Scheduled vs. Event-Driven Workflows: Which is Right for You?

In the world of business process automation, getting your workflows to start at the right time is crucial. Traditionally, many businesses relied on scheduled workflows, where tasks or entire processes kicked off at predetermined intervals – daily, weekly, or even at specific times of day. While this approach has its merits, the rise of technology has paved the way for a more dynamic and responsive method: event-driven workflow automation.

So, how do these two approaches differ, and which one is the best fit for your business needs?

Understanding Scheduled Workflows

Scheduled workflows are initiated based on a fixed time or date. Think of recurring reports generated every Monday morning, database backups performed nightly, or email campaigns sent out at a specific time.

Pros of Scheduled Workflows:

Predictability: You know exactly when the workflow will run.
Simplicity for repetitive tasks: Ideal for routine, non-time-sensitive operations.
Resource management: You can schedule resource-intensive tasks during off-peak hours.

Cons of Scheduled Workflows:

Lack of real-time responsiveness: They can't react instantly to changes or new information.
Potential for delays: Important tasks might have to wait for the next scheduled run.
Inefficiency: Running tasks on a schedule when they aren't actually needed can waste resources.

Embracing Event-Driven Workflow Automation

Event-driven workflow automation, on the other hand, is all about reacting to changes in real-time. Instead of waiting for a scheduled time, workflows are initiated the moment a specific event occurs in any connected system. This is the core principle behind platforms like Triggers.do.

Imagine a new order being placed on your e-commerce site. With event-driven automation, this "order.created" event can instantly trigger a series of actions: sending an order confirmation email, updating inventory, notifying the shipping department, and initiating the payment processing workflow. All of this happens the second the order is confirmed, not hours later when a scheduled job runs.

Pros of Event-Driven Workflows:

Real-time responsiveness: Your business processes react instantly to critical events.
Increased efficiency: Workflows only run when they are truly needed, saving resources.
Enhanced agility: You can create dynamic processes that adapt to changing conditions.
Improved customer experience: Faster responses to customer actions like new orders or support requests.
True process orchestration: Seamlessly connect different systems and data points based on actual occurrences.

Cons of Event-Driven Workflows:

Requires a platform to manage events: You need a system like Triggers.do to listen for and process events.
Can be more complex to set up initially: Requires identifying relevant events and configuring triggers.

Triggers.do: The Power of Event-Based Initiation

Triggers.do is a comprehensive platform designed specifically for event-based process automation. It allows you to start workflows when events happen, ensuring your business processes are always responsive and up-to-date. With Triggers.do, you can automatically initiate workflows based on events from any system, creating responsive business processes that react to changes in real-time.

As you can see in this code example:

import { Trigger } from 'triggers.do';

const newOrderTrigger = new Trigger({
  name: 'New Order Created',
  description: 'Triggers when a new order is created in the system',
  event: 'order.created',
  source: 'ecommerce-platform',
  filter: {
    condition: 'amount > 100',
    priority: 'high'
  },
  handler: async (event) => {
    // Process the event and start workflows
    return {
      workflowId: 'order-processing',
      data: event.data
    };
  }
});

This trigger is set up to listen for an order.created event from an ecommerce-platform. It also includes a powerful filter to ensure the workflow is only initiated if the order amount is greater than 100. This demonstrates the robust filtering capabilities of Triggers.do, allowing you to trigger workflows only under specific conditions.

Triggers.do supports integrating with a wide range of systems that can emit events, including CRMs, e-commerce platforms, databases, IoT devices, and custom applications. If a system can broadcast an event, Triggers.do can likely connect to it.

Which Approach is Right for You?

The truth is, the best approach often involves a combination of both. Scheduled workflows are still valuable for routine, non-time-sensitive tasks. However, for processes that require speed, responsiveness, and agility, event-driven workflow automation is the clear winner.

If your business relies on reacting quickly to new information, customer actions, or system changes, then event-driven automation powered by platforms like Triggers.do is essential for staying competitive and efficient.