Make the field required to ensure every request includes the cost center in Smartsheet forms.

Pamela runs a steady ship, but it can feel like a tug-of-war trying to keep every request tied to the right budget. The cost center isn’t just a number on a form; it’s the thread that keeps spend visible, accountable, and easy to trace when the quarterly reports come around. So, how can Pamela make sure that each request carries that essential cost center without chasing people down later? The answer is surprisingly simple: make the field required.

Let me unpack what that means in real, everyday terms.

Make it a must-fill, not a may-be

Imagine you’re filling out a form to request a new software license or a supply order. If the cost center can be left blank, the request slips through as incomplete, and someone has to follow up—causing delays, confusion, and extra back-and-forth. When you turn the cost center field into a required entry, the system politely blocks submission until a value is provided. It’s like a gatekeeper that says, “Not so fast—we need this to proceed.”

Why this works so reliably

There are a few simple truths at work here:

• Consistency beats guesswork. When every request includes the cost center, managers can group, compare, and report with confidence. There’s less “we’ll sort it out later” and more “here’s the data we need, clean and ready.”

• Delays shrink. If a form requires a cost center, there’s less back-and-forth chasing, which means faster cycles from request to action.

• Accountability rises. With the field required, the person submitting the request takes ownership of providing the correct cost center up front, rather than hoping someone else will fill in the gaps later.

A quick note about user experience

This approach works best when the form is clear and friendly. Include a short hint or placeholder text near the field, like “Select or enter cost center (e.g., 210-Research)” so users know exactly what’s expected. A touch of guidance reduces friction and speeds up submission.

Your options—why the “make it required” choice outshines the rest

Pamela has a few levers she could pull, but only one consistently delivers complete data with the least fuss. Let’s briefly compare:

• Option A: Ask for the cost center later. The risk here is real: the request sits in a limbo state, waiting for someone to fill in the missing piece. Delays creep in, and the backlog grows.

• Option B: Make the field required. This is the cleanest path. It prevents incomplete submissions upfront, so the cost center arrives with the request every time.

• Option C: Provide a contact for questions. Helpful after the fact, yes, but it doesn’t ensure you’ll get the right data on the first try. It’s more of a courtesy than a guarantee.

• Option D: Include an optional note. Optional can become optional in practice, which means some submissions still arrive without the cost center. Inconsistency is the enemy of clarity.

The logic is simple: you want a rule that reduces variability, not one that relies on human memory to fill gaps.

How to set this up in Smartsheet (the practical steps)

If Pamela uses Smartsheet forms to collect requests, the process is straightforward:

1. Create or identify the cost center field

• If you don’t already have a cost center field, add one. It can be a text field, but a drop-down or category field tends to reduce errors (and helps with reporting).

2. Build or edit the form so the field is required

• In the form builder, click the cost center field and switch the setting to “Required.” This makes the system block submission until a value is chosen or entered.

• Add a small instruction nearby, like “Choose the cost center from the list or type it in.” This reduces confusion and speeds things up.

3. Provide a validated list when possible

• If your organization has a fixed set of cost centers, use a drop-down list. People can select quickly, and you get clean data. It’s less error-prone than free text.

4. Add context with helpful hints

• A short note or tooltip can remind submitters why the cost center matters. Something like, “Cost center enables accurate budgeting and faster approval.”

5. Test the flow

• Run a couple of test submissions to confirm that the form won’t submit when the field is empty and that valid entries go through smoothly.

6. Enable lightweight checks downstream

• Consider lightweight automation that flags any unexpected gaps in reports, just in case someone bypasses the form for any reason. The first line of defense, though, should be the form rule itself.

When to tweak the approach

Sometimes the cost center data is not a perfect fit for a fixed list. If you consistently get valid but varied notations (like 210-Research vs. 210-Research-DeptA), you might need a normalization step in your automation after submission. But even then, the form stays a powerful gatekeeper, drastically reducing the likelihood of missing data in the first place.

Real-world fruit on the vine: it’s all about clarity

Think of the cost center field as a map pin. If you drop a pin that isn’t precise, you end up with a scattered trail—lost in the wrong corner of the budget. When the pin is required and precise, everyone can follow the route: who requested, what they want, and, crucially, where the spend belongs. That clarity isn’t just nice to have; it’s the backbone of reliable reporting and faster decision-making.

Common pitfalls and quick remedies

• Pitfall: Users see the field as a nuisance and rush to submit anyway. Remedy: keep the field presentation short and clear, with a practical example in the hint text.

• Pitfall: The cost center list isn’t up to date. Remedy: schedule a periodic quick refresh of the list to reflect new or reorganized units.

• Pitfall: A few exceptions slip through because of unusual cost centers. Remedy: maintain a small, controlled process for exceptions, and log them for future standardization.

Practical tips to get more wins

• Tie the form to a central cost center registry. That makes updates painless and reduces the chance of typos.

• Use conditional logic if you have different forms for different request types. A cost center field remains required, but you can tailor help text per form so it feels natural to the user.

• Pair the form rule with a light post-submission check. If you notice a pattern where a certain cost center is often missing, investigate whether the field’s behavior or the list needs refinement.

• Communicate the value. A brief message in the form or a quick internal memo that “cost center data improves budgeting accuracy and reporting speed” helps teams see why this matters.

A little perspective, a lot of impact

In many teams, details like cost centers aren’t just data—they’re signals that tell the story of where resources go. When Pamela makes the cost center a required field, she’s not just preventing a missing piece; she’s helping the whole workflow stay transparent and accountable. It’s a small change with a big payoff: fewer follow-ups, more reliable numbers, and a smoother ride from request to action.

If you’re implementing this with your own forms and sheets, you’ll notice a rhythm sooner than later: a clean, complete submission becomes the norm, not the exception. The team will move faster, stakeholders will have more confidence in the numbers, and the budget story will line up with reality more often than not.

Closing thought

Sometimes the simplest rule is the most powerful one. By making the cost center field required, Pamela sets a standard that supports clarity, speed, and accountability. It’s the kind of practical move that quietly changes how teams operate—one filled-out form at a time. And when everyone knows where the spend belongs, the whole project runs a little smoother, a little more predictably, and with a touch more grace.