Choosing Best "Primary Column"

JMAllenSmith

I'm getting ready to upload an excel spreadsheet that holds all of my current projects.

This will be the template for our group to use for all of their projects going forward and will feed reports and dashboards.

I want to be sure I am selecting the best column for the primary column from the beginning to ensure the best outcome as we build it.

Each of our projects are specific to a building and each building has a unique number assigned.

We have different types of projects, new, remodel, special etc.

Should I use our unique identifier as the project number? There are times when a property will have multiple projects but they typically would not be ACTIVE at the same time. One would complete and another will come up.

Any recommendations truly appreciated! I've gone through the FAQ's and discussions and can't really find a good answer. Generally, it's how a user would search for a project - so if that is the case the unique id would be perfect. But if that building has multiple projects, will it allow it?

Thank you!

Andrée Starå

Hi @JMAllenSmith

I hope you're well and safe!

Yes, I recommend selecting the unique identifier and combining it with a project name or similar, a formula, and a helper column.

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Andrée Starå

Hi @JMAllenSmith

I hope you're well and safe!

Yes, I recommend selecting the unique identifier and combining it with a project name or similar, a formula, and a helper column.

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up, Awesome, or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

JMAllenSmith

@Andrée Starå thank you! That is exactly what I need. I will research more on the helper column but that is perfect! Thank you again and have a wonderful week!

Andrée Starå

@JMAllenSmith

Excellent!

Happy to help!

In your case, the helper column would store the ID, so you could use the primary column to show more information, like the Project Name, assigned to, and ID, and then you can see that in different views/alerts and more.

✅Remember! Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up/Awesome or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!