Smarter Cell-Level Timestamp Manager
Smarter Cell-Level Timestamp Manager
Getting access to cell history timestamps!
“I have a check box column indicating that I have finished part of the process, I need to use the date that I checked the box in a formula, I can see the date in the cell history, but can’t seem to get to it – can you help?”
Do you recognise this question?
Yes, we do too, which is why our SBP developers have created Smarter Cell-Level Timestamp Manager as part of our SmarterControls4sheets. Smarter Cell-Level Timestamp Manager provides us with a solution for populating cell history timestamps into a nominated column to enable their use in formulas!
Why do we need this feature?
Processes are triggered by events; progressed by events and end with events. Typically within process monitoring there are Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) to track time taken between a process starting, progressing and finishing. But, how do we know for certain WHEN these events are being completed?
Without this feature, Date columns are created and users are asked to manually populate the date when they complete an event. Manually collecting the dates that processes were triggered, progressed and completed. This method of collecting required dates is open to error, time consuming and frustrating as we can see the dates we need to use in the cell history, so typing them in doesn’t make sense!
How does Smarter Cell-Level Timestamp Manager help?
This feature creates a column and automagically populates it with the date (and time if required) of the last update of a cell value. To make this work you just need to nominate the sheet and column which has cell level information you wish to expose; then you provide the name and data type (either Text/Number or Date) of the desination column known as the Companion Column. Now you can use the Companion Column’s data inside formulas, filters, etc depending on the data type chosen for the desination column. Essentially all the flexibility you have with Modified Date you now have at cell Level, for any cell.
Example showing the two data type formats of the Companion Column.
