Update Request Forms that Include Parent Rows

Natalie Gorman

I am relatively new to using Smartsheet and have just introduced this tool to the business.  In order to gain good buyin I am using the update requests to show how easy it is to keep sheets up to date.

 

The one thing that is a little disappointing about this great feature is that there doesn't seem to be a way of including parental rows in the information that appears on either the email of the request or the update form (unless you include these in your update request).

 

Without this information, quite often the task or project detail, loses it's context and the ease of updating using the form has disappeared as the individual has to go into the sheet to see the detail.

 

Is there any way of being able to include parent information on the update form?

 

Natalie

J. Craig Williams

Natalie,

 

To work-around this, I have pulled information from the parent into another column. 

The relatively new PARENT function does the trick

 

=PARENT([Primary Column]23) 

 

for row 23,

Grab whatever you need to put it  multiple columns or a single one using the JOIN() function.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Craig

 

Natalie Gorman

Thank you Craig - that is really helpful.  I will give this a go.

 

Natalie

Natalie Gorman

Hi Craig 

 

Thank you so much with your help and suggestion.  Through trying this, I have come across a similar work around which actually combines all the parents into one cell in one formula.

 

=JOIN(ANCESTORS(Projects2), ", ")

 

I have now put this in my sheet as a hidden column and include it in my status update requests.  Works a treat!

 

J. Craig Williams

Well done.

Good use of ANCESTORS!

 

Craig

KathyH

I use the method Craig recommended. It's a little clunky, because it adds another column, but it works.

I helps with update forms and reports.