Flow Orchestrator in Spring 22

Salesforce Flow Orchestrator: A Game-Changer in the Spring ’22 Release

This week, we’re diving into Flow Orchestrator, arguably the most powerful tool going GA (generally available) with the Salesforce Spring ’22 release. If you’re working with complex business processes that involve multiple teams, approvals, or parallel workflows, this feature is about to change the way you automate processes in Salesforce.

On Friday, I watched the Salesforce Spring ’22 Release Readiness webcast for Admins, and Flow Orchestrator was one of the highlights. The level of attention it received makes perfect sense—this tool fills a significant gap in Salesforce automation by enabling advanced process coordination and user handoffs that weren’t possible with traditional flows.

What is Flow Orchestrator?

At its core, Flow Orchestrator is a powerful enhancement to Flow Builder, allowing admins to build multi-step, multi-user workflows without needing Apex or third-party automation tools.

While standard flows handle individual automation tasks, Flow Orchestrator introduces a way to coordinate multiple flows across different teams, allowing for structured approval processes, scheduled steps, and user interactions that were previously difficult to manage.

When Do You Need Flow Orchestrator?

If you’re wondering whether you should use Flow Orchestrator or stick with standard Flows, ask yourself these two key questions:

1. Does your process involve handing off tasks between users or teams?

   
   • If your automation requires input from multiple people at different stages, Flow Orchestrator is the better choice.
   • Example: A sales approval process where an opportunity must be reviewed by multiple managers before moving forward.

2. Do you need multiple flows to run in parallel?

   • If parts of your process don’t depend on each other and can execute at the same time, Flow Orchestrator helps streamline these tasks.
   • Example: An employee onboarding process where IT sets up hardware while HR collects payroll information.

If your use cases don’t require handoffs or parallel processing, then standard Flow Builder will likely be sufficient.

What Makes Flow Orchestrator Special?

Beyond handoffs and parallel execution, Flow Orchestrator introduces two major capabilities that weren’t available before:

1. On-screen user, public group, and queue interactions triggered by record creation or updates.

   • This means you can guide users through interactive, step-by-step processes within Salesforce, ensuring smooth workflow execution.

2. Scheduled or delayed on-screen interactions based on triggers.

   • Instead of forcing immediate action, Flow Orchestrator allows time-based logic, making it ideal for approval processes and follow-ups.

These two features alone make Flow Orchestrator incredibly valuable for complex business workflows.

Types of Flow Orchestration

There are two primary types of orchestrations in Salesforce:

1. Autolaunched Orchestration

• Triggered by another process or manually executed.
• Used when no user interaction is required.
• Example: A back-end data validation process that runs multiple flows based on incoming records.

2. Record-Triggered Orchestration

• Triggered when a record is created or updated.
• Often includes user approvals and task assignments.
• Example: A customer service case escalation process that assigns tasks to different departments based on case priority.

Within each orchestration, you define stages and steps to control how the process unfolds.

Breaking Down the Structure of an Orchestration

A Flow Orchestration is built from stages and steps, allowing for more structured process management than traditional flows.

• Stages:

  • Each stage represents a logical phase of the process.
  • Stages execute sequentially (one after another) or in parallel (at the same time).

• Steps:

  • Each step inside a stage represents an individual automation task.
  • Steps are assigned to either screen flows (requiring user input) or autolaunched flows (background execution).

• Decision Elements:

  • These allow conditional execution, determining the next step based on predefined criteria.

This structure makes Flow Orchestrator powerful but also significantly more complex than traditional Flow automation.

Why Flow Orchestrator is a Career-Boosting Skill

With Flow Orchestrator, Salesforce has expanded the capabilities of Flow to the point where automation expertise is now a full-time skillset.

I genuinely believe that Flow expertise alone could be the foundation for a freelance career—especially with companies needing to migrate legacy workflow rules and process builders into Flow.

If you’re already working with Flow Builder, learning Flow Orchestrator will put you ahead of the curve.

Getting Started with Flow Orchestrator

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by Orchestrator, you’re not alone. It’s an advanced tool, and getting started can feel intimidating.

Before you even open Flow Orchestrator, ask yourself these questions:

Do you understand business process design?

• • If not, take time to study process mapping and workflow optimization. Flow Orchestrator isn’t just about automation—it’s about orchestrating business operations effectively.

Are you comfortable with standard Flow concepts?

• • • If you’re still struggling with decision elements, loops, or screen flows, master those first.
    • Flow Orchestrator builds on traditional Flow, so a solid foundation is crucial.

The Orchestrator Interface: What to Expect

When you create a new Orchestration, you’ll notice a blank canvas—similar to Flow Builder but with new elements tailored for staging and execution logic.

• The Help Menu provides basic documentation, but expect minimal guidance.
• The Configurator allows you to define the entry conditions (when the orchestration starts).
• Exit conditions determine when a stage is considered complete, adding greater control but also more complexity.

Unlike standard flows, Orchestrator requires more upfront planning. Take your time to map out your process before building.

Final Thoughts: Is Flow Orchestrator Worth Learning?

Yes, absolutely.

While Flow Orchestrator may feel overwhelming at first, it’s a game-changing tool for automating multi-step, multi-user workflows in Salesforce.

If your business relies on complex approval processes, team handoffs, or parallel automation, this feature will save time, improve process visibility, and reduce manual effort.

With Flow Orchestrator, Salesforce is cementing Flow as the future of automation—and mastering this skill could open career opportunities in Salesforce consulting, administration, and development.

So, what’s next?

• Start small. Build a basic orchestration to familiarize yourself with the UI.
• Learn business process mapping. Strong process knowledge will make you better at designing orchestrations.
• Experiment! The more you test and iterate, the faster you’ll master this tool.

I will give you more information as I experiment with the Orchestrator further.

Enjoy

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