Adding information into the middle of a flow from a form

[DCurzio]

Hello everyone,

I tried searching for this on the Google machine, but I couldn't find anything.  Mainly because of the wording that I think I was using versus the info not being out there.

I have a form created with a bunch of infomation from when a new employee starts.  I need to send that information to a department and have them provide an additional piece of information that only that department can provide (say a phone number from a telephony group).  I then want the entire original form and the one response from the telephony group to be sent to another group for processing, but not until the telephony department puts in the phone number (as that dependancy is required to move forward).  How can I accomplish that with flow? 

I have the initial form created, but I am not sure of the appropirate flow option that will send a request to a department (e-mail is fine or a link to something) asking them for information, then combining that info with all of the original form and sending it all via e-mail to the next group.

Any ideas?

[ScottShearer]

@DCurzio 

The bottom line is that you can't restart or link anything to a Form that has been submitted.  I suggest that you use Forms to gather the initial information and write the data to a SharePoint list via Flow.  Then, have a Flow pick up from there and send emails to the individuals who need to be notified for the next stage.  You can include a link to the SharePoint item in the emails along with all other neccessary information.  You can also customize the SharePoint list form using PowerApps so that different columns are shown depening on where you are in the process.

[DCurzio]

Hi Scott,

What if I don't want to attach it to the submitted form?  Is there a different option that I can use which will ask a user for input (pause the flow until it is received) then send the completed form + the result from the input to the next step(s) of the flow?

[ScottShearer]

@DCurzio 

You cannot "pause" a from.  A form is either submitted or it is not saved.  You can't go back and start from where you left off at a later time.

[DCurzio]

I am not proposing to pause the form, I want to pause the flow.  Here is what I am asking.  Is there a flow that I can create which will:

• Take form responses
• via flow, send the form responses to a department
• Create a mechanism which asks that department for information that wasn't in the form
• Take the original form plus the mechanism from the third bullet and send all of the information in a single e-mail to someone else

If the third bullet was an approval (which is in flow) that would pause the flow.  I am looking to do something like that, but instead of an approval it would asks one question which is responded to and the flow continues and can take the original form PLUS the information added in that third bullet and output it in an e-mail.

[DCurzio]

To give an example of what I mean:

• Manager fills Microsoft form out that he/she is hiring a new employee
• Flow takes that form and sends it to the telephony department and somehow asks for a phone number to be created for this user. 
  • Phone number given (somehow) to this flow
• Flow then takes the original form responses PLUS the phone number (however that can be done) and all of the info is sent to HR.

I think of the original form as a bunch of variables and then a whole diferent method of defining a variable is submitted to the telephony department, then flow can combine all of that in an email like :

$FormResponse1

$FormResponse2

$FormResponse3

$FormResponse4

$FormResponse5

$TelephonyResponse1

[ScottShearer · Accepted solution]

@DCurzio 

In short, here is one way to approach your issue:

1. Use a form to collect initial data
   1. The is a Forms trigger that can be used in Flow
   2. Write the from data to a SharePoint list via Flow
2. Use a when a new item is created trigger to send an email to a department
   1. You can have logic in your Flow that identifies missing information
   2. Deatil the missing information in the email
   3. Include a link to the SharePoint item in the Flow - the flow ends
   4. The departmnt updates the list item with additional information
   5. PowerApps could be used to customize the SharePoint form
3. Another Flow fires using when an item is created or changed
   1. If all required information has been supplied (use a condition), send the second email
   2. Include in the email any data you want as it has all been saved in the SharePoint list item

Technically, you could use a loop in the first Flow that keeps looping and pausing until all info has been supplied, using a second Flow would be less complicated and has other advantages as well.

[DCurzio]

This is an interesting way to tackle this issue.  Let me look into this and get back to you.

Thanks for this really interesting way to deal with this!

[JoVerruckt]

There is a way actually. It is a way around but works perfect in my case =]

1. the end user is submitting the form
2. im adding the data from the form in an excel file we are using as a log file but sharepoint list could be used the same way
3. the flow sends an email to our salesforce ticketing system and a ticket # is generated
4. the flow sends me an approval request and waiting for an approval or reject
5. im grabbing the ticket number from salesforce, manually putting it in the excel log file
6. approving the flow request
7. the flow is reading the excel log file where the new tracking number is already entered and voila, everything is in place

If I care, can create a specific separated form which is being triggered by salesforce email and to inject the ticket number in the excel file automatically and the to hit approve, so there are ways guys.