Is there a good reason to create multiple solutions? Other than table limit.

Thanks for the advice on the previous question about best practices. I'm starting to reframe my thinking about structure in SmartSuite, but now I'm left wondering why have multiple solutions when I can have huge tables and organize everything just with groups, views, and filters?

As an organizer by nature, I hate the idea of having a big Master Solution that just has all of our CRM in one table, all our Event records in another, and all the Generic Tasks in a third, with a fourth for "Projects" that just reference these three without being "home" to much data themselves. But on the other hand, with good grouping and contexts, isn't that just better than multiple solutions? And with good enough view creation, would you ever be able to tell the difference, honestly?

I get that there are table limits and record limits, so that can cap things, but with linked records, it feels like "height" is just an illusion, and flat data is best data in most cases.

One other thing is that it feels easier to reference other things within a solution than it is to reference things outside the solution--but I may be wrong. My bosses want me to basically make all the cross-references into hyperlinks (essentially) that let you travel from one table to another and that seems easier when it's all within the same solution.

Am I starting to visualize this correctly? Is there ever a good reason to have a ton of solutions or create special solutions for projects, or do things like assign projects their own task lists rather than just reference a master task list via groups/contexts and filters?

Best reply by PeterG

You hate the idea of one big "Master Solution", but you like the idea of one big "Master Table"?

There is a reason that the entire database universe is based upon a relational model. That's what makes the digital world work! Having one giant table only makes sense in the simplest of cases. If you really want a single table you could use Google Sheets or Excel. And even those have tabs to allow you to organize your data. The relational data model has great wisdom and millions (or billions) of person-hours behind it. If you use a single table you may find yourself tied up in knots down the road.

If your application is fairly simple you can have all your tables in one solution. Multiple solutions make sense if you need to organize lots of tables. Dashboards allow you to bring data together form different tables into one setting.

BTW, SS only allows you to group grids three levels deep, so even that might not work for you.

If you're not convinced, Google "relational database vs. flat table" and do a little reading.

View original
1
6 replies