Hide Columns from certain users of sheet

Lara Lehnerz

Hello,

I am implementing a survey for our customers to respond to with a rating of 1-very dissatisfied to 5 - very satisfied. With an explanation field. My entire team looks at this one sheet for their work as it is where all our projects come in. The challenge is I don't want the individual contributors to see other individual contributors survey ratings. I know I can hide the column but is there a way to hide the columns from a select few users?

Thanks much,

Lara

Paul Newcome

@Lara Lehnerz I would switch the trigger and condition. The trigger should be the date and the condition should be the status.

Paul Newcome

You could send out an update request to the customers to limit what they can see/edit.

Andrée Starå

Hi @Lara Lehnerz

I hope you're well and safe!

To add to Paul's excellent advice/answer.

Another option could be one of the Premium Apps, Dynamic View, or WorkApps.

Is that an option?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Lara Lehnerz

Hi Paul and Andree,

I thank you both for your quick responses, I do really appreciate it.

I apologize if my question wasn't clear.

1. Paul - I use the Update Request to send to the customers to gather the survey questions/results, which adds back to my sheet. What I am trying to accomplish is blocking my team members from seeing the results once they are posted back, especially if they are negative results. So right now, any of my 20+ team members has access to the sheet and would be able to see each others survey results.
2. Andree - No we don't have add-on apps at this time.

I know I could create reports and not add those specific columns so maybe I will try that route.

Thanks for your help and suggestions. If you think of anything else I could try by all means, send them my way.

Thanks,

Lara

Paul Newcome

Ah. Understood. The challenge with reports is that users need access to the underlying sheet(s) to be able to see the data. So unless you really hide the original sheet, they will still be able to view it.

It may be that you need to break it into two separate sheets. Do you have some sort of intake process? Maybe you could use a copy row automation to make sure every new row is copied over to the other sheet so you have an up to date listing and then run each process that way.

Lara Lehnerz

Hi Paul,

All my team has access to the underlying sheet anyway, but I guess what I was thinking if I build the report with only the columns they need to see/use/fill out, excluding the survey columns. But I am guessing they would be able to access those columns if they dug deep enough into the report.

Yes, we do have an intake process. A form is used for our customers to enter their project request, then my analysts (my team members) use the sheet/card view to work those projects that are submitted. I am trying to avoid the two sheet scenario. Plus in my experience with copy/move rows the sheets have to have the exact same columns in order for that feature to work correctly so not sure how copying a row would hide the survey data from my team. Unless I am missing your point?

Again thank you for your quick response, really appreciate it.

Paul Newcome

If they have access to the sheet (so that they have access to the report) then they would still be able to locate the sheet and view those columns.

Your destination sheet for a copy row automation only has to have the column names that match the source sheet. You can add extra columns to the destination sheet. If you share your team to the source sheet and not to the destination sheet (survey sheet), then the employees have zero access to survey results.

Lara Lehnerz

Ok. I think that is making sense to me. So

1. Create copy of my source sheet
2. Add the Survey Columns to the 'destination'/Survey sheet
3. Create copy row automation from Source sheet to Survey Sheet

??? - when data is changed in Source sheet after the copy row fires off, does that data update in the destination sheet? for example the Status of the project changes from In progress to Customer Review, both sheets are updated?

4 Create Update Request automation with Survey columns/questions from Survey (destination) sheet.

Paul Newcome

The data that gets copied over remains static. You would need to have unique identifier on each row and use formulas with cross sheet references such as INDEX/MATCH to be able to pull the live data over.

Otherwise you are spot on.

Lara Lehnerz

Hi Paul,

I ended up creating a new sheet to capture the survey responses. Which is all working perfectly so thank you for your help.

Now my challenge is when I trigger the email survey, I need it to be exactly 10 days after the date the project is set to Customer Review and sent only once.

This below workflow works ,but it will an email each day (within the 10 days) after row is set to customer review.

I am looking for the survey to be sent 10 days(and only once) from 'Sent to Customer Review' using the Current date field (last condition in the below workflow).

Help? Please and thank you!

Lara

Paul Newcome

I would set up a helper column with a basic formula to output the date you want it to run on and then base the automation on that.

=[Current Date]@row + 10

Lara Lehnerz

Thanks Paul. I will give it whirl!

Paul Newcome

Happy to help. 👍️

Lara Lehnerz

Hi Paul,

I am still having a challenge getting my automation to fire.

As you suggested I set a helper column with this formula (I set for +1 day so I could test next day rather than waiting 10 days).

Sent to Customer for Review updates with a date when the State is changed to 'Customer Review'.

Then I set up this automation workflow below.

End result I would suspect I received the update request next day, but I am not.

Is there something incorrect in my Condition?

I again thank you in advance for any assistance.

Lara

Paul Newcome

@Lara Lehnerz I would switch the trigger and condition. The trigger should be the date and the condition should be the status.

Lara Lehnerz

Thank you Paul! I will see tomorrow morning if that did the trick.