Data change before they're approved!

Ahmed Lazrak

Hello!

I'm a new smartsheet user and I've been testing it for the past 2 weeks to decide whether to use it or not.

My problem today is when I send an update request to a user and set an approval request to myself, the changes made by the user get registered in the sheet before I approve the changes. So whether I approve or decline them after,  they get registered anyway and it adds Approved or Declined to the column. 

Is there a way to not register the data changes coming from an update request until they get approved by the admin or at least when they're declined to go back to the original data?

I appreciate all your help.

Best,

Ahmed

Andrée Starå

Hi Ahmed,

Two possible workarounds.

1.

A possible workaround would be to have a separate column with the update request, and then you would update that information to the main column, and you could also fill in and approve the information thru an update request.

 

2.

Three columns (main information, information to be approved and original information)

Send update request with the original and the information to be approved (lock the original column so that they can't change it)

When they answered the update request, it triggers an Approval request to you, and you choose to approve or decline.

If you approve the data from the update request will be shown in the main column.

If you decline the data from the original column will show.

The way this would work would be to have a formula in the main column that shows the original information if declined or no status and the update request information if approved.

Would that work?

Have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant @ Get Done Consulting

Ahmed Lazrak

Hi Andree

thank you again for your reply, you've been so helpful.

I've tried to apply the second workaround, but I couldn't use the formula in the %Complete column because that's the column that needs to be updated by the user, it doesn't let me add it, when I click enter nothing happens and when I comeback to it I find that a single quotation is added behind the = mark.

Do you know what could be the problem?

Andrée Starå

It's my pleasure to help!

Yes, you can't use formulas in the %Complete column because it's part if the project settings.

You would have to change the final information manually for the above to work then.

Would that work?

Ahmed Lazrak

I guess I would have to take that for now until I find a better way not including approvals at all.

Thank you again!

Cheers!

Andrée Starå

Maybe it would be easier to have a report that they can change? You could still have a column that you mark as approved or declined.

You could copy the original value to another column before they can change.

You could also have rules that make it easy for you to see and get alerts about changes.

Would that work better?