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SmartsheetSmartsheet - I will quit my job if I can't have it!2019-04-25T18:31:35.167ZMany of my colleagues use Smartsheet as a project management tool. My department has been using it for 5 years and it has transformed our processes by streamlining tasks and providing transparency to key stakeholders. We have implemented automated approvals which has cut down on emails and human errors.,It allows for attachments and notes at the row level; this keeps many of our documents organized and viewable on the mobile app and for all those who have rights to see the sheet.
The automated approval process has cut down on manpower by 10%. This has resulted in increased productivity by eliminating repetitive but necessary steps.
Reporting - this allows the roll-up of information that reaches across multiple Smartsheets. Important information can be realized at a glance rather than looking at many spreadsheets. It also allows for the sharing of only necessary information to stake holders.
The mobile app has given me freedom to access the sheets at any time without having to store documents and information in multiple platforms.,It would be helpful when importing an Excel spreadsheet if the format would remain the same; such as the color of the rows and columns.
Sometimes when viewing rows on the mobile app, they don't align properly when scrolling across.
I would like to see more in-depth training videos.,10,It has increased productivity by at least 20% allowing our department to take on more work but with less administrative costs.
It has allowed us to provide transparency and reporting to key stakeholders. Many people in our organization use Smartsheet so it has been an easy transition to use it.
Smartsheet keeps our data protected and organized so we do not have to print information - it is ready at our fingertips with the use of the mobile app.,MS SharePointJanie LarsenHappy SmartSheet Team User2019-04-03T20:45:53.096ZSeveral departments are utilizing Smartsheet within the organization. We are fairly decentralized with several hundred locations making collaboration difficult at times. Smartsheet made project coordination much easier.I use Smartsheet primarily with my team for many different activities. We track and share time off & out of office information, track and share information on projects, as well as track team member tasks/processes/procedures, to organize and share knowledge documents, and for notices and collaboration across other HR groups.,Collaboration. Smartsheet makes it very easy to share information with multiple users at the same time. It also has great functionality for sharing with non-users with great options for read-only or allowing those outside users to even edit sheets.
Project management. Smartsheet has all of the functionality that Microsoft Project does, but is much easier to use. You can import and export Excel, Project, or a few other formats, and the system has multiple options for entering information. Different types of views can be deployed or updated easily.
Reporting from Smartsheet is very easy. You can take data from multiple different sheets and combine them into one report. Depending on the user access you can also edit information from a report to update the original Smartsheets.,Gantt Charts: While the functionality here is very good, sometimes there could be some better options with the automatic coloration of these charts. Additionally, exporting is a little limited.
Formulas: There are a lot of basic formula options but there could be more. Additionally, calculations across multiple sheets could also be improved.
Pivot tables: These are only available as an additional add-on app. I wish this functionality would be standard.,10,It has allowed us to get easily organized and share the progress of projects with the team and some of our internal customers allowing us to deliver information much quicker, and reduce some of the meetings times and back and forth.
It has allowed us to easily collect process and procedure documentation, and tack updates. Previously we had several hundred documents in many different file folders. This allows us to catalog this information quickly add in additional fields/data points for sorting/details/primary users/additional info. We can easily find and share this information, and overall we are much more efficient.,Microsoft Project and JIRA Software,Microsoft VisioJoshua PekarEnhance Project Management with Smartsheet!2018-12-17T19:54:35.437ZOur business development team and project management team uses Smartsheet to create Gantt charts for proposals and for managing projects. It used across the organization to support project management.
It supports our project leadership, management, organization and resource management,Gantt Charts
Project tracking
Project task management/critical paths,A few more options re: printing would be helpful (e.g. only print certain project phases or timelines),9,Has enhanced the quality of our proposals as we can include a professional looking Gantt chart in the proposal document
Improved our ability to manage multiple projects
Helped us with being more efficient when it comes to task management,Xero, Hubdoc, Receipt Bank Practice PlatformNicola (Nicki) MorrisCollaborate Securely With Powerful Project Management2019-05-18T17:21:27.675ZWe often use Smartsheet for cross-departmental projects. For example, we use it to manage our annual process of activating and billing our new students each August. It allows us to interact with the same checklist of tasks in real time during a conference call while offering better security than Google Sheets.,For login purposes, we love that Smartsheet integrates with our university's existing login credentials.
Smartsheet allows users to attach files to cells within a sheet. We have not seen this with similar products.
The "Email Shared Users" feature is very convenient for notifying all interested parties of updates.,The visual appearance of Smartsheet seems a bit outdated compared to products like Google Sheets.
Depending on how a link to a sheet is sent to users, it sometimes takes a series of clicks to figure out how to log in with your company's credentials.
It appears that Smartsheet does not accommodate the use of functions/equations within a sheet to the same level of complexity as Google Sheets.,7,Smartsheet has provided a central task tracking hub for activating and billing our new students.
We have found it valuable that multiple users can edit a sheet at the same time.
