Request data from multiple users

Hi ‌ -

What if you created a particular content type for a flexi-task to use it to request data that way? Then you could use the "first response" method with "create a task for each user" ..

This is the only way I can think of right at this moment.. I will keep thinking...

Currently I'm using SharePoint-Groups for this. The first person that replies answers in the name of the whole group.

Problem is you never see who finally answered the task and you need custom task list views to not only show personal tasks but also the tasks assigned to that group to regain a "my tasks" feature.

So in the end an ability to request data from multiple users would be a nice feature if it would be builtin but I can imagine it's hard to get this into SharePoint's mindset of saving task data to SharePoint columns...

The OOTB Flexi-Task will not allow you to supply additional data. You would need to use a custom form, which could collect additional data and store that in a workflow variable.

EDIT: But I think I'll go this route. Use the flexi-task and customize the form. Only bummer: flexi-task always hast at least two outcomes, but I only need one.

Unfortunately this wont work in my specific case, because the list of assigners is being built in the workflow (dynamic). So I can't use a pre-defined group.

I've gotten past this by just making both of the outcomes do the same thing, haha. TAKE THAT, FLEXI-TASK!

Hi Henning Eiben‌, were you able to find a solution to your problem?

I'm trying to do the same thing, we have lots of "Request data" tasks that should be assigned to multiple users and I only want the first response that comes to complete the task. I can use a group but then my requirements say that only one user should be sent the notification and the others would technically be able to complete the task (but no emails should be sent to them) - the option to select delivery type on each of the assignees which is available in the flexi-task, is not available in the request data action... .

Mainly it is a case of assigning a task to "IT Help desk" where only the shared email account would recieve the email but anyone from IT help desk who is authorized to respond to it should do it. The thing is the req's are:

- there has to be a way to track down who exactly completed the task.

- not sending notification/task emails to tons of help desk people.

- and not having to login to sharepoint with IT help desk email account to be able to complete the task.

Any ideas....!!?

Actually - in the advanced settings of the flexi-task you can select "do not create branches", which allows you to delete all but one outcome.

This is a little more obvious.

Well, I ended up using the flexi-task to collect the data in my case. I removed all but one outcome of the task, to remove "noise" from the workflow, as I don't need different outcomes. This worked pretty well for me.

WHOA! I never knew about this. Thanks Henning