Update Requests for reoccurring process

Ana Aguayo

Good morning Community, what is your recommendation when setting up Update Requests in a sheet for a process that repeats multiple times per year.

Example, we run 8-10 promotions per year, for every promotion, we need to send update requests to 20+ separate trading partners.

 

We would like to set up the Update Requests once in the sheet, and then be able to re use them, for the next promotion.

 

We thought about creating separate reports for each Trading Partner and handle changes through the reports, however, we don't want to give them access to the source sheet

 

Is there a way to set up Update Requests in a sheet and  have them available for later use? 

Thanks so much

 

JamesR

Ana,

Although the Update requests can be scheduled, they are done based on a calander period(daily,Weekly etc).  Alerts on the other had can be sent based on a date.  If you create a column called set up Update requests and enter the date just prior to the promotion starting and set up an alert to tell somebody to go and set up the next set of update rwquests that may help.  Not ideal I know. 

If the update requests could be fired by a date column the same as alerts that would solve the issue and I would recommentd this as a feature enhansment

Tony Davidson - SmartSheet Certified User 2016

The recurring update request sounds like it would work for this situation to me..

JamesR

Tony,

 

The key is the Phrase "we run 8-10 promotions per year, for every promotion" .

-8 Times is every 6.5 weeks

-10 Times is every 5.2 weeks

This assummes that they are spaced out equally.

 

If they wre run every 6 weeks or 5 weeks then yes reoccurring updates would work, but if not then they would need to find a different way.

Ana Aguayo

Thanks for adding more information regarding the frequency  for the reocurring updates. Unfortunately, the promotions are NOT spaced out equally, plus each promotion would need their own set of rows.

 

I guess it is not realistic to think that Update requests could be set only once for a sheet, then, save the sheet as a template or Save as New, and re-use the Update requests for the next promotion.

 

I am considering this option instead: I will create separate sheets for each trading partner (aprox. 20 separate files), then I will merge them all using a Report.

I will create dates columns for when the updates are needed, and  then set up Alerts based on those dates. It will take a lot to set up initially, but we could used those files for all promotions in the year.

Tony Davidson - SmartSheet Certified User 2016

That sounds logical to me..it probably still wouldn't hurt to have a discussion with the Smartsheet design desk just to clarify there isn't a better alternative.  If you just google search Smartsheet design desk you will find how you ca contact them.