A workflow is a series of automated, pre-defined steps (actions) that the system executes based on an account's financial status, allowing you to manage debt collection sequences efficiently. An account can only belong to one workflow at a time.
Workflow setup is accessed through the Configuration section of the Fease system.
Start the Creation Process: Go to Configuration > Workflows, and then click the New button.
Name and Automate: Enter a descriptive Name. Check the Automatic? box if you want the workflow to run without manual initiation.
Add Follow-up Actions: Click Add to define each step:
Description: A clear name for the action.
Age Bracket: Select the outstanding balance age period this action applies to (e.g., "31-60 Days").
Days Outstanding: Specify the exact number of days outstanding for the action to trigger (e.g., "33 days").
Action Type: Choose the action (e.g., "Send Email" or "Send SMS").
Templates: Select the appropriate English and Afrikaans email or SMS templates.
Save Manually: After setting up all actions, you must click the Save manually button to apply all changes and activate the workflow.
Navigate to Configuration.
Choose between Email templates or SMS templates at the bottom of the page.
Select the specific template you wish to update.
You can either Edit the existing template or Duplicate it to create a new version.
Note: Always click the cloud icon at the top of the editor to save your changes.
If the template is for a specific debt category (e.g., a "Day 45 friendly reminder"), ensure you update the Age Bracket setting within the template to match the relevant aging category.
If you edited an original template, the change will automatically apply to any workflow steps currently using that template, and no further action is necessary.
If you created a brand new template, you must update the workflow steps to use the new template:
Go to Configuration > Workflows > Standard.
Select the specific Age Category (aging step) where the new template should be used (e.g., Day 45).
Scroll to the bottom and find the Email tab (and/or SMS tab).
Change both the English and Afrikaans template selections to your newly created template.
Follow-up Current Balance: Displays the total balance outstanding up to today's date.
Follow-up Balance: Displays the balance specifically within the targeted age bracket and older.
Follow-up Current Balance & Future: Displays the total amount currently outstanding plus any amounts outstanding for the remainder of the year.
Disabling a workflow stops the system from executing any future follow-up actions (like sending emails and SMS messages) that are part of that specific workflow.
Go to Configuration > Workflows > Standard.
Locate the workflow you wish to disable.
On the right side of the workflow, click the three dots or the drop-down menu.
Select Disable.
A banner will appear on the workflow to confirm and inform you that it has been disabled.
Yes, you can re-enable a workflow at any time by following the same steps, but instead of selecting Disable, click on Enable.
When Automation is Enabled (Green status), the workflow will automatically send out the emails or SMS messages to all applicable accounts without requiring manual action.
When Automation is Disabled (Orange status), the workflow will not automatically send out the emails or SMS messages to the applicable accounts, requiring manual scheduling or sending.
Look for the automation icon on the home screen.
By clicking on the icon, you will toggle the global automation status, changing it from Enabled (Green) to Disabled (Orange), and vice versa.
You can control automation for specific workflows independent of the global setting.
Go to Configuration > Workflows.
Select the specific workflow you wish to manage.
Next to the Automatic? setting, there is an icon which you can click to either enable or disable automation for only that particular workflow.
Activities serve as the central hub for managing your daily tasks and ensuring that no account follow-up is missed.
Select an Activity Type: Choose between Email, Call, or Meeting.
Assign and Date: Assign the task to a specific admin user and set a Due Date.
Notification: The assigned user will automatically receive an email reminder on the morning the activity is due.
Standard Activities: Users receive an email on the exact day an activity is due to ensure they stay on top of their daily tasks.
The Promise to Pay (PTP) Exception: There is a specific rule for Promise to Pay reminders. Instead of a same-day alert, the user receives an email 3 days after the PTP deadline. This delay is intentional to allow time for the payment to reflect in the bank and be reconciled in the system before the admin follows up.
Exemptions must be processed on d6+ Finance. This feature is not available directly within Fease.
Fease will only follow up on the amount on which no exemption was granted and not the total outstanding amount. This ensures that only the net payable debt is subject to collection procedures.
Ad Hoc Actions are distinct workflows, separate from standard Workflows, that can be automated to manage specific financial activities like payment follow-ups.
The Promise to Pay feature allows schools to schedule follow-up actions for specific payment arrangements made by accounts.
