Introducing Formula fields: Hello robust reporting and goodbye manual calculations

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It’s time to put away your calculator and stop exporting data to external spreadsheets just to apply calculations. Introducing Formula fields for our Scale & Enterprise plans. Add, subtract, multiply, and divide fields to spin up the perfect insights in your custom reports!

Let your imagination fly

With these new Formula fields, the possibilities are endless! Whatever KPI needs to be drummed up or unique calculation needs to be performed, we have you covered. Enjoy complete control and flexibility to power up your reporting and get the insights you need (without exporting and manipulating data).

What helpful calculation will grace your next custom report? The sky’s the limit!... but here’s some inspiration if needed:

  • Addition - I want to determine task difficulty based on two custom fields: Complexity and Risk (1 is simple/low-risk, and 5 is complicated/high-risk). Add these fields together to understand total difficulty to better plan your tasks.

  • Subtraction - I want to know the remaining time I have on active tasks to stick to original estimates and keep everyone on track. Subtract logged time from estimated time to see how much longer you have left to complete the task based on initial scope.

  • Multiplication - I want to understand how much my future planned work will cost the client. Multiply estimated time by cost rate to get a total forecasted cost for the desired timeframe.

  • Division - I want to calculate the average cost for everyone on the project since different people in this project have different rates. Divide cost by logged time to get this blended total.

Not only will Formula fields save you hours upon hours of manual work, they’ll also keep your data conveniently housed under one roof and ensure your numbers are accurate. Say goodbye inevitable data-massaging accidents and hello to sophisticated insights, automatically.

How to create and find Formula fields

Formula fields are created and housed inside of custom reports based on projects and tasks. Once created, they are considered a “custom field”. It might go without saying, but Formula fields can only be created based on numerical fields (both standard and custom). Here are the steps to create a Formula field:

  • + Custom report

  • Type: Project or Task

  • + Add column

  • + Create custom field

  • Field type: Formula

  • Select two fields

  • Select calculation

  • Save field

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Once the field is created, the formula field will show as a column in your custom report. Formula fields are easily identifiable with a handy # icon beside them! We suggest toggling on the two associated fields as well so that you can track all the compounding data in the report.

Based on the two fields you are using in the calculation, you will also have options in how you'd like the final number formatted. Smart defaults are in place, however if you're using a currency and time field in your calculation, you can choose your ideal format.

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Closing tip

Don’t forget to communicate the process! Share field requirements with your team and encourage them to fill them out as they create and manage work. Make sure they know which fields are being used in Formula field calculations, so the formulas don’t fall flat!

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