Report Enhancement Request

L_123
L_123 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
edited 12/09/19 in Smartsheet Basics

I would like to be able to reference filter criteria for reports from a single top level cell. My project and workaround/issue is below:

 

I am in the manufacturing business. We have machining lines that have a number of operations: ill say on average its ~20 operations. Each operation has an operator that at the end of the shift submits a paper reporting 15 things about the operation. The 15 things are the same for all operations. 

These are all conglomerated by a manager and then sent throughout our facility.

 

I want to build a reporting system to analyze the historical data and allow for easy input. To this end I made a sheet and submission form for each operation. I did a sheet for each operation due to the limit for the number of rows and the amount of historical data I want kept.

 

I then began my analysis. We have 3 shifts, and 20 operations. I want to be able to analyze by shift or operation, but I REALLY didn't want to build 84 individual sights and reports (include a look at all) and make the user sort through all of that. What I needed is a report that could change its filter criteria based on user input from the sheet level. (as a general rule I don't allow anyone access to my reports other than my fellow devs, to many issues have arisen from this) 

My current solution is some dropdowns on  a standard sheet with the analysis options. I then use sheet links to parse the data and give what the user selected with 50 locations set aside for each. I reached the max amount of sheet references rather quickly and ended up having to use 5 sheets for this purpose, then conglomerate them with a report. 

 

 

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Comments

  • Hi Luke,

    It sounds like you built a robust workaround to get the workflow that you need.

    When you have a moment, please submit a product enhancement request using the form under Quick links on the right of the community site and let our Product team know exactly what you're looking for. Any materials that you can provide them (more screenshots of your flow or any flowcharts for behavior, etc.) please submit that using the form so they can better understand what you're wanting.

  • J. Craig Williams
    J. Craig Williams ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    I too have built a work-around similar to Luke's description here and ran into the same problem.

    I submitted this request again.

    Craig