Find an existing record or create a new one if it doesn't exist, from a workflow

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Posted on by Eliot Stock Methods...

Hi. Somewhat new to CRM Online here. Trying to do something in a workflow that I may end up having to write a plug-in for. Would like to avoid that if possible.

I have a Case form on a portal. I have a custom field on my Case entity called Hospital ID and another one on the Contact entity. When a new case comes in off the portal using this form, it has a dummy customer value on it, a contact I've created. The Hospital ID on the case form is required.

What I want to do in the workflow is:

1. Search for an existing Contact record with the Hospital ID from the Case record.

2. If one exists, set the Customer field on the Case to that Contact record.

3. If it doesn't, create one now and set that as the Customer.

I don't see any way to do the query for the existing customer in the Process tool in CRM Online. Is this possible?

Thanks.

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a33ik 84,331 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hello,

That's not possible with OOB features of workflow engine in CRM. To make it you will have to develop custom workflow activity that will implement mentioned scenario.

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Clem 2,541 on at

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Hello Eliot,

I didn't try but what could be tried is :
* Create a workflow on the Case, you trigger it when there is an update or whatever you want.
* This workflow trigger a Custom Action you need to create.
* this custom action need the Hospital ID and entityreference of the case as Input and is based on the Contact entity
* you search for a Contact where Hospital ID = your argument input.

Now you create a second Custom action, as input : The contact entityReference you found, and the Case entityReference.
* Custom Action with Entity set to Case
* Update record : the case, with the contact input.

So 1 workflow + 2 custom actions should do the trick with no custom code i would say.

Clément

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Abed Haniyah 4,287 on at

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There is now way OOB to check if record is exists, you can achieve this by using custom plugin or custom workflow activity :)

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Eliot Stock Methods... on at

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Confused by this. What steps would exist in the first Action?

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HI,

you will have to go with a Custom Workflow Activity.

Best Regards

Shah

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Soroosh 10 on at

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Hi,

You can download and install the "Dynamics 365 Workflow Tools" from the github. Then use the "Query Value" to find an existing record with corresponding filters criteria.

Finally, you can use the results to check if the record exists or not...

I hope that works for you...

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Wouter Madou 3,392 on at

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The answer would indeed be to create a plugin for that.

However, if you are unable to do so and you want other solutions I would go for MS FLOW, no coding needed :).

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