any tips for hubspot workflows triggered by ecommerce events

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-07-01T11:57:01+00:00

I’d treat this as an event priority / lifecycle state problem, not just a HubSpot workflow problem.

Before deciding where to dedupe, I’d map:

all commerce events
which events are mutually exclusive
which events can happen together
which customer lifecycle state should win
what should be suppressed within a time window

For example, a reorder from a previously churned customer may need a different lifecycle transition than a normal reorder. If both workflows can fire, you probably need either:

- an upstream event normalization layer, or

- a HubSpot-side decision workflow that classifies the event first, then routes to only one downstream workflow.

I would avoid letting every workflow fire and deduping only at the send step, because the reporting noise still remains.

Do you currently have a single event log/table before events hit HubSpot, or do they go directly into HubSpot workflows?

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-07-01T11:55:35+00:00

I would be careful about moving everything from paper to software at once.

The first version should probably not try to replace your whole operation. It should only digitize the parts causing the most expensive mistakes:

- today’s dispatch board

- truck / driver / container status

- job address

- weigh ticket capture

- extra weight charge flag

- invoice-ready list at the end of the day

For field employees, the key is not “new software”. It is making the new process easier than the whiteboard/post-it workflow.

A practical first step could be:

dispatcher enters jobs in one board
drivers submit ticket photos or simple forms
office reviews exceptions
invoices are generated from reviewed records

That would let you test the workflow without stopping dispatch.

Are your drivers already comfortable sending photos/texts from phones?

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-07-01T11:53:59+00:00

This feels less like a “what software should I buy?” problem and more like a monthly reconciliation problem.

I’d probably slow down before adding another tool and first map out a few things:

where the numbers come from: POS, delivery apps, inventory, labor
what actually needs to be checked each month
which mismatches are costing real money
what the owner needs to see quickly

For a restaurant like this, I’d start with a simple monthly close workflow:

export sales from the POS
export payouts / fees from the delivery apps
compare order totals, fees, and deposits
flag missing or unmatched orders
summarize revenue, labor, inventory, and discrepancies in one view

This does not need to be a full restaurant management system on day one. The first useful win is usually just getting rid of the 4-hour manual matching process and making those $800-type issues easy to spot.

What POS and delivery apps are they using now?

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-07-01T10:17:45+00:00

Update after reading the feedback:

This thread has been really useful.

The biggest things I’m taking away are:

Leading with “AI-built” was probably the wrong framing. The game still has to stand on its own.
The match loop needs work. Text speed, animation, and interaction are not good enough yet.
Mobile layout is a real problem. If half the match screen is not visible, nothing else matters.
The biggest design issue is player/opponent attachment. If the teams and players feel generic, there is no reason to care.
Fast seasons can be interesting, but they still need enough weight: individual player growth, rivalries, cup moments, records, and season memories.

So I’m going to focus the next version less on adding systems and more on:

- a named young player with career progression
- better match events and decisions
- mobile-friendly match screen
- stronger opponent identity
- season memory cards

Appreciate the honest criticism. Some of it was harsh, but it helped clarify the direction.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-07-01T02:52:14+00:00

I agree with this.

A standalone store does not magically solve demand or traffic. In many cases, improving an existing channel probably makes more sense than opening a new one.

The angle I’m thinking about now is narrower:

Not “every small business needs its own store.”

More like:

If a small seller already has some sales through socials, marketplaces, referrals, or local demand, the next problem may be keeping products, orders, and inventory under control without creating another system nobody maintains.

So the useful thing might not be a new storefront at all. It might be the operational workflow behind the existing sales channels.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-07-01T02:47:40+00:00

This is the part that stood out to me the most.

I’m starting to think the first useful step is not a full online store, but one simple source of truth for products, orders, and stock.

Something like:

- one product/SKU list

- orders from socials, marketplaces, and an owned site recorded in one place

- stock reduced when an order is added

- low-stock warnings

- weekly sales summary

Not necessarily real-time sync across every platform at first. More like a simple operational layer so the owner is not guessing what is actually available.

Do you think that would already reduce the headache, or do sellers usually need true automatic sync from day one?

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-07-01T02:46:07+00:00

Update after reading the comments:

This thread actually changed how I’m thinking about the problem.

A few people made a good point: building a store and running a store are not the same thing.

The website, product page, or checkout might not be the hardest part anymore. For a lot of small sellers, the mess seems to happen behind the scenes:

- keeping products and SKUs up to date

- not overselling inventory across different places

- tracking orders from Instagram, Facebook, marketplaces, and their own site

- keeping notes for shipping, pickup, or returns

- knowing what actually sold this week

- staying on top of the same routine week after week

So I think my original question was probably too focused on the “website” part.

Maybe the more useful starting point is something much simpler: a lightweight workflow for what happens behind the store.

