Need a workaround so Parent Rows stay children rows when sorting

Yessica

As I understand it, Smart sheet does not have the function to keep parent rows with children on reports like on the filter function. Which baffles me!

Is there a work around that anyone can recommend for our situation?

We currently have a Ready@Spike Date column. This will indicate when each child row will be completed.

The problem that I am having is the children rows get lost when sorting by date if their parent row does not have the same date or if the cell is blank.

The goal is to sort by Ready@Spike Date and keep the families together whether the parent row cell has a matching date, it’s blank, or date does not match.

Can anyone help?

I attached screen shots.

Shaine Greenwood

Hi Yessica,

You're correct in that reports currently can't maintain hierarchical structure, especially when sorting them.

As a workaround, you might consider adding an extra column to your source sheets and putting the parent row information in that column.

Otherwise, you might consider creating a numeric outline structure similar to WBS in a new column, for example, the parent having a "1" with the first child being 1.1, then 1.2 and so on. The key to this is to only use numeric values so they sort as expected.

When you have a moment, please submit a Product Enhancement Request using the form under Quick links on the right to let our product team know that you'd like to see hierarchy maintained in reports.

Yessica

Thank you, Shaine.

This is the number one reason why we will cancel Smartsheet.

If the parent rows do not stay together w/childeren rows then there's no point for parent rows.

gregjohnsondsm43126

Yes, this is another big hole in the smartsheet implementation. Along with not being able to filter on characteristics of the parent rows only.

I think the developers have missed the entire concept of parent rows. Needs to be dramatically revised in a way that maintains the concept of hierarchy .