Sharepoint / Infopath Workflow Automation

Business Problem

microsoft-infopath.jpgA New York State Agency was looking for help on transitioning from Windows Sharepoint Services to MOSS 2007.  One of the areas that they were really interested in understanding and utilizing initially was Infopath Forms Services.  The Agency turned to C&C to understand how to use Infopath Designer in conjunction with Sharepoint 2007 and Forms Services to create an end-to-end workflow solution.  The solution would automate the process of onboarding a new employee, specifically in the area of application access and rights management. 

 

Business Solution

The solution that we put together consisted of:

  • End User Input Form – The Form, designed with Infopath Designer, included all the data attributes needed for technicians to fulfill the request.
  • Infopath Workflow – Using Sharepoint Designer and Visual Studio, we were able to create the business rules and associated workflow for the business request.
  • Data Access – Lookup and supporting data for this particular business process was stored in Sharepoint Lists.  For large amounts of data, Integration Services Routines were written in Visual Studio.  We even made requests for data using CAML routines using Integration Services
  • Sharepoint/MOSS 2007 – The entire application “lived” in Sharepoint.  The form was deployed to Sharepoint as a “web-enabled” form, which means that end-users could fill in the form without having Infopath installed on their machines.  Status and notifications built into the workflow were spawned from Sharepoint Server, and technicians populated updates to the form throughout the lifecycle of the business process using Sharepoint.
Business Result

Our Client was able to roll-out this business process at the end of our engagement.  The staff was introduced to the power of Infopath, Sharepoint, and Workflow.  Supporting technologies were also introduced to the staff, including SQL Server, Sharepoint Designer, Visual Studio, and even Integration Services.  

Technologies Used
  • Sharepoint Enterprise 2007
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2005
  • SQL Server Integration Services
  • Sharepoint Designer
  • Infopath Designer
  • Visual Studio 2005

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