Creating a technology device loaning process

mig1980

Good day everyone. I am new to the community but not new to Smartsheet. Have been using at my company for a number of years now.

My team has acquired a quite a few pieces of equipment and it seems that we are constantly loaning them out to other teams for certain periods of time.

I have been working on a loaning process that would revolve around Smartsheet, allowing another team to access a Smartsheet form, complete the required information (i.e. - Device requested (selected form a dropdown), requester's email address, request date (date the device will be needed), and a return date).

I have also setup an approval process for myself and a colleague to be notified and either approve or deny a request.

The only piece I can't figure out (and wasn't successful with receiving assistance from Smartsheet) is how to not allow a device to be selected/selectable from the dropdown (on the form) or not allow the form to be submitted (with a message stating why) if the request date and return date span overlap with another request that has already been approved.

Is this possible? If yes, can someone assist me getting this configured?

 

Thank you

Shaine Greenwood

Hello,

Conditionally locking/removing the dropdown option currently isn't native functionality in Smartsheet. When you have a moment, please submit a Product Enhancement Request to let our Product team know that you'd like to see this feature added.

You may need to consider creating a report and publishing it so they can check your equipment rental schedule. More on publishing reports here: https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/522078-publishing-smartsheet-items

Otherwise, we have a powerful calendar app that might be able to accomplish this more automatically for you: https://www.smartsheet.com/apps/calendar-application

Susie Wachowski

Hi Shaine,

Has this feature been added since the question was posted back in 2018?

Thanks,

Susie

Andrée Starå

Hi @Susie Wachowski

I hope you're well and safe!

Unfortunately, it's not possible now, but it's an excellent idea!

Please submit an Enhancement Request when you have a moment.

Here's a possible workaround or workarounds

• Using the Premium app, Data Shuttle to "sync" the dropdown lists.

Is that an option?

I hope that helps!

Have a fantastic weekend & Happy New Year!

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 or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

peteriasingna124

Welcome to the community! It sounds like you’ve got a solid process in place for managing your equipment loans using Smartsheet. The challenge you're facing with preventing double bookings of equipment based on overlapping dates can indeed be tricky.

To address this, while Smartsheet has some limitations in preventing overlapping entries directly within the form, you might consider a few approaches:

1. Conditional Logic: Unfortunately, Smartsheet doesn’t natively support conditional logic to hide or disable dropdown options based on existing data. However, you could set up an automation that checks for conflicts once a form is submitted. If an overlap is detected, an automated email could be sent to the requester notifying them of the conflict.
2. Using Helper Columns: Create a helper column that calculates if there’s an overlap based on the request and return dates. Then, use an alert or notification to inform the user of the conflict after they submit the form.
3. Manual Review Process: You could also consider adding a manual review step where someone on your team checks for conflicts before approving a request.

For a more automated loan process, I’d also suggest looking into Payday Loans through EloanWarehouse for a seamless loan management system. This could complement your equipment loan process, offering a streamlined solution for your team's needs. 😊

If you need more detailed assistance or want to explore alternative solutions, feel free to reach out!