External Links in PPM

[Brigid33770]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know about embedding an external link into a project?

We use SharePoint to create requests for budget approval, which are then routed to others within the organization but external to the PMO. Is there a way to embed this type of link within a project when it is created? Please advise.

[Uncle Rob]

Not OOB, but I've built this exactly for a customer in my Freelancing days.
There's a field type of URL.  Behaves exactly as you'd think.  You store a URL in there and when someone clicks it, WHOOSH, by the power of the internet you're there.

[John Martin2 · Accepted solution]

Here is an idea that just may solve your challenge.  You could leverage DTech Apps ServiceNow certified applications DocIntegrator and Tasker.

While DocIntegrator is the primary DTech Apps solution for interacting with external document repositories like SharePoint, Tasker can play a supporting role in the overall process of embedding the budget approval link into a project. Here's how both applications could work together:

DocIntegrator's Role:

DocIntegrator provides the core functionality to retrieve and manage the SharePoint link. It can be used within Flow Designer or Workflow to:

• Securely connect to your SharePoint environment.
• Search for the relevant budget approval request (based on project details).
• Retrieve the URL of the SharePoint item.
• Write this URL to a field on the ServiceNow Project record.

Tasker's Supporting Role:

Tasker, being a task management application within ServiceNow, can enhance the workflow around the budget approval link in the following ways:

1. Automating the Link Embedding Process as a Task:

   • You could configure a Tasker task to be automatically created when a new Project is created (or reaches a specific stage).
   • This task could be assigned to a specific team or individual responsible for ensuring the budget approval link is associated with the project.
   • The task description could include instructions and potentially even a direct link to a DocIntegrator-powered UI Action or Flow that automates the link retrieval and embedding.

2. Tracking the Status of Budget Approval Link Association:

   • The Tasker task can have its own lifecycle (e.g., Open, In Progress, Complete). This allows you to track whether the budget approval link has been successfully embedded in the Project record.
   • You can create reports and dashboards in Tasker to monitor the status of link association across multiple projects.

3. Providing Reminders and Notifications:

   • Tasker can send automated reminders to the assigned team or individual if the budget approval link hasn't been added to a project within a certain timeframe.
   • Notifications can be triggered upon task completion, informing relevant stakeholders that the link is now available on the Project record.

4. Integrating with DocIntegrator Workflows:

   • You could design your Flow Designer workflow (powered by DocIntegrator to get the SharePoint link) to automatically create or update a related Tasker task to reflect the status of the link embedding process. For example, the Tasker task could be closed upon successful link retrieval.

Combined Workflow Example:

1. A new Project is created in ServiceNow.
2. A Tasker task is automatically created and assigned, titled "Associate Budget Approval Link."
3. The assigned user can either manually locate the SharePoint link and paste it into a designated URL field on the Project form, OR they can trigger a UI Action (powered by a DocIntegrator Flow) from the Project form or the Tasker task.
4. The DocIntegrator Flow uses project details to search for the budget approval request in SharePoint and retrieves its URL.
5. The DocIntegrator Flow updates the "Budget Approval Link" field on the Project record.
6. The DocIntegrator Flow (optionally) updates the Tasker task to "Complete."
7. Stakeholders can now easily access the budget approval request via the link on the Project form.

In summary:

• DocIntegrator provides the technical capability to interact with SharePoint and retrieve the budget approval link.
• Tasker provides the workflow and task management capabilities to ensure the link embedding process is tracked, managed, and potentially automated, making it a more structured and accountable process.

By leveraging both DTech Apps applications, you can create a more robust and user-friendly solution for embedding external SharePoint links into your ServiceNow projects.

[Brigid33770]

Thank you both very much!