Introduction
When working in a corporate environment, employees constantly fill out forms. They are submitting requests, reporting progress, or documenting internal processes. These forms often require the same personal or organizational details to be entered repeatedly: your name, job title, department, phone number, or manager's name. Manually typing this information over and over not only wastes time but also increases the risk of errors.
Infowise Ultimate Forms introduces a powerful and user-friendly solution to this common challenge: the User Property column. This feature empowers SharePoint users by automatically pulling in personal data from Active Directory or SharePoint user profiles. This helps to streamline form completion, improve data accuracy, and enhance overall productivity.
Let’s explore how the User Property column works, its key use cases, and how it fits seamlessly into a fully no-code business solution built with Infowise Ultimate Forms.
What Is the Infowise User Property Column?
The User Property column is a dynamic form column available in the Infowise Ultimate Forms toolbox. It allows SharePoint forms to auto-populate with user-specific information by retrieving values from a user’s profile in Active Directory or the SharePoint User Profile Service.
Instead of prompting users to manually fill in their details each time they interact with a form, the User Property column can instantly insert:
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Full name
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Job title
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Department
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Email address
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Phone number
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Manager’s name
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Custom profile properties
These fields are populated as soon as the form loads, eliminating repetition and simplifying the end-user experience.
Why Does This Matter?
1. Improved Efficiency
When users don’t have to type the same information repeatedly, it saves valuable time. In high-volume environments - such as HR departments, help desks, or project management teams - this small convenience quickly translates into measurable productivity gains.
2. Fewer Errors
Manual data entry leads to inconsistent formats and spelling errors. By pulling data directly from centralized user profiles, the User Property column ensures data accuracy and uniformity across all forms and records.
3. Dynamic Data Binding
Because the information is pulled in real time, any updates made to a user’s profile in Active Directory or SharePoint are instantly reflected in the form. This means your forms are always working with the most current information.
4. Flexible Configuration Options
Administrators can configure the User Property column to include single or multiple properties, define display templates, and even allow users to edit the pre-filled content when necessary. This flexibility makes the feature adaptable to many different business scenarios.
Real-World Use Cases
The Infowise User Property Field can be deployed in a wide variety of SharePoint business processes. Here are a few examples:
Employee Onboarding Forms
Automatically populate the new hire’s name, department, and manager's name on onboarding checklists, access request forms, and training schedules. Reduce HR workload and ensure consistency across departments.
Help Desk and IT Support Requests
When submitting a support ticket, users can skip filling out their contact information and device details - these fields can be auto-filled using profile data. Support staff can resolve issues faster when they have reliable user context.
Travel and Expense Approvals
For travel or reimbursement requests, automatically pull in job title, cost center, and manager approval hierarchy, making it easy to route the form through the correct workflow.
Performance Review or HR Documentation
Forms for evaluations, promotions, or disciplinary actions can pre-fill essential employee data, making HR's job easier and ensuring sensitive information is always consistent.
How It Works Behind the Scenes
When configuring the User Property Field in a SharePoint list or library, administrators can:
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Choose the Data Source: Select between Active Directory (on premises only) or SharePoint Profile as the source for user information.
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Select Properties: Pick which fields to retrieve (e.g., department, phone number, manager).
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Create Templates: Combine multiple fields with custom text (e.g., “John Smith – IT Department – ext. 1234”).
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Enable Editing: Decide whether the user can modify the automatically populated data or leave it locked for consistency.
All of this is configured directly within the Infowise Ultimate Forms interface - no coding or custom development required.
Seamless Integration with Ultimate Forms
The User Property column is just one example of how Infowise Ultimate Forms brings powerful, no-code automation to SharePoint Online and on-premises environments. Combine it with other Ultimate Forms components to build truly intelligent forms and processes:
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Dynamic Rules: Show or hide fields based on job title or department.
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Advanced Forms Layout: Create user-friendly interfaces that automatically organize user data in structured sections.
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Actions and Alerts: Send emails to a user's manager based on pre-filled profile information.
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Print & Export: Include auto-filled user data in printable PDF outputs or exported Excel files.
By using these tools together, organizations can digitize manual processes without needing developers or third-party integration tools.
Security and Permissions
Infowise Ultimate Forms ensures that data pulled through the User Property column respects SharePoint security settings. Only users with appropriate permissions can view or edit the field content. Additionally, administrators can set the field to read-only to maintain strict control over form data integrity.
Easy Deployment and Maintenance
Infowise Ultimate Forms is designed for both IT administrators and business users. Setting up the User Property column takes just a few clicks, and changes can be made on the fly without disrupting end users. Since it is part of the broader Infowise Ultimate Forms platform, updates and support are centralized, making long-term maintenance hassle-free.
Getting Started
To start using the User Property column:
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Install Infowise Ultimate Forms in your SharePoint environment (if you haven’t already).
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Create or edit a SharePoint list or library.
- Enter Ultimate Forms settings using the Design button.
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Add a new column of type User Property column from the Infowise column types.
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Select the user profile properties you want to pull in.
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Configure templates and permissions as needed.
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Publish your form and experience the streamlined data entry.
Final Thoughts
The Infowise User Property column might seem like a small feature, but its impact is substantial. By automating repetitive data entry tasks, ensuring data consistency, and integrating seamlessly with other SharePoint automation features, it helps organizations save time, reduce errors, and empower users. All without writing a single line of code.
If you’re already using SharePoint for business process management, the User Property column is a must-have enhancement that brings you one step closer to fully automated, intelligent forms.
Explore the full capabilities of Infowise Ultimate Forms and try it free today.
