Child Table Field Question

Question

I have a table called "Crane Inspections" that is the child table of a table called "Open Crane Deficiencies". I am trying to have a way to put in deficiencies (up to 4 in one form) that are either existing (noted on previous inspections and still an issue) or new. On the crane inspection form, a crane is selected from a multiple choice field, 23 different questions are completed, then deficiencies (existing or new) are annotated at the bottom.

I have a way that this works now, but I am trying to make better. Right now, I have a pipeline that triggers when a new crane deficiency is put in the form (also up to 4 new ones) and creates open deficiency records in that parent Open Crane Deficiencies table. Our maintenance department goes and works on correcting the deficiency, then closes it out which deletes the record from that table. Meanwhile, on the crane inspection form, that previous open deficiency option will no longer be one on the existing crane deficiencies multiple choice field (the table-to-table relationship field).

My more ideal end state is rather than have to manually select up to 4 existing deficiencies every time an inspection is completed, I would like for the up to 4 fields to be automatically populated with the existing deficiencies from the parent table. Then some way for the inspector to confirm those are still deficiencies, or enter new ones in as I have before.

Please let me know if there is any clarification needed. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Top Step · Answer

I’d change the structure a bit so you’re not juggling four fixed deficiency fields.

Make Cranes its own table, with Inspections and Deficiencies both as children of Crane, and pick the crane on the inspection through that relationship instead of a multiple choice field. Instead of deleting a deficiency when maintenance fixes it, give it a Status of Open or Closed so you keep the history.

Then add a small Inspection Findings table that’s a child of both Inspections and Deficiencies, with a [Still Present] checkbox.

A pipeline that fires when an inspection is created searches Deficiencies for that crane where Status is Open, and creates one finding for each, linked to the inspection and the deficiency by Record ID#. Put a Findings report on the inspection form, and after the first save the inspector just checks off what’s still there in grid edit.

New deficiencies get added as Deficiency records tied to the crane and the inspection, and they show up on the next inspection automatically. It also gets rid of the limit of 4.

Want more detail? I wrote a full walkthrough here: https://www.topstep.tech/blog/quickbase-carry-open-deficiencies-into-new-inspections

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