Leave Request System in Sharepoint

[syhrh]

Hi, I need to develop a Leave Request System similar to this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DfW8yT-4NA However, that video only shows a demo of how it works but not how to develop it. Do you know how I can develop the system similar to that video step by step without any help from any 3rd party tools? Using Sharepoint and Power Automate for the approval workflow. I'm a total beginner in Sharepoint and Power Automate, examples with diagrams and ways to do it are much appreciated.

Thank you.

@WarrenBelz @Pstork1 @VictorIvanidze @DamoBird365 @martinav @ScottShearer @Pavel_NaNoi @Rhiassuring @RezaDorrani @efialttes @Expiscornovus @AlexP 

Expiscornovus

[Pstork1]

That's a demonstration from a third party developer.  They want you to contact them and buy their services or their product.  There is no blog or video that is going to demonstrate how to build that system.

[syhrh]

@Pstork1 Yes I'm aware of that but there are some things like the apply leave, and approval workflow can be created manually, right?

[martinav]

@syhrh ,

All I can say is yes.  You can do this via power automate and sharepoint.  It is also quite a project.  I will say that my first project was more complicated than this, and it took me a few months to learn it enough to create something usable.  There isnt any shortcuts outside of buying this from the 3rd party.  If you want to learn power automate, and have the patience to find the roadblocks... if you have some programming aptitude, and you use this forum, you can probably do this.  If you are getting paid to develop this, and you do not have any need to develop more tools like this, you are probably better off purchashing the 3rd party app.  

Also realize if you develop this, Power Automate does not lend itself well to handoff to other IT professionals.  What you make is a one-off, and it will take someone a LOT of time to figure out your program if you get hit by a bus and someone has to take it on after you.  In that way, your 3rd party tool may also be a better option.  

Just some thoughts for you.  I do not regret the apps I have developed, however, my company is small, and struggling to have the revenue to purchase something already developed.  The functionality is very customised to our business and is more capable in some ways to something purchased.  However, it is a regular maintenance item when revisions change and if the cloud is down.  

I would reccomend you put together a scope document on what you want it to do, then map out the flow on how it would work.  Then you can develop around your plan.

[syhrh]

Hi @martinav, thank you for your reply, I have drafted a document for this project but the implementation on how to do it is lost for me. The using Power Automate for the workflow is immense and I'm still exploring both Sharepoint and Power Automate. What do you mean by, 'have the patience to find the roadblocks'?

Thank you.

[Rhiassuring]

He means, to take something on like this, you will need to go through training, learn step by step, and come to terms with the fact that you are going to do it wrong the first time and have to go back and re-do it probably several times. Building Power Automate flows can be easy - but when you get into high level flows with a lot of moving pieces, you need to build the expertise. 

Think about what you've posted here in a different way. Imagine if you saw a video of a house being built that you really liked the look of - and then you posted here, saying, "I'm new to hammers and nails, but, I want to build this house - what do I do?" 

That's kind of where we're at here. Happy to help with specific questions but walking you through every step to get to this outcome would take, well, weeks.

R

[syhrh]

I get what you're saying. Thank you.

[Pstork1]

Its not the same solution, but here is a good video walkthrough on creating a Leave Request system.

Leave Request Power Apps Template - SharePoint - Bing video

[martinav]

@syhrh ,

@Rhiassuring is correct.  Do you have any programming experience?  This will help.  However, in a way it can also hinder a bit.  I would definitely suggest that you use powerapps to do most of the work, and only use Flow where powerapps cannot do the work for you.  Using flow leaves you to trust that it will complete its work.  Feedback from it is difficult, and when something goes wrong, its hard to track down.  

I created a complete engineering change control system and drawing vault viewer with linkage to Solidworks PDM.  It took me several months to complete this, doing a progressive approach.  Expanding functionality as I went and learned.  

Reliability was not so great at first.  This was a combination of my skills with the tools, and the basic relibility of the power platform with MS.  MS reliability has improved greatly.  I'm not sorry I went through the effort.  Our business has a change control system that would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to make, and its very customized to our business.  If your company cannot afford to purchase a authentic Human Resources system, then this may be an option for you.  However, you have to consider the cost of your time and wage.  Its probably going to be a solid several months to get this going.  However, once you learn this, you will be able to do some really cool things for your business.

This is a couple screens from my powerapp that gives normal access to our drawing information that does not require licensing outside of the MS suite.

[syhrh]

Hi @martinav, I do have a little bit of programming experience. My company wants me to develop the system using Sharepoint instead of Power Apps. As of right now, I'm still collecting data on what SP and Power Automate can and cannot do in developing the leave request system similar to the video I posted. It's pretty complicated I would say especially since I have little to no experience in developing an SP site or using Power Automate to create workflows. I thank you for your explanation, suggestions and time in replying to my post. It is much appreciated.

Thank you.

[martinav]

@syhrh ,

I will say that you are smarter than most.  Pre-planning will save you time for sure.  Its very tempting to just grab the tools and start coding. 

Actually, PowerApps is not where you would store data.  Its merely the interface tool where you could make a very nice app for any device that can drive your data in sharepoint.  Making your database in SP is not a bad idea.  However, for the user, sharepoint can be rather cumbersome.  I suppose you could create a dashboard that might not be too bad for users to work your system, but still.  Your kind of stuck with their interface.  FOr expedience, I would say you could develop something in SP much quicker.  However, I believe the payoff of having the flexibility of PowerApps for a nice simple interface a user could, perhaps, run on their phone easily.

Since you have some programming experience, I would say you could pick up powerapps pretty well.  However, you will find pockets of weird struggles that you may thing is rather silly, but its just the way it is.  Its amazing on one hand, but strangely difficult some specific areas.  You learn the quirks from help here.  

Keep us posted on what you decide.

[syhrh]

Hi @martinav, so you're saying using SP is much quicker than Power Apps in developing the system, right? Using Power Apps or Sharepoint to develop the system is decided by my higher-ups so I have to follow their instructions. That's why I'm collecting data on what SP and Power Automate can and cannot do. Based on the answers I've gotten, it seems possible but still hard for me to implement. If doing the system in SP is quicker then isn't it better using it rather than Power Apps excluding the UI experience?

[martinav]

@syhrh 

I would think you could make this in SP faster, but it would be more flexible and easier for the user to use powerapps to operate sharepoint.  Powerapps would do it all.   You then have full control over the interface.  Since the app is totally under your control.  You would not be bound to sharepoint forms and such.  Users would never even need to see Sharepoint.  Is there, but in the background.

Watch some of the Shane Young @Shanescows videos with powerapps interactions with sharepoint.  It will give you some ideas.  

https://www.youtube.com/c/ShaneYoungCloud/videos

Not sure about your management telling you what to do.  You do, of course, have to satisfy them.  They probably dont know much about it either.  You might find some nice examples to make a presentation to show them.  You would still be using sharepoint and automate, but powerapps would be the wrapper around these tools.  

I do not think what you are doing has any affect on licensing either.  The connectors you use for Automate would be the same ones you use for Powerapps.  Sharepoint connectors I believe are all in the normal set of connections that are part of the base license.  You expand into SQL, or some of the other connectors, you then have licenses to worry about.  You will see what I mean when you get into automate.  Whenever you see a "Diamond" next to connectors, these are called 'premium' which will make you upgrade your licenses.  I think you are safe with Sharepoint Online.  I assume this is what you will be using, not a local Sharepoint on your local server.  If thats the case, there is more you need to do!

[syhrh]

@martinav okay, thank you for your help! I really appreciate it.