Running site workflows on lookup fields in a list

S
Badge +8

Ok so, I have a Main list to where I created a lookup column (we will call this Audit Type for Lookup) to another list on my SharePoint. My Main list column was created to look at this other lookup list and pull in a assigned to name (Audit Owner), depending on the audit type listed on the main list (Audit Type for Lookup). All works fine but it appears to have affected my site workflow. I have a site workflow setup to run every night to move anything that still has a current due date, to a past due list. So on my site workflow to move to Past Due, I added to my create action that i already had to also move the Audit Type for Lookup field from my Main list. I did this because I am also added the same lookup field on the Past Due list to pull in "Audit Owner". Well, nothing moved to my past due list last night. Did this lookup field affect my workflow?

So what I tried to do this morning was, remove that field from my create item action and create a whole separate site workflow on Past Due to query the Audit Type column (yes, this is the same field as Audit Type for Lookup as I could not figure out how to lookup on the same list) on the Past Due and put it in a collection. Then I want to update this field (Audit Type for Lookup) on the Past Due to what is in Audit Type. Then that would lookup to my external list like the Main list did. Hope this all makes sense.

Also, I mentioned above that I could not figure out how to lookup using a column on the same lit I am running the lookup from. Is this possible? I can only figure out how to lookup to an external list. Can this be done?

Cassy Freeman​ or anyone

Thanks!

13 replies

C
Badge +16

I am a tad confused...

How are you currently pulling the audit owner into your main list?  I assume you have a dropdown of audits and then based on the selected audit you get the owner - but how?  What data types are they?

S
Badge +8

Yeah. So I have a Column called Audit Type on my main list. I copied this column into my lookup column (which is also a drop down column) that then looks at an external list that also has an Audit Type column and then another column for Audit Owner. It brings over audit owner. These are text fields.

G
Userlevel 6
Badge +13

I'm also a tad confused. Why do you need to move something from a current list to a past due date list? Doing this seems to create an awful lot of overhead, when you could simply create a column as an indicator that that item is past it's due date, and then create views to separate out your current items from your past due date items.

S
Badge +8

These past due items move to a separate list so that the main list can be ready for review the next day. My groups have to review every single day so if someone doesn't review for 3 days the past due will have all 3 days in it to review AND the main list will be ready for the 4th day review.

C
Badge +16

having a little play in a bit ok will see where I get to.  luckily I still have my "testforjosh" lists happy.png

G
Userlevel 6
Badge +13

OK, I'm still not sure I understand this process. The workflow will automate marking your past due dates, so they will always be hidden from your main view, what happens to the items once they are past their due dates? Will those due dates get changed once a "review" takes place and they'll go back to the main list till their next due date? Or do they effectively become archived, never to be used again?

S
Badge +8

love.png

S
Badge +8

So, the site workflow moves the past due items to the past due list (based on the due date being past due) and resets the due date on the main list to next day. Once on the past due, another workflow runs as the reviewer completes, it archives to an archive list deletes off past due permanently. The purpose of doing this is to not interrupt the reviewer from ever doing that day's review that is due. Its less confusing for the end use to have separate lists to go to instead of views.

C
Badge +16

OK Josh so here is what I have, and please correct me if I have got it wrong.

Custom List:

Name = luAudits

Title column used for audit name

additional column called "Audit Owner Text" as single line of text.

luAudits.PNG

TestForJosh list (same as your main list)

Column called Audit Type configured as follows:

TestForJoshAuditColumn.PNG

PastDueList (same as your overdue list)

Column called Audit Type configured as follows:

PastDueListAuditColumn.PNG

so both of my lists have the corresponding look up to the audit owner text being pulled through.  Therefore when I create item in PastDueList from TestForJosh I only need to pass the Audit Type value.  the other one works all by itself.

Is that what you have?

InsertItemAudit.PNG

C
Badge +16

Josh Shutts wrote:

Also, I mentioned above that I could not figure out how to lookup using a column on the same lit I am running the lookup from. Is this possible? I can only figure out how to lookup to an external list. Can this be done?

I really don't know what you mean by this though if I am honest??!!

S
Badge +8

You got it! That's exactly how I have everything. Do lookups affect workflows in any way?

C
Badge +16

Not that I've been able to replicate. What exactly is going wrong?

G
Userlevel 6
Badge +13

I think he means a self referencing Lookup, so the lookup column points to a column within it's own list rather than another list.

This can be done OOTB with SharePoint, couldn't confirm with Nintex forms myself as I don't have the product available to me currently.

Reply


View our Community Site Map

Nintex Community Sitemap
Terms & ConditionsCookie settings