Please note that the content of this post applies to the following applications:
- Project Management Central 4.0
- Workflow Conductor 3.0
- SharePoint Server and SharePoint Foundation 2013
When used together, Project Management Central (PM Central) and Workflow Conductor make it easier than ever before to manage project sites on PM Central. Users can take advantage of Workflow Conductor’s powerful process management capabilities for everything from getting feedback and approval from users in regards to who can approve project site creation requests, to creating workflows on project sites (including full template, lite template, and stand-alone template sites) to manage issues of each project
In this article, we’ll show you how to use workflow on the top site.
Before you begin: You will need to install PM Central R4.0 and Workflow Conductor R3.0 onto your SharePoint Server or SharePoint Foundation 2013 (if you haven’t already). For more information on installing these
products, please review Bamboo’s Online Documentation:
How to Associate Project Management Central and Workflow Conductor on SharePoint 2013 and Use Workflow on the Top Site
1. Create a workflow
- Create a top site using either the full template or the lite template.
- On the top site, select the Project Creation Request list. From the List Tools, select List > Create or Edit Workflow.
- Select Import from the Workflow Conductor menu.
- In the browse folder, if your top site is using the full template, select either the PMC Automated Project Creation Request Workflow Template.xoml file or PMC Automated Project Creation Request Workflow Template_Lite.xoml file. If your top site is using the lite template, you will need to select the PMC Automated Project Creation Request Workflow Template_Lite.xoml file.
- This workflow template will automatically be loaded into Workflow Conductor. Go to the workflow and click Request approval for the project site from the middle pane.
- In the right pane, you will see the workflow template’s configurable fields including Approvers, Approval Type, Due Date, and Allow Change Request.
- The fields that can be modified include:
- Approvers: This value is pulled from the Approvers field of the Project Creation Workflow Configuration list at the top site.
- Approval Type: “One Approval Required” is set as the default. Additionally, you have the option of choosing “All Approvals Required” or “Multiple Approvals Required.”
- Days Until Due: You can set the number of days until a workflow task is due.
- Due Date: This value is pulled from the Requested Date field of the current item. Please note that if values are entered for both the Days Until Due and Due Date fields, the tool will automatically
choose the earliest date as the due date. - Allow Reassignment: “No” is set as the default. If you choose to select “Yes,” the workflow task will be assigned to another approver.
- Allow Request Change: “Yes” is set as the default. This setting allows the approver to enter a comment for the requester to make a change and re-submit for approval. You can also choose “No” to hide the “Request Change” button on the Workflow Approval Task
- Logging Level: “Errors Only” is set as the default. Additionally, you have the option of choosing “Errors, warnings, and info” or “Errors and warnings.”
- Once you have finished configuring the workflow fields, return to the Workflow Conductor menu. Select the Publish to List button.
- Alternatively, you can use the “Solution Deployment Method” to deploy your workflow. To use this method, go to Central Admin and navigate to the Workflow Conductor General Settings. From there, select
the Solution Deployment Method to deploy. Please be aware that you will need to turn off UAC when using the “Solution Deployment Method” to deploy.
2. Configure project creation workflow configuration list
- To configure the project creation workflow configuration list, navigate to the Project Creation Workflow Configuration page from the top site. Click on Add a new item to enter the names of users who can approve project site creation requests.
- For this example, we’ve given the user “Tester- KietLam” permission to approve project site creation requests on the site.
3. Create a workflow button
- To create your own buttons for the Project Creation Request workflow the approval process, begin going to the Site Settings.
- Under Workflow Start Feature, click the Activate button.
- Go to the Workflow Configuration List and create a new item. Enter the relevant data for your button and click Save.
- When you start your workflow (steps listed below), you will see the button that you created.
4. Start workflow
- To begin, create an item on the Project Creation Request list. After creating the item, you can submit the request by navigating to List Tools > Items and selecting the Submit request for approval button from the Ribbon.
- After you have clicked the Submit request for approval button, Workflow Conductor will open. Click the Start Workflow button.
- The project site you requested will now have its status listed as Submitted.
- The designated approver will receive a notification email much like the one below. The email will contain a link to the Project Creation Request item, as well as a link to the approval
form. - The approver can either click Approve or Reject for the item:
- If the approver presses Reject, the approval process will end and the project site will not be created.
- If the approver presses Approve, the workflow will create the project site automatically, based on the information that the requester has inputted into the request.
- A notification email will be sent to the requester with the status ‘Approved’ or ‘Rejected’.
- Additionally, Workflow Conductor will send an automated email to the requester containing
the URL for the newly created project site.
For more on associating PM Central and Workflow Conductor on SharePoint 2013, check out Part 2 of our series: How to Use Workflow on the Project Site
