Trados GroupShare (GroupShareManager, needs Plunet 9.0+) - Phrase (PhraseManager needs Plunet 9.4+). *Comprehensive advanced configurations are needed: The setup of the AutomationManager together with a Plunet Implementation Specialist from start to finish is mandatory. Please contact your Account Manager for further details.* ## System settings | **No.** | **Step** | **Area in Plunet** | **Setting** | **Note** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1. | Set the **preselected project manager** | *Admin → Settings → Quotes* *Admin → Settings → Orders* | In both areas: Option 1: Set **Project manager** or **Account manager** as the **Preselected project manager**.
OR
Option 2: Set the current **User** as the Project manager. If there is no predefined project manager, this is the default user that will be used. | | | 2. | Create a new resource | *Contacts → Resources → + Create new resource in Plunet* | 1) Create a resource profile for the AutomationManager
2) Apply the following in the communication settings:
**User type: Internal**
**Resource type: Project Manager**
3) Change the user's status to 'Active'
4) Give it an identifiable name, such as "(Company Name Project Automation"
5) Add a real e-mail as the e-mail address,The e-mail used should be one that multiple PMs have access too, as any error mails will be sent here. | If there is no predefined project manager for the project, this is the default account that will be used. | | 3. | Create a new user for this resource | *Admin → Users → Resources (Internal) → + Create user account* | 1) Create a new user. Use an identifiable name like 'Project automation user'
2) Select the resource created above for this user
3) Give this user user all PM rights for **Requests, Quotes, Orders, Jobs, Invoices, Email sending** by adding them to a PM rights group.
3) Log in as this user and set up the user e-mail address in *Home → Settings → E-mail addresses → Sender *
4) Log in again as admin
3) Change **User type: Project automation **for the newly created user at *Admin → Users → Resources (Internal)* | | | 4. | Map with CAT tool user (if using CAT dynamic integration) | *CAT tool of choice* | If you are using a dynamic CAT integration, the CAT license will automatically be assigned, without using one of your paid licenses.
For** all CAT tools except Trados Studio**, you will need to create or use an existing user in your chosen CAT tool with PM rights to map with the Project automation user in Plunet (you can do this in the user profile).
For TradosStudioManager, no mapping is necessary. | | | 5. | Set up in admin settings | *Admin → Settings → Customer Portal* | **Display of fields (Requests):** Activate **Scope of service (workflow)** | | | *Admin → Rights → Modules → Projects* | Activate **Job/Date calculation** to have the system automatically calculate due dates for all jobs globally.* Leave this disabled if *you either want to manually calculate due dates for jobs or if the Job/Date calculation process job should be used to automate the calculation for certain projects. | | | *Admin → Rights → Modules → Projects* | Activate** Item/Default contact person for jobs** | | | *Admin → Settings → Jobs* | The following settings cannot be combined with the Job/Date calculation and need to be deactivated: > Macro (inline-external-image) | Click here for a [more detailed overview of the Job date calculation.](https://plunethelp.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/893607) | | *Admin → Settings → Orders → Items → Default workflow* | Enable automatic workflow by making sure auto and not manual is selected | | | *Admin → Settings → Quotes* | Set **Expiry** for quotes | | | *Admin → Prices → Prices 1 → Standard time* | Open the Standard time tab and make sure sure you have completed this section to calculate the approximate time needed | | | 7. | Set up 'Automatic job error' e-mail | *Admin → Document templates → E-mail* | For the e-mail template 'Automatic job error e-mail', ensure the correct recipients are selected (If you don't want the customer to know about workflow disruptions, only the PM should be the recipient, not the customer).
You can use various flags in the e-mail template. Include a direct link to the corresponding process job by using the flag **[QuickJobLink]** or display messages for the project manager with the flags **[JobInfo]**, **[JobWarning]** or **[JobError]**. | | | | Set up in customer profile | *Contacts → Customers → (Select customer) → Communication settings* | Activate **Allow workflow selection in requests** | If using customer registration together with the AutomationManager, this allows newly registered customers to receive an automatic quote or order confirmation. | | 9. | Check price list settings | *Contacts → Customers → (Select customer)→ Price lists → Planned time* | In order to calculate the processing time for the project, the values for the quantity per hour need to be entered in the customer price lists in the** Planned time** tab. | | ## Process jobs *Admin → Jobs* *Orders → (Select order) → Workflows* You will need to use process jobs in your workflow template to achieve partial or full automation. Process jobs will be added once you have purchased the AutomationManager module. You can identify process jobs by the Greek delta included in the name. Below is an explanation of each process job as well as any additional settings you should consider: | **Process job** | **Description** | **Additional settings** | **Note** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Run CAT tool (ΔCT) | This process applies the settings from the CAT project template to the project and then runs the CAT tool. | A user in your chosen CAT tool needs to be mapped with the Project automation user created in Plunet.
