Our company has multiple work groups who have each created their own apps for project management. Is there a way to sync project information from their apps into one single app. Our Directors are wanting a single place to go for project information overview, which could also be used for invoicing purposes. Any ideas?

Strategically, the first thing to determine is the data aggregation that makes sense to your directors. For our business, sales territories roll up to business units - and a common sales territory unique ID exists in every application. We summarize data at the sales territory level in each application (by count or sum) - and then sync that table across to the central dashboarding application - and then summarize to business unit as needed. This serves two functions - one it limits the size of the sync tables, and two, it optimizes quickbase�s single thread architecture (If you build table relationships to the children apps, you combine everything into one server process and kill performance - so direct table relationships are a big no no). At this point, if you need the ability to quickly drill down or jump to the underlying data in a child application - use formula-text fields that feed a variable to report in the child application - or formula URL fields. (Same as above, using report links will hurt performance)

Okay that makes sense. If we wanted to pull e.g. Work Order #s and project name from each project management app to the central dashboard app, we could pull it directly into the same table? If so, would it automatically sync or do we need to do a manual push?

HiKevin's answer is spot-on for large data sets.Two other alternatives are:Build cross-application relationships. In Quick Base, you can build a relationship between any two tables - even if they are in different apps.Use a reporting tool like Tableau or Power BI to aggregate data. This approach is especially good if either a) you want to include data that is NOT in Quick Base in your dashboards OR b) you want a better mobile experience. If you use a tool like Tableau, you can view the charts you create in Tableau from your Quick Base dashboards.I run a firm that helps people adapt and adopt SaaS. Feel free to reach out to me here.Debbie

Unfortunately a reporting tool doesn't work as we're trying to 1) further process the data for billing 2) link it imported T&E and 3) push the WOs to our time keeping tool.Which is also where I'm running into problems with using the relationship feature. Each project management app has a relationship to our financial app which houses the client table, SL #s etc. Those pull into their apps and becomes part of their WO table. What I'm looking to do is merge all of the WO tables, from all of the apps, into one single table which would populate any new WOs being added to their apps. From what I'm understanding, simply creating a relationship won't allow me to do that. Please correct me if I've misunderstood. We're all new to QB.

I do not believe what you are looking for, can be done without hiring a QSP (Quick base Solutions Provider) to write custom script.The alternative is to start a Task Force to create a single app which will meet the needs of all departments and do a one time merge of the data all into one app.

Syncing Multiple Apps | Qrew Discussions

KevinO_Boyle
Qrew Cadet
7 years ago
Strategically, the first thing to determine is the data aggregation that makes sense to your directors. For our business, sales territories roll up to business units - and a common sales territory unique ID exists in every application. We summarize data at the sales territory level in each application (by count or sum) - and then sync that table across to the central dashboarding application - and then summarize to business unit as needed. This serves two functions - one it limits the size of the sync tables, and two, it optimizes quickbase�s single thread architecture (If you build table relationships to the children apps, you combine everything into one server process and kill performance - so direct table relationships are a big no no).

At this point, if you need the ability to quickly drill down or jump to the underlying data in a child application - use formula-text fields that feed a variable to report in the child application - or formula URL fields. (Same as above, using report links will hurt performance)
- ArchiveUser
  Qrew Captain
  7 years ago
  Okay that makes sense. If we wanted to pull e.g. Work Order #s and project name from each project management app to the central dashboard app, we could pull it directly into the same table? If so, would it automatically sync or do we need to do a manual push?
- KevinO_Boyle
  Qrew Cadet
  7 years ago
  Can employees create a unique work order # or project name in each application? If the work order #s were setup so that there are no duplicates, there is a fairly straightforward way to merge the data tables from the separate apps. The syncs could be set up to run every hour or every day. The table merge could be set up to run via a simple notepad batch file (and windows task scheduler).
- ArchiveUser
  Qrew Captain
  7 years ago
  Yes every WO is unique and set as the key for all of their apps. Notepad batch file? I think that falls way outside of my IT skill set. Looks like I have some homework to do.
DebbieTaylor
Qrew Trainee
7 years ago
Hi

Kevin's answer is spot-on for large data sets.

Two other alternatives are:
Build cross-application relationships. In Quick Base, you can build a relationship between any two tables - even if they are in different apps.
Use a reporting tool like Tableau or Power BI to aggregate data. This approach is especially good if either a) you want to include data that is NOT in Quick Base in your dashboards OR b) you want a better mobile experience. If you use a tool like Tableau, you can view the charts you create in Tableau from your Quick Base dashboards.
I run a firm that helps people adapt and adopt SaaS. Feel free to reach out to me here.

Debbie
- ArchiveUser
  Qrew Captain
  7 years ago
  Unfortunately a reporting tool doesn't work as we're trying to 1) further process the data for billing 2) link it imported T&E and 3) push the WOs to our time keeping tool.
  
  Which is also where I'm running into problems with using the relationship feature. Each project management app has a relationship to our financial app which houses the client table, SL #s etc. Those pull into their apps and becomes part of their WO table. What I'm looking to do is merge all of the WO tables, from all of the apps, into one single table which would populate any new WOs being added to their apps. From what I'm understanding, simply creating a relationship won't allow me to do that. Please correct me if I've misunderstood. We're all new to QB.
- QuickBaseCoachD
  Qrew Captain
  7 years ago
  I do not believe what you are looking for, can be done without hiring a QSP (Quick base Solutions Provider) to write custom script.
  
  The alternative is to start a Task Force to create a single app which will meet the needs of all departments and do a one time merge of the data all into one app.

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Syncing Multiple Apps