Skip to main content

O365: Automation - The First Step

 O365: Automation - The First Step


Making SharePoint Lists and Libraries is a simple process and these act as data containers for information passing through your business. We can capture data into the containers by creating the content from within the list or library, by scan and by import.

In most businesses, once the information, whether it is a document or data, is stored in SharePoint it will need to be followed through to ensure that it is made available to the right personnel and is acted on in a timely fashion.

The traditional method of ensuring this workflow is to send out email reminders and/or to place the information where the affected users can find it.

There is a better way.

Simple Work Flow 

The simplest work flow is to equip each List and Library with a column for status.

Using a SharePoint Library created to store customer orders


The status column can be seen to the right of the customer column

To add a status column go to Library Settings and click on create column

Name the column 'Status' and select 'Choice (Menu to choose from), enter the choices 


You can enter any number of choices in the box.  As this field will be used to filter the library the object is to cause the user to select from a list and ensure quality of field entry. 

 The Library or List content can now be filtered by the Status field

The above shows the Order Library filtered by Status = Competed

The filtered view can be saved and this will give it it's own unique URL, which means that the filtered view web page can be added as a tab in Teams or embedded as a web part page in a specific SharePoint domain.

In Practice

If an individual, or a group of Team members, are charged with taking action on new pending orders, they can be allocated a screen or Teams tab that will show only pending orders.
As the orders are accepted and approved, the same users can change the status field to Live or In Process.
Those orders will no longer appear in the Pending filtered list, but may appear in lists filtered for the updated current status.

Supervisors can, of course, be given access to the unfiltered list and will be able to see the entire order book. In addition they can see the length of time any order has been held at any particular status.

Manual v Automation

The above process works on manual allocation of a status field. However, the status field can also be automatically changed by using a Power Automate Work Flow.

We can show you how, or we can do it for you.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Electronic Document Storage and Management (EDMS)

EDMS is not just a means of storing computer files. A full EDMS system allows for the process of importing both paper and computer generated documents into a computer system and indexing the files for easy and swift retrieval. In effect you can dispose of your traditional paper filing system. No more gathering letters, invoices and orders into filing groups and no more slotting them into the correct folders. Of course, you only use a paper filing system because you know you may need that document again in the future. Equally, when you do want that document it's invariably missing, either misfiled, or on someone else's desk. With EDMS documents are where you placed them and they are available for you to use where ever you are. All you need is a computer, tablet or smart phone and an Internet connection.As most modern businesses already use the Internet for everyday interaction with banks, Inland Revenue, Companies House, insurance companies, suppliers and customers it no longer ...
1 comment
Read more

Leadership: So you want to be Powerful?

Throughout my life, in both business and personal spheres I have found that individuals seeking answers invariably look for 'silver bullet' solutions.     In a recent post on LinkedIn a n Influencer wrote that she had been asked the question ' Who is the most powerful person you ever met? '     The question was posed by a 17 year old and the author guessed that the answer being sought was the name of some sort of X-Factor figure, This strikes a cord with me. Throughout my life, in both business and personal spheres I have found that individuals seeking answers invariably look for 'silver bullet' solutions. This applies to all generations, 'Boomer, X-Gen and Millennial, it applies to individuals of all levels of intelligence, and to individuals at all levels of authority.     The desire for someo ne to appear, like a genie from a lamp, wit h either ' the answer' to a problem , or ' the power' to solve the problem, or...
1 comment
Read more

Law and Order: The Anonymous Text Tip-Off

The following article came out of an interview conducted with Max Doleh - Law enforcement organisations and Crime Stopper programs are turning to technology which enables text tip-off from the public to facilitate a police response. In September 2007 Master Sergeant Charles Phillips of the Oklahoma City Police Department published an item on the Oklahoma City Crime Stoppers web site (http://www.okccrimetips.com/ ) calling for increased resources to bring this technology to OKC. In November 2007 it was announced that Crime Stoppers of Oklahoma City have engaged technology company ProductiveT to develop an SMS system that is radically different to others in use in the country. Max Doleh, ProductiveT president and CEO answers questions – 1 . What makes the Oklahoma City system so different? The ProductiveT technology differs greatly from other offerings. The police department have their own dedicated number for receiving the messages and unlike most systems there is no need for the sender...
1 comment
Read more