[SalesForce] Approval Process with Attachment & Email Response

Background: We have a custom Opportunity Object with a related Content List (documents like Solution Plans pertaining to an opportunity is uploaded into the Content via the related list). Few of the documents uploaded should go through a review before it is finalized.

We are trying to develop an Approval Process with the below characteristics:

[1] Choose an Approver – Salesforce User and/or non Salesforce User
[2] Choose a document from the Content and send it as an Attachment via the Email (alternatively the document link will also work)
[3] Capture the comments via Email (Email response)

After investigating we found the following limitations:

[1] Non Salesforce Approvers cannot be chosen
[2] Approvals cannot have attachments
[3] Email response is only available for Salesforce Users (need to have "API Access" in profile)

Workarounds:

To develop Apex controller(s) to handle attachments via Email to salesforce & non Salesforce users;

Is there a way to achieve the below:

[1] Capture Review Comments (from both Salesforce & Non Salesforce Users) as we are not using the OOB Approval Flow.
[2] Send document link uploaded in Content rather as an Attachment.

Best Answer

Thanks for this lovely question. I was thinking about this.

There is one approach that I was thinking. Flow -

Create a force.com site for approval related stuff Reference - Sites
Create custom field on object record of which you want to be approved. CF to store approver email etc (as user is not from SF)
Create custom button for detail page to send for approval.

NOw for your reqquirements,

Choose an Approver - Salesforce User and/or non Salesforce User

Use the custom email field to specify email of the SF user or non SF user to which the record will go for approval. Once user clicks on Submit for Approval custom detail page button, send an email with standard details.

Capture the comments via Email (Email response)

On click of button , need to open a custom VF page which can list down all related attachments for the record (very easy to do) for user to attach link in email and then send for approval.

NOTE - The mail that user will receive will have a link of a VF page in Force.com site. on site, it will be read only detail page of the record along with link to download the attachment. (they do not need the attachment directly in mail, thus saving on with multiple SF governor limits of SF)

Capture the comments via Email (Email response)

You have 2 options, either create a inbound email response or on site page add a text area to add comment (again no need for inbound emails then)

Approved or Rejected status can be captured directly as a status field on that object record.

Do let me know if it is remotely helpful or for any doubts in this or implementation.!!

Thanks,

Ray

Related Solutions

[SalesForce] Get xls File on Remote Server and Send as Email Attachment APEX

Here's one way that you can accomplish your task. The other involves the use of Http, HttpRequest, and HttpResponse. Either method is acceptable and will deliver the contents of your file to Apex Code for delivery. Note that you must allow the site in Remote Site Settings for this to work. I find that using PageReference is a little "lighter" than using Http for things like this.

PageReference ref = new PageReference('<some url here>');
Blob b = ref.getContent();
Messaging.SingleEmailMessage m = new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage();
m.setTargetObjectId(UserInfo.getUserId());
Messaging.EmailFileAttachment a = new Messaging.EmailFileAttachment();
a.setBody(b);
a.setContentType('application/vnd.ms-excel');
a.setFileName('some-file.xls');
a.setInline(false);
m.setFileAttachments(new Messaging.EmailFileAttachment[] { a } );
m.setSubject('Test');
m.setPlainTextBody('See attachment');
m.setSaveAsActivity(false);
Messaging.sendEmail(new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage[] { m } );

Updated

HTTP version:

Http binding = new Http();
HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
req.setMethod('GET');
req.setEndpoint('<some url here>');
HttpResponse res = binding.send(req);
Blob b = res.getbodyasblob();

The rest of the code, of course, is identical.

[SalesForce] Is it possible to get a sharing link (to non SFDC users) from ‘files’/’content’ via apex

According to this post, the answer to your question about using content packs would be "no".

On the IdeaExchange you'll find a submission titled Allow Content Deliveries to be programmatically generated via Apex which has some related links on it you may also want to look at. Regardless, I believe this "idea" covers the gist of your question.

It seems to me that you might want to go and vote for this idea.

With a bit more effort, I believe I've found something in another post that you might be able to utilize the techniques from for getting a download link in it to accomplish your task. There are references to a blog post titled Salesforce: How to make a Document public? and some other useful discussion.

Based on the above referenced post, I'd say the answer to your final question is "yes". Implementation will be a matter of how you design your trigger and email template(s).

For future reference, you might find FindSF Info to be a very helpful search engine.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[SalesForce] Get xls File on Remote Server and Send as Email Attachment APEX

[SalesForce] Is it possible to get a sharing link (to non SFDC users) from ‘files’/’content’ via apex

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