The native application approval functionality within Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, (which is still often referred to as SCCM, ConfigMgr, and Configuration Manager) originally only allowed defined admins to approve application requests from the Application Catalog and Software Center using the ConfigMgr administrator console. Starting with ConfigMgr 1810, you could also begin making pre-approved machine based requests with no user required, allowing you to install applications in real-time. Additionally, e-mails could be sent to a defined approver, or a list of approvers for each application that is deployed by entering e-mail addresses of each approver(s) into each application deployment at deployment type. This feature is coming along nicely. One thing that I often hear from customers regularly is “I want to have my users’ managers approve the applications, since they are going to ultimately be the ones responsible for covering the additional licensing costs out of their cost center.” Unfortunately, since you can only set one or more static e-mail address or DLs on each application deployment, this isn’t really possible today without having someone receive the e-mails, look up the requester’s manager, and manually forwarding them the ConfigMgr generated approval e-mail. This isn’t a very productive use of anyone’s time IMHO. As many of you know, I’ve been diving head-first into any and every chance to create PowerApps and Power Automate (Flows) to harness the power of these ultra powerful low-code/no-code application creation platforms. This small gap in ConfigMgr led me to come up with the following idea which may suit the need for many who are waiting for the application approval functionality in the ConfigMgr product to further mature. First, I had my customer make and choose an “Application approval” e-mail account to use. All applications requiring approval would be set to automatically e-mail this mailbox any time an...
Microsoft Premier Field Engineer