Automating the warranty claim process using Google Forms, Sheets, and Apps Script

Below is the answer by https://chat.qwenlm.ai

Automating the warranty claim process using Google Forms, Sheets, and Apps Script is a great way to streamline your workflow. Below, I will guide you step by step on how to achieve this automation.

---

### **Step 1: Set Up the Google Form**
1. **Create the Warranty Claim Form**:
   - Go to Google Forms and create a form with fields such as:
     - Customer Name
     - Vehicle Model
     - Issue Description
     - Date of Purchase
     - Contact Information
   - Add any other fields relevant to your process.

2. **Link the Form to a Google Sheet**:
   - In the Google Form, go to **Responses** > **Link to Sheets**.
   - Create a new Google Sheet or link it to an existing one. This sheet will store all the responses.

3. **Add a "Claim Number" Column**:
   - In the linked Google Sheet, add a column named `Claim Number` (e.g., in column A). This will be auto-generated later.

---

### **Step 2: Automate Claim Number Generation**
1. **Open the Script Editor**:
   - Open the linked Google Sheet.
   - Go to **Extensions** > **Apps Script**.

2. **Write the Script for Claim Number Generation**:
   - Use the following script to automatically generate a unique claim number when a new response is submitted:

```javascript
function onFormSubmit(e) {
  const sheet = e.range.getSheet();
  const row = e.range.getRow();

  // Generate a unique claim number (e.g., BDY2025-12345)
  const year = new Date().getFullYear() + 1; // Example: 2025
  const serialNumber = row.toString().padStart(5, '0'); // Ensure 5 digits
  const claimNumber = `BDY${year}-${serialNumber}`;

  // Write the claim number to the "Claim Number" column (Column A)
  sheet.getRange(row, 1).setValue(claimNumber);
}
```

3. **Set Up the Trigger**:
   - In the Apps Script editor, click on the clock icon (**Triggers**) in the left sidebar.
   - Add a new trigger for the `onFormSubmit` function:
     - Choose **Select event source**: "From form"
     - Choose **Select event type**: "On form submit"

---

### **Step 3: Send Data to the Supervisor for Review**
1. **Modify the Script to Notify the Supervisor**:
   - Update the `onFormSubmit` function to send an email to the supervisor with the claim details:

```javascript
function onFormSubmit(e) {
  const sheet = e.range.getSheet();
  const row = e.range.getRow();
  const data = sheet.getRange(row, 1, 1, sheet.getLastColumn()).getValues()[0];

  // Generate a unique claim number
  const year = new Date().getFullYear() + 1;
  const serialNumber = row.toString().padStart(5, '0');
  const claimNumber = `BDY${year}-${serialNumber}`;
  sheet.getRange(row, 1).setValue(claimNumber);

  // Email details
  const supervisorEmail = "[email protected]"; // Replace with the supervisor's email
  const subject = `New Warranty Claim: ${claimNumber}`;
  const body = `
    A new warranty claim has been submitted. Please review and approve/reject.

    Claim Number: ${claimNumber}
    Customer Name: ${data[1]}
    Vehicle Model: ${data[2]}
    Issue Description: ${data[3]}
    Date of Purchase: ${data[4]}
    Contact Information: ${data[5]}

    Please reply to this email with your decision (Approve/Reject).
  `;

  // Send email to the supervisor
  MailApp.sendEmail(supervisorEmail, subject, body);
}
```

---

### **Step 4: Handle Supervisor's Decision**
1. **Create a Separate Sheet for Decisions**:
   - Add a new sheet in the same Google Sheet file (e.g., `SupervisorDecisions`) with columns like:
     - Claim Number
     - Supervisor Decision (Approve/Reject)
     - Comments

2. **Set Up a Form for Supervisor Input**:
   - Create a new Google Form for the supervisor to input their decision. Link this form to the `SupervisorDecisions` sheet.

3. **Automate Notification to the Warranty Department**:
   - Write another Apps Script function to monitor the `SupervisorDecisions` sheet and notify the warranty department when a decision is made:

```javascript
function onDecisionSubmit(e) {
  const sheet = e.range.getSheet();
  const row = e.range.getRow();
  const data = sheet.getRange(row, 1, 1, sheet.getLastColumn()).getValues()[0];

  const claimNumber = data[0]; // Claim Number
  const decision = data[1]; // Approve/Reject
  const comments = data[2]; // Comments

  // Find the customer's email from the main sheet
  const mainSheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName("Form Responses 1");
  const mainData = mainSheet.getDataRange().getValues();
  const customerRow = mainData.find(row => row[0] === claimNumber);
  const customerEmail = customerRow[5]; // Assuming email is in column F

  // Email details
  const warrantyDeptEmail = "[email protected]"; // Replace with the warranty department's email
  const subject = `Warranty Claim Decision: ${claimNumber}`;
  const body = `
    The supervisor has reviewed the warranty claim.

    Claim Number: ${claimNumber}
    Decision: ${decision}
    Comments: ${comments}

    Customer Email: ${customerEmail}

    Please proceed with the final resolution.
  `;

  // Send email to the warranty department
  MailApp.sendEmail(warrantyDeptEmail, subject, body);
}
```

4. **Set Up a Trigger for Supervisor Decisions**:
   - Add a trigger for the `onDecisionSubmit` function:
     - Choose **Select event source**: "From form"
     - Choose **Select event type**: "On form submit"

---

### **Step 5: Final Response to the Customer**
1. **Notify the Customer**:
   - When the warranty department makes a final decision, update the script to send an email to both the customer and the supervisor:

```javascript
function sendFinalResponse(claimNumber, decision, resolution) {
  const mainSheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName("Form Responses 1");
  const mainData = mainSheet.getDataRange().getValues();
  const customerRow = mainData.find(row => row[0] === claimNumber);
  const customerEmail = customerRow[5]; // Customer email
  const supervisorEmail = "[email protected]"; // Supervisor email

  // Email details
  const subject = `Warranty Claim Resolution: ${claimNumber}`;
  const body = `
    Your warranty claim has been resolved.

    Claim Number: ${claimNumber}
    Decision: ${decision}
    Resolution: ${resolution}

    Thank you for your patience.
  `;

  // Send email to the customer and supervisor
  MailApp.sendEmail(customerEmail, subject, body);
  MailApp.sendEmail(supervisorEmail, subject, body);
}
```

---

### **Step 6: Configure Permissions**
1. **Grant Required Permissions**:
   - When you first run the scripts, Google will prompt you to authorize access. Follow the prompts to grant permissions for sending emails and accessing spreadsheets.

2. **Ensure Proper Sharing Settings**:
   - Share the Google Sheet with all stakeholders (e.g., supervisor, warranty department) so they can view and interact with the data.

---

### **Additional Tips**
- **Testing**: Test the entire workflow thoroughly before deploying it to ensure all steps work as expected.
- **Error Handling**: Add error handling in your scripts to manage unexpected issues (e.g., missing data, invalid emails).
- **Documentation**: Document the process and share it with your team for smooth adoption.

By following these steps, you can fully automate your warranty claim process, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency. Let me know if you need further clarification!