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Cross linked entries in the same table, e.g. Clients and Suppliers, Investors and Portfolio company

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advuci
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Hello,

Is there a way to have two-way cross-references between entries in the same table?

For example, there is a table [Companies]. Each entry, a company, can have clients and suppliers. If a company has clients, it means that those clients have at least one supplier - the company. I'd love to be able to connect entries so that when I assign clients, those entries automatically get updated with supplier info—and vice versa.

Another example is Investors/Funds and Portfolio companies. I want to be able to add portfolio companies to a Fund and automatically have this Fund added as an investor to all its portfolio companies.

Such two-way cross-reference works fine if I have several tables, for example, [Investors] and [Companies]. Airtable shows all the investors associated with a company and all the portfolio companies associated with an investor.

However, I am looking for a solution to keep all the companies (portfolio companies, investment funds, clients, suppliers, etc) in the same table. 

Does anyone know a good solution?

Thank you in advance for sharing your recommendations.

 

 

 

4 Replies 4
Marcelo
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

hello!
In the first case are there 3 tables? companies, clients and suppliers? I don't quite understand how you want to put it together.

when you create relationship columns between 2 tables, the information appears in both. You can then "bring in" more information using look up columns

advuci
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

@Marcelo  Thank you for your response. There are only two tables - [Companies] and [Contacts].

However, I can't figure out how to create a relationship between two entries in the same table in the same way as it works when entries are in two separate tables.

And having two tables, [Clients] and [Suppliers], is impractical as the same company can be both a client and supplier.

Marcelo
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

Okay!

If that kind of "double relation" happens 80% of the time (80-20 rule), you should create that relation in the same table. 

You can do it by creating a relation column in the Clients table (for example, and you should call it by other name)

Marcelo_0-1706177723032.png

then, link it to the same table.

Marcelo_3-1706177944911.png

My workspace is in spanish, but it's the same "Clients" Table.

So, i would this table "Companies". Then, this field should be "Clients", and then duplicate it (with right click on the column) and name it suppliers.

Hi,

I tried this approach, and unfortunately, it didn't work for me because it is not bi-directional.

Specifically, when I link Company 1 and Company 2, assigning Company 2 as a client of Company 1, the record for Company 2 also should automatically indicate Company 1 as a supplier of Company 2.

Is there a way to automate the creation of such bi-directional connections?