Orchestration: Workato (like MS Flow) to automate Box collaboration & Slack integration

I was doing some research on iPaas – Integration Platform as a service to do few orchestration of integral flow between Dynamics 365 CRM online, Box and Slack.

Let's take a basic example of create a folder in Box drive & post a message in Slack channel whenever a new Account is created in CRM. I am not going to walk-through the tutorial, just a overall insight from my first hand experience.

We can do this in C# Plugin by leveraging REST APIs from Box & Slack. I wanted to try no-code solution using MS Flow, but slightly attracted towards a non-Microsoft product for a change. ie Workato.

Create Box folders for Dynamics CRM customers

Let's take a look, we call the package a Recipe. Anyway it's a mix of Triggers & Actions like Flow.

Workato Recipe

My perspective: Little bit attractive than Flow wrt to classic Flow chart kinda UI below.

MS Flow

The most interesting documentation I saw is the decision chart:

Decision chart

Then, under the Slack apps - install the Workato in the workspace by giving some scope/permissions needed for the orchestration.

Slack App - Workato

I was able to put these moving parts together, whenaver a new Account is created in Dynamics 365 CRM online - Workato recipe triggered & created a folder in Box & then posted a message in Slack channel like a Bot. Sounds like a Mission, but happily accomplished!

Read more about the comparison: Gartner Peer Insights

Few things I liked in Workato: