cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Reply

Workflow for Check-In Document, Read&Collect Field in Properties Panel and Send Email to Needed Person.

Hi everyone,

 

I’m new to SharePoint Workflow, so I got stuck at some parts during my process. I’ll describe my workflow below.

There is a main folder called “Internal Forms and Procedures”, and when employees want to submit a new document or update an existing document, they need to open the Properties panel to choose a correct field called “Department[A].

There are many departments, and they are put in a separate list called “Department List” including the names of department heads and their emails [B].

Then the employees will “Check-in” that document to submit it (I cannot find the check-in option in workflow), and the Workflow will read the Department name in [A] and get the correct email from [B] and send the approval request to that department head email to get the approval from the manager.

-----------------------------------------------------

My problem:

  1. I could not find the check-in option in Workflow, so I chose “When a file is created (properties only)”, but it seems to be not correct because workflow always trigger every time I update a new document instead of waiting for the “Check-in” from the user.
  2. Workflow sent the approval request email to all departments in the list [B] instead of just the department email got from the properties panel of that file.

 

If any experts here have any ideas what I need to do, it should be great for me. I appreciate you all so much!

 

Thank you!

 

1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg

Properties PanelProperties Panel

 

Department ListDepartment List

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

@lemonade747 

In my example, my approvers are stored in a list called Approvers.

I have a choice column in my library called Department

I have a choice column in my library called Approval status with values of New, Approved and Rejected

I update the Approval status column with the results of the approval.

Any expressions that I use can be seen in the notes for the action

In my get items action I have a filter query - only the row of data where the departments match is returned.  Note the single quotes in the filter query

In my apply to each, I am looping through what was returned by Get items which should only be 1 row

image.pngimage.pngimage.pngimage.pngimage.png

image.png

If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

Scott

View solution in original post

10 REPLIES 10
ScottShearer
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

@lemonade747 

It is always best to provide screen shots of your Flow.  That will make it much easier for people who would like to assist.

You can use the camera icon when you provide a response to upload your screen shots.

image.png

If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

Scott

Thanks @ScottShearer , I added the Screenshots for my case. I know it looks not very well, so that's why I need your suggestion.

Thank you!

@lemonade747 

Using the When a file is created trigger won't work well for you.  Can you use a For a selected file trigger instead?  That way, a user can manually kick of the Flow when they are ready.

It looks like you have the approvers in a SharePoint list. Can you post a screen shot of the list?  I am assuming that you want a single approver from the list.  How do you know what approver to select?

What do you want to happen when document is approved?  Can you add a choice column to the library to reflect the approval status?

 

If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

Scott

Hi , 

Thanks for your quick reply. I'll answer each of your questions below.

 

Using the When a file is created trigger won't work well for you. Can you use a For a selected file trigger instead? That way, a user can manually kick of the Flow when they are ready.

--> I'll try as you suggested

 

It looks like you have the approvers in a SharePoint list. Can you post a screen shot of the list? I am assuming that you want a single approver from the list. How do you know what approver to select?

--> I added the screenshots as you requested. Yes, I want a single approver from the list, and it is selected based on the user choice when they put in the correct Department name in the Department List in Properties Panel (please see the screenshot)

 

What do you want to happen when document is approved? Can you add a choice column to the library to reflect the approval status?

--> When the document is approved, it will send an email or notification to the user who requested. This part is easy and I could do that. The hard part is how to send the request email to single approver in the list.

 

@ScottShearer

@lemonade747 

I will provide an example

If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

Scott

Thanks @ScottShearer , I'll wait for your example

@lemonade747 

In my example, my approvers are stored in a list called Approvers.

I have a choice column in my library called Department

I have a choice column in my library called Approval status with values of New, Approved and Rejected

I update the Approval status column with the results of the approval.

Any expressions that I use can be seen in the notes for the action

In my get items action I have a filter query - only the row of data where the departments match is returned.  Note the single quotes in the filter query

In my apply to each, I am looping through what was returned by Get items which should only be 1 row

image.pngimage.pngimage.pngimage.pngimage.png

image.png

If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

Scott

Hi @ScottShearer ,

 

Thank you so much for a very detail example. Can't believe you did it in a short time like this. You almost got into the point I'm aiming, it's like 95% there.

