Roll back Column Value Changes

A SharePoint Workflows tutorial by Peter Kalmström

When you want to protect a name or another column value in a SharePoint list or library, you can let a workflow react to any changes and roll back the value to the original one.

In the demo below Peter Kalmström, CEO and Systems Designer of kalmstrom.com Business Solutions, shows how to create a Department content type, connect it to a new list app and protect the Department name column from changes with a rollback workflow. To achieve that, he first has to create a workflow that sets the original Department name for each item.

In his example, Peter uses a Departments list where the name of each department must not be changed. For the workflows he creates a separate column for the original name. This column should be hidden to users.

This workflow idea can of course also be used for other change reactions.

Set original name

We assume that the Department name entered when a new item is created is the one that should be protected. So, if the item is new, the name should be considered the original one.

Create a list workflow for the Departments list. Go to the end of the workflow if you use the SharePoint 2013 platform.
Set the workflow to start when an item is created.
Add the action,Update List Item? and set the value in the 'Original Department Name ' column to be the same as in,Department Name.
Check, publish and test the workflow.

Roll back name changes

When an item has been changed, the workflow must compare the Department name with the original one and decide if it the same or not.

If the values are not the same, the workflow must update the list so that the value in the Department Name??? column becomes the same as in the Original Department Name??? column.

Create a list workflow for the Departments list. Go to the end of the workflow if you use the SharePoint 2013 platform.
Set the workflow to start when an item is changed.
Add the condition 'If any value equals value': If ?Original Department Name? not equals,Department Name.
If the condition is true, add the action,Update List Item? and set,Department Name? to,Original Department Name.
Check, publish and test the workflow.