Show HN: I made a minimalist tool to automate approval workflow via Google Forms

performflow.com

1 point·TommyL128··2 comments

Hey, creator here. I'm used to be a developer and now I have a small store in Shopify. Doing ecommerce is fun, yet managing purchasing workflow was frustrating.

I had searched the solution and there was a tool named Kissflow that could help me but it was costly and for bigger team. That's why I decided to build a minimalist tool myself and I chosed Apps Script, a free script from Google to build a Google Forms addon. (Google Forms is simple & easy-to-use and I always have entrepreneurial mindset so I planned to upload to Gsuite Marketplace to have external users too)

Then, Firebase is for database due to its realtime feature, low cost, and generous free quota. Also, I used Google Cloud Functions to handle small tasks (backup, utilities,...) and things that Apps Script can't do.

The final result is PerformFlow, an add-on that can automate approval workflow via Google Forms. It was uploaded to Gsuite Marketplace and till now, it has some users. Thanks to the good response from users, I updated a new feature to generate & send PDF based on the feedbacks.

It's just a simple tool that utilizes Google Forms so I'd love to have your comment & ask me if there is any question!

I was looking at HelloSign too. I volunteer with a non-profit that has forms for adopting orphans abroad. The amount of paperwork is insane. Being able to leverage same data points (date, name, address, etc) and apply it to multiple forms is a good idea. HR would benefit too. New hire paper work. In 2019, you'd think this would be all online and digital, but there's still paper involved for regulatory/legal reasons or because the old dinosaurs will not retire yet.

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