Dependency based on prior line item with auto change when sorting?

Sean Wright

Hello! New user to Smartsheet here; was wondering if there is a way to make tasks change dependency automatically as they are moved in the sheet. Specifically, I manage team where all members can close similar action items, and I have a queue of open actions. I want the ability to drag an open action into someone's queue and have their Gantt chart update based on the new item. If I drop it in the middle of their queue or at the top (if it is important), it should become the prior for the item below it and dependent on the item above - is this possible with smart sheets? So far I've been having to manually change the predecessors in the appropriate column, but as we change rapidly this is quite cumbersome. Hoping there is a solution to this!

Ramzi K

@Sean Wright

Just to clarify, you want to be able to crop a task in between two other tasks and automatically have it's predecessor be the task before it and for it to be the predecessor for the task after it?

If that's the case, then no. There is no way to do it currently as you cannot have formulas in the predecessor column.

Keep in mind though that predecessors in a project plan are not always in succession so Smartsheet would have no way to automate what you want.

Cheers,

Ramzi

Sean Wright

Thanks Ramzi - understand your logic, but was wondering if I wanted to leverage it that way if it could be setup to assume that the physical order is always the same as the work order. Thanks!

Ramzi K

@Sean Wright

Unfortunately, without the ability to use a formula in the Predecessor column, there is currently no way to do it automatically.

There is a way to somewhat facilitate you manual process a bit but creating a helper column next to your predecessor column that always displays the row number of the prior task so you can identify the value to put in the predecessor column a bit faster. It's basically a Row Number column that's easier to read than the "gray" first column in the sheet and it you place it next to the Predecessor column, it might make your updates a bit quick to do.

Here's what you need to do in case you want to do this.

1. Create a helper column called One and put the value 1 in it all the way down the sheet
2. Create a Row Number Column and put this formula in it and copy all the way down the sheet: =SUM([One]$1:[One]@row)

I hope this helps.

Cheers,

Ramzi