Transcript Budget Solution with Nintex Forms and Workflow by Lenn

Automating Your Budget Process
Using Nintex Forms and Workflow:
A Case Study
March 27, 2015
Lenn Higa
Senior Solutions Consultant
MCTS SharePoint Configuration
[email protected]
Chris Bayot
• Hawai`i Regional Manager
• Senior Solutions Consultant
• MCTS SharePoint Configuration
• Security +
• MCT
• [email protected]
Company Overview
Our Customers Include
Project Overview
Project Goals
• 3 different types of budgets
• Individual, Practice Group, Office
• Attorneys to enter these types of budgets into a budget form
• 2 ways attorneys submit expenses against budgets
• Check Request, Expense Voucher
• Attorneys to fill out an expense form for each request
• Match to the items budgeted
• Real-time access to the dollars that remain in budgets
• Run high-level reports for management
• Run specific reports for Individuals, Practice Groups and Offices
Budget Input Form
• Replace the 3 Excel forms
• Individual, Practice Group, Office
• Web form hosted on SharePoint
• Users to be able to:
• Categorize into different expense types
• Each category prompts for different info
• Add budget numbers in form fields
• Save work before final submission
• Approval process
• Ability to rework/resubmit if rejected
Check Request Form
• Replace the existing Word form
• 3 parts linked to 3 sections
• Individual, Practice Group, Office
• All amounts must equal request amount
• Require approval prior to Accounting
• Email notifications where applicable
• Accounting to complete the request
• Reflect request amount against Budget
Expense Voucher Form
• Replace the existing Excel form
• 3 parts linked to 3 sections
• Individual, Practice Group, Office
• All amounts must equal request amount
• Require approval prior to Accounting
• Email notifications where applicable
• Accounting to complete the request
• Reflect request amount against Budget
Platform/Technology
SharePoint
• SharePoint 2013 (Foundation)
• Free version
• Basic features
Nintex
• Nintex Forms 2013
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Web UI
Drag-and-drop designer
Customize formatting
Configure format/action rules based on conditions
Apply JavaScript/CSS functionality to form controls
• Nintex Workflow 2013
• Web UI
• Drag-and-drop actions onto the workflow canvas
• Configure the properties/settings for each action
Implementation
SharePoint
• Budgets lists and sub-lists
• Budgets (form)
• Association Memberships, Sponsorships, Travel Expenses, etc.
• Lookup lists, external content types
• Employees, Budget Categories, etc.
• vwOmega_ClientMatter, vwOmega_ClientNames, vwOmega_Vendors
• Expense lists
• Check Request (form)
• Expense Voucher (form)
Budget Lists Relationships
Nintex Forms
• Panels
• Show/Hide based on rules to mimic tab-like functionality
• Rules (show/hide fields, etc.)
• Repeating Sections
• SPServices (JS) for retrieving list lookup data for drop-downs
• JavaScript/jQuery for cascading drop-downs, etc.
Nintex Workflow
• Obtain approvals
• For repeating sections
• Parse XML
• Create sub-list items (Budget Input Form)
• Subtract from Budget Remaining Amount (Check Request, Expense Voucher)
Budget Input Form
Budget Input Form (cont.)
Budget Approval Workflow
No
START
Rework/Resubmit
Pending
Approval?
No
Yes
Set permissions (custom)
Approved?
Yes
Speaking at
Event?
No
Yes
Send email notification to
Marketing Manager
Set permissions (inherit)
END
Budget Parse to Sublist Workflow
START
Approved
No
Yes
Run parallel actions...
Association Memberships
1) Parse repeating section
2) Insert item into sublist
Prof & Licensing Cert
1) Parse repeating section
2) Insert item into sublist
Travel Expense
1) Parse repeating section
2) Insert item into sublist
END
Etc., etc., etc.
1) Parse repeating section
2) Insert item into sublist
Check Request Form
Check Request Workflow
START
Approved?
No
Rework/Resubmit
Yes
GL Code Status?
Pending
Entered
Payment Issued
Approved
Request Approval from
Accounts Payable
(enter GL code)
Request Approval from
Controller
(verify GL code)
Loop through RS, per Budget
Update Budget Remaining Amt
Create History Items
Set permissions (read-only)
END
Expense Voucher Form
Expense Voucher Workflow
START
Approved?
No
Rework/Resubmit
Yes
GL Code Status?
Pending
Entered
Payment Issued
Approved
Request Approval from
Accounts Payable
(enter GL code)
Request Approval from
Controller
(verify GL code)
Loop through RS, per Budget
Update Budget Remaining Amt
Create History Items
Set permissions (read-only)
END
Reporting and Tracking
• SQL Server Reporting Service (SSRS) reports
• Dashboards using SharePoint web part pages
Demonstration
Budget Tracking Solution
Challenges
Limitations on Nintex Forms
• Delays with Nintex Form load/open
• Abundance of controls on form
• Nested repeating section controls on form
• Extensive JavaScript code on form
• Configuring cascading drop-downs
• Querying SharePoint lists for populating drop-downs
• Re-populating drop-downs and text controls upon re-open in View mode
• Tab functionality not reflected in View mode of the form
• Minimal layout/formatting issues when show/hide panels
• Mobile views of the Nintex Form
• Publishing form to Nintex Live
• Nintex Live does not support lookup lists, etc.
Mitigations
• Upgraded to latest release of Nintex Forms (2.5.0.0)
• Nintex spent significant time/effort improving the Forms performance
• Use Edit mode for re-opening forms, but lock down fields as if it
is a read-only view, while keeping the tab selection control active
• Nintex working on fixes eliminating whitespace for repeat section
• Nintex working on fixes to mobile functionality, for lookup data
Questions?
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