Workflow to Automate Document Generation?

Joseph Gentile

What's the simplest process for using "Document Generation" when a new "Form" is submitted?

Does anyone have a workflow that can automate this process without the need for a "Gatekeeper" or someone manually generating the row-level document after the form is submitted?

Example - We have a PDF form that requires a signature but we would like to use Smartsheet to collect the information, generate the document and then email the PDF to the person that submitted the form so they can sign and upload the signed version.

Scott Tewel

Hi All! As mentioned in the thread, we have released a new automated Generate Document action for automated workflows! This new action makes it very easy to generate a PDF or a DocuSign request when a trigger occurs and conditions are met.

For @Joseph Gentile's use case at the top of the thread, you can use a "when a row is added" trigger for your workflow, which will occur when a Form is submitted.

More information about this release can be found here:

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/92298/automated-document-generation-and-docusign-mapping-is-here

and here:

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2482492-build-workflow-automate-document-generation

as others in the thread have helpfully called out.

Let us know if you have feedback!

Best,

Scott Tewel - Product @Smartsheet

Andrée Starå

Hi @Joseph Gentile

I hope you're well and safe!

Unfortunately, it's not possible at the moment to automate it fully, but it's an excellent idea!

Please submit an Enhancement Request when you have a moment

Here's a possible workaround or workarounds 

• Add a Workflow that triggers from added attachments, sends them to the signee, and then generates the documents, and they will send automatically.
• Depending on which Smartsheet plan you have, you could use the DocuSign integration instead. Which plan do you have?

Would any of those options work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Joseph Gentile

Thanks, Andree. I do have a workflow that mirrors your suggestion, and yeah, that seems to be the furthest I can take the automation, currently. I submitted an enhancement request. Fingers crossed! 🤞

Dennis Wierzbicki

I have exactly this challenge right now. We're having employees in the field fill in forms, and the output needs to look like a previously-approved form. I have the PDF created, and all the fields mapped, but the whole process is not running automatically, because I have to step in every time a form is submitted, and generate the document.

I have an automation in place to send the attachment to selected team members.

We have the Enterprise plan. How does the DocuSign option work? I don't see it solving my problem, but it gives me something else to thing about.

Andrée Starå

Hi @Dennis Wierzbicki

I hope you're well and safe!

With the DocuSign option, you would still trigger it manually from the sheet and send out the form and approval combined in DocuSign instead. Also, the signed document is automatically saved to Smartsheet in the correct record + you can see the status of the form.

The DocuSign integration is fantastic!

Make sense?

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Daryn Berger

I've tried the DocuSign integration but cannot get columns from my SmartSheet sheet mapped to fields in my DocuSign template. The fields in my DocuSign template (other than the signature fields) do not appear in the right pane of the mapping interface for me to drag and drop the Smartsheet sheet columns (on the left part of the interface) onto. Has anyone had this issue and if so, been able to resolve it?

Andrée Starå

Hi @Daryn Berger

I hope you're well and safe!

Strange!

Can you describe your process in more detail and maybe share the sheet(s)/copies of the sheet(s) or some screenshots? (Delete/replace any confidential/sensitive information before sharing) That would make it easier to help. (share too, andree@workbold.com)

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Daryn Berger

Thanks @Andrée Starå for replying. Below are screenshots that show the template in DocuSign, and then the mapping setup interface when I try to generate a document for a row in a Smartsheet sheet. I've highlighted one of the fields I'd like to map to in the DocuSign template, and am showing in the Smartsheet mapping UI that I cannot drag the Training Name column to that field. In the mapping UI, it seems like the fields I set up in the DocuSign template (other than the Signature fields) are not even detected in Smartsheet for me to drag a column header to.

DocuSign template:

Smartsheet to DocuSign mapping UI (before trying to map):

Smartsheet to DocuSign mapping UI (while trying to map):

Jean A Coucke

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/79707/workflow-to-automate-document-generation

Automation of document generated by Docusign should really be an added value. As for now, we need to have a gate keeper doing it manually . Is it possible to have a status of when this would be available ? Thanks in advance, very Best , Jean

Joseph Gentile

Update - I've heard from our customer success manager that Smartsheet is working on a workflow that will enable you to automate document generation. Fingers-crossed! They are hoping to launch in June but that's not confirmed.

Mrbougles

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/329213#Comment_329213

Hi, I was hoping you were right on this....and it seems you were. It looks like Smartsheet have added this functionality now (June 2022).

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2482492-build-workflow-automate-document-generation?ict_source=smartsheet&ict_medium=bulletin&ict_campaign=blt1229a

Andrée Starå

Hi @Joseph Gentile @Dennis Wierzbicki @Daryn Berger @Jean A Coucke

I hope you're well and safe!

It's here now! 🤩 (as you probably already know, but I wanted to make sure that you don't miss it)

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/92298/automated-document-generation-and-docusign-mapping-is-here

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Scott Tewel

Hi All! As mentioned in the thread, we have released a new automated Generate Document action for automated workflows! This new action makes it very easy to generate a PDF or a DocuSign request when a trigger occurs and conditions are met.

For @Joseph Gentile's use case at the top of the thread, you can use a "when a row is added" trigger for your workflow, which will occur when a Form is submitted.

More information about this release can be found here:

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/92298/automated-document-generation-and-docusign-mapping-is-here

and here:

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2482492-build-workflow-automate-document-generation

as others in the thread have helpfully called out.

Let us know if you have feedback!

Best,

Scott Tewel - Product @Smartsheet