Tonkean Summer Update 2020

Hello from Tonkean! For the past few months, we’ve been working hard at improving your Tonkean experience and functionality so that you can better orchestrate your business operations. In this 2020 update, we’ve rolled out dozens of new features to our Adaptive Business Operations platform, and we’ve highlighted some of the important updates below:

1. New Forms Functionality
2. Formula Editor Redesign
3. Security Updates and Customization
4. HTTP Uploading
5. New Data Sources and Actions
6. Quality of Life Updates
7. Added Formulas

New Forms Functionality:

For many of our users, forms are the cornerstone of the modules they build. We’ve added new features and form types you can choose from. Here’s what we’ve added:

Multiple Value Fields

Module builders can now specify whether or not a drop down list within a form can have more than one option selected. Here’s how to access this feature:

• Create a new update form.
• Select Collect inner items as the Form Type.
• Set the question you wish to ask the user.
• Define the fields the user should be filling in for each answer.

Tabular Forms

Previously, each question could only have one answer associated with it. With tabular forms, users are now able to provide multiple answers to the same question in a tabular view. Each answer will be saved as an inner item under the parent question.

Continuous Forms

Users now have the ability to automatically have a new form open immediately after a user completes an existing one. You can also decide to open the next form immediately or make conditions based on the previous form’s answers or any other module fields. Here’s how to access this feature:

• Create two update forms.
• Add ‘send update form’ action and select the first form you wish to send.
• Right after it adds ‘when form answered’ logic, select the second form, and set it to be opened on the same page.

The second form opens immediately after the first form is completed.

Import Answers

Instead of filling in form answers manually, you can now also import data from a CSV file into the ‘Collect Inner Items’ form type. Here’s how to do this:

• When a ‘Collect Inner Items’ type of form is being sent, the user should press on the import button to fill it in.
• The next step: choose the required CSV file.
• The last step is to set up the mapping of the imported data based on the required form’s columns.

Formula Editor Redesign

Another core feature we’re redesigning is formulas. Our goal with this update is to retain the power and flexibility of formulas while making it more accessible to newer Tonkean users. Here’s what we’ve changed:

• A more streamlined UI.
• Formula builder now shows all available functions in each field.
• Formula builder will validate and show required function parameters while providing relevant suggestions for each field.
• Users can now see the basic function view within a complex formula.

Security Updates and Customization

Your security is always top of mind for us. Here’s what we’ve added to give you more control over your data.

Encrypted Fields

You can now encrypt data to support operations that involve sensitive information. Here’s how to enable this:

• First, define what fields from your custom data source are sensitive and require encryption.
• To forward the data outside Tonkean in the original form, use the decrypt formula inside an HTTP action.

Data retention

You can now define exactly what type of data is stored and how long you want Tonkean to hold on to it. How to enable this feature:

• Select a specific data source and click on the “Edit” button.
• The new data retention settings will be located under the authentication box.
• Select the relevant entities you wish to collect.
• Define for each of the entities their time to live: Indefinite/X days to live.

HTTP Uploading

Previously there was no way to upload files when building modules. We’ve since added a new action called “HTTP Upload” that allows users to send an HTTP request with the desired attachment from a data source storage/public URL/upload file. How does it work?

First, add a new action to the module builder. Next, select HTTP Upload; set the upload URL; and select one of the file sources:

• Existing storage (connected data source of type Google Drive/Dropbox/Ironclad) and define which file to select.
• A public URL that the file will be downloaded from.
• Upload a file from your computer.

New Data Sources and Actions:

We’re always adding new data sources and actions to our platform, increasing the scope of the workflows you can orchestrate. Here’s what we’ve added recently:

Data sources:

• Smartsheet workspace
• Ironclad
• Jira — Customers (Jira service desk)

Data Actions:

• Asana: Duplicate task; Move task
• Outlook: Send mail
• Smartsheet workspace: Move sheet to folder; copy all rows to another sheet

Quality of Life Updates:

Custom Data Source Outgoing Configuration

You no longer need to configure authentication headers for every custom data source action. Now, module builders can easily define how every action authentication will look. Here’s how it works:

• Define a base URL that every action path will be derived from.
• Add authorization to your requests, define relevant headers, and encrypt the value. Now every request will include those headers.

Redesigning History

We are rewriting history. More specifically, we are rewriting (or redesigning) your history in Tonkean to be much clearer and easier to understand. If something goes wrong in your module, you’ll have a much easier time discovering the cause.

Before:

After:

Redesigning Conditions

We’re redesigning the conditions fields to be easier to define, edit, and read the preconfigured relationship between condition parts. In addition, we’ve added a new ability to give a name for business units that are part of the condition. For example, the use case below contains a group of conditions that represent an unrestricted user.

Before:

After:

Added Formulas

More formulas means more customization when building modules. This update features several new formulas we think you’ll find useful:

• Reduce Aggregation — we added a new aggregation option called “Reduce”. Use this option to get multiple matching items in one result concatenated by a separator. For example: let’s assume our items in the module represent folders in GDrive. Using this function, we can save in one field all the file names under this folder.

You’ll also find new formulas such as ConvertToString, ConvertToNumber, ConvertToBoolean, XML path, and Generate Unique ID available for use.

We’re always continuously working on new things, many of them suggestions that originated from our awesome customers such as yourself — and hey, if you aren’t a part of our awesome adaptive operations community, the door is always open.

Tonkean is the world’s first no-code Adaptive Business Operations platform, empowering operations teams in all functions to effectively orchestrate their unique set of people, systems, and processes.