Automatically assign a step to the original process requestor

This example demonstrates how you can ensure the person who initially requested or launched a process is automatically assigned to a specific step later on, such as receiving a final notification email with attached proof or results.

Use case

Imagine a purchase request process:

1. An employee (the requestor) submits a purchase request via a kick-off form.
2. The request goes through approvals and payment processing.
3. An accountant uploads proof of payment.
4. You want to automatically email the original requestor with the proof of payment once the process is complete.

To achieve this, you need to capture who the requestor is at the start and then use an automation to assign the final notification step to them.

Prerequisites

• You need an existing procedure template where you want to implement this logic.
• You should understand how form fields work, particularly the Assignee Picker field type.
• Familiarity with template automations is helpful.

Steps

1. Capture the requestor on the kick-off form or in any other step

   Edit your template’s kick-off form and add an Assignee Picker form field (e.g., label it “Who is making this request?” or “Please pick your name”). This field allows the person launching the process to select themselves or another member. Make this field required if necessary.

2. Set up the step to be assigned

   Identify or create the step you want to assign to the requestor (e.g., the final notification step). If it’s a notification email, set the step type to Email - Auto Send to ensure it sends automatically at its deadline. Configure the step’s content, using variables like {{step_4_upload_field}} to include data from earlier steps if needed. Set the step’s timing appropriately (e.g., 1 hour after the previous step “Upload Proof of Payment” is completed).

3. Create the automation rule

   Go to the Automations tab in your template editor and click Add Automation. Give it a descriptive name like “Assign final notification to requestor”. Configure the IF condition: select the Assignee Picker field created in Step 1 (e.g., “Who is making this request?”) and choose the condition is not empty. Configure the THEN action: select Assignment Action, choose Replace assignee(s), select the target step (e.g., “Step 5: Notify Requestor via Email”), and for “Replace with…”, select the Assignee Picker field again. Save the automation rule.

How it works

When a process is launched:

1. The user launching fills out the kick-off form, selecting a member in the “Who is making this request?” assignee picker field.
2. The process runs through its steps.
3. When the process reaches the point where the automation rule is evaluated, Tallyfy checks if the “Who is making this request?” field was filled (i.e., is not empty).
4. If it’s not empty, the automation rule triggers.
5. The “Replace Assignee” action assigns the final notification email step directly to the member selected in the assignee picker field.
6. Because the step is an “Email - Auto Send” type, the email (potentially containing variables like uploaded files from previous steps) is automatically sent to the original requestor at the scheduled time.

This ensures the loop is closed, and the person who initiated the request is automatically informed upon completion, without manual intervention.

Related concepts

• Assignee picker form field
• Automation Actions: Assignment
• Using variables
• Email step types

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