A rollup field carries out calculations, generates summaries, and constructs formulas based on designated cells within records associated with another field in your Table.
The Rollup field is similar to the Lookup Field, and is used in partnership with Linked Record fields. At least one Linked Record field must be present in a Table to add a Rollup field.
When to use a rollup field
Take a moment to understand SmartSuite Table Relationships, and remember Linked Record fields create relationships between Tables.
For example, let's look at the Sales CRM solution available in the SmartSuite Solution Library that contains an Accounts table linked to an Opportunities table.
The Accounts table contains a Rollup Field named "Total Contract Value" that "looks at" all the related Opportunity records and Sums the values in the "Actual Contract Value" field.
In this example, there are two related Opportunity records and Actual Contract Value fields to sum:
Opp-122 System Implementation has an Actual Contract Value of $75,000
Opp-123 Business Launch has an Actual Contract Value of $25,000
The related Rollup field in the Account record sums to $100,000, allowing the CRM solution to track the value of closed business.
If you click on any of these rollups, a display will be opened that shows you all linked records that are associated with it.
Adding a rollup field
From Grid View
From Grid View
Click the + menu icon after the last column header or open the Column Menu by clicking on a column header's dropdown icon and then select "Add Field to the Right."
Select "Rollup," and a window will open to configure the field. You can search the name for a quick find.
From Record View
From Record View
The fastest way to add a field from an open Record View to is simply click the + sign next to a current field to add a new field below.
See a Rollup field being added in Edit Record View below:
Note: In order to create a rollup field, you must first have a Linked Record field created.
Choosing a table's linked record to summarize records
Select the Linked Record field from the available linked records. In the below example, Accounts is linked to the Opportunities and Contacts table.
Choose a field to rollup
Then, select an eligible field within the linked table to "rollup." Any numeric field type can be selected.
Insert a rollup function
Select the Rollup Function to use, including Average, Min, Max, Range (difference between the Min value and Max value) or Sum.
After the configuration is complete, save the field. Any values that can be rolled up from the linked table will display. In the example we've been using, each Rollup Function would return the following values:
Display options are easy with the Rollup field: they "inherit" the format of the field specified in the lookup configuration.
Limiting the records used
To filter a Rollup field, simply toggle on "Include Filter" and click on the out arrow to set a filter condition.
Accessing fields from the rollup
With the ability to "drill through" the field and access the underlying data you can immediately access the records that are part of the rollup value.
Changing the Click Through Field Display
To change the fields displayed in the click through dialog, simply click on the Fields button displayed in the upper-right corner of the record display dialog. A configuration panel will be displayed that looks like this:
Examples of Use
Rollup % Complete in Programs
The Program Management solution in the SmartSuite Solution Library is designed to aggregate multiple Projects to delivery complex initiatives.
The % Complete Rollup field in the Marketing Transformation record below looks at the Percent Complete field in the five related projects and displays the Average.
Rollup in Agile Software Product Development
In leading Agile Software Product Development methodologies, User Stories are crafted to describe software features from the end-user's point of view. These stories roll up to Epics, or blocks of work aimed at delivering larger pieces of functionality.
Below, the B2B Supplement Marketplace record in the Epics table, rolls up the Average % Complete of the three associated User Stories.