 

The only thing I'm still looking for is the Check-In Trigger option in the workflow. As I understand from your workflow, everytime you upload a new document and set the correct department, the workflow will start to work.

What if I want something like when you upload a document, then you choose correct department, and then we Right-Click on that file to choose Check-in (please see the screenshot attached). And after that check-in (works like a "Safety Switch"), the workflow will actually start. The reason is, I don't want to trigger the workflow everytime we change the department name (i.e., it will send the email for every single changes from the department name).

 

So @ScottShearer  is there anyway to do this, or we have nothing to do with it?

 

Thank you again for your wonderful answer! I marked it as a solution for me!

 

Check-In on FileCheck-In on File

ScottShearer
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

@lemonade747 

Relying on a document being checked in will be problematic.  

As an alternative, why not have them set the Approval status to a value.

In the screen shot below, the Flow stops unless that Status is In Process.  The Default for the column is New.  After action is taken on the approval, I update the column to Approved or Rejected.

image.pngimage.png

The rest of the Flow is the same as in my original example.  Note that I am using a When an item or file is modified trigger.  The Get file properties action is not needed and has been removed.

 

If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved.
If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

Scott

Hi @ScottShearer ,

 

That's a nice alternative! I'll try that for sure.

 

The reason why I'm using the check-in and check-out process is to make sure the users not accidentally update a new version without their needed purposes. And the another reason is, everytime you check-out a document and check-in again for a submission, SharePoint will automatically update a version to the next number (i.e., ver 1 to ver 2...). I tested the workflow you helped me yesterday and it didn't increase the version number. Maybe the problem is on my side. For now, I'm trying your method and will fix the version number later on.

 

Thank you again for your super useful help @ScottShearer. You are a truly knowledgeable person.

7.jpg

 

8.jpg

Helpful resources

Announcements

Community will be READ ONLY July 16th, 5p PDT -July 22nd

Dear Community Members,   We'd like to let you know of an upcoming change to the community platform: starting July 16th, the platform will transition to a READ ONLY mode until July 22nd.   During this period, members will not be able to Kudo, Comment, or Reply to any posts.   On July 22nd, please be on the lookout for a message sent to the email address registered on your community profile. This email is crucial as it will contain your unique code and link to register for the new platform encompassing all of the communities.   What to Expect in the New Community: A more unified experience where all products, including Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio, and Power Pages, will be accessible from one community.Community Blogs that you can syndicate and link to for automatic updates. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this transition. Stay tuned for the exciting new features and a seamless community experience ahead!

