Simplify Your Leave Management with Infowise Ultimate Forms

Managing employee time off can be a balancing act. From tracking approvals to preventing overlap, the process can quickly become overwhelming. Especially true when relying on email chains, spreadsheets, and manual reminders. With Infowise Ultimate Forms, SharePoint transforms into a robust, no-code leave management platform. It simplifies requests, approvals, reporting, and compliance - all inside the tools your teams already use.

Why Automate Leave Management?

✔ Paperless, Streamlined Process

Traditional leave tracking relies on paperwork, email, or spreadsheets - often siloed and prone to errors. Automating the process through Infowise and SharePoint centralizes everything: requests, approvals, records, and notifications are all in one secure location.

✔ Consistency & Compliance

Pre-defined rules and permissions ensure everyone follows the same guidelines. Limits on advance notice, blackout dates, or leave balances are enforced automatically - reducing risk and improving policy adherence.

✔ Enhanced Visibility for Managers

Dashboards and calendar views make it easy to see who's off and when. This empowers managers to plan around absences and prevents scheduling conflicts - all supported by Infowise’s color-coded calendar integration.

Core Components of the Infowise Leave Management System

The Leave Management System in SharePoint built with Infowise Ultimate Forms includes everything you need for efficient, modern leave processes:

• Modern Responsive Forms – Designed with Flexibility
  The Form Designer enables you to create responsive, mobile-friendly leave request forms. With tabs, conditional fields, and validation, requesters only provide essential information, including dates, reason, and attachments.

• Automated Approval Workflows
  Use Infowise’s Actions to route requests to managers, HR, or finance. Managers receive alerts and can approve or decline with one click, triggering follow-up workflows.

• Task Integration
  Optionally, managers can assign tasks (e.g., "Arrange coverage") to team members before final approval. Task status is tracked and visible in calendars and "My Tasks" views.

• Alerts & Reminders
  Infowise Alerts notify managers instantly upon submission and send reminders for pending approvals. You can schedule alerts for upcoming leave starts or expiry of entitlements.

• Column Permissions
  Use dynamic permissions to control access: for example, requesters can’t edit an approved request, while HR retains full oversight. Sensitive data is protected at every stage.

• Calendar & Reporting Views
  Embed color-coded calendars and views directly into SharePoint dashboards. View leave by team, status, or type - all without external tools.

• Ready for Hybrid or Cloud Work
  Available via public forms on SharePoint Online, the system supports self-service requests for internal and external users. Data is safe and centralized in your SharePoint environment.

Best Practices for Implementation

1. Define Leave Policies Clearly
   Establish check-in rules (e.g., blackout or notice periods) and request types (vacation, medical leave, etc.). Infowise rules enforce these parameters automatically.

2. Pilot with a Single Team
   Start with a small cohort - HR or one department - to test configurations. Monitor usage, approval cycle time, and user feedback to refine the process.

3. Use Task Integration (If Needed)
   If leave requires active handoffs, implement task assignments within the request form. Infowise supports multi-stage approvals and task completion tracking.

4. Set Up Calendar Views
   Configure multiple calendar views: organization-wide, by team, and individual. Color-code entries by leave type or status for instant clarity and planning.

5. Add Reminders & Escalations
   Schedule follow-up alerts if a request isn't approved within a set timeframe. Automate escalation if requesters haven’t received a response.

6. Train the Team
   Provide short videos or documentation to employees and managers. Highlight how to submit, approve, and check leave status through the portal.

7. Monitor & Iterate
   Track key metrics—approval times, request volume, policy violations - 

How Infowise Makes It Easy

Real-Life Use Cases

Example 1: Marketing Team Coordination

A marketing team uses the system to ensure teams avoid overlapping leave during campaign periods. Vacation approval is denied if more than two people are out at once.

Example 2: Project-Based Leave

Project managers receive alerts for leave requests linked to critical project dates. Coverage tasks are automatically created if approval is given.

Example 3: Remote Workforce

Employees working remotely use the public form link to submit leave requests. Managers receive approvals in Teams and productivity platforms.

Building the System: Step by Step

Pro-tip: instead of building the system manually from scratch, install our pre-configured solution with a click!

Step 1: Create SharePoint List
Include columns like Requester, Leave Type, Start/End Dates, Reason, Manager Signature, Task Assigned, Status, etc.

Step 2: Design the Form
Organize fields with tabs ("Details," "Attachments," "Administration") and apply dynamic rules (e.g., end date must follow start date).

Step 3: Implement Actions & Alerts
Trigger approval alerts to managers, create tasks, send email updates to HR, and schedule reminders before leave starts.

Step 4: Configure Permissions & Views
Lock records after approval, enable manager visibility on all requests, and set views per role.

Step 5: Enable Calendar & Dashboard Elements
Add calendar web parts for personal and team leave views, and KPI charts for management review.

Step 6: Pilot Phase
Run pilot for select teams, gather feedback, tweak form layout or parameters, and adjust workflow timing.

Step 7: Full Rollout & Training
Launch to the entire company, host a short training session, and publish quick start guides with screenshots.

Step 8: Continuous Improvement
Monitor usage, approval times, feedback; fine-tune triggers, rules, escalation, or added tasks as needed.

Why Infowise Ultimate Forms Is the Ideal Solution

• No-Code Customization – Drag-and-drop interface for forms, rules, workflows, alerts, and dashboards

• Prebuilt Templates – Leverage tested Leave Request template to reduce implementation time

• Reusability – Clone and adapt solution for other approvals like timesheets, expense requests, or asset bookings

• Cost-Effectiveness – Avoid complex licensing; one platform integrates everything

• Scalable & Secure – Works in SharePoint Online, On-Premise, hybrid; leverages AD and SharePoint permissions

• Beautiful UI – Clean, responsive forms and dashboards that employees actually want to use

Getting Started

1. Install Infowise Ultimate Forms from SharePoint

2. Navigate to Solution Catalog, search for "Leave Request Solution," and install

3. Customize list form, approvals, and calendars in the designer

4. Pilot with your HR or team lead group

5. Roll out, train stakeholders, and refine based on feedback

Continued Support & Training

Infowise provides extensive resources:

• Online Documentation covering form, alert, and calendar setups

• Webinars with step-by-step leave management walkthroughs (like our SharePoint Leave Request webinar) 

• Video Tutorials - including full recordings of the Leave Request System in action

• Consulting & Training available through certified partners to accelerate deployment

In Summary

Implementing leave management in SharePoint with Infowise Ultimate Forms transforms a fragmented, manual process into a centralized, automated, and user-friendly system. You gain:

• Reliable request and approval workflows

• Automated calendar visibility and coordination

• Strong policy enforcement with dynamic rules

• Workflow transparency, audit tracking, and data access

• Form and system scalability for future processes

If you’re ready to modernize leave tracking for your organization, explore the Leave Request SharePoint solution, install it in minutes, and start benefiting from a high-impact, low-code HR tool today.