Form Process Assistance

Jonna Critchley

Hi There!

Need assistance figuring out if there is a better way than what I'm doing today to intake forms and information from those forms. I'd like to automate this process more, but unfortunately the way it is built now it is VERY manual.

Once a month, we send out an updated form to each workgroup to get an update on the Work Requests they are working on. We ask them to provide us with: Phase, Target Date (if still on target), New Target Date (if they're not on target), Group Participation, Status Notes, and if they are in need of our assistance.

To prevent the Chairs of each workgroup to have to submit multiple forms, I've setup the forms like this one: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/affb5a2f3198411289b43570226e8482 Here you can see there are two work requests we're asking for updates on and then it goes into do they need assistance and rating their Facilitators assistance.

The form populates into each group's respective sheet: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=1318ec9759644624b919c0837bf50424

I then have to take that information from each workgroup's sheet and copy and paste it into a "repository" to organize the information to view it all in one place: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=a5decb91a702400a94138b6d2c77946e This sheet has a formulas linked to it to a Master Work Log that updates the last entered phase, group participation, and status notes - which is why I have the most recent on the top.

As you can see the process is VERY cumbersome, it is not scalable and if I ever had to train someone they'd think I was out of my mind.

Any suggestions or help you can provide to improve this process?

Andrée Starå

Hi @Jonna Critchley

I hope you're well and safe!

I'd recommend exploring Dynamic View, or if you have access, WorkApps.

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Dale Murphy

@Jonna Critchley Youch, that is cumbersome for sure.

Among (many) ideas, I would suggest gathering all information into ONE sheet, instead of distributing them. Then you could create a report that allowed your various Chairs access to only rows for which you need updates. (Form Completed By = current user for e.g.)

Another alternative is to create an Update Request workflow that triggers automatically every month, sending well-structured requests for fresh info. (You would need to do this on each sheet based on current structure, but that would save you from ever updating a form again.) Another workflow (in the same sheets) can take the updated row and copy it elsewhere to build a chronological record.

... just for starters ...

Best wishes ... happy to continue the thread ...

dm

Jonna Critchley

@DMurphy Thank you for the suggestions, I like the first one, is that in Dynamic View then?

And they'd have to all get signed up as Free Collaborators as well for that suggestion I would assume?

Andrée Starå

Hi @Jonna Critchley

I hope you're well and safe!

I'd recommend exploring Dynamic View, or if you have access, WorkApps.

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Dale Murphy

@Jonna Critchley

No to needing Dynamic View.

Yes to everyone signing up to use the reporting approach. (With only limited analysis, I prefer the Update Request approach, but it does need more workflow to support it).

Dale