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. Click Record Details Layout under User Interface in your app menu.
2. In the layout builder, go to the Components tab
3. Find and drag the Surveys component to your desired section
4. The page automatically saves 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

Create a Survey

1. Click Surveys under Workflows and processes in your app menu.
2. Click Create New.
3. If you already have surveys, choose whether to start from an existing survey. Otherwise, continue with Create New.
4. Add the following details:
   • Survey Title: Clear identifier for internal tracking
   • Stage: Link to specific workflow stage for automatic triggering
   • Description: Internal context about survey purpose and expected outcomes
   • 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
5. Click Next and continue to the Survey Builder.

The preview automatically updates as changes are made in the fields.

Survey Builder

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

Page Management

• Add Page: Click Add Page and enter the page name and description
• Edit Page Details: Click the Edit (pencil) icon next to the current page name to update the page name, description, or page ordering after a page is added

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”

File Upload Limits: The Upload File question type supports files up to 250MB per file. Uploaded files are saved as attachments to the survey response record.

Question Configuration

• Required/Optional: Control data collection requirements
• Helper Text: Provide additional context or instructions
• Question Numbering and Placement: Maintain logical flow with question numbering. To move a question to a different position on the current page or to a new page, use Move Question.

When you are finished creating your survey, click Preview, then click Activate.

If you need to edit a survey, return to the Surveys page. Click the More icon and Edit.

Distribution Methods

Automated Workflow Integration

Use this method when a survey should send automatically at a specific workflow stage.

1. Open the survey and confirm the Stage is set to the stage where distribution should occur.
2. Activate the survey.
3. Move a record into the configured stage to trigger survey delivery automatically.
4. Monitor responses from the record’s survey section.

For automation setup details, see the Automations Overview.

Manual Distribution

Use this method to send a survey immediately for ad-hoc or urgent requests.

1. Add the Surveys component to your Record Details Layout.
2. Open any record.
3. Click Send in the Survey component.
4. Add the expiration day, due date, and reminder date.
5. Add an Email Subject.
6. Enter instructions for your recipients.
7. Add attachments (if desired).
8. Add your recipients. You can either choose a user or group in your Elementum org, or type an email address and click Add.
9. Click Send.

Response Management

1. Open a record.
2. In the Survey component, click the More icon.
3. Select View Results.

Real-time Tracking

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

Completion Analytics

• Sent: Total number of survey invitations sent
• Not Started: Recipients who have not started the survey
• In Progress: Recipients who started but have not submitted
• Completed: Recipients who submitted the survey
• Responses by User: View responses grouped by recipient
• Responses by Question: View answers grouped by question

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

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 (250MB maximum per file) are clearly communicated to respondents in your survey instructions
• 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