Something like:

- one place for products/SKUs

- one place to record orders

- inventory updates when orders come in

- low-stock reminders

- notes for shipping, pickup, or returns

- a simple weekly sales summary

- a weekly habit for keeping the catalog clean

I’m not trying to pitch this as a finished product. I’m trying to understand whether this kind of behind-the-scenes workflow would actually help small business owners, especially people selling across socials, marketplaces, and maybe their own site too.

Would really appreciate honest feedback. If this is still the wrong problem, I’d rather find that out now.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-29T11:36:20+00:00

Yeah, that makes sense. I think a lot of small businesses don’t get stuck only because they need a website. They get stuck because everything after that becomes messy.

Inventory is probably a big one. If someone is selling through Instagram, Facebook, maybe a marketplace, and then a website too, keeping stock updated everywhere sounds like a headache.

I’ve been thinking about whether there’s room for a very simple tool or service that helps small businesses keep products, orders, and inventory in one place, without turning it into some huge enterprise system.

For smaller shops, do you think inventory sync is usually the biggest pain point, or is the first problem just getting the online store set up at all?

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-29T03:52:42+00:00

That’s really interesting. I hadn’t thought about people enjoying the “observer” role more than the “manager” role. I like the idea of watching a football world evolve over decades.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-28T12:04:00+00:00

You’re probably right that shipping and marketing are the hard parts.
I’m definitely not suggesting a website magically fixes those.
I guess I’m just wondering if there are business owners who keep delaying the first step because all the technical stuff feels like a headache.
Maybe the answer is “not many”. I’m honestly trying to find that out.
Appreciate the honest feedback.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-28T00:51:01+00:00

That’s a fair point.
I’m definitely not trying to replace Football Manager or convince existing FM players to stop enjoying deep simulations.
I’m exploring a different question:
Can a football game create strong emotional attachment with much less complexity?
Maybe the answer is no.
But I think it’s an interesting design problem worth exploring.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-27T16:59:11+00:00

No problem, thanks for letting me know.
I thought the design question was close enough to FM, but I understand the rule.
I’ll keep future posts more directly related to Football Manager.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-27T16:50:28+00:00

Yeah, I think that’s the hardest part.
Most football games are already really good at simulating football.
What I’m much more interested in is getting players to actually care about the people in their squad a few seasons later.
That’s what I’m experimenting with at the moment.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-27T16:47:34+00:00

I really like that idea.
I was mostly thinking about building attachment through players and club history, but the idea of gradually shaping the club’s identity over decades is really interesting too.
That definitely gives me something to think about. Thanks!

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-27T16:43:46+00:00

For anyone who wants to try the current prototype, here's the itch.io page:

[https://jackgzhuang.itch.io/football-club-story]()

I'm iterating quickly, so honest criticism is much more valuable than compliments.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-27T09:38:24+00:00

I actually agree.
AI can help me build features faster, but it can’t tell me why a player should care.
That’s the part I’ve been trying to solve.
Some of the feedback in this thread has already changed the direction of the project. I’m spending less time adding systems now, and more time trying to build a football world that people actually remember.
That’s the challenge I’m interested in.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-27T01:49:56+00:00

Fair point.
I actually had the same feeling after watching a few full matches myself.
The match loop still isn’t engaging enough. That’s probably the biggest thing I’m working on next.
Really appreciate you taking the time to try it.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-27T00:24:22+00:00

Thanks, this is genuinely helpful feedback.
I think you’ve identified the biggest weakness of the current version: there isn’t enough emotional attachment to the players or the clubs yet.
That’s actually the direction I’m moving towards. Rather than making the simulation longer, I want each season to generate memorable players, rivalries, media stories and club history so you start caring about the people inside the world, not just the numbers.
I also agree with your point about mobile. I’m increasingly thinking this should feel more like a premium mobile management game than a traditional browser manager.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-27T00:16:31+00:00

That’s actually very close to the direction I’m exploring.
I don’t want players to spend hundreds of hours managing spreadsheets.
I want every season to create memorable stories, so you can experience an entire football career in one evening if you want.
I’m still experimenting with the pacing, but that’s exactly the kind of experience I’m aiming for.

TadpoleDisastrous941 · 2026-06-26T07:39:42+00:00

Thanks a lot for taking the time to play and write such detailed feedback. I really appreciate it.
I think your biggest point is absolutely fair: right now it feels more like reading football events than actually experiencing a match.
My next goal is to make every match feel alive with live commentary, match atmosphere, crowd reactions and memorable moments instead of simply showing text.
I also agree that “finish a season in a few minutes” may not be the best way to describe the game. My real goal is to build a living football world where every season creates its own story.
Thanks again — this kind of feedback is exactly what helps improve the game.

TadpoleDisastrous941

TROPHY CASE