WorkCycle365 overview

# Employee lifecycle work, brought into Microsoft 365

WorkCycle365 brings employee lifecycle requests, approvals and scheduled actions into Microsoft 365. Requesters provide the employee details and timing; WorkCycle365 coordinates the configured account changes, communications and records.

The portal offers **New Hire**, **Transfer**, **Extension**, **Return** and **Departure**. Choose Departure for Leave or Immediate Access Removal too. Some requests arrange later work: entering Return Date on Leave creates a Return, while a temporary Transfer with Assignment End creates a Transfer Revert. The [lifecycle guides](https://docs.workcycle365.com/guides/lifecycle-reference/lifecycle-index/) explain each choice.

## A new request and its follow-up work

A new request follows these stages:

1. A requester enters the employee and lifecycle details in the WorkCycle365 request portal.
2. The portal acknowledges a successful submission with **Request submitted.** Approval and lifecycle work happen separately.
3. An assigned approver reviews the request when that lifecycle path requires approval.
4. Time-sensitive work waits for the effective date and time, when applicable.
5. WC365 applies the account and group changes configured for the lifecycle.
6. WC365 sends the email, Teams and calendar communications configured for the lifecycle.
7. Request status shows progress. If a problem arises, administrators can use the request and available logs to investigate it.

Approval, scheduling, communication, and directory actions vary by request type. The [lifecycle guides](https://docs.workcycle365.com/guides/lifecycle-reference/lifecycle-index/) explain those differences.

For time-field defaults, business hours and when scheduled work begins, see [timing and scheduling](https://docs.workcycle365.com/guides/requester/user-timing-and-scheduling/).

## The Microsoft 365 services involved

| Service                  | Role in WorkCycle365                                                                                        |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Microsoft Power Apps     | Provides the guided request experience.                                                                     |
| Microsoft Power Automate | Validates, routes, schedules, and performs lifecycle actions.                                               |
| Microsoft SharePoint     | Stores tenant configuration, request records, administrator and approver information, and operational logs. |
| Microsoft Teams          | Shows request cards and notifications when enabled.                                                         |
| Microsoft Outlook        | Sends lifecycle email and creates calendar events.                                                          |
| Microsoft Entra ID       | Provides identity context and supports configured account, manager, group, and license-related actions.     |

WorkCycle365 connects to these services using standard built-in Microsoft connectors. It uses no custom or premium connectors. Your administrator configures the licenses, permissions, connections and policies during installation. WorkCycle365 does not introduce a WorkCycle365-hosted SaaS data store, external runtime, telemetry service, or vendor access path for V1 lifecycle records.

Optional Additional Recipients can receive applicable end-user email at one or more semicolon-separated addresses supplied by the requester. This field applies to end-user email, not calendar invitations or lifecycle update notifications.

Communications load the configured externally hosted logo so recipients do not need internal SharePoint access. The WC365/Cloud Lifecycles logo appears only on internal operational communications; user-facing communications use the customer's logo when configured. Everything else remains within customer-controlled Microsoft services.

## What varies by tenant

Your WorkCycle365 administrator configures:

- who can submit requests and who receives approvals;
- the Microsoft Teams destination used for operational cards;
- the shared or audience-facing calendar used for lifecycle events;
- email and card templates;
- configured identity groups, including any group used to support licensing;
- tenant time zone, scheduling, username, and other organization-specific settings.

Portal access and approval assignment are separate. Admins and Submitters can submit requests; Reviewers have read-only access. Receiving an approval does not itself grant portal access. Your organization supplies the access needed for your role.

## Choose your next step

- If you submit requests, begin with the [requester quickstart](https://docs.workcycle365.com/guides/requester/requester-quickstart/).
- If you receive an approval task, read [approvals and notifications](https://docs.workcycle365.com/guides/approver/approvals-and-notifications/).
- If you need to understand effective times, read [timing and scheduling](https://docs.workcycle365.com/guides/requester/user-timing-and-scheduling/).
- If you need a specific process, open the [lifecycle guide](https://docs.workcycle365.com/guides/lifecycle-reference/lifecycle-index/).