Surveys

Streamline information gathering from external parties through automated survey workflows

Surveys enable automated collection of critical information from external parties as part of your business workflows. Instead of manual back-and-forth communications, surveys are triggered automatically at specific workflow stages to gather required data, approvals, or feedback.

How Surveys Work in Workflows

Surveys integrate seamlessly into your workflow stages, automatically sending customized questionnaires to external parties when specific conditions are met. This eliminates delays caused by manual information gathering and ensures consistent data collection.

Surveys are triggered automatically when a workflow reaches a designated stage, sending personalized questionnaires to external parties and pausing workflow execution until responses are received.

Business Use Cases

Vendor Onboarding & Compliance

Automatically collect vendor certifications, insurance documents, and compliance information during the onboarding process.

Example Survey Questions:

• Upload current insurance certificates
• Confirm SOC 2 Type II compliance status
• Provide W-9 tax documentation
• Select preferred payment terms

Customer Feedback & Satisfaction

Gather customer feedback at key touchpoints to improve service delivery and identify improvement opportunities.

Example Survey Questions:

• Rate your satisfaction with the project delivery (1-5 scale)
• What aspects of our service exceeded expectations?
• Would you recommend our services to others?
• Upload any supporting documentation

Employee Performance Reviews

Streamline 360-degree feedback collection from managers, peers, and direct reports.

Example Survey Questions:

• Rate communication effectiveness (Multiple Choice)
• Describe key accomplishments this quarter
• Identify areas for professional development
• Set goals for the next review period

IT Security Assessments

Collect security questionnaires and compliance documentation from third-party vendors.

Example Survey Questions:

• Confirm data encryption standards
• Upload penetration testing results
• Describe incident response procedures
• Provide security certification details

Project Status Updates

Automatically gather project status updates from team members or external contractors.

Example Survey Questions:

• Current project completion percentage
• Identify any blocking issues
• Upload project deliverables
• Estimated completion date

Adding Surveys to Your Layout

Before configuring surveys, you need to add the Survey component to your record layout:

1. Navigate to App Admin → Record Details Layout
2. In the layout builder, go to the Components tab
3. Find and drag the Surveys component to your desired section
4. Save your layout changes

The Survey component must be added to your layout before you can configure and use surveys in your workflows. For detailed information about layout management, see the Layout Builder documentation.

Survey Setup Process

1. Initial Configuration

Configure basic survey settings that determine how and when the survey is deployed:

• Survey Title: Clear identifier for internal tracking
• Stage Assignment: Link to specific workflow stage for automatic triggering
• Description: Internal context about survey purpose and expected outcomes

2. Email Configuration

Customize the survey invitation email to match your organization’s branding and communication style:

• From Address: surveys@<company domain>.elementum.io (default)
• Custom Message: Personalized introduction explaining survey purpose
• Email Username: Display name for survey sender
• Friendly Name: Organization or department name
• Email Content Title: Subject line for survey invitation
• Custom Button Text: Call-to-action button label
• Branding Options: Include organization logo and colors

Email customization affects response rates significantly. Clear, personalized messages with proper branding typically achieve 60-80% higher response rates than generic survey invitations.

3. Survey Builder

Create multi-page surveys with various question types to gather comprehensive information:

Page Management

• Multiple Pages: Organize questions logically across pages
• Page Descriptions: Provide context for each section
• Page Ordering: Control the survey flow and user experience

Question Types Available

Question Type	Best Use Case	Example
Multiple Choice	Categorical selections	”Select your department”
Short Answer	Brief text responses	”Project name”
Yes/No	Binary decisions	”Are you satisfied with the service?”
Date/Time	Scheduling and deadlines	”When did the incident occur?”
Upload File	Document collection	”Upload your insurance certificate”
Multiple Choice Dropdown	Long option lists	”Select your country”

Question Configuration

• Required/Optional: Control data collection requirements
• Helper Text: Provide additional context or instructions
• Question Numbering: Maintain logical survey flow
• Question Ordering: Optimize user experience and completion rates

Distribution Methods

Automated Workflow Integration

Surveys are automatically sent when workflows reach designated stages, ensuring timely information collection without manual intervention.

