What is Make? 🧩
Make is a clever tool that helps different programmes work together automatically, without the need for any coding.
With Make, you can fully automate tasks you would normally do manually (such as sending emails, updating lists or creating new cards).
You build these automations yourself in a clear visual environment with blocks and arrows. This way, you can see exactly what happens and in what order.
Each automation, which Make calls a ‘scenario’, consists of two parts:
1. Trigger (starting point):
This is what sets the process in motion.
A trigger can come from vPlan, but also from another connected tool.
For example:
👉 "A new card is created in vPlan."
👉 "A card is updated or given a new status."
👉 "A resource is added to a card."
👉 "A customer fills in a form via MoreApp or Google Forms."
👉 "A new deal is created in HubSpot."
2. Action (what happens next):
This is what Make performs once the trigger occurs.
The action can also take place in vPlan or in another application, depending on what you want to automate.
For example:
👉 "Automatically create a new card in vPlan based on a form or a CRM system."
👉 "Add a comment or attachment to a card in vPlan."
👉 "Update the status of a task and simultaneously send a notification via Outlook or Slack."
👉 "Create a new customer in HubSpot as soon as a project is completed in vPlan."
In short: Make automates the steps that would otherwise cost time, allowing you and your team to work faster, smarter and without errors.
How does Make work with vPlan? ⚙️
Now that vPlan is available as an app within Make, you can easily link events in your planning to other systems and automate processes.
With this integration, you can:
- Respond to what happens in vPlan: for example, automatically send an email or update data when a card changes.
- Send data to vPlan from other apps: for example, automatically create a new card when a customer fills in a form or a new order is created in your CRM system.
- Trigger an action in vPlan based on an event in another programme: such as a completed form, new contact in HubSpot or change in an Excel list, and automatically perform an action in vPlan.
Thanks to Make’s visual layout, you can see step by step how information flows between vPlan and other tools, from trigger to end result. You don’t need any technical knowledge; it works with blocks and arrows, making it easy to use.
What makes Make interesting is that it:
- Connects with thousands of apps and tools, such as Outlook, HubSpot, Slack, Google Sheets, MoreApp and many more;
- Is flexible in use, from a simple notification to a complex workflow;
- Is often more cost-effective than other automation platforms, as you pay per action (not per task or workflow).
This way, with Make and vPlan, you can quickly and affordably automate processes without complex IT projects or high costs.
Example 1: from customer request to planning 📋
Manual situation:
Customers of a construction company fill in a form on the website, via MoreApp or Google Forms, to request a quote or maintenance.
The back office receives the notification by email, manually downloads the PDF and photos, and then enters all the information into vPlan to create a new planning. This takes time and increases the risk of errors.
Automation with Make:
Trigger: a new form is submitted in MoreApp (or Google Forms).
Action 1: automatically create a new collection in vPlan with the submitted details (customer name, address, project description, preferred date).
Action 2: immediately schedule the collection on the planning board in vPlan, so it’s instantly visible to the team.
Action 3: download the PDF generated by MoreApp and attach it to the collection in vPlan.
Action 4: download the photos from the same MoreApp form and link them as attachments to the collection in vPlan.
Result:
The entire request flow runs automatically: the form is processed, the collection is created and scheduled, and both the PDF and photos from the MoreApp form are added as attachments in vPlan. The back office no longer needs to retype anything, the customer receives immediate confirmation, and the team can get started straight away with complete information.
Example 2: Customer interaction & feedback 💬
Manual situation:
After a project is completed, the back office manually sends an email to the customer to ask if everything went well. Sometimes this happens days later or is forgotten altogether.
Automation with Make:
- Trigger: the card status in vPlan changes to “Completed”.
- Action 1: automatically retrieve the "Customer Satisfaction" form from Typeform (or another form application like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey).
The customer receives a short questionnaire, for example with a few stars or smileys to indicate how satisfied they are. - Action 2: automatically send the form to the customer via Gmail, with a personal message and the questionnaire.
Result:
As soon as a card in vPlan is given the status “Completed”, the correct customer satisfaction form is automatically retrieved and immediately sent to the customer via email with a personal message.
The customer can fill in the short questionnaire straight away. As a result, the back office no longer needs to search for or send anything manually, each customer receives the same email in a timely and consistent manner, and requesting feedback becomes a seamless part of your process.
Ready to get started? 🚀
Automating with Make is easier than you think. After creating your free account, you can immediately get started with your first scenarios, step by step and entirely at your own pace. Start small: automate one simple task, such as creating a new card in vPlan. Once that works, you can expand your scenarios and connect more and more processes.
Check out the getting started guide and video tutorial from Make to learn how to build your first automation in just a few minutes.
In no time, you’ll notice how much time, clarity and peace of mind automation brings. Try it today and discover how easy working with vPlan and Make can be!
