Number Column
A Number column on a list or library stores numeric values with configurable decimal places, minimum/maximum validation, and display formatting options.
Common Use Cases
- Task effort estimation: capture estimated hours or story points in a Number column in a project task list for capacity planning and burn-down tracking
- KPI and metric tracking: store monthly or quarterly performance metrics (revenue, call volume, defect count) in a Number column for view-level sorting and Power BI reporting
- Inventory quantity management: track stock levels, reorder quantities, and units on hand in a Number column with minimum validation to flag when quantities go below threshold
- Risk score assignment: assign numeric risk scores to risk register items for sorting by severity and driving calculated risk category columns
- Rating and survey results: store Likert scale ratings (1–5 or 1–10) in a Number column for aggregation, averaging, and trending in reports
Benefits
- True numeric sorting: Number columns sort numerically, not alphabetically
- Decimal precision control: configure 0, 1, 2, or more decimal places depending on whether the column stores whole units, percentages, or precise measurements
- Percentage display option: Number columns can display values as percentages with automatic multiplication by 100, making score and completion tracking cleaner
- Min/max validation: column validation rules can reject entries outside a defined numeric range, preventing data entry errors at the point of input
- View totals and aggregation: list views can display the Sum, Average, Minimum, Maximum, and Count of a Number column in the Total row for quick statistical summaries
Key Considerations
- Decimal precision is set at the column level: all values in the column display with the same decimal precision — you cannot vary decimal places per row
- Validation formulas have limits: column validation can enforce numeric range rules but not complex cross-column conditions