Manual Distribution

Send surveys immediately for urgent information gathering or ad-hoc feedback collection. When manually sending surveys, you can:

• Select specific recipients: Choose individual email addresses or users from your app
• Target assignees: Send to users assigned to specific workflow records

Controlling Survey Recipients

You have full control over who receives surveys through the “Send Survey” button interface. You can send surveys to:

• External email addresses (suppliers, customers, partners)
• Internal app users by selecting from your user directory

Scheduled Distribution

Configure surveys to be sent at specific times or intervals for regular feedback collection.

Batch Sending

Distribute surveys to multiple recipients simultaneously for organization-wide initiatives.

Response Management

Real-time Tracking

Monitor survey completion status and identify non-responders for follow-up communications.

Completion Analytics

• Response Rates: Track completion percentages by survey type
• Time to Complete: Identify optimal survey length and complexity
• Drop-off Points: Optimize survey flow based on abandonment patterns

Data Integration

Survey responses automatically populate workflow data, enabling immediate processing and decision-making.

Export Options

Export survey results in various formats for analysis, reporting, or integration with external systems.

Data Aggregation and Analysis

Survey responses can be accessed through:

• Individual Response View: Review each survey submission separately on the workflow record
• Survey Complete Trigger: Automatically trigger workflow actions when surveys are completed

Survey Complete Automation

When a survey is completed, you can configure automatic actions using the “Survey Complete” trigger in your workflow automation. This enables:

• Automatic workflow progression based on survey responses
• Conditional logic that adapts to different answer combinations
• Integration with approval processes and notifications
• Data validation and quality checks

For detailed configuration instructions and examples, see the Survey trigger in the Automation Triggers Reference.

What to do after a Survey Complete trigger?

Once your survey complete trigger fires, you can:

• Update the record with survey response data using automation actions
• Create new elements and populate them with survey data, then link them to the original record
• Route workflows based on survey responses (e.g., escalate negative feedback)
• Generate reports or notifications based on the collected data

Best Practices

Survey Design

• Keep surveys concise: Target 5-10 questions maximum for optimal completion rates
• Use clear language: Avoid jargon and technical terms
• Logical flow: Order questions from general to specific
• Mobile-friendly: Ensure surveys work well on all devices

Timing and Frequency

• Strategic timing: Send surveys when information is most relevant
• Avoid survey fatigue: Limit frequency to maintain response quality
• Follow-up strategy: Implement automated reminders for incomplete surveys

Response Optimization

• Clear value proposition: Explain how responses will be used
• Reasonable deadlines: Provide adequate time for thoughtful responses
• Incentives: Consider offering incentives for complex or lengthy surveys

Integration with Workflows

Automatic Triggering

Surveys automatically launch when workflows reach specified stages, ensuring consistent information gathering without manual oversight.

Conditional Logic

Configure surveys to appear only when specific conditions are met, reducing unnecessary communications.

Response-Based Actions

Workflow execution continues automatically based on survey responses, enabling fully automated processes.

Approval Workflows

Integrate survey responses into approval processes, allowing external parties to provide necessary approvals remotely.

Survey responses can trigger different workflow paths based on answers, enabling sophisticated automation that adapts to external party inputs.

Security and Compliance

Data Protection

• Secure survey transmission using industry-standard encryption
• Automatic data retention policies based on organizational requirements
• Access controls to ensure only authorized personnel can view responses

Audit Trail

Complete tracking of survey distribution, completion, and response modification for compliance reporting.

Privacy Controls

Configurable privacy settings to comply with GDPR, CCPA, and other data protection regulations.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Low Response Rates

• Review email subject lines: Make them compelling and clear
• Check timing: Avoid busy periods or holidays
• Simplify questions: Reduce complexity and cognitive load
• Add reminders: Configure automatic follow-up messages

Technical Issues

• Mobile compatibility: Test surveys on various devices
• File upload limits: Ensure file size limits are clearly communicated
• Browser compatibility: Test across different browsers and versions

Data Quality

• Question clarity: Use beta testing to identify confusing questions
• Response validation: Implement appropriate validation rules
• Duplicate prevention: Configure settings to prevent multiple submissions