Automation unreliable - record enters a view

[Mark_Newton]

I have some AT automatons that are not reliably happening when they should be. Here’s my setup, can anyone help me improve it?

I want to update a single-select drop-down column according to a formula. The formula will output a value in the single-select choices. So I have a filtered view that only shows records where the string equivalents of the drop-down and formula columns are not the same. On this, I have an automation that watches for records to enter this view, and then sets the single-select to the value of the formula.

Since the view is filtered by unmatching values, it should always be emptied by the automation which matches them. It works most of the time but I continuously check the view, and find updates missed.

If your curious about the background, we’ve found that given the lack of mobile support for interfaces, the kanban view actually works best on phones, to populate shuttle driver’s job list. But we want the cards to be locked to a formula, not changable in the normal kanban-style way.

[Kamille_Parks]

Mark_Newton:

I have a filtered view that only shows records where the string equivalents of the drop-down and formula columns are not the same.

Can you post a screenshot of this filter?

Have you tried replacing your trigger with “When record matches conditions”?

Mark_Newton:

But we want the cards to be locked to a formula, not changable in the normal kanban-style way.

Consider setting the field permissions for your single-select to “Nobody can edit” with the “Allow this field to be modified by automations” toggle turned on. That will prevent people from moving records around on the Kanban view.

[Mark_Newton]

This is a somewhat artificially created view but it looks like this when it has cases in it, a previous value the formula was giving before it settled on something.

Honestly I’ve had this issue with every trigger type I’ve tried to use to perform this task. It usually works, but misses cases sometimes.

The thing with permissions is that the problem records occur when they are generated new, not altered by user. And the formula output will change as record status changes. I am simply trying to keep the drop-down in lockstep with the formula.

The reason is purely aesthetic. This is another thing I would do in Excel as a matter of due course, to conditionally format records to color-code different statuses, which are formulaically determined.

[Mark_Newton]

I’m thinking this is a matter of timing. The user creates a record and adds multiple data, causing the status formula to change multiple times in a few seconds. So the record enters the trigger view and the automation starts, but by the time it’s done the formula has changed again. However, the record never left and re-entered the view so the automation didn’t fire again.

It does seem like ‘record matches a condition’ could catch the changes faster but I’ve still experienced the same problem with this one. The formula updates before the automation is finished and doesn’t fire again.

So, how can I keep a formula output and drop-down in sync when the formula can change faster than any automation can run?