Datahub - Customizing Data After Selection

High Level Summary: Looking for a way to use Datahub as a basis to pull data that can be tweaked, if need. This would be permissions based.

Ask: We run dozens of projects at a time where we require inserting in the same items over and over again. This is a perfect use case for datahub, where users can quickly search and apply items from a single managed database, ensuring consistency and greatly improving efficiency. However, there are also many times where an item applies in general, but one of more of its fields needs to be tweaked for a particular project. Is there a way to unlink the data once it is added to a project so that it could be customized, if required? Since our projects can at times be time-based, unlinking would also ensure if the database was updated it did not change the data already in the project.

If this is not possible today, can it be considered as a feature request? I could see how this could be managed with role permissions to ensure only those able to make the customizations can.

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Pietro Poli

I follow

Marco Bottaro

Hi Chris, thanks for your question! At the moment, the only way to ensure that your data does not change on you when you add new data to your database is to add a new record.

In future, we intend to add the functionality to track record changes that would make it possible to subscribe to a version of the record. Would you be interested in discussing your use case in more detail? That would enable us to specify the functionality in more detail.

Best,

Marco

Chris Cashon

Hi @Marco Bottaro. I'd be happy to share more if that would help!

Marco Bottaro

@Chris Cashon

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your willingness to share more details about your use case. This is extremely helpful for our product team.

To make the most of your input, could you provide some additional context around:

What specific type of data are you typically selecting from Datahub and then needing to modify? (Client information, specifications, project templates, etc.)
Is this modification usually minor (changing a single value) or more substantial?
How frequently do you need to make these modifications? Is it exceptional or common?
What happens in your current workflow when you need to make these modifications? What workarounds are you using?
What specific business impact would solving this problem have? (Time saved, fewer errors, etc.)

The more concrete your example is, the better we can understand the need. For instance, if you could walk through a typical scenario where this issue occurs, that would be ideal:

"We select X from our database"
"We need to modify Y field because of Z reason"
"Currently we have to do A, which causes B problem"

Just your real-world experience with the challenge. This will help us prioritize and design a solution that truly meets your needs.

Thanks again, Marco

Chris Cashon

Marco,

Apologies for the long delay:

What specific type of data are you typically selecting from Datahub and then needing to modify? (Client information, specifications, project templates, etc.) - We run a third party risk management process using Wrike. We have a large spreadsheet based controls and risks library that are based on regulatory standards and our policies. This spreadsheet is intended for consistency, but the challenge is we need to constantly copy and paste from that library to ensure that when we add a risk that is based on a violation of a policy or standard that is the same each time. We utilize tasks with a unique task type to document our risks and so we can track them from identification to completion. If we have a living library in Wrike, we could greatly improve the efficiency of this task. The challenge is... (see number 2)
Is this modification usually minor (changing a single value) or more substantial? We need a way that once the risk is added, it can be adjusted as needed, whether that be the content of the risk or the rating, for that specific review without impacting the master record. Changes could include the content of the risk, its rating, or its mitigation plan, all needed to ensure we cater the risk to the specific needs of the solution. This sounds like every situation is unique and datahub is not suitable for us, but....see 3
How frequently do you need to make these modifications? Is it exceptional or common? About 50-60% of the time the risk remains as it is written in our controls and risk library.
What happens in your current workflow when you need to make these modifications? What workarounds are you using? Currently, we use a spreadsheet (its faster than another form, like a sharepoint site), to copy and paste each control or risk into our risk list for a solution. We process between 250 and 300 reviews a year, and we expect that to increase each year, particularly with annual review requirements for critical systems.
What specific business impact would solving this problem have? (Time saved, fewer errors, etc.) All of the above. This will improve our efficiency, reduce errors, resource workload, and greatly increase the consistency we apply risk to our reviews.

As an example:

1. We identify a risk that violates one of our policies. This is a standard, and commonly occurring risk.

2. We add the risk using datahub, keying in the risk id and letting datahub fill in the rest, quickly filling in the information and saving time on keying in the same information every time the risk is identified.

3. For this particular situation, there is a unique requirement to change the risks rating as the data within the system is more sensitive, making the risk rating higher that the standard rating. In addition, we need to modify the standard mitigation plan based on the vendor's capabilities that is equally secure, but not the standard plan.

4. Using datahub, if we modify these fields, it will change the master record, which we do not want to change.

Finally, and I believe I may have seen this elsewhere on the community, it would be great to have the ability to have a datahub library question type on request forms. Specifically, the user starts typing in their vendor, for example, and the list would narrow down based on what is in the data hub so they can select their vendor. If their vendor is not on the list, they can complete their entry. The entry would then be added to the datahub for us to review and approve before it is published. If we determine there is already an entry and, for example, the user misspelled it, we could adjust and delete the suggestion. Otherwise, we could approve and it would add it to the list.

The above is a different issue, but I'll throw this in too, while I'm at it. When the user selects that entry from the datahub (or adds their own), the request form uses that entry to file that request into the folder with the matching name or create a task under the correct project! If there isn't one, it creates that folder and presents it to the system users (role based) for review and approval before publishing.

Rohan V

Hey @Chris Cashon 🙋‍♂️

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer the questions from @Marco Bottaro, I really appreciate your effort! I’ve now shared your responses with Marco for his review 👍