This article explains how to save time by using the Bulk Workflow Executor from Gap Consulting to quickly and easily run a workflow against thousands of records.
Originally published in H2 2018 D365UG/CRMUG Magazine
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed to run a workflow against thousands of records? Maybe an update to a field that was missed or shifting existing data to a newly created field that better fits your organization’s direction? If you have, then you’ve likely encountered the challenge of manually applying that workflow to those thousands of records 250 records at a time. Awful…and dreadfully time-consuming.
I understand that there are a couple of options on the market to help with this. Years ago, I found a free solution: the Bulk Workflow Executor from Gap Consulting. It’s a quick install, easy to use, and has saved me HOURS of time.
*Note that while it says “…CRM 2015”, I continue to use it today in Microsoft Dynamics 365.
After the product has been installed, you can launch it from the Customizations area of Dynamics. Once loaded in a new tab, it provides several choices. You can set the mode to Execution or Cancel/ Resume (the form changes a bit when you select the latter as you are going to select the workflow job you wish to deal with).
If you select Execution, simply select the Entity, Workflow and System, or Personal View you wish to apply the workflow to.
Next, set some Throttling and Streaming settings (this allows you to ensure it’s not flooding your system jobs; you can set it to run only so many records at a time/minute). These settings are wildly helpful as it means you can run this massive job over the course of a day without impacting your end Users.
Then, start the job, sit back, and let it do its thing! Couldn’t be easier! You can monitor its progress as it works away.
Again, this has saved me hours of work. If you opt to use it, I hope you have the same results!