Update requests: Saving individual entries/sending individual entries instead of batches

Karen Webber

Hi all,

I've created a system in Smartsheet to capture grant applications and allocate them to individual colleagues to score against a matrix. Each colleague receives an update request with the applications allocated to them.

The problem I'm running into wrt to the above is the batch update request, and the lack of "save" option when updating. Each colleague is receiving upwards of 20 update requests, and with no way to save these the only option is to set aside a huge chunk of time to do all of them at once, which is painful at best and not feasible at worst.

I've considered assigning the requests to sets via some sort of trigger column, and sending out one set a day, but if a colleague misses one or can't do a given set that day, we're back to the update requests lumping themselves together and being too many updates for one sitting, without a save function.

I've also seen the solutions around placeholders, but that solution goes out the window when I send more than 6 requests.

Does anybody have any suggestions?

Dale Murphy

@Karen Botha The two options we have explored are:

1. a report that filters based on "Current user" so that you build only one report, but whoever looks at it only sees rows that are "assigned" to them (i.e., that have their name in the Contact List column used in the filter)
2. an investment in DynamicView which provides much finer data segregation (I'm not selling it ;) but am using it and it is worth it if you need to scale up.)

With either solution, you just send alerts to everyone to "check the report for the list of applications for their review".

(And then you check last change dates for items that have been ignored ... ...)

dm

Andrée Starå

Hi @Karen Botha

I hope you're well and safe!

To add to Dale's excellent advice/answer.

• Another option if you have/or could upgrade to the Enterprise plan would be the Premium App, WorkApps.

Is that an option?

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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Karen Webber

Hi both, thanks for taking time to give me suggestions.

@Dale Murphy, since it's a multi-round scoring process I actually set up a workflow that copies each application row from the master to a separate designated scoring sheet, so each scorer does have their own sheet that I could tailor make. I just like the automated update process better for scoring as it's a slightly cleaner look than opening and reading the entire sheet.

I think I've looked into DynamicView in the past, but maybe it's worth a second look - thanks!

@Andrée Starå, I did look into the Enterprise plan (last week!) but am still weighing up cost vs benefit. Thanks for the suggestion!

SueinSpain

One thought - the reason they would be getting a batch of requests together is because they are run at a specific time.

An alternative might be to run them immedaitely triggered and therefore rather than one batch of 20 they would get 20 individual requests

they could set up a outlook rule to put them in a folder so they only looked at the requests daily, or they were sorted out from the mass of emails they get. they could then work through then in a batch process type way but just one at a time allowing them to leave any they couldn't update at that time to come back to.

Just a thought and good luck

Karen Webber

Hi @SueinSpain, thanks for sharing that suggestion. I'm under the impression that even if you receive a number of update requests one by one, for the same sheet, when you open one it will take you through all of them automatically, but maybe I'm totally wrong here - I'll try it and see!