Document Expiration handling

Within our HR department there was a need to have documents with various expiry dates (AWAs, EBAs etc)... here is how we came up with a multi-tier warning for these documents...

Firstly, we created a new Site Content Type called Document with Expiry Information, based on the standard Document Type.

Create the following columns for this content type;

• Expiry Date - date that the document will expire
• Expiry Notification - user(s) / group(s) that will be notified via email
• Expiry Comments - free form text for any extra comments regarding the expiry (not required)
• Expiry Warning - Integer - number of days prior to expiry to send first warning email

Once this is done, you can then attach this document type to a document library.  We are now ready to create the Workflow...

• Create 3 new Workflow variables;
• Expiry Warning Days - simply used to take the above field and switch it to a negative number
• Expiry Warning Date - Calculated at runtime
• Expiry Overdue Date - Calculated at runtime
• Set the Workflow to start when items are created/modified

Now, to create the workflow;

1. Check if the content type of the document is Document with Expiry Information.  If not then end the workflow immediately
2. Calculate variables

• Expiry Warning Days - maths calc - Warning days * -1
• Expiry Warning Date - Expiry Date + Expiry Warning Days
• Expiry Overdue Date - Expiry Date + 30 Days

• Add a Run-If - Expiry Warning Date is greater than date when action executed
• Add a Delay until Expiry Warning Date
• Add an Email notification - sending to Expiry Notify

• Covers essentially the same steps as above, using the Expiry Date this time.

• Covers essentially the same steps as above, using the Expiry Overdue Date this time.
• Then finally, add an end workflow task

• Add a wait for item update
• Set it to wait for the modified date to be not equal the modifed date (as in checking itself)
• Then add an end workflow task

That's it.  The run-if checks for the dates being in the future is important, because if the date is in the past - the workflow will simply sit there waiting for the date and not continue.

Basically at the end of this - you should have an email that is sent to the requested notifiers x number of days before the item is due to expire, then another one when it does - and finally (if they don't change the expiry date) another one 30 days later.

If you want an export of the workflow, let me know - hope someone finds this helpful

Cheers

Tom