By Laura Hyde |
SnapOn Software’s no-code Form Automation Toolkit has streamlined academic form submissions (using cascading dropdown logic) in Microsoft SharePoint at Barnard College in New York.
Staff at the women’s arts college previously faced issues with long, unfiltered dropdowns that led to errors and delays. The college utilises SharePoint for administrative and academic processes, however as form usage has expanded, usability issues began to arise, particularly when selecting values from lengthy, unfiltered dropdown lists. Users reported confusion during form completion due to unclear data relationships and the college reported high error rates in submitted forms, which required manual correction.
The college required a smarter, more responsive form structure. SnapOn worked closely with the college’s administrative and IT teams to design and provide a tailored solution using its Cascading Dropdowns feature, which is designed specifically for SharePoint environments.
By implementing SnapOn’s no-code Form Automation Toolkit into the existing SharePoint environment, Barnard College was able to connect multiple lookup fields, so each dropdown filtered the next; ensure form options (such as departments, course types, or categories) only displayed relevant data based on previous selections; prevent incorrect entries by eliminating irrelevant or incompatible dropdown choices; and maintain the same SharePoint form layout, ensuring minimal disruption for users. SnapOn also provided training and documentation so non-technical users could replicate the same logic in future forms.
The solution’s implementation has resulted in faster and more accurate form submissions from faculty and staff, as well as improved user satisfaction. Thanks to increased consistency in form entries, the college has noticed a reduction in administrative overhead, with cleaner data requiring fewer revisions. The college has also been able to continue scaling its form processes while ensuring clarity and compliance.