Using Formula to link cells

Tim Wing

Hi I am hoping someone can help me with an answer to this.

I have for some time now been using a formula in various project management logs, to link to a contact cell in a Calculation sheet where the name of the Project Manager resides, pulled from our Metadata sheet on project roll up via Control Centre.

Then I use that referenced column in the log to run an automation to notify the Project Manager of certain changes to the sheet. This has always worked successfully until fairly recently. When I link the cell using the formula it will always pull through the Contact correctly, but for any new project sheets the automation will no longer work. I believe that there is a note somewhere that automation's will not run with linked cells, but this is not using the 'Link cell from other sheet' function, it is referencing off a formula and does still work for old logs. All I can think is that there has been a change to the functionality of automation's hence it wont work for newly created sheets. Long shot but hoping someone can advise.

Tim

Tim Wing

Thanks Ramzi. That is what I suspected. I don't think the timed triggered option would work for this, what I am trying to avoid is having to manually update each automation with the specific Project manager for each project after its rolled up, or the alternative to have to manually add the Project Manager into a column each time a new entry is made, I want the automation to pick up the auto-filled PM column and send the 'Status' column change notification to the contact in that cell. And it was working fine. I will have to come up with something else.

Thanks again.

Ramzi

Tim, this is strange behavior for sure - but you are correct that automation will not work off of linked cells. This is documented by Smartsheet. So it's entirely possible that the limitation is new and due to updates. One workaround is to put the automation on a timed trigger as opposed to triggering it immediately.

Tim Wing

Thanks Ramzi. That is what I suspected. I don't think the timed triggered option would work for this, what I am trying to avoid is having to manually update each automation with the specific Project manager for each project after its rolled up, or the alternative to have to manually add the Project Manager into a column each time a new entry is made, I want the automation to pick up the auto-filled PM column and send the 'Status' column change notification to the contact in that cell. And it was working fine. I will have to come up with something else.

Thanks again.