For organizations relying on Microsoft SharePoint to manage internal workflows and documents, setting up an efficient approval system is often a top priority. Approval workflows ensure accountability, streamline communication, and prevent bottlenecks. However, building a flexible, scalable, and intuitive approval system directly within SharePoint can be a challenge without the right tools. That is where Infowise Ultimate Forms shines, offering a no-code solution for customizing and automating approval systems with ease.
Why SharePoint for Approval Workflows?
SharePoint provides a powerful platform for storing documents, managing lists, and collaborating across departments. When integrated with workflows, it enables teams to automate approvals for tasks like contract reviews, expense reports, time-off requests, and more. A SharePoint-based approval system helps centralize documentation, improves process visibility, and reduces manual intervention.
Common Use Cases
- Employee onboarding and offboarding approvals
- Expense and travel reimbursement requests
- Procurement and purchase order approvals
- Contract reviews and legal signoffs
- IT support and change request management
Despite SharePoint’s capabilities, its out-of-the-box tools are often too limited for businesses with complex or dynamic approval requirements. That is where Ultimate Forms can transform the user experience.
Ultimate Forms: A No-Code Powerhouse
Infowise Ultimate Forms is a suite of tools designed to extend SharePoint’s native functionality. Without writing a single line of code, you can create custom forms, apply business logic, manage permissions, and build complete workflows tailored to your organization’s needs.
Key Features for Approval Systems
- Customizable Forms: Build dynamic forms with rules, tabs, sections, and field-level visibility.
- Workflow Automation: Trigger actions like notifications, status changes, and task creation based on list activity.
- Alerts & Reminders: Send branded, condition-based emails to users or groups automatically.
- Electronic Signatures: Include secure, traceable approvals right in the form interface.
These features allow organizations to build approval systems that are not only efficient but also user-friendly and adaptable to future changes.
Step-by-Step: Creating an Approval System with Ultimate Forms
1. Set Up Your SharePoint Site
Create a dedicated SharePoint site or subsite to house your approval system. This ensures data is kept organized and secure.
2. Build the Form
Using Ultimate Forms, design a form to collect all necessary data. This may include request details, requester information, attachments, and justification fields. Use form tabs and logic rules to guide the user experience and ensure clean data collection.
3. Define Workflow Logic
Create a set of workflow rules to define how approvals should be routed. For example, when a form is submitted, send a notification to the requester’s manager and assign a task for review. You can chain multiple actions and specify what happens at each step.
4. Set Approval Conditions
Specify conditional logic so that approvals are routed based on dynamic values such as department, cost amount, or project type. This ensures the workflow is intelligent and reduces the chance of human error.
5. Configure Notifications
Set up automated email notifications with Ultimate Forms’ Alerts feature. Customize subject lines, email body content, and use dynamic placeholders to include field values. Notify approvers when an item is ready and alert submitters when the item has been approved or rejected.
6. Track Progress
Use built-in status indicators and history tracking to monitor where each request stands. Dashboards and reports can be configured to provide real-time visibility to managers and administrators.
7. Test and Publish
Before going live, run test scenarios to ensure your logic flows work as intended. Once validated, publish the form and start using the system immediately - no development cycle required.
Real-World Scenarios Where Ultimate Forms Excels
Expense Approvals
Employees submit expense claims through a SharePoint form built with Ultimate Forms. The system automatically routes the claim to the correct manager based on department, flags amounts over a specific threshold for finance review, and sends branded email updates to the requester.
HR Request Approvals
HR departments use Ultimate Forms to manage requests such as job title changes, work-from-home approvals, and equipment provisioning. With built-in logic, requests are routed to team leads and HR staff without delays or paperwork.
IT Change Requests
In IT departments, managing system changes requires documented review. With Ultimate Forms, change requests are tracked from submission to implementation, with approvals and timestamps logged at each stage.
Educational Resources to Get Started
Infowise offers a variety of training and support materials to help you build your first approval system:
- Tutorials: Step-by-step guides for building workflows with Ultimate Forms
- Articles and Blog Posts: Learn best practices and see real-world examples
- Webinars: Live sessions with product experts showing tips and use cases
- Documentation: Complete technical resources to guide your setup
Why Ultimate Forms Over Other Solutions?
While tools like Power Automate offer workflow capabilities, Ultimate Forms provides an all-in-one, native SharePoint experience. It eliminates the complexity of separate tools, premium licenses, and external platforms.
Conclusion: Start Your Approval System Today
Approval systems are critical for maintaining compliance, speeding up operations, and reducing manual work. SharePoint is a solid foundation, and with Infowise Ultimate Forms, you gain the power to create advanced, dynamic, and user-friendly workflows tailored to your unique business needs.
Whether you're managing simple document approvals or complex, multi-stage workflows, Ultimate Forms provides the flexibility and ease of use to bring your vision to life. Try it today with a free 30-day trial and see how quickly you can go from idea to implementation - all without writing a single line of code.
