Creating my first Workflow to approve decline applications Using Smartforms offline approval


Userlevel 3
Badge +16

Hi guys.

 

Building my first workflow using Smartforms, the idea is that a user submits an application, but it has to be approved by the designated Approver for that "Department", any ideas how to do this? (this is an offline request, so the request can be replied by email by putting the Approved Declined text in the reply.

 

I've created a Basic workflow with the Email approved and declined email options, but I was wondering if there was a step by step on how to send the Approval Request to a particular Approver in a Department which is the same as the users (requesters) own Department (if that makes sense).

 

I found this video which is exactly what I want: http://help.k2.com/displaycontent.aspx?id=6502 but does not explain how to create the workflow from scratch.

 

Anyone guide me through this please? As i is a noob, i'm sure your replies will also help others :-)

 

Thanks,


15 replies

Badge +5

Hi, Sharpharp1


 


Below please find an example on how to create a simple approval process.


 



 


Kind Regards


 


Julia

Userlevel 3
Badge +16

Hi julia,

 

I've done the examples, but i need a step by step for Offline Approval where the Approver (who must be the same Department as the User requesting it) get an e-mail with the users details in PDF attached and then the Approver can reply with Approved / Declined in the reply message.

 

 

Badge +5

Hi, Sharpharp1


 


Please look at the following video on How to K2: Using SmartForms as PDF attachments for offline approval


 


How to K2: Using SmartForms as PDF attachments for offline approval


 


Hope this help


 


Kind Regards


 


Julia

Userlevel 3
Badge +16

Julie,

 

Read my previous post, I already viewed that video!!!

 

The video starts off with a workflow ALREADY built, and the presenter does not mention how he made it.

I need simple instructions on how to build the same Workflow in the video using Smartforms Workflow.

 

Julie, you always reply with links to things instead of looking at the specific question being asked.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Badge +5

Hi, Sharpharp1


 


I thought you were Referring to the links I provided first. You can create a workflow using K2 studio or K2 SamrtForms. I already provided links containing step by step rule to create an Approve or decline process, just go to K2 Smartforms and design a new workflow then drag and drop the necessary event wizards you desire using. Then after that you can go to that video and continue with the how to video.


 


Kind Regards


 


Julia


 

Userlevel 3
Badge +16

Right, i've got the basic workflow working. A user submits a request, but the manager gets no notification.

If I go onto the Workflow server, I can manually approve or decline it and then an email is sent to the user requesting it. 

 

However, the workflow user task is supposed to send an email to the Manager, which i'm not getting, any idea why?

 

I have put my own userID as a participant, is there anything else I have missed?

Userlevel 3
Badge +16

I've done some more work on this and noticed that the example Denallix College Application also does not send a Notification to the Manager when a request is made.

 

Could this is something which isn't configured correctly on the Server? Email events work fine, its just the Manager Approval Event which is not being emailed to the Manager.

 

Any ideas guys?

Badge +8

What kind of event did you use to assign a task to the manager?  If it is the Default Client event, you can configure the notification using the wizard that is run for the event.

Userlevel 3
Badge +16

Hi,

 

Its not the customization of the notification, its actually not sending the notification to the Manager at all.

 

Error log suggests:

 

"31700918","2014-06-23 14:57:46","Error","MessageBus","61007","SendMessageException","MessageBusRuntime","61007 Permanent failure sending message Approval: System.Exception: No destinations could send the message Approval.
   at SourceCode.MessageBus.Server.MessageBusRuntime.SourceCode.MessageBus.IMessageDestination.Send(String title, MessageExtendedInformation extended, IEnumerable`1 attachments, MessageBodyReader[] messageBodies)
   at SourceCode.MessageBus.Server.MessageBusRuntime.SourceCode.MessageBus.IMessageDestination.Send(String title, MessageExtendedInformation extended, IEnumerable`1 attachments, MessageBodyReader[] messageBodies)","","","BLACKPEARL:C:Program Files (x86)K2 blackpearlHost ServerBin","31700918","053da278f7eb4c42a8cedd3cd8c3f457",""

Badge +7

Hey Sharp,

 

Go into your K2 management consol and drill down into the K2 Server > Eveniornment Library > Templates > Default Templates > Environments > then into Pro or Dev...what ever server your on and look for the variable of Mail Server.  It should be configured with your DNS name or IP address of your mail server.

 

If you edit this field, you'll have to restart your K2 Blackpearl service on the server.

 

13956i518C3BE5069FC917.png

Userlevel 4
Badge +13

Hi SharpSharp1


 


Please confirm if you have done the following accordingly.


Ensure that your configuration is set to do what you need, for example: you need the manager to recieve the notification after a user submitted the application form. Please see my screenshot on where to ensure that your configuration is set correctly depending on the program used to design the workflow. This is based on the manager selected to recieve the submitted application taks item.


 


For K2 Designer:


 


12551iF73063479804E352.png

 


 


For K2 Studio:


 


13056iB1F48D14293EF0F1.png

 


Kind Regards


Raymond

Userlevel 3
Badge +16

Hi Guys,

 

Mail server is correct

 

and also i'm using designer and that also is correct.

 

I'm using the k2serviceaccount for sending messages, so that might be the issue if its not exchange enabled.

 

 

 

Userlevel 3
Badge +16

Configuring exchange email account has fixed the Manager Approval email.

 

 

Only thing i need to do now is work out how to send the Manager Approval to the Manager in the same department as the Requesting User. I get the department of the user from my form, so is there any way of passing that to the Workflow to then send the Approval to the Manager in the same Department?

 

example. User from dept. Finance, workflow must send the request to the Finance Manager

or is the user is from dept. Admin, then send the request to the Admin Manager

 

Thanks,

If I can get this bit working, its virtual beers all round.

Badge +7

Morning Sharp,

 

Ok so the value of the manager can be caught on the form, before passing it to the workflow.  I will generally put in the users manager from my Active Directory SmartOject, however I'm not sure if that will get the right value for you.

 

I would definitely populate this on the form, just so that the user knows who it's going to.  So on mine, I will put two (or three if Project Manager pops up) user picker controls that I will populate with Current Logged in user and that user's Manager.

 

12644i87E30D6FBAFB46B8.png

Let me know if you need to move more into getting the department's manager...We'll probably have to go with another smartobject.

Userlevel 3
Badge +16

Hi Dave,

 

The Approver is not neccesarily the users manager, it is an Approver which could be anyone. I've managed to get this working (i think) using the Workflow Taks Group for each School (using condition if item reference department is = Finance for example) and then dropping in the Approver using the Context Browser for that School... I think that will work, but I haven't tried it yet.

 

Thanks for the info though Dave

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