Shopping Cart Request

[Jeffce]

So i am looking for a way that noi matter how many items are added to my shopping cart, it creates one request, currently if i have 10 items in my cart it creates 10 different RIT items and each takes it's own path in the workflow, would like when they hit submit, or order, it bundles all items int to 1 RIT so it can be bundled together and delevered together, Any thoughts on how to do this?

Thanks JJ

[tltoulson]

The easiest way to have a single request item is to have a single catalog item.   You could create a series of Variable Sets and use Catalog UI Policies and Client Scripts to control when each variable set is displayed.   This would allow ordering different items under a single Request Item.   This abandons the Shopping Cart, though.

The reason for separate Request Items is so that each item can have its own workflow and thus be fulfilled separately from other items.   All request items are bundled under a single Request though, so you could also track everything by the top level Request as well.

I would recommend against customizing the Service Catalog behaviors outside of what is documented as they are quite complex, subject to change and as a result you can easily break future updates (and I'm one of the more customization trigger happy developers on the community).

Is there a specific scenario / use case you are attempting to address by merging the Request Items into a single item?   Perhaps there is an alternative solution (possibly using the workflows) to merge the processes even if the records are separate.

[Jeffce]

Yes, we are bringing our Business Office on Board, so if a single person requests for instance a laptop and they add to cart continue shopping, add a computer and add to cart and check out, we want that to all be one workflow, so the same person at the business office orders the items, the same person installs them, so that everything would be lumped together.

[tltoulson]

Got it.   In that circumstance, I would probably take the single catalog item approach with Variable Sets and not worry about the 'Add to Cart' functionality.   This is the most straightforward method.

If you truly need the cart functionality, you could keep multiple Request Items but use Wait For Condition or Wait For WF Event activities in the workflows of the Request Items to orchestrate the process.   For instance:

A computer and laptop have been ordered.   The computer workflow has all the tasks and details while the laptop workflow is instructed to Wait For some signal from the computer workflow.   In this way, the tech would update the computer Request Item and any others would automatically follow the leader without input from the tech.

You may also be able to orchestrate Request Items by telling them to Wait For completion of their parent Request.   The tech could then work the Request and all Request Items under it would follow the leader.   I have not tried this approach personally and it may not work or may require potentially harmful customization since by default Request Items update the Request.