Learn how to define Workato “tasks” and “recipes,” design workflows, and estimate task and execution frequency—plus, how to get this powerful iPaaS solution off the ground.
Workato is one of the most advanced iPaaS platforms on the market today. Thanks to its comprehensive approach to process and workflow automation and its robust software integration tools and capabilities, the platform has enabled organizations of all kinds to enhance productivity and efficiency as they pursue digital transformation.
One particularly attractive aspect of Workato is its highly flexible pricing model, itself designed to cater to businesses of any size and from any industry. This flexibility allows companies to choose a system integration plan that fits their needs and budget without compromising on quality.
However, shortsighted iPaaS adoption can also lead to data silos, workflow redundancies, and security risks. To fully leverage Workato’s capabilities without incurring unnecessary costs or complexity, it is essential for developers and IT teams to implement a strategic approach to system integrations. This involves carefully planning integrations, automating workflows in a manner that aligns with organizational goals, and regularly reviewing and optimizing these processes to ensure they remain efficient and cost-effective.
Here at BSD, we’ve helped countless companies boost operational efficiency by optimizing their Workato integration and automation—all while keeping a keen eye on costs. We’re pleased to share some of that know-how with you here, including how to define a Workato “task” and “recipe,” how to design a Workato workflow, and how to estimate Workato task and execution frequency. We’ll also lay out some best practices for developing Workato recipes, which is key to making sure that your system integrations are as affordable as they are useful.
What is a Workato “task” and “recipe”?
Workato’s pricing model hinges on two main parameters: the number of active “recipes” (or automated workflows) in use and the number of “tasks” executed in each recipe. Every action performed by a recipe, such as data retrieval or record creation, counts as one task. Knowing how many recipes and tasks Workato is running is crucial to effectively managing iPaaS workload and expenses.
On a more granular level, Workato defines a “task” as a unit of work that occurs whenever a recipe performs an action that requires compute resources. Each time a recipe invokes an action provided by a connector, it counts as one task. This includes actions carried out by any connector, including tools such as “variables” and “lookup tables.”
For its part, a “recipe” job can consist of multiple tasks. The number of tasks executed in a given job depends on the data of the specific trigger event and the recipe’s logic. Trigger events, however, do not count as tasks.
How do I design a Workato workflow?
To control your iPaaS spend, it’s crucial to meticulously plan your Workato workflow before you create recipes. This can be done by following three separate steps.
1. Identify objectives and requirements
First and foremost, it’s necessary to identify your business objectives and goals for iPaaS integration. What, for instance, do you hope to achieve in terms of operational efficiency and savings?
From there, you’ll need to assess the requirements for integration, such as any data that needs to be shared, how frequently data will be exchanged, as well as any specific business rules that will have to be applied.
2. Map your system landscape
Next, make a list of the systems that will be part of iPaaS adoption, such as legacy systems, SaaS applications, or databases. Then determine the integration capabilities for each, including their API availability, data formats, and communication protocols.
3. Design an integration architecture
Now it’s time to craft a high-level design of how systems will connect. This will allow you to zero in on any middleware or integration platforms that may also be necessary.
Finally, you’ll need to map out the data flows between systems, including when triggers and actions will occur, how data will be transformed and validated, and what business logic will be applied.
How can I estimate Workato task and execution frequency?
Once you’ve created a Workato workflow, it’s critical to estimate the number of tasks that will be consumed each time a recipe is executed as well as the frequency at which that recipe is expected to run.
Your task consumption here will vary depending on the complexity of the actions and the volume of data being processed. For example, consider actions within a “Repeat” block: these could be executed multiple times in keeping with the number of items or rows in the incoming list. Your total count of tasks can therefore be calculated by multiplying the number of tasks within a “Repeat” block by the number of items or rows.
What are best practices for developing Workato recipes?
Implementing best practices is a pivotal part of optimizing your Workato task usage. This includes leveraging batch/bulk triggers and actions, minimizing task counts with action streaming, and declaring multiple variables. Workato has developed a comprehensive guide to similar techniques that can help users enhance their automation workflows.
Thanks to BSD’s extensive experience with Workato task optimization, we’ve distilled the following three recommendations for developing efficient Workato recipes.
1. Use Python to work with data
Workato’s UI enables users to automate their workflows using intuitive building blocks—or “actions”—and to construct complex business processes. This is what makes its approach to system integration at once powerful, scalable, and intuitive.
However, as you become more familiar with the platform and integrations more generally, you may choose to fine-tune or add complexity to your recipes. This is particularly helpful in the context of large-scale, enterprise-level iPaaS adoption.
In these cases, incorporating Python code within your recipes can make it easier to manage large data volumes. When doing so, remember to keep your Python blocks simple and reusable so that they serve as valuable complements to Workato’s built-in actions.
2. Work with lookup tables in “formula” mode
In Workato, a “lookup table” is a feature that allows users to define a quick reference of frequently used data in recipes with which they can find and return specific values based on a given key. This feature is particularly helpful for mapping or translating values dynamically during the execution of a recipe, such as one that converts codes to names or IDs to descriptions (or any other aimed at data normalization and conversion).
Lookup tables in Workato can be easily managed within the platform and used in various actions and triggers so as to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of recipe data handling. They also give one the ability to more easily reduce hard-coded values within recipes, thus making workflows more dynamic and easier to maintain.
Lookup tables are even more powerful when used within formulas or in Workato’s formula mode. Doing so adds additional functionality to lookup tables by sidestepping the need to rely on built-in actions, which is particularly attractive for organizations looking to streamline larger, more advanced setups.
3. Use condition statements in “formula” mode
Similarly, using condition statements in Workato’s formula mode supports large-scale system integration. Doing so allows one to create pre-built, reusable components that citizen developers and business users can mobilize as building blocks for their workflows.
BSD can help you optimize your Workato usage
As a trusted partner, BSD can advise and assist your teams with Workato recipe development. We can also pre-build reusable patterns and blocks that can be used to scale your automation in more efficient and cost-effective ways.
