Tracking Purchasing Approval

Julie Murphy

We are trying to find a way to track our purchasing process.  I have created a sheet with a web form, but am having trouble with the approvals part of our process.  Typically the purchaser would fill out the web form to request payment to a vendor or to themselves as reimbursement, then they need to get 2 approvals from management.  Is there a way to send the completed web form to someone and give them the ability to approve it without going into my sheet?  I have played with merging the sheet data into a goodle doc and sending it to them, but can't find a way to incorporate the approval into the flow.  I would like the sheet to reflect that the expense is approved, so that I can look at the sheet an know when something is approved by all parties.  Does anyone else use Smartsheets for this type of process?

Atus Bartal

Dear Julie,

 

Unfortunately there's no way to send a completed web form to someone else. However, you can create 2 reports to the 2 manager where they can approve the requests (while seeing only the new - non-approved - items). I suggest to read Jeremy Michels's description of their workflow, it can give you some ideas. If you don't get ahead, I can give you a simple example on what to try.

Atus

Atus Bartal

I have searched in previous posts, and I've found more discussions to read. You may get the answer from Craig's great solutions in this one:  https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/use-triggers-smartsheet

 

JohnHinkle

Use update requests! You can send the row to anyone (Smartsheet user or not) and the recipient can view and edit the row in form view. Changes made to the form are immediately reflected in the sheet. 

 

http://help.smartsheet.com/customer/en/portal/articles/504779-using-update-requests

Christian Wells

Hi Julie,

Maybe there could be a solution in the Zapier intergration...

 

Zapier will send an email to somone when a new recrd is added to a list.....

You complete the Subject and Message using fields from the New row of Data.

 

The user could then return the email to Zapier with a "Approve" or "Reject" in a certain place.  Zapier might then be able to decipher the email contect (Approve or reject) and add it back into smartsheet....

 

I use the word "might", as it will depend upon how structured you can make the email template and the user/approvers ability to put the approval into the right spot.

 

Hey, its worth a look.....

 

P.S. I use Zapier to email out, I have only tested the Return path.

J. Craig Williams

Julie,

 

Did you get what you needed?

 

Atus,

Thanks for the compliment.

Craig