Summer of Solutions | Week 4 Results | Winners will be posted on July 24th

We are excited to announce the Summer of Solutions Challenge!    This challenge is kicking off on Monday, June 17th and will run for (4) weeks.  The challenge is open to all Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio & Power Pages) community members. We invite you to participate in a quest to provide solutions to as many questions as you can. Answers can be provided in all the communities.    Entry Period: This Challenge will consist of four weekly Entry Periods as follows (each an “Entry Period”)   - 12:00 a.m. PT on June 17, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on June 23, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. PT on June 24, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on June 30, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. PT on July 1, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on July 7, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. PT on July 8, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on July 14, 2024   Entries will be eligible for the Entry Period in which they are received and will not carryover to subsequent weekly entry periods.  You must enter into each weekly Entry Period separately.   How to Enter: We invite you to participate in a quest to provide "Accepted Solutions" to as many questions as you can. Answers can be provided in all the communities. Users must provide a solution which can be an “Accepted Solution” in the Forums in all of the communities and there are no limits to the number of “Accepted Solutions” that a member can provide for entries in this challenge, but each entry must be substantially unique and different.    Winner Selection and Prizes: At the end of each week, we will list the top ten (10) Community users which will consist of: 5 Community Members & 5 Super Users and they will advance to the final drawing. We will post each week in the News & Announcements the top 10 Solution providers.  At the end of the challenge, we will add all of the top 10 weekly names and enter them into a random drawing.  Then we will randomly select ten (10) winners (5 Community Members & 5 Super Users) from among all eligible entrants received across all weekly Entry Periods to receive the prize listed below. If a winner declines, we will draw again at random for the next winner.  A user will only be able to win once overall. If they are drawn multiple times, another user will be drawn at random.  Individuals will be contacted before the announcement with the opportunity to claim or deny the prize.  Once all of the winners have been notified, we will post in the News & Announcements of each community with the list of winners.   Each winner will receive one (1) Pass to the Power Platform Conference in Las Vegas, Sep. 18-20, 2024 ($1800 value). NOTE: Prize is for conference attendance only and any other costs such as airfare, lodging, transportation, and food are the sole responsibility of the winner. Tickets are not transferable to any other party or to next year’s event.   ** PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED RULES for this CHALLENGE**   Week 1 Results: Congratulations to the Week 1 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge.   Community MembersNumber SolutionsSuper UsersNumber Solutions Deenuji 9 @NathanAlvares24  17 @Anil_g  7 @ManishSolanki  13 @eetuRobo  5 @David_MA  10 @VishnuReddy1997  5 @SpongYe  9JhonatanOB19932 (tie) @Nived_Nambiar  8 @maltie  2 (tie)   @PA-Noob  2 (tie)   @LukeMcG  2 (tie)   @tgut03  2 (tie)       Week 2 Results: Congratulations to the Week 2 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge. Week 2: Community MembersSolutionsSuper UsersSolutionsPower Automate  @Deenuji  12@ManishSolanki 19 @Anil_g  10 @NathanAlvares24  17 @VishnuReddy1997  6 @Expiscornovus  10 @Tjan  5 @Nived_Nambiar  10 @eetuRobo  3 @SudeepGhatakNZ 8     Week 3 Results: Congratulations to the Week 3 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge. Week 3:Community MembersSolutionsSuper UsersSolutionsPower Automate Deenuji32ManishSolanki55VishnuReddy199724NathanAlvares2444Anil_g22SudeepGhatakNZ40eetuRobo18Nived_Nambiar28Tjan8David_MA22   Week 4 Results: Congratulations to the Week 4 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge. Week 4:Community MembersSolutionsSuper UsersSolutionsPower Automate Deenuji11FLMike31Sayan11ManishSolanki16VishnuReddy199710creativeopinion14Akshansh-Sharma3SudeepGhatakNZ7claudiovc2CFernandes5 misc2Nived_Nambiar5 Usernametwice232rzaneti5 eetuRobo2   Anil_g2   SharonS2  

Check Out | 2024 Release Wave 2 Plans for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform

On July 16, 2024, we published the 2024 release wave 2 plans for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform. These plans are a compilation of the new capabilities planned to be released between October 2024 to March 2025. This release introduces a wealth of new features designed to enhance customer understanding and improve overall user experience, showcasing our dedication to driving digital transformation for our customers and partners.    The upcoming wave is centered around utilizing advanced AI and Microsoft Copilot technologies to enhance user productivity and streamline operations across diverse business applications. These enhancements include intelligent automation, AI-powered insights, and immersive user experiences that are designed to break down barriers between data, insights, and individuals. Watch a summary of the release highlights.    Discover the latest features that empower organizations to operate more efficiently and adaptively. From AI-driven sales insights and customer service enhancements to predictive analytics in supply chain management and autonomous financial processes, the new capabilities enable businesses to proactively address challenges and capitalize on opportunities.    

Updates to Transitions in the Power Platform Communities

We're embarking on a journey to enhance your experience by transitioning to a new community platform. Our team has been diligently working to create a fresh community site, leveraging the very Dynamics 365 and Power Platform tools our community advocates for.  We started this journey with transitioning Copilot Studio forums and blogs in June. The move marks the beginning of a new chapter, and we're eager for you to be a part of it. The rest of the Power Platform product sites will be moving over this summer.   Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the launch. We can't wait to welcome you to our new community space, designed with you in mind. Let's connect, learn, and grow together.   Here's to new beginnings and endless possibilities!   If you have any questions, observations or concerns throughout this process please go to https://aka.ms/PPCommSupport.   To stay up to date on the latest details of this migration and other important Community updates subscribe to our News and Announcements forums: Copilot Studio, Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages

Users online (1,209)