Proof into columns

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Dale Heincelman
Dale Heincelman ✭✭✭✭✭
edited 09/16/22 in Smartsheet Basics

I have created a proof and did the "Proof into columns". Columns 'Change required by' and 'Date Completed' are not updating. Also automation will not detect condition "Where Pending Approval from is not blank". Are there issues with using Proof into columns?

Answers

  • Dale Heincelman
    Dale Heincelman ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I re-viewed the video for proofing and found the issue with  'Change required by' and 'Date Completed' columns.

    The Automation I described does not seem to work.

  • Genevieve P.
    Genevieve P. Employee Admin
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    Hi @Dale Heincelman

    I'm glad you were able to sort out the first two pieces!

    In regards to the Automation, would you be able to post screen captures of how you set up the workflow and what your sheet looks like? But please block out sensitive data.

  • Dale Heincelman
    Dale Heincelman ✭✭✭✭✭
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    One automation I tried is to trigger when "Approved by" changes, assuming another person approved the proof. This somewhat works but would trigger as send to all people who were in the "Pending Approval from". This could occur at random times based on when others approved and if one person had yet to approve it would no longer be triggered.

    The other automation I tried was triggering at a repeatable datetime when "Pending Approval from" was not blank. This automation triggered at the specified time but the logic to detect "Pending Approval from is not blank" would never work, proven by the Otherwise statement to let me know the logic had failed when there was names in "Pending Approval From" cell.

    Can you help with some advice on this?

  • Genevieve P.
    Genevieve P. Employee Admin
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    Hi @Dale Heincelman

    My apologies for the delay! Have you been able to sort this out?

    What I would do in this instance is set up something similar to the second image you have pictured. However, instead of having the condition where "Pending Approval From" is not blank, you could simply go straight to the Alert Someone block. The Alert is sending to Contacts in a Cell, which means that if there is a blank cell then nothing will send out. Does that make sense?

  • Dale Heincelman
    Dale Heincelman ✭✭✭✭✭
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    That does work. This is a different way of using the logic to notify someone, the absence of data and not when a change occurs to trigger the action.

    Thank you

  • Dale Heincelman
    Dale Heincelman ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Just did some further testing. The automation as you suggested did send out reminders. However when the person that was send the reminder and clicks the link to retune to the sheet and opens the proof, the approval button does NOT appear for the person to approve the proof.

    The only way I found to have the proof open is to copy the link from the original request to review the proof and copy it to the message section of the automation. Which is VERY clumsy. Any additional ideas?


    This is the alert received:


  • Genevieve P.
    Genevieve P. Employee Admin
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    Hi @Dale Heincelman

    Instead of adding a link in the body of the message, I would suggest having a column to house the External Proof Review link.

    Then when you send the automation you can select 4 columns to show: Task Name, Pending Approval From, Approved By, and then the URL to the Proof. Would that work for you?

  • Dale Heincelman
    Dale Heincelman ✭✭✭✭✭
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    that is another option that could work except each "Review Proof" button has a different address for the hyper link and would have to be completed manually as well as I would have to always put myself, as originator of proof, on the approval list to capture the correct address. The proof flow needs further improvement

  • PDunn
    PDunn ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited 10/27/22
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    @Dale Heincelman if you go into the Proof window and open the proof in a new tab you can copy the URL and post in a new column in sheet. I have reviewed to see if the link is the same if you open in new browser and the link provided in the proof invite and they are identical