Dynamics GP 2015 R2 puts SmartList Designer on Steroids with Workflow!

When Microsoft gave us SmartList Designer it was like having a dream come true (for us reporting geeks)!  But we quickly learned that security stopped us from flying with it.

Now Dynamics GP 2015 R2 has given us a new Workflow to help with this.  The Workflow was designed to allow an IT person to create a new view (which is also amazing).  But we can extend the functionality to ask our Administrators to grant the SmartList security to those who need it.

SETUP WORKFLOW

1. From the Administration page, go to Setup > Company > Workflow > Workflow Maintenance
2. Click the drop down and choose Maintenance
   Add the Managers responsible for designing this workflow.
3. Highlight SmartList Designer View Approval and click the New Workflow button
4. Add two steps
   a. Assign Security to New SmartList (Task)
   You can get really funky and change the e-mail notification.  Especially if this is for two different people.
   b. Assign View to SQL (Approval)
5. Design the new SmartList like normal and name it. Then click the Submit button and if desired add a comment. Here are some things to remember:
   • You do not need to submit this report. It will still show up as a SmartList object (just like before)
   • The submit button will show up after you name your report.

   

6. If you have enabled emailing for Workflow, emails will be sent to the users assigned to these steps in the Workflow. They can Approve, Delegate or Reject right from the email if Web Services is set up.
7. If emailing has not been enabled, the people responsible for assigning the SmartList security and the Approver will need to be advised there is a SmartList Pending.
8. From the Administration page, Open the Navigation List SmartList Designer View Pending Approval
   a. Tick the SmartList you would like to approve. Click the Arrows in the Workflow section and choose Workflow History. This shows what step is being waited on.
   b. Click OK then Approve, Reject or Delegate to another user. Once the First step is approved the second step will be necessary.
   c. You can also click Edit in the Modify section or double click the item to open SmartList Designer.
   d. The status bar will provide an update on which step is Pending Approval and when it will expire.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Step 1

The first person will now go and manually add access to this report in the existing SmartList task and complete/approve the task. But what about the second step?

Step 2

If the approver rejects the request then a SmartList is created and you are finished.

If the approver approves the request then a View is created in SQL.  What does this do for you?
a. The view can be reused to create new SmartLists
b. The SmartList can be published to an Excel Refreshable Report.

1. Open SmartList
2. Highlight the new SmartList, Click the Publish button
   Note:  This might be hiding behind arrows.

You will receive a message saying the Excel Report Published Successfully.  You can now find this Excel Refreshable report on your Excel list.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

1. Your first task allowed a manager to grant security to your SmartList.
2. The view approval allowed an IT person to approve and thereby create a view of this SmartList. At the same time the IT person was able to adjust all the necessary security to the view (ie: add the view to a reporting role).
3. Since Excel Refreshable Reports can only be published from SmartLists created with views, you are now able to create the new Excel Refreshable report with the click of a button.

The post Dynamics GP 2015 R2 puts SmartList Designer on Steroids with Workflow! appeared first on Encore Blog, by Encore Business Solutions
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