Select **memoQManager**, **TradosStudioManager**, **GroupShareManager**, or **PhraseManager** (as of Plunet 9.4) as the CAT interface for your customer under **Contacts → Customers → Communication → Communication settings**. This will be the default if no CAT tool is selected in the Workflow editor. | For GroupShare, there is currently no option in either the customer profile, nor the Admin area, for the selection of specific templates to use on a global level for the GroupShare integration. This means, the Run CAT Tool (ΔCT) job will not run successfully if a GroupShare template is not chosen in this job. | | Check plausibility (ΔPL) | This process checks project values for plausibility in two steps: **Check time **and **Check price**. | You can customize the options for this job by opening it in the Workflow editor. We would recommend activating all options under 1 and 2 under the specification tab of the job which you can open in the workflow editor (*Orders → [Select order] → Workflows*). | | | Create and send quote document (ΔQD) | This job automatically creates the quote document and sends it to the customer contact person as a PDF file. | This can be activated under **Admin → Settings → Quotes → Attach quote to e-mail as PDF** | | | Wait for customer response (ΔWC) | This job waits for a response from the customer until the quote expires. If the job expires or is rejected, the project manager will be informed by e-mail. | | | | Create order if quote is accepted (ΔOR) | When the customer has accepted the quote, this process creates the order. | | | | Create and send order confirmation (ΔOC) | This job creates the order confirmation and sends it to the customer as a PDF file. | This can be activated under **Admin → Settings → Quotes → Attach order confirmation to e-mail as PDF** | | | Calculate job dates (ΔCD) | This process calculates the dates for itself and all subsequent jobs, based on the planned times stored in each job. | | If you do not want to use the date calculation, because the job dates are set by the project manager manually, then the job **Calculate job dates (ΔCD)** should not be included in the workflow and the plausibility checks for time should be deactivated. | | Start assignment round (ΔSA) | This step allows for the first assignment round of one or several jobs to start automatically. | This job should be placed as the direct predecessor to the first job which requires a resource assignment. | Users will require Plunet version 9.1 or newer for this step. | | Transfer job costs into item (ΔJC) | This step automates the direct transfer of the job costs to the corresponding item. | | This step is only available to users who have also purchased the [CostTransferModule](https://plunethelp.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/894995)
If you have both the AutomationManager and CostTransferModule active, but cannot see this process job, please update your PBM to 10.12.1 or newer. | ## Set up process jobs for automation *Admin → Jobs → Properties* > Macro (inline-media-image) Click the pencil to edit the properties of each process job. This will display the job properties beneath the list. Please change the settings below according to your preferences. Below are some recommended settings. > Macro (inline-media-image) 1) Copy unit price of item: **Do not copy** 2) Under 'Display', we would recommend deactivating **Dashboard (Customer)** and **Dashboard (Internal resources)** If the setting **Dashboard (Customer) is** active, all running process jobs will be visible to your customer in the customer portal. If the setting **Dashboard (Internal resources) **is active, all process jobs will be visible on the project manager's dashboard. 3) For Initial job status, we would recommend selecting **03 Assigned - waiting** 4) For Final job status, we would recommend selecting **13 Without invoice** Using these statuses allows the project to move to the next stage automatically. > ℹ️ Click here [for more information on automatic jobs and job statuses.](https://plunethelp.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/896536) ## **Project Automation** Project automation relies on process jobs nested within Workflow templates, containing different, configurable automated functions. There are two main types of project automation: 1. **Full automation** a. Started by the customer in the customer portal at Request level, via an automatic workflow template; this approach requires *little or no action from the PM* 2. **Partial automation** a. Started by the customer at Request level in the customer portal via a manual workflow template *PM intervention is needed to trigger automation *at Request, Quote or Order level. b. Started by the PM: i. If an automatic workflow template is *added in the request*, all process jobs will be *triggered automatically* when the request is turned into a Quote or an Order ii. If an automatic workflow template is* added in a Quote or an Order*, the first process job will need to be* triggered/started manually *by the PM **Setting up Workflow templates for the AutomationManager** *Orders → Workflow templates* You can have as many automatic workflows as needed, with different levels of automation and different process jobs to suit multiple scenarios. You can use/copy an existing Workflow template and add the necessary Process jobs or create a new workflow from scratch by following the steps below. 1. Add new (or copy an existing) workflow 2. If the Workflow template is intended for customer use, make sure its name is relevant and self-explanatory for the customer, i.e. “Translation including revision”. If the Workflow template is for internal use only, use a naming convention familiar to internal users, i.e. “Automatic Quote - PM”. 