Configuration and Enabling
Enabling Follow-up Actions: To use follow-up actions for Promise to Pays, the school must enable this feature under: Configuration > Settings > Account Settings > Enable Add On Follow-up actions
Workflow Type & Automation: The Promise to Pay workflow is an Ad Hoc Action. It functions similarly to a standard Workflow action but operates as a separate process. It can be automated under: Configuration > Workflows > Ad Hoc Actions
The Reminder Process
Visibility: Once a Promise to Pay reaches the deadline set during its creation, it will appear in the “Accounts” and “To Do” columns for tracking.
Movement through Columns: Once a reminder is scheduled, the item moves through the workflow columns. It remains in the workflow until the reminder has been sent and the specific payment for that promise has been made.
Success Metric: The Success % is calculated based on whether the payment is received within 15 days after the reminder is sent.
Administrator Email Reminder: If a deadline passes without payment, the system automatically sends an email reminder to the administrator three days later to alert them of the outstanding activity.
Fulfilling and Paused Accounts
Fulfillment: To officially close a Promise to Pay, an admin user must manually complete the fulfillment process within d6+ Finance.
Account Pausing and Reminders: Promise to Pay reminders will continue to be sent even if the main account is paused. This is because schools typically pause accounts to stop standard collection letters while a payment arrangement is active, but still require the system to follow up on that specific arrangement.
Best Practice for Pausing: It is recommended to pause the account at least 7 days after the Promise to Pay date. This provides a grace period for the parent to make the payment and gives the school sufficient time to reconcile the transaction.
This is a specific Ad Hoc Action designed to prompt users who started a digital payment process but failed to complete the transaction.
Purpose and Content
Goal: To remind a user to return and finalize an incomplete payment.
Message Focus: The reminder identifies that a payment session was started but not finalized.
Standard Message: It prompts the user to "finalise your payment at your earliest convenience" and advises them to "kindly disregard this reminder" if the payment was already completed.
Automation Location
Workflow Type & Automation: Like the Promise to Pay, the Abandoned Payment Reminder is an Ad Hoc Action and can be automated under: Configuration > Workflows > Ad Hoc Actions
Fallback actions ensure that debtors still receive communication even if the primary delivery method fails due to missing or incorrect contact information.
A fallback action acts as a "Plan B." If the system attempts to send a letter or SMS to an accountable person and finds that contact information is missing—such as a blank email address or cellphone number—the fallback action ensures the debtor still receives the communication via an alternative method.
Individual Recipient Tracking: Unlike standard actions that focus on the Main Account Holder, the success rate of a Fallback Action is based on each individual recipient.
Targeted Communication: If a message is successfully delivered to one parent but fails for the other, only the recipient who did not receive the message will be included in the fallback communication.
Sequence of Events: Fallback actions are not triggered automatically. The primary action must be sent first; only then will the failed accounts/recipients "fall" into the fallback action for processing.
To set up a fallback action, follow these steps:
Navigate to Configuration > Workflows > Standard.
Locate the specific action in the workflow (e.g., Friendly Reminder day 15).
On the right-hand side of that action, click the dropdown arrow.
Select Add Fallback.
Enter a Description: (e.g., Friendly Reminder Fallback).
Select Action Type: Choose the alternative method (e.g., Send SMS, Letter of Demand, etc.).
Scroll to the bottom and select the specific template you wish to use for this fallback.
Click Save.
The Fallback Action will now be successfully set up and visible beneath your primary action.
If you choose not to use a fallback action, the system follows a "Global Rule":
Main Account Holder Priority: If communication to the main account holder fails, the entire action shows as Failed, even if other recipients received it.
Partial Success: If the main account holder receives the message but others don't, the action shows as Successful.
Note: This Global Rule is overridden once a Fallback Action is implemented.
Schools often require the flexibility to create distinct follow-up actions tailored to different fee categories (e.g., School Fees vs. Registration Fees). This section explains how to structure these actions within your workflow while ensuring accurate parent communication.
Understanding Workflow Limitations
One Workflow per Account: It is important to note that an individual account can only belong to one active workflow at a time.
Multi-Category Strategy: If you need to trigger specific follow-ups for different categories, you must create multiple actions within that single workflow and manually assign the relevant category to each individual action.
Parent Communication and Experience
Multiple Notifications: Because actions are set per category, parents will receive separate email notifications for each specific category that requires attention (e.g., one email for outstanding School Fees and another for a Registration Fee).
Live Account Statements: Although parents receive multiple emails, their digital account statement remains a live, central document.