Auto number

Jose da Silva

I have a spreadsheet where i keep track of all the samples that we've sent for laboratory testing. They all have a despatch date and the lab that they are being sent to. Is it possible to set up the Auto-number system to generate only one number for all the rows with the same lab and date?

The goal for this is to create reports to the accounts department, while automatically generating on my side the "Purchase Orders" for the lab tests.

Paul Newcome

An actual system generated auto-number column won't work for this, but it can be done using a formula. Are you able to provide a screenshot with sensitive/confidential data removed, blocked, or replaced with "dummy data"?

Jose da Silva

Sure, see attached.

I thought about using formulas, but can't get my head over how to make it work

png.png

Paul Newcome

How would you want your "auto-number" to look?

Jose da Silva

QUAxxx where the xxx will be sequential.

A new number is issued everytime that we have a new despatch date for an individual lab. If we despatch on the same day for 2 labs, i need 2 numbers

Paul Newcome

Will it always be "QUA"?

Jose da Silva

@Paul Newcome Yes, it has to be. Department specific

Paul Newcome

Ok. I may have a few more questions to figure out exactly how this numbering will need to work, but hopefully this gives me what I need...

Lab..........Date..........#

A..............3 Feb...........?

A..............3 Feb...........?

B..............3 Feb...........?

B..............3 Feb...........?

A..............4 Feb...........?

A..............4 Feb...........?

B..............3 Feb...........?

C..............3 Feb...........?

Based on the above... What exactly would be your auto-numbers and why? Does the number need to include a date stamp or a lab reference?