3. If you need to restrict its visibility to specific customer or customer groups, select either 'Released for all customers' or 'Released for selected customers'. For the latter option, you will need to click 'Save' button for the list of potential customers to appear and select from. 4. If the workflow template is intended for customer use, tick 'Workflow visible in customer portal'. Otherwise, make sure 'Workflow visible in customer portal' is not selected. 5. Select workflow type as one of the 'Automatic' options, depending on whether you want to automate a quote and an order, or just an order. ## Add process jobs to new workflow template *Orders → Workflow templates → Workflow editor* The process jobs can be found in the sidebar under **Process**. Drag and drop the jobs into the center to build an automated workflow. ![image](media://3f53792d-2160-42bb-9bac-de9556e4618a) > ℹ️ **Note** > ℹ️ > ℹ️ If you select the workflow type **Automatic project processing (only order with process jobs)**, you will only see five process jobs as this workflow will automatically remove process jobs related to quotes. ### Fully automated workflow for a quote and an order: This is an example workflow that includes all process jobs to automate both a quote and an order: ![image](media://2f6ba4dc-225f-4c02-afcc-0450faa8cbe9) 1. Run CAT Tool (ΔCT) 2. Check plausibility (ΔPL) 3. Create and send quote document (ΔQD) 4. Wait for customer response (ΔWC) 5. Create order in case of quote acceptance (ΔOR) 6. Create and send order confirmation (ΔOC) 7. Calculate job due dates (ΔCD) 8. Start assignment round (ΔSA) Then you can add the usual (not process) jobs. After all process jobs have been carried out, this normal workflow will follow. For example, Translation, Editing and Proofreading. ### Automated workflow for order only: ![image](media://0284e287-a585-429a-a5ff-cba34624565e) 1. Run CAT Tool (ΔCT) 2. Check plausibility (ΔPL) 3. Create and send order confirmation (ΔOC) 4. Calculate job due dates (ΔCD) 5. Start assignment round (ΔSA) > ℹ️ These are just two examples of automated workflows. The level of automation and process jobs included in the workflow is up to you. ## Add process jobs to workflow Language-dependent / independent If you have used any of the following process jobs in your workflow template, make sure you open them and tick **Language-Independent**, as these jobs only need to be started once per project: 1. Run CAT tool 2. Check plausibility 3. Create and send quote document 4. Create order incase of quote acceptance 5. Create and send order confirmation The job 'Calculate job due dates' needs to be language dependent. The job 'Start assignment round' should typically be set to language-dependent, but it can also be language-independent. Additional settings For 'Run CAT tool', select a CAT project template in the dropdown, if necessary. For 'Check plausibility', make sure correct options are ticked under Actions for automatic process. Automation: Trigger for next job: **Delivered **- this status means that when the job is completed, the next job will start automatically. Trigger for next job: **Approved** - this status will stop the automation workflow. Apply this status when manual intervention from the project manager is required upon job completion. ## Additional settings for process job 'Start assignment round' The process job 'Start assignment round' became available in Plunet 9.1. This job contains some options in the *Automation *section which allow for further customization for each workflow need. You can find the *Automation *section by opening the job from the workflow. ![image](media://935695c4-98e6-4e7f-b6ff-d88b80ab4be6) - Activate 'Check if at least one resource is selected in the round' - Activate 'Check if a due date is specified in the job' Activate the option 'Only start selected jobs' if you want to specify which job types should be started for the assignment round. Deactivate this option to include all job types. ## How to configure the assignment rounds To achieve automation, the assignment method should be preconfigured in the workflow template beforehand, whether it be automatic or manual. ![image](media://71e4c232-9db5-40e9-b4fa-793a1b3c40c1) **Automatic - Top ranked**: The top ranked resource will be automatically selected for the job. This is based on the ranking criteria that has been set up in the workflow. **Automatic - FCFS**: The job goes to the first vendor who accepts. This is the fastest way to complete a project. **Manual - Direct assignment**: Select exactly one resource from the results list. This resource will be assigned to the job once the round is started without a request being sent. **Manual - Request availability**: Review and request one or multiple resources and assign the job once a resource has confirmed their availability. More information on setting up the ranking criteria and assignment rounds can be found [here](https://plunethelp.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/893786). > ℹ️ To further automate the assignment process we would recommend combining the AutomationManager with the VendorSearchManager PRO. The VendorSearchManager PRO allows you to set up multiple assignment rounds, meaning that if a request is rejected or ignored by a resource, a new assignment round will start automatically, eliminating the need for PM intervention. Find out more about the VendorSearchManager PRO [here](https://plunethelp.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/896468).