Automate Timer Actions and Printing in SharePoint

Introduction: From Manual Routines to Intelligent Automation

SharePoint workflows and scheduled tasks often require custom code or complex setups. Manual processes, like generating reports or enforcing overdue status updates, can slow teams down. Then there’s the challenge of printing SharePoint lists: awkward formatting, manual copy-paste to Word or Excel, and inconsistent layouts.

Infowise Ultimate Forms' Actions and Print componets transform all of this. Together they provide:

• Timer-based actions that execute per defined schedules or date-based logic.

• Advanced print capabilities, with templated formats, exporting to PDF/Word/Excel, email delivery, and more. All built into SharePoint with no custom development

With these tools, automation becomes accessible, consistent, and powerful for end users and admins alike.

Timer-Based Actions: Reliable, Scheduled Automation

Actions includes timer-based triggers that operate on multiple cadences:

• Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Quarterly schedules

• Based on date columns (e.g., X days before/after a Due Date)

• Controls for repetition, time windows, and smart item targeting

These scheduled actions eliminate manual tracking and ensure processes run precisely when needed. They help you automate everything from task escalations to reminders.

How It Works

The timer-based action are triggered automatically according to their preset schedule. The action will then select an implicit "current item" to anchor its execution. The current item will contain the action execution history and will provide its values to functions and value assignments. The current item is also selected by default as the target of action's execution. For example, by default Update list item action will update the current item. But you can also easily change the action configuration to affect one or more items in any list and in any site. 

There are two main selection mechanisms for the current item:

1. Static Conditions
   Define filters like “Status = 'Pending Approval' AND Due Date < Today”. The scheduler queries all matching items and executes for each - great for batch operations.

2. Implicit Selection
   Without static filters, the system simply picks the first item in the list as the current item, but the logic can still process items inside the action flow. Useful for sending weekly summaries or centralized reports.

Real-World Use Cases

1. Overdue Invoicing Notifications

Send reminders for invoices due soon or overdue based on the invoice date. Timer-based actions automate the outreach without manual oversight.

2. Document Review Workflow

Trigger document archival or status change 30 days after approval. Set this on a daily timer to keep document libraries current.

3. Escalating Support Tickets

Automatically escalate unresolved tickets by reassigning items or sending alerts to managers after X hours of inactivity.

4. Summary Reports & Dashboards

Email daily summaries of newly created or modified items, or generate CSV/PDF reports for management without manual export.

How to Set Up a Timer Action

1. Open Ultimate Forms in your SharePoint list/library by clicking on the Design button.

2. Switch to Actions component configuration

3. Click to create a new action

4. Select Action Type, e.g., “Update List Item” or “Send Email”.

5. Choose Trigger: Set to “Timer-based” with frequency and timing.

6. Define Conditions:

   • Use static filters for multi-item processing.

   • Or leave blank for implicit selection.

7. Configure Logic: Set values, send notifications, change status, whatever suits your process.

8. Test, save, and monitor execution via Action History logs.

Print Integration: The Power of Print Embedded in Actions

Printing from SharePoint is often frustrating: limited layouts and manual formatting abound. The Print component of Ultimate Forms delivers:

• Fully customizable templates (List View or Item View)

• Design elements: headers, footers, section breaks, themes, margins, even barcodes and QR codes

• Export to PDF, Word, or Excel, all within SharePoint

• Print on demand, bulk export, or trigger print/email via actions

This capability lets you automate document generation and delivery as part of your workflows—instead of relying on manual exports.

Real-World Print Scenarios

1. Auto-Generated Invoice PDFs

Configure an action to run after invoice creation: convert to PDF using your template, then email to the client automatically.

2. Field Report Exports

Trigger print of work orders or inspection reports as both PDF and email attachment when they’re marked completed.

3. Audit Documentation

Create consistent, branded audit reports by aggregating list views into printable formats, automatically generated for compliance purposes.

How to Set Up a Print Action

1. Open Ultimate Forms in your SharePoint list/library by clicking on the Design button.
2. Switch to Print component configuration.
3. Click to create a new print template.
4. Select Template: Existing or create a new one via Print Settings.
5. Design Layout:

   • Choose columns to include or provide a Word document as a template.

   • Define orientation, themes, headers/footers, barcodes, whatever your report needs.

6. Save the template.
7. Switch to Actions component configuration.
8. Create a new action.
9. Select Print list items as its type.
10. Select the print template you just created.

11. Configure Output: Choose PDF/Word/Excel and define email recipients if needed.

12. Integrate with a Timer or Event:

    • Run when items are created/modified,

    • Or schedule regular print outputs automatically.

13. Save and test, then review output correctness and formatting.

Combined Action + Print Use Case: Weekly Attendance Report

Scenario: Every Monday at 8 AM, print and email a PDF summary of last week's user attendances from a SharePoint list.

Setup:

1. Create a List View Template for the attendance view.

2. In Print Settings, design a weekly report layout with your branding.

3. Add a Timer Action:

   • Trigger: Weekly, Monday 8 AM

   • Action: “Print list items” → PDF → email to HR team

4. Save and monitor results. The report arrives automatically, no one has to remember to export.

Best Practices to Maximize Effectiveness

Why Ultimate Forms Stands Out

• No-code automation: Powerful logic and schedules without writing scripts.

• Fully in-browser: Admins and power users control setup through SharePoint directly.

• Versatile triggers: Timer-based logic means tasks run on your schedule, not just on item edits.

• Rich output options: Formatting, exporting, emailing, all baked into the list interface.

• Auditability: Action History ensures traceability of every execution and outcome.

Real Workflow Example: Project Dashboard Automation

Use Case: A project manager needs weekly status sheets, overdue task reports, and approval reminders.

1. Timer Action 1 (Weekly, Monday 6 AM): Print project dashboard view, email PDF to stakeholders.

2. Timer Action 2 (Daily at 6 PM): Email reminder for overdue tasks to responsible owners.

3. Event Trigger Action: On task completion, trigger permission removal or task archival.

All run automatically and reliably: defined once, executed forever.

Wrapping Up: Smarter Schedules, Smarter Printing

Ultimate Forms empowers users and admins to build SharePoint solutions that operate on their schedule, not a developer’s. Whether you need timed updates, automated escalation, or polished report generation, the combination of timer-driven logic and integrated print transforms SharePoint into a powerful business engine.

By making automation accessible, flexible, and visible, you're not just optimizing processes, you’re redefining how SharePoint supports your business.