Advanced custom fields in monday.com: Dependency columns, formula, and location
I know monday.com has advanced column types like Formula, Dependency, and Location, but I'm struggling to find practical use cases for our team. What are some real-world examples of how these columns can improve our workflows?
3 Answers
Game-changer for us was the Formula column for project health scoring. We created a formula: IF({Status}='At Risk', 0, IF({Status}='On Track', 100, 50)) + IF({DaysRemaining}<0, -20, 0). This gives us a numeric health score we can visualize in dashboards. For Dependencies, use them for critical path tracking - when Task A is blocked, it automatically shows in the Gantt view. Location column is great for tracking client sites or event venues with integrated maps.
We use the Dependency column for our software release process. Each task shows what it depends on, and the Gantt view automatically adjusts timelines when dependencies shift. Combined with the Formula column to calculate total days between start and finish, we get accurate delivery estimates without manual calculation.
The Formula column is incredibly powerful for budget tracking. We use: {Budget} - {ActualSpend} to get remaining budget, then another formula to calculate % used. Combined with conditional formatting, our finance team can instantly see which projects are over budget. Location column works great for our field team to track job site visits.