Setting up the BambooHR integration for Forecast

The BambooHR integration allows you to automatically pull over approved time off for your employees.

Users have the ability to align resources and projects with BambooHR and Forecast. The integration enables them to turn BambooHR approved time-off requests into the resource heatmap, allowing for better visibility and for more accurate planning of available resources. With the approved time-off sync from BambooHR, users have a single point of truth for approved time-off requests without needing to update separate systems. The integration eliminates the need to enter data twice and provides hassle-free, up-to-date information.

Articles related to the topic:

• Configuring the data sync between BambooHR and Forecast

This article covers:

• Setting up the BambooHR integration
• Setting up an integration user

Setting up the BambooHR integration

BambooHR uses API keys that are tied to the users permissions, meaning that any API key will be able to access whatever the user that created it can access. For this reason, if users would like to restrict Forecast to only access what is actually needed, they would need to create a user specifically for this purpose.

To set up the integration

1. Open your instance of BambooHR.
2. Click the initials in the top-right of the screen and click API Keys.
3. Click the Add New Key and name it something recognizable, such as Forecast Key. Copy the key before closing the window.
4. Go to the BambooHR integration page within Forecast.
   1. Click Admin in the top bar.
   2. Select Integrations from the dropdown. 
   3. Locate BambooHR and click it to open the BambooHR integrations page.
5. Paste the API key into the appropriate field and fill in the BambooHR domain in the other textbox. The BambooHR domain brought over to Forecast should only have the name of the account in Bamboo HR and NOT the full URL. https://DOMAIN.bamboohr.com/
6. Click Activate.

Forecast users need to be linked to the BambooHR employees before approved time off can be brought over. The same applies to Forecast idle time being linked to the BambooHR time off categories.

Setting up an integration user

To connect Forecast users with their accounts in BambooHR, click the cog in the top right of you BambooHR instance, and click the "Access Levels" menu point on the left-hand side.

To set up an integration user

1. Go to the BambooHR instance.
2. Click the cog in the top right to access settings.
3. Select Access Levels.
4. Click the + icon next to the Levels header.
5. Select Custom Access Level.
6. Name the access level something recognizable eg. "Company Integration".
7. Do not tick off any boxes on the What this Access Level Can Do screen.
8. Click Next Step.
   
9. Select See About other Employees. 
10. Under Personal and Time Off click the All Fields are set to No Access dropdown in on the right-hand side and select View Only.
    
11. Select See About Themselves.
12. Tick off Yes, Allow Access.
13. In the dropdown select Full Access and tick off the Can Request Time Off for box and select All Current And Future Time Off Types.
    
14. Click Save & Finish.
15. Users can now click Add Employees for this access level to create the integration user.