Chapter 5. Working with platforms, portfolios, and products

This section demonstrates the basic workflows for platforms, portfolios, and products to get started using automation services catalog

We will demonstrate how to:

  • create portfolios
  • add products from the source platform into the portfolio
  • set approval processes for the portfolio
  • share the portfolio with users

5.1. Creating a portfolio and adding products to it

To create a portfolio:

  1. Click Create portfolio.
  2. Provide a New Portfolio Name and Description.
  3. Choose an Approval workflow from the drop-down list.
  4. Click Save.

Our initial portfolio is empty, and we can start adding products from this empty state.

To add a product from a platform:

  1. Click in the Filter by Platform field to view connected platforms.
  2. Select a platform. The screen will populate with products from that platform.
  3. Check each product to add to the portfolio.
  4. Click Add.

5.2. Setting approval processes for the portfolio

We have now created a portfolio and added some products to it. Our next step is to set the approval process for the portfolio. Setting the approval process for our portfolio ensure that specific groups are designated to approve any orders placed by a user.

To set an approval processes for the portfolio:

  1. Navigate to Portfolios.
  2. Click More actions on a portfolio tile and select Set approval.
  3. From the Set approval process drop-down menu, select an approval processes to set to the portfolio.
  4. Click Save.

5.3. Sharing the portfolio with users

The portfolio is now ready to share with groups of users. These designated user groups can order products collected in the portfolio, and their orders are approved or denied using the approval process set for the portfolio.

To share a portfolio:

  1. Click Portfolios.
  2. Click More actions on a portfolio, then click Share. The icon:[Y] indicates a shared portfolio.

  3. Adding groups:

    1. Under Invite group search groups to share the portfolio with.
    2. Select the level of permissions using the drop-down list.

  4. Edit sharing settings for existing groups:

    1. Under Groups with access adjust permissions using the drop-down for each group.
    2. To stop sharing a portfolio with a group, click icon:[X].
  5. Click Send when finished.

Our portfolio is now accessible to the groups of users, who can order the products we collected in it. We can now duplicate this portfolio, change its name and add new products, to share with different user groups.

5.4. Copying existing portfolios to edit and share with new groups

Copying portfolios allows you to quickly duplicate an already organized portfolio to offer to different groups of users. Once a copy is created, you can add or remove products, share with new groups, and apply new approval processes to meet organizational requirements.

Copying portfolios allows you to quickly duplicate an already organized portfolio to offer to different groups of users. Once a copy is created, you can add or remove products, share with new groups, and apply new approval processes to meet organizational requirements.

We can also copy products from various portfolios to additional portfolios.

5.5. Copying products to different portfolios

You can copy products from one portfolio to another as part of developing new portfolios to meet group needs. Once a product is copied you can edit its basic fields, update its survey, and apply different approval processes.

5.6. Workflows summary

The workflows in this section of the guide demonstrated how to perform the basic actions for platforms, portfolios and products necessary to get started using automation services catalog:

  • add entitlements to access Automation Service Catalog;
  • create the necessary groups and users;
  • connect to a source platform;
  • create portfolios;
  • add products from the source platform into the portfolio;
  • set approval processes for the portfolio;
  • share the portfolio with users;
  • make a copy of our existing portfolio to share with different users;
  • copy products from one portfolio to another.

In the next section, we will describe working with the survey editor, and provide an overview of working with requests and orders.