Union Application Intake Automation
A regional labor union replaced manual filing, folder navigation, and confirmation emails with a single Microsoft Forms submission.
Client overview
Our client is a regional labor union that needed application intake automation for the thousands of paper membership and PAC card forms their staff process each year. Members submit applications at store locations across the territory, and the team needed a faster, more reliable way to capture, file, and route every submission. Client name withheld at client's request.
The challenge
Without application intake automation, every paper form had to be processed by hand. Staff would scan or photograph the document, decide which SharePoint folder it belonged in, navigate into that folder, create a dated subfolder, upload the file, rename it consistently, and then compose a confirmation email to the team. PAC-related contacts had to be notified separately whenever a PAC card was included. The process was time-consuming, inconsistent, and prone to misfiling, especially as application volume grew. There was no single source of truth for what had been submitted, by whom, or where it had been saved.
The solution
We built a fully automated intake pipeline using Microsoft 365 tools the labor union already had, with no new software purchase required. For another example of this approach, see the labor union swag automation case study.
Microsoft Forms serves as the intake point. Staff complete a standardized nine-question form for each application, attach the scanned document, and submit it. The form captures application type, submitter and union representative, member name and store code, PAC card status and contribution amount, the attachment, and any additional notes.
Power Automate reads the response, determines the correct SharePoint destination, creates a dated folder when needed, saves the document with a standardized filename, sends a confirmation email, and includes PAC notification contacts only when a PAC card is present.
SharePoint Online stores the documents in a consistent hierarchy organized by application type and date, making submissions easier to find, audit, and report on.
Stack: Microsoft Forms · Power Automate · SharePoint Online · Outlook
Technical highlights
Behind the scenes, the application intake automation flow uses conditional routing logic, a nested if/else expression that checks application type first, then PAC inclusion, to route files to one of three folder paths. File names are generated dynamically at runtime based on member name and application type, ensuring consistency without any staff input. The CC field on the confirmation email uses a Power Automate expression that only populates when a PAC card is included, so notifications never go to the wrong people. Dated subfolders are auto-created on first use each day, and every form field is included in the confirmation email, giving the team a complete record without needing to open SharePoint.
Results and impact
The intake process went from a multi-step manual workflow to a single form submission. Staff time spent per application dropped significantly, misfiling was eliminated, and the labor union now has a consistent, searchable record of every application received. The application intake automation runs around the clock and requires no manual intervention, built entirely on tools the organization already pays for.
What this looks like in practice
A union rep opens the shared form link on their phone, fills in the member's details, attaches the scanned application, and submits. Within seconds, the file appears in the correct SharePoint folder, dated and named correctly, and the team receives a confirmation email listing every detail of the submission. If a PAC card is included, the relevant contacts are automatically CC'd. No email threads, no folder navigation, no chasing down paperwork.
9
Form fields captured per submission
3
Application types automatically routed
24/7
Runs continuously with no manual intervention
$0
Added software cost. Built on existing Microsoft 365
