How a US Manufacturer Replaced a Legacy PHP Request System with One SharePoint Request Portal
A US manufacturer ran its business requests through an ageing PHP application, email threads and separate forms. Travel, expense, purchase order and payment requests followed different routes in each department. Approvers chased requests by hand, and managers could not see what was pending or why it was stuck.
Codevision Technologies replaced the legacy system with one SharePoint request management portal. It brings seven request types into one dashboard, moves every request through set approval stages with Microsoft Power Automate, and gives requesters, approvers and finance the same view of status.
Faster Request Processing
Reduced approval and handling delays
Less Manual Work
Automated request workflows
Fewer Processing Errors
Improved request accuracy
Faster Decision-Making
Real-time request visibility
Challenges
The old PHP application had grown around individual teams rather than one process. Each department handled the same request in its own way, so finance had no consistent view of what was being requested, approved or paid.
-
Hard to use:
The legacy system was difficult to navigate, so employees used it inconsistently or went around it by email.
-
Manual approvals:
Approvers collected information and forwarded requests by hand, then chased the next person.
-
Different process per department:
The same travel, expense or purchase request followed different routes depending on the team.
-
Weak attachment support:
Receipts and invoices were hard to attach and often went missing.
-
No reporting:
Managers could not see status, trends or turnaround times.
Solutions
Codevision built a centralized SharePoint helpdesk software that puts every business request in one place. Each request type has its own structured form, but all of them share one way to submit, approve, attach documents and track status.
-
Automated approval stages with Power Automate:
Microsoft Power Automate moves each request through predefined approval stages. Nobody forwards requests by email or chases the next approver.
-
Attachments and approval history:
Employees attach receipts, invoices and other supporting files when they submit. Expense requests show purchase details next to the approval history, giving finance a record of every decision.
-
Status tracking and reporting:
Requesters and approvers see the current status of every request. Built-in reports show pending requests, trends and turnaround times.
-
One system instead of a legacy PHP app and email:
The portal replaced the PHP application and the email routes around it, so IT has fewer systems to support.
Multiple business request types in one dashboard
From a business travel request form to a purchase order approval workflow, all seven request types sit on one SharePoint dashboard and follow the same submit, approve and track process.
1. Travel Request Form with Automated Travel Approval Workflow
Employees submit a business travel request form with details and supporting documents. Power Automate sends it through set approval stages, so travel spend is approved before money is committed.
2. Expense Reimbursement Form and Expense Approval System
Employees submit expense requests with receipts attached. Approvers see the purchase details next to the approval history, so finance can check every expense approval in one place.
3. Purchase order approval workflow
Purchase order requests pass the same staged approvals before an order is placed. Every department now follows one purchase order approval process instead of its own.
4. Payment Approval Request and Process
Payment requests carry their invoices as attachments and move through set approval stages before payment, with a clear record of who approved each one.
5. Credit Memo Request and Approval Workflow
Customer credit memo requests follow one approval route, so every credit issued has a recorded approver and approval history.
6. Bill and Hold Arrangement Approvals for Manufacturers
Bill and hold requests — where a customer is invoiced but the finished goods stay at the manufacturer — go through the same staged approvals. Finance gets a clear record of each arrangement.
7. SharePoint help desk ticket system
Employees raise help desk requests in the same portal they use for finance requests. Help desk staff see all open incidents in one list, and requesters can track progress themselves.
Result
1. Reported results: efficiency, productivity, accuracy and agility
The client reported four measurable improvements, comparing one quarter after go-live.
👉Efficiency: 60% faster request processing
Requests no longer wait for someone to forward them. Automated approval stages move each request to the next approver as soon as the previous step is complete.
👉Productivity: 50% less manual work
Staff spend less time collecting information, chasing approvers and answering status questions, because forms, attachments and status live in one portal.
👉Accuracy: 45% fewer processing errors
Requests arrive through structured forms with their supporting documents attached, so fewer are sent back for missing or incorrect information.
👉Agility: 40% faster decision-making
Approvers see the request and its evidence in one place, so decisions are made sooner and approved requests can move on.
Results as reported by the client, comparing one quarter after go-live. They have not been independently audited, and they describe this client rather than forecast results for other organizations.
2. Business impact for finance: spend control, governance and compliance
👉 Spend Control
Expense, travel, purchase order and payment requests are approved through set stages before money is committed.
👉 Governance
Purchasing, payments and customer credits now follow one controlled approval route instead of department-by-department workarounds.
👉 Compliance with approval policies
Because every request follows defined approval stages, the business applies its internal approval policies the same way every time.
👉 Audit Trail
Expense requests keep their purchase detail and approval history together, so finance can show who approved what.
Key Features of SharePoint Request Portal
Automation
Standardization
Accountability
Visibility
System Consolidation
Employee Experience
Related Case Studies
Consolidating Two Support Systems into One Microsoft 365 Helpdesk for a Cross-Border Payments Company
Paying per agent and relying on outside developers to change a single rule? This payments company replaced both of its help desks with one Microsoft 365 solution and kept customer data inside its own tenant.
Transforming Pharma Inventory and Financial Management via Dynamics 365 Business Central–QuickBooks Integration
Discover the real-world impact of integrating Dynamics 365 Business Central with QuickBooks — better batch tracking, automated processes, accurate reporting, and scalable pharma operations.
Simplifying Document Tracking and Resident Management with Microsoft Power Automate
Discover how a UK care group transformed compliance and resident management with Microsoft Power Automate — cutting manual work and boosting accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
A centralized SharePoint request management portal with structured forms, attachments, Power Automate approval workflows, status tracking and reporting. It replaced a legacy PHP request system and email-based approvals.
The SharePoint request portal manages business travel requests, expense requests, purchase orders, payment requests, credit memos, bill and hold requests, and IT help desk requests.
Yes. A SharePoint form captures the travel request and attachments, and Power Automate routes it through set approval stages before travel is booked. Requesters and approvers can see its status at any time.
We work closely with your team to understand your end-to-end business processes, provide expert guidance on best practices, and help you avoid common pitfalls. With deep industry experience and a hands-on, consultative approach, we focus on delivering long-term value and building lasting partnerships that support your business growth.
Yes. SharePoint can be combined with Microsoft Power Automate to automate predefined approval stages and route requests through the appropriate workflow management. Depending on the business requirements, the solution can support online request submission, approval notifications, status updates, and reporting. In this case study, the centralized portal replaced manual email-based coordination with structured request workflows, helping the manufacturer manage its seven request types more consistently.
Codevision offers a workflow assessment. We review your request types, approval routes and existing systems, then recommend whether SharePoint and Power Automate are the right fit.
Yes. The same approach of structured forms, Power Automate approval stages and status tracking works for new product or new item requests, leave requests, CapEx approvals and vendor onboarding. Codevision reviews your request types and approval routes in a workflow assessment before recommending a setup.
