In the fast-moving world of IT and process automation, even small repetitive tasks can drain productivity and create bottlenecks. At Toolfe, a digital transformation and automation company, we believe that if something can be automated, it should be.
As an HR Associate, I experienced first-hand how manual processes can slow down operations, even in a tech-driven organization.
This blog shares how we transformed a time-consuming, manual HR task into a streamlined, automated workflow process—using the power of Microsoft 365, Power Automate, and SharePoint—and how you can do it too.
🚧 The Challenge: Manual Processes in a Digital World
HR operations often involve business process workflows like collecting employee or intern data, storing documents, and maintaining compliance records.
Here’s what our manual workflow used to look like:
- Sending repeated emails to collect details
- Getting data in inconsistent formats
- Manually creating and organizing folders in SharePoint
- Risk of data loss, human errors, and wasted time
In short, our work process automation was missing—and it was hurting productivity.
✅ The Automation Solution: Workflow Automation at Work
We implemented a workflow automation process to solve this common yet frustrating issue using tools already in our ecosystem:
Step 1: Microsoft Forms for Data Collection
We created a standardized Teams Form—our single interface to collect structured data from:
- Interns
- Full-time employees
This eliminated the need for back-and-forth follow-ups and reduced human error.
Step 2: Power Automate for Business Process Automation
With Power Automate, we built a trigger that:
- Detects every form submission
- Automatically creates folders in SharePoint, sorted by:
- Type: Employee or Intern
- Subfolder: Name + Toolfe ID
The entire process—from data entry to storage—became an automated business workflow.
Step 3: SharePoint as the Workflow Management System
Now every employee or intern has a dedicated folder that stores all relevant documents securely and instantly accessible at any time.
This transformation turned what was once a manual workflow into a digital process automation system.
🚀 The Results: Smarter Operations, Happier HR
Since deploying this workflow automation solution, we’ve seen:
- ⏱️ 80% reduction in time spent on manual data management
- 📁 Zero errors in folder creation and document storage
- ✅ Fully automated workflow management
- 🧠 More time for HR to focus on strategic tasks