This stuff is cool!

I've been aware of Type Form for some time now.  I've used it to let people request an invitation to my live Slack team.  But until now the review and analysis of the data it collects has been manual.  That meant I had to remember to check the responses every day and respond to new requests.

Let's just say I haven't always been as responsive as I should have been when new requests came in.  In fact you could say my responsiveness on this front has been lacking.

Fortunately for me a recent question I received about how to automate some notifications got me to pursue Zapier as an automation tool.  That was the key that unlocked the door for me.

Zapier allowed me to create an automated workflow that starts when someone fills out my Type Form requesting an invitation to my Slack team.  Once they've submitted the form the magic begins.

Step One: Trello Card Creation

I use Trello to track my tasks and to do items.  It's my system of record for what I have to do and what has priority.  The first automation step I added to my Zapier work flow was to add a card to my To Do list in Trello.  The card contains the name of the person requesting the invitation and their email address.

This means that whenever I check my Trello To Do list, at least once a day, I will see the new request and be able to send the invite.

Awesome!  But…

What if I'm busy or what if I add a bunch of new tasks and happen to miss this new card on the Trello board?

Never fear!  Step two of the workflow solves this for me.

Step Two: Slack Reminder

Slack follows me wherever I go.  It's on all my computers and my phone.  If someone wants to get in touch with me it's the most reliable way to go about it (did I mention my Slack team? 😉 ).  So what's the best way for me to be reminded of something to do?  Set a reminder in Slack!

With Zapier I setup a second workflow step to set a daily reminder that I have a new request to send an invite to a new Slack team member.  This way if my day gets hectic I will still get that reminder and be able to go find the Trello card and take care of the invite when things slow down a bit.

Boom!  No more missed tasks.

And beyond

That's not the end of what you can automate with Zapier.  There are a Plethora of additional apps that you can integrate with.  Gmail, Face Book, PayPal, EverNote, etc., etc.

You can build a prolific automation system to support you and your organization in practically any task you can imagine.  If there are multiple steps and data involved it can be built.  Even better there is an entire catalog of Zaps (Zapier Automation Workflows) that you can use out of the box or customize to help you get started.

Need help?

I would be happy to help you get started.  Shoot me an email at NatThompson@NatThompson.com or Join My Slack Team so we can chat in real time.  Let's talk about what you need help with.

— Nat