Multiple request forms in a single submitted catalog request

[Brett25]

I have several clients who are looking to have a single catalog request that contains multiple forms. But the requester will only be required to complete the first form. Then specific fields from that form would be copied to a manager form, who would then be required to complete their form. Upon submission of both forms, the fulfiller then received the catalog task.  I would need both forms in the same request. 

My developers are unsure how to do this other than two separate catalog requests. This would require the fulfiller to check both requests and it could be daunting to determine the relationship between them. 

Looking for some direction.

[AG20]

Have you tried exploring Order guides? Order guides (servicenow.com)

Order guide submits a single service catalog request that generates several items.

Another idea would be, the manager gets a task instead of filling a request form. This way, only the requester will submit the item form, a catalog task for the manager can be generated who cam complete the task. The fullfiller task will be generated after the manager's task is closed.

[Brett25]

I appreciate the follow-up. Unfortunately, the order guide does not work. Each organization unit manages things very differently.  Normally we create multiple similar catalog items but use user criteria to display each organization their specific catalog request form.  So in effect, we have 10 different catalog items for ordering equipment. Each Org is not centralized, and thus have different requirements. 

For example the equipment purchase catalog item, I have one org that wants two level of approvals through a manager and department head, another that only wants the assignment group to review and approve, and a third that requires that a user print out a quote and have the manager sign it and attach it to the request form. 

Also we do not have any equipment standards, basically, anyone can order anything within the department's budget constraints so the order guide is not necessary.

Workflows are even more complicated when one Org wants three distinct tasks and another ten. 

I was trying to see if anyone has accomplished making a single catalog item form that would have to look at the users info and then determine what variables would appear and which workflow to utilize. Additionally, it would have to be scalable as a new group comes on board with the same equipment request.

[Allen Andreas]

Hi,

I guess I had subscribed to this thread to see what others might come up with and then got alerted last night to your reply and so after reading what you've posted as a follow-up response, has me further intrigued.

I would say that using only one catalog item form for all 10 orgs would only make sense if about 70% of the form could be standardized. If a few orgs need 1 or 2 variables extra for some sort of other reason, then ok, but if the process gets to a point where the catalog item has so many fields on it...it just becomes unmanageable.

For the flow, you could then build one main flow to do a few common things (if applicable) and then call individual org subflows depending on the user's info (i.e., their department).

Another approach could be the one main flow, but then if logic that's broken up in to "approval" and "fulfillment" type sections. So, for the approvals, you could create system properties (like an array of data) for the orgs with approval information and then loop through that and execute those, then do the same for tasks (another system property for task count/info) and loop through those to issue the tasks, etc. That is a bit more complex.

Back to your original post about 2 years ago, I'm unsure if the best approach anyway is for there to be one form the requestor fills out, then it goes to a manager to have them fill something out, then the manager submits and etc. I think the one form filled out by the requestor with a manager approval step after as part of the process, is more realistic and what I've commonly seen.

All the best!