Introduction
Managing purchase requests is a critical component of procurement, especially when teams need to ensure requests are approved and processed quickly. With SharePoint and Infowise ULTIMATEFORMS, you can create a streamlined, automated system for handling purchase requests—from submission and approval to final procurement. This approach requires no coding and allows full customization based on your organization’s purchasing needs.
This guide will walk you through setting up a SharePoint form for purchase requests, automating approval workflows, and using alerts to keep relevant parties informed throughout the process.
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Step 1: Setting Up the Purchase Request Form in SharePoint
The first step is creating a SharePoint list to collect and manage purchase request data, which you can customize using Infowise ULTIMATEFORMS.
Creating the Purchase Request List
1- Create a New List in SharePoint:
Go to your Site Contents in SharePoint, click on New > List, and name the list Purchase Requests.
2- Access Infowise Form Designer:
- With the new Purchase Requests list open, click Design in the top bar (ensure Infowise ULTIMATEFORMS is installed).
- Open the Solution Catalog and check for any existing templates for purchase requests, or start with a blank form to create a fully customized form.
3- Customize the Form Fields:
- Use the Form Designer to add fields relevant to your procurement process, such as Request Title, Requested By, Department, Item Description, Quantity, Total Cost, Priority, and Status.
- Add a field for Attachments so users can upload necessary documents, like quotes or purchase orders.
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Step 2: Setting Up Approval Workflows Using Actions
Automating the approval process ensures that purchase requests are reviewed promptly. Infowise Actions provides powerful tools for automating approvals and task assignments based on request data.
Automating Approval Tasks and Status Updates
1- Access Actions in Design:
In the Purchase Requests list, go to Design and then Actions under the Business Logic menu.
2- Create Approval Actions:
- Set up an action that assigns purchase request approval to the relevant department head or finance team.
- Use conditions based on fields such as Priority or Total Cost to automatically route high-value or high-priority requests to the appropriate approver.
3- Configure Status Updates:
- Use Infowise Actions to update the Status field based on the approval outcome:
- Approved: Once the request is approved, set the status to "Approved" and trigger any subsequent procurement actions.
- Rejected: If rejected, update the status to "Rejected" and notify the requester.
- Add Approval and Rejection Buttons:
- Add Approve and Reject buttons directly on the form, allowing authorized personnel to approve or reject the request from within the form view.
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Step 3: Setting Up Alerts for Notifications
Notifications are essential for keeping all relevant parties updated on the status of purchase requests. Infowise Alerts lets you configure custom notifications for specific stages of the purchasing workflow.
Configuring Alerts for Key Updates
1- Open Alerts in Design:
- Navigate to Design > Alerts under Business Logic in Infowise Ultimate Forms.
2- Set Up New Request Submission Notifications:
- Create an Email to notify the finance team or designated approver as soon as a new purchase request is submitted.
- Customize the email template to include dynamic fields like Request Title, Requested By, and Total Cost.
3- Automate Notifications for Status Changes:
- Set up alerts for when the Status field changes, notifying the requester when their request is Approved or Rejected.
- Use conditions to ensure that only relevant users (such as the requester and their manager) receive notifications.
4- Set Up Reminders for Pending Approvals:
- Configure an alert to remind the approver if a request remains pending beyond a certain timeframe (e.g., 48 hours).
- This helps ensure timely approvals and keeps the procurement process moving smoothly.
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Step 4: Tracking and Reporting Purchase Request Status
To maintain an organized overview of all purchase requests, use Infowise Ultimate Forms’ custom views and Alerts to track request status and generate timely reports for stakeholders.
Setting Up Custom Views for Real-Time Tracking
1- Create a SharePoint View for Purchase Requests:
- Set up a custom view in your Purchase Requests list to display key information, such as Request Title, Requested By, Department, Total Cost, Priority, and Status.
- Organize the view to group requests by Status (e.g., Pending, Approved, Rejected) for quick reference.
2- Use Conditional Formatting:
- In the Infowise Form Designer, apply conditional formatting to highlight requests based on their status or priority.
- For example, you can set requests with a high priority to display in bold or add color coding for different statuses (green for approved, red for rejected, yellow for pending).
3- Automate Weekly Status Reports:
- Use Infowise Alerts to send a weekly summary email to relevant team members, summarizing all active and recent purchase requests.
- Configure the alert to include information like total pending requests, approval times, and high-priority items.
4- Set Up Notifications for Aging Requests:
- Set an Infowise Alert for requests that have remained in "Pending" status for a specified time (e.g., more than 5 days).
- This alert can notify the requester, their manager, or a finance team member, ensuring follow-ups on aging requests.
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Resources
Before we wrap up, let’s look at a few key resources Infowise provides to help you get the most out of ULTIMATEFORMS. These tools are designed to support every level of user, making it easy to customize and automate workflows in SharePoint.
Templates
Infowise provides free templates to help you quickly launch solutions for common workflows like employee onboarding and approvals. These templates integrate smoothly with SharePoint, so you can start building effective processes right away. Explore available templates here: Infowise Templates.
Tutorials
Infowise’s tutorials cover everything from setup to advanced customization, making it easy for users at all levels to leverage ULTIMATEFORMS fully. View the full tutorial library here: Infowise Tutorials.
Webinars
Join Infowise’s webinars to learn directly from experts about real-world use cases, including automation for HR and custom workflows. Watch live or on-demand here: Infowise Webinars.
Training
Infowise offers training resources to equip your team with best practices and essential skills. Choose from guided courses and self-paced options to fit your schedule. Learn more here: Infowise Training. These resources provide valuable support to ensure you can easily set up, customize, and optimize your SharePoint solutions.
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Conclusion
With Infowise ULTIMATEFORMS and SharePoint, managing purchase requests becomes faster, more efficient, and fully automated. By setting up a customized purchase request form, automating approval workflows, and configuring alerts, your team can ensure timely processing and greater visibility into the procurement process.
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