Simply put, a Workflow means having the system execute certain steps automatically when a specific event happens, without any intervention from the user.
Examples: ✅ Sends an automatic Email. ✅ Updates a Record’s data. ✅ Creates a new Record. ✅ Assigns a Record to a specific user. ✅ Executes a step after a specified amount of time.
There are two types of Workflow:
- ⚡ Real-Time Workflow: runs immediately at the moment the operation happens, and it’s suitable for Validation or preventing incorrect data from being saved.
- ⚙️ Background Workflow: runs in the background after the data has been saved, and it’s suitable for longer operations like sending emails and creating Tasks without affecting the system’s speed.
Bottom line: choosing the right type of Workflow makes a big difference in system performance and user experience, and this is one of the fundamentals every CRM Developer needs to understand well.
(The four basic types of Processes in Dynamics 365 CRM: Workflow, Business Process Flow (BPF), Action, Dialog (Legacy – deprecated in modern versions))