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In today's world of modern technology, where every second counts, automation has become a key element of successful business operations. This is especially true for companies involved in organizing events, where coordination is one of the most critical aspects. Since we specialize in developing solutions using No/Low Code technologies, we decided to share our case on solving the issue of speaker duplication at different events simultaneously in Airtable.
This is an example of why you shouldn't settle for ready-made solutions when No/Low Code development can enhance a tool to meet 100% of your business needs. Such comprehensive solutions can become indispensable tools for improving efficiency and avoiding human errors.
Problem and Solution
To manage events, we use Airtable—a database that looks like spreadsheets and offers a convenient visual interface for managing records. Airtable allows for the seamless combination of large datasets while maintaining user comfort. This service is particularly useful for those without experience in database management, thanks to its built-in automations and the ability to customize database views, such as displaying data in a calendar or timeline format.
One of the pressing issues our client's company faced was preventing the same speaker from participating in different events simultaneously.
The core of the problem was the human factor. People often missed details, leading to conflicts between speakers and the audience. To address this issue, we developed a micro-solution for event management that helps avoid scheduling different events with the same speaker at the same time.
Similar issues can have a significant impact on various fields, including educational institutions, the event industry, and the healthcare sector. In educational institutions, scheduling conflicts degrade the learning process as students cannot attend all necessary events, and teachers must choose between multiple engagements, affecting their preparation and the quality of their sessions. In the event industry, simultaneous events reduce the number of participants in each, negatively impacting the organizers' reputation and potentially leading to financial losses. Logistical challenges, resource overuse, and staff overload further complicate the situation. In healthcare, scheduling conflicts involving doctors' participation in multiple events simultaneously diminish the quality of patient care and complicate the planning of medical facility operations. Common problems across all fields include financial losses due to inefficient resource management, psychological stress on staff and participants, and missed opportunities for networking, learning, and professional development. These situations require careful planning and the use of modern technologies for automated event management, interdepartmental coordination, and transparent communication to minimize human error and avoid conflicts. Solving these issues will enhance organizational efficiency, participant satisfaction, and overall service quality.
Initially, we attempted to solve the problem using Airtable's standard automation methods. However, when faced with certain limitations, we turned to low-code technologies. We needed to resolve the issue within Airtable since our database resides on this platform.
Airtable can either check a record against a condition or iterate over records to perform actions, but it cannot do both simultaneously. We needed to iterate through all records and check them against a condition at the same time, so we decided to use a custom script directly within Airtable.
The development process began with gathering requirements from the team we were working with. After that, we designed the logic and wrote the script, which took about one to two days. Testing and refinement took an additional 30 minutes. As a result, we delivered an effective event management solution that significantly reduced the risk of conflicts and improved the quality of event organization.
Predicting risks proved to be a critical task in solving the problem. Although it may seem non-obvious, we encountered several issues that required a thorough analysis of possible consequences and the implementation of appropriate measures. To successfully address these challenges, it was necessary to have a deep understanding of JavaScript, work with objects, arrays, and their methods. Our solution also required efficient scripting within Airtable, as the platform has its own documentation, which we studied in detail. It was important to consider all the connections and logically place alerts within the record to avoid conflicts with other data. Our work involved careful analysis of the event chain, including records, speakers, and notifications.
Behind the Scenes: Exploring Alternatives, Testing, and Bug Hunting
We considered several alternatives to solve our problem. One of the options was using Make. However, this tool turned out to be too expensive since each step in the scenario required payment. Considering that a typical scenario could involve 300-400 records, and the button could be pressed 5-10 times a day, the total number of operations increased significantly, making this option financially unfeasible.
Another alternative was writing a script using Google Apps Script. However, in the context of our workflow, this solution did not offer significant advantages and did not justify its use.
Using Google Apps Script, you can automate various tasks and extend the functionality of Google products. For example, you can create scripts for automatically generating reports in Google Sheets, automatically sending emails via Gmail, or working with data in Google Drive. Additionally, Google Apps Script integrates with other Google services, enabling you to create advanced solutions based on these services.
Google Apps Script is available for free to Google users and offers a wide range of capabilities for creating convenient tools and automating routine tasks.
The testing process began during the code-writing phase. Airtable provides a convenient feature that allows you to immediately test the script’s response using the "Test" button. This helped identify and fix errors during development. Afterward, we created several test records and conducted additional testing. If an error occurred, such as a duplicate record for a speaker, we adjusted the event date, and the error disappeared.
After the initial testing, we handed the script over to the service team for further testing. We conducted a demonstration, they reviewed the script’s functionality, and then began their testing.
To track errors, Airtable has a built-in script execution history feature. Error information is automatically sent to me. I review the causes of errors, analyze the script’s response, and either fix it or inform the team of the need to change the approach.
In Airtable, there is a limitation on the script execution time—it can only run for 30 seconds. When processing many records, this can take longer, but thanks to efficient functions that do not overload the script, the process remains fast. We load all records simultaneously and work with them using JavaScript, which significantly increases the script's speed.
How the Solution Works
At present, our solution operates semi-automatically. After an event is created, the user clicks a button that triggers the script. The script automatically goes through all records of upcoming events and checks for the presence of the speaker on the specified date. If such a record already exists, the script highlights the issue and suggests resolving it by changing the date or the speaker.
This script has broad applicability and is not limited to event organization. For example, it can be useful for managing meetings where it is necessary to limit the number of client meetings per day. It can also control social media posts, avoiding duplicate posts on the same account, especially if an agency manages multiple companies.
This control mechanism allows for increased work efficiency across various fields, reduces the risk of conflicts, and ensures accurate resource and event management.
Here’s just a surface-level list of examples:
- Event Organization: Avoiding schedule conflicts, automating speaker availability checks.
- Meeting Management: Controlling the number of meetings per day, avoiding schedule overload.
- Social Media Management (SMM): Ensuring reliable posts across different company accounts, avoiding duplicate posts.
- Calendar Planner: Automating and controlling event and meeting schedules.
- Resource and Equipment Management: Checking resource availability on specific dates, avoiding overlap in usage.
- Logistics and Coordination: Identifying potential conflicts in delivery schedules and services.
Future Plans, Integration of the Solution, and Conclusions
If your company plans to integrate our ready-made solution, the process of adding it is literally just two clicks. However, if you decide to create this solution from scratch, you will need a deep understanding of code and working with Airtable, which can take a significant amount of time, especially if there is no experienced developer available.
This tool can be customized according to your needs. For example, you can expand its functionality to include checking not just for a specific date, but for a period of several days. It’s also possible to set a limit on the number of events checked per day.
In a broader application, this tool can be useful in various fields. It can help manage shift and vacation schedules in HR management, avoid duplicate patient records in medical facilities, and coordinate class and exam schedules in educational institutions. At conferences and other events, the tool will help coordinate speaker schedules and room usage in a timely manner.
Using our ready-made solution will also simplify the planning and management of social media post schedules for SMM and marketing agencies, avoiding unnecessary duplicate posts.
Overall, our solution can significantly improve work efficiency and enhance data management quality across various fields.