Workflow Solutions - Streamline Your  PTO Request Process

Within a company or department, there may be a myriad of ways people ask their supervisors for PTO - email, person-to-person, submitting a written form, etc. With Central Desktop, you can standardize, simplify, and automate the process.

When I started working at Central Desktop, we were using an "HR approved" form for PTO (Vacation) Requests. We would print it out, have our Supervisor sign it, and bring it to HR. It sounds simple, but would sometimes take days. We were like Steve Jobs using a landline. Myself and other colleagues thought, what if there were a way to use Central Desktop to manage the PTO Request process. We imagined submitting an online Request form that would automatically notify and create a task for our Supervisor. When our Supervisor approved it, we, along with HR, would get notified by email.

Well, thanks to the not-so-recent additions to Workflow (An Enterprise Feature), there is a way.

Step #1: Create the Database:

The "Add Record" page for the one that I created looks like this:

Step #2: Put the PTO Request form on your Company's Intranet Workspace.

You'll need to create a wiki on your Intranet workspace and name it something like "PTO Request form". Create a link to this wiki from your Intranet FrontPage (or anywhere people will be able to find it).

Obviously, the actual form that your employees see and use shouldn't have the part that I've labeled "For HR Use Only". To post the Request form without displaying the "HR" fields, get the Web Capture Form code by going to the Database > More Actions > Web Capture Form. Copy the code, and paste it into a your PTO Request wiki. Then, (and this does require some familiarity with HTML) remove the "HR" fields, and save.  [A way around having to edit the HTML would be to create the DB field with ONLY the below fields, get the code, paste it into your PTO Request wiki, and then add the "HR" fields to the DB.]

The one that I created appears like this in the PTO Request Form wiki:

Step #3: Create the Workflow Rules (You'll need the Workflow feature for this step)

The first rule will be to Create a Task for the "Supervisor". I've checked "notify by email", and made the Task due date "+3 days". I also customized the text of the Task/email to be "###$YOUR_Name### has requested PTO. Please see the request info here: ###$URL###". 

The second rule will, when the Request status is changed to "Approved", notify both HR and the Requestor by email. I felt that "Denials" should probably be communicated directly by the Supervisor to the Requestor.

Step #4: Tell everyone how to use it. Our announcement looked like this: 

"How to Submit:

Please see the "Request PTO" button on the Intranet Home Page (here: [insert link to your Request Form).

When you submit a request, your Supervisor is notified via email, and should respond to the request within 3 days.

It's that easy.

For sick days, you will also need to complete this form - simply put "sick" in the notes section.  PLEASE REMEMBER TO COMPLETE THIS FORM.

To Supervisors - To respond to the request, find the link to the Request in the email notification and Task, and "edit" the record. See "Supervisor Approval". When you select "Approved", and Update the record, the requestor, and HR, will automatically get notified, and no further action need be taken. If you select "Denied", you will need to communicate this to the requestor directly.

Please put any feedback/questions in the comments section of this announcement."

This is merely one example of how Central Desktop can save you time, money, and paper. To explore how you can streamline your other business processes using Central Desktop, schedule a session with one of our Implementation Specialists.

Want to know more about workflow solutions? Check out our Help Section on Workflow and my previous blog on Workflow. 

Want to get Workflow? Contact  Sales.

Questions/Comments? Post them here or email me at support@centraldesktop.com.

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