Smartsheet is not recognizing contacts in a cell during workflow.

Todd Tompkins

I have a sheet that has a "points of contact" column (Column Type: Contact List) with 3 other columns with specific details. To selectively send emails to specific individuals I had to create additional columns with the column name being their office identifier and the applicable row copying the contact using the formula

=[Points of Contact]@row

The below distribution list, which is part of the automate email, does not provide the names contained in the applicable office identifier column, with the except of one (the AIR-641 Manager). I have compared this column properties and formulas, and they are identical. Also, I have confirmed the automated email is transmitting to the individuals listed in the applicable office identifier columns. So why aren't those same names, with the exception of one, not populating in the distribution list. Thought? Thank you for your help.

Distribution:

, Director, AIR-600
, Deputy Director, AIR-601
, Chief Operations Manager, AIR-600
, Manager, AIR-620
, Manager, AIR-630
, Manager, AIR-640
, Manager, AIR-641
, Transport PPM, AIR-62A
, Propulsion PPM, AIR-62A
, GA PPM, AIR-62B
, Rotorcraft PPM, AIR-62B
, Systems Standards PPM, AIR-63A

Distribution Workflow Syntax

Distribution:

{{AIR-600}}, Director, AIR-600
{{AIR-601}}, Deputy Director, AIR-601
{{AIR-600 Chief Operations Manager}}, Chief Operations Manager, AIR-600
{{AIR-620}}, Manager, AIR-620
{{AIR-630}}, Manager, AIR-630
{{AIR-640}}, Manager, AIR-640
{{AIR-641 Manager}}, Manager, AIR-641
{{AIR-62A-Transport}}, Transport PPM, AIR-62A
{{AIR-62A-Propulsion}}, Propulsion PPM, AIR-62A
{{AIR-62B-GA}}, GA PPM, AIR-62B
{{AIR-62B-Rotorcraft}}, Rotorcraft PPM, AIR-62B
{{AIR-63A}}, Systems Standards PPM, AIR-63A

SSFeatures

Hi @Todd Tompkins, this is a tricky one.

Just to confirm, you've tested the emails multiple times and "AIR-641 Manager" consistently comes through fine, while all of the other ones always fail to come through?

Would you be able to show us the value of {{AIR-641 Manager}}, compared to something like {{AIR-62A-Transport}}, so that we can see if there's something in the values that could potentially be causing this?

Todd Tompkins

SSFeatuers,

Thank you for your response. The automation has run twice thus far with the same result. I too thought it might just have been a one off. The {{AIR-641 Manager}} cell shows the managers name correctly just before the comma in the Distribution list above. The only difference between the cells is that the one that populates correctly {{AIR-641 Manager}} pulls the value from a link to another sheet. All of the other cells us the formula above to populate the other cells. These cells show the correct information, but does not populate the information in the automation email.

SSFeatures

Hi @Todd Tompkins, you're welcome!

Ok thanks for showing that the main difference between the working cell is that it uses a cross sheet reference, whereas the missing data is from the formula.

I just setup a sheet to try to mimic yours.

My "Contact" column is a Contact List column. My "Contact Formula" column uses this formula:

=Contact@row

I just triggered an automation workflow for row 1, and this was the result.

This is how I setup my "Alert Someone" workflow:

In my case, it was able to pull the correct data for the {{Contact Formula}}. So I'm not sure what's going on with your sheet. I tried to replicate it as best as I could.

The next thing that I'm trying is to run the automation workflow using a "Date Trigger" to see if that's causing the problem. I'll post back when I have the result!

SSFeatures

Ok the automation workflow ran using a date trigger, and this was the result:

I'm not sure why yours isn't working :(

Hopefully someone else can chime in!

Todd Tompkins

OK. Thanks for trying. I will figure out what is up eventually. I always do.