# Automations

The Automations module lets you define rules that work for you while you sleep. Create custom workflows that automatically detect and act on supply chain events — like flagging overstock situations, identifying demand outliers, or triggering alerts when specific conditions are met.

### Automation list

The main screen displays all your automations in a table with the following columns:

* **Name** — The name you gave the automation.
* **Scope (View)** — The saved view the automation targets (e.g. "Forecast accuracy"), defining which products are in scope.
* **Status** — Whether the automation is active or **Paused**, with a toggle to switch.
* **Last run / Next run** — When the automation last executed and when it is scheduled to run next.
* **Runs** — Total number of executions.
* **Created by** — The user who created the automation.

You can search automations by name and filter by status.

### Creating an automation

Click **Create one automation** to open the creation dialog. An automation is defined by three components:

* **Name** — A descriptive name for the automation.
* **Scope** — Select a saved **View** from the Demand or Planning module. The automation will apply to all products in that view.
* **Schedule** — Configure how often the automation runs:
  * **Repeat** — Frequency (e.g. every week).
  * **On** — Which days of the week (M, T, W, T, F, S, S).
  * **At** — Time of day.
  * **Ends** — Optional end date for the automation.
* **Action** — Define what the automation does when it runs. Add one or more actions using the **+ Add action** button. Available bulk actions include:
  * **Set a buffer policy** — Apply inventory strategy or buffer parameters to the products in scope.
  * **Apply or remove tags** — Add, assign or unassign tags across multiple products in one go.
  * **Update lead times** — Set a new lead time for the products in scope.
  * **Adjust similar products settings** — Update the current product ratio and end date for similar product usage across products.
  * **Clear "My Forecast"** — Remove manual forecast overrides, returning products to the Flowlity AI forecast.
  * **Trigger an alert** — Flag products for review when specific conditions are met.

Click **Create & Activate** to save and immediately enable the automation.

### Automation detail view

Clicking on an automation opens a side panel with two tabs:

#### Settings

Displays the full configuration of the automation — scope, schedule, and action — and lets you edit any of them. You can also trigger a run on demand using the **Run manually** button, or delete the automation entirely.

#### Runs

Shows the history of all past and upcoming executions. Each run displays:

* **Date and time** of execution.
* **Status** — *Planned* (scheduled but not yet run), *Successfully* (completed without errors), or an error state.
* **Number of products** processed in that run.

### When to use it

Use Automations to offload repetitive monitoring tasks. Typical use cases include applying buffer policies to specific product groups on a schedule, flagging products that have crossed a stockout threshold, or detecting unusual demand spikes. The more automations you set up, the more your planning process runs by exception rather than by exhaustive review.

### Learn more

* [Views and filtering](/concepts/views-and-filtering.md) — How views serve as automation scope.
* [Set up an automation](/how-tos/set-up-automation.md) — Step-by-step automation creation guide.
* [Set up and manage views](/how-tos/set-up-views.md) — Create the view you need as a scope.


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