Weekly Update Text Column

lennyk

Hi Community—

Need some advice.

My team uses an Excel spreadsheet to track account updates. Weekly we add a column to the right and the team inputs a paragraph of text. So the existing Excel sheet is up to column "AH" since we are at calendar week W42. So next week ... "AI" and so on. The previous week's column is then hidden. The columns all the way to the left don't change since they contain stats about the account. Each account is a row.

On a weekly bases we send a report to Executive management, in that report the older week columns are hidden. But they do want to retain the information in there for trending... and they currently prefer an Excel type of view.

So since the updates are weekly and are a text paragraph, how would you advise i structure a SmartSheet to bring this spreadsheet in? Ideally we are not doing a lot of report restructuring on a weekly bases where SmartSheet generates a report containing only the current week's column. 

Thanks in advance!

 

Andrée Starå

Hi Lenny,

How large is your team? Is the update for the whole team or all team members are separate?

I hope this helps you!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant @ Get Done Consulting

lennyk

Hi Andrée,

In total will be 10 team members, but the report is for the whole team on one sheet. I have no requirement to have them on one or their individual sheets. Open to everything.

Thanks for the help,

Lenny

Andrée Starå

Happy to help!

Can you share the excel / Smartsheet sheet or some screenshots that would help? A few ideas/thoughts.

Column added for each week where the team can input the account updates and then a report for the Executive Management where only the right week is shown (have to manually change the visible week every week)

The team adds a comment each week, and then a notification gets sent weekly with that information to the executive team.

Would that work?

Best,

Andrée

 

 

 

lennyk

Hi Andrée -I think what you described would work with the addition of a weekly column, but I was hoping there would be a way a report could automatically change the column weekly. Is there a function in Smartsheet that can recognize Week Number in a year and if it matches the current, display that column? -I assume not, but figured i'd ask.

Screenshot attached of the columns.

Thanks again,

Lenny

Andrée Starå

Happy to help!

Another way that could work would be to have a report or update request sent weekly for the same column, and then you or someone else would copy the information to the correct week.

Regarding the question, if Smartsheet can recognize the week number. There is a function for this, but I would have to think a little on how to make it work without to much hassle.

I'll get back to you!

Best,

Andrée

Andrée Starå

Hi Lenny,

Did you get it working?

Have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant @ Get Done Consulting

lennyk

Hi Andrée -we have not deployed the solution yet. Waiting to add more licenses to the account to bring that team onboard. -Thanks for checking in. Will follow up once we get it going.

Andrée Starå

Hi Lenny,

How did it go? Did you get something set up?

Have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant @ Get Done Consulting