Internal Shopping Site
Tools: Plumsail · SharePoint · Power Automate
The Internal Shopping Site was created to simplify and standardize how employees request new IT devices and accessories across all companies in the group. Previously, product requests were made through email tickets to IT support, resulting in inconsistent approval handling and slow turnaround times. The new SharePoint-based solution provides a centralized catalog of products and an automated approval process, ensuring transparency, speed, and full traceability.
The Problem
Before the new system was introduced, employees submitted hardware requests (such as phones, laptops, or monitors) directly to IT via email or ticket.
- Approval responsibilities were unclear — users often had to manually forward emails to supervisors for authorization.
- IT support spent significant time managing back-and-forth communication.
- No unified structure existed to document requests or track progress.
- Approvals were inconsistent between departments and companies.
This manual process led to delays, confusion, and unnecessary workload for both requesters and IT administrators.
My Role
As the sole developer, I was responsible for designing and building the complete internal shopping solution — from planning and structure to automation and deployment.tabilize it to meet current usability and performance standards.
My work included:
- Designing the SharePoint site and product catalog layout
- Implementing images, descriptions, and metadata for products
- Configuring the request form using Plumsail Forms with dynamic dropdown filters and categories (CSS + JavaScript customization)
- Building multi-step approval flows in Power Automate
- Integrating email and Teams notifications for approval and completion updates
- Connecting the process with document generation via Encodian
The Process
The project introduced a clear, guided workflow that replaced the previous ticket-based communication with a streamlined digital process:
- Product Selection: Employees browse the SharePoint catalog with categorized images and descriptions of available hardware.
- Request Submission: A custom Plumsail form allows users to submit requests directly on the site.
- Approval Flow: Depending on the product type, the system triggers a one- or two-step approval process using Power Automate and Teams approvals.
- Notification: After approval or denial, both the requester and IT receive email notifications.
- Documentation: Approved requests are automatically logged and archived in SharePoint for transparency and auditing.
The design ensures a clean user experience while maintaining full compliance with internal approval and procurement policies.
The Solution
The solution is built entirely on Microsoft 365 technologies:
- SharePoint hosts the product catalog and stores all requests
- Plumsail Forms provides the customized request interface with advanced filters and styling
- Power Automate handles multi-step approval workflows and notifications
- Encodian generates standardized PDF confirmations for documentation and tracking
The biggest technical challenge was implementing dynamic dropdown filters and category logic within the Plumsail form using custom CSS and JavaScript, ensuring a professional and responsive experience for all users.
Results & Impact
The rollout of the Internal Shopping Site created a unified and efficient process for IT procurement across the company group:
- Simplified hardware requests for over 200–300 users
- Reduced approval times through automated workflows
- Increased transparency and traceability of all requests
- Improved communication between employees, managers, and IT
- Provided a visually engaging catalog of approved company hardware
The solution now serves as the company’s central point for all IT equipment requests, ensuring that every order is properly documented, approved, and tracked.