Smartsheet's security measures are stronger than products like Google Sheets, including integrating with our company login credentials.,Google Drive,JIRA Software, BMC FootPrints Service Core, Box, IBM Cognos, PeopleSoft Campus SolutionsVerified UserSmartsheet is a great timeline creation tool2019-05-15T14:54:35.897ZSmartsheet is used in the project management department. Its main objective is to manage project timelines, produce visualizations, automate updates. The features are utilized to be both internally and externally facing. While it is used to manage projects and resources from an internal perspective, it is also shared with clients and project stakeholders.,Automates updates
Visualize timelines, milestones and corresponding resources
Easy training for new users
Excellent export to Excel and other platforms,More modern UI,7,Positive: increase efficiency in templatizing timelines.
Positive: increase efficiency in automating updates to timelines.
Positive: increase efficiency in collaborating project management.,Aha! and Google Drive,Harvest, Slack, DocuSign, Pipedrive, Sublime Text, ZoomVerified UserUnspecified
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Smartsheet
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Reviews (1-25 of 66)
April 25, 2019
Review: "Smartsheet - I will quit my job if I can't have it!"
Sr. Partnership Development & Events
McGraw-Hill EducationE-Learning, 1001-5000 employees
Many of my colleagues use Smartsheet as a project management tool. My department has been using it for 5 years and it has transformed our processes by streamlining tasks and providing transparency to key stakeholders. We have implemented automated approvals which has cut down on emails and human errors.
- It allows for attachments and notes at the row level; this keeps many of our documents organized and viewable on the mobile app and for all those who have rights to see the sheet.
- The automated approval process has cut down on manpower by 10%. This has resulted in increased productivity by eliminating repetitive but necessary steps.
- Reporting - this allows the roll-up of information that reaches across multiple Smartsheets. Important information can be realized at a glance rather than looking at many spreadsheets. It also allows for the sharing of only necessary information to stake holders.
- The mobile app has given me freedom to access the sheets at any time without having to store documents and information in multiple platforms.
- It would be helpful when importing an Excel spreadsheet if the format would remain the same; such as the color of the rows and columns.
- Sometimes when viewing rows on the mobile app, they don't align properly when scrolling across.
- I would like to see more in-depth training videos.
I use Smartsheet to manage work load between colleagues and freelancers. It is a critical partner of our project management team. A few use cases include response forms with automated row population, alerts to row changes, cell history, formulas, budget/actual dollar spend reports, workload issues on teams, task progress and gantt chart timelines. The functionality potential with Smartsheet is endless! There is a learning curve - especially with reporting and dashboards. I could not do my job without Smartsheet!
April 03, 2019
User Review: "Happy SmartSheet Team User"
HRIS Manager
Penske Truck LeasingTransportation/Trucking/Railroad, 10,001+ employees
Several departments are utilizing Smartsheet within the organization. We are fairly decentralized with several hundred locations making collaboration difficult at times. Smartsheet made project coordination much easier.
I use Smartsheet primarily with my team for many different activities. We track and share time off & out of office information, track and share information on projects, as well as track team member tasks/processes/procedures, to organize and share knowledge documents, and for notices and collaboration across other HR groups.
- Collaboration. Smartsheet makes it very easy to share information with multiple users at the same time. It also has great functionality for sharing with non-users with great options for read-only or allowing those outside users to even edit sheets.
- Project management. Smartsheet has all of the functionality that Microsoft Project does, but is much easier to use. You can import and export Excel, Project, or a few other formats, and the system has multiple options for entering information. Different types of views can be deployed or updated easily.
- Reporting from Smartsheet is very easy. You can take data from multiple different sheets and combine them into one report. Depending on the user access you can also edit information from a report to update the original Smartsheets.
- Gantt Charts: While the functionality here is very good, sometimes there could be some better options with the automatic coloration of these charts. Additionally, exporting is a little limited.
- Formulas: There are a lot of basic formula options but there could be more. Additionally, calculations across multiple sheets could also be improved.
- Pivot tables: These are only available as an additional add-on app. I wish this functionality would be standard.
While Smartsheet can't quite do everything Excel can, it can completely replace Microsoft Project and some other collaboration tools. I really like the sharing ability within the tool, and the fact that your sheets come with multiple options for sharing to users who do not even have Smartsheet accounts. It makes collaboration very easy. It also has good options to store and track documentation and comments related to each item/task.
December 17, 2018
Review: "Enhance Project Management with Smartsheet!"
CEO | Management Consultant
The Neoteric GroupManagement Consulting, 1-10 employees
Our business development team and project management team uses Smartsheet to create Gantt charts for proposals and for managing projects. It used across the organization to support project management.
It supports our project leadership, management, organization and resource management
It supports our project leadership, management, organization and resource management
- Gantt Charts
- Project tracking
- Project task management/critical paths
- A few more options re: printing would be helpful (e.g. only print certain project phases or timelines)
It's well suited to any organization that needs to manage one or more projects, including management of project resources, timelines, deliverables, critical paths & dependencies, etc.
May 18, 2019
Smartsheet: "Collaborate Securely With Powerful Project Management"
Verified User
Analyst in Information Technology
Higher Education Company, 5001-10,000 employeesWe often use Smartsheet for cross-departmental projects. For example, we use it to manage our annual process of activating and billing our new students each August. It allows us to interact with the same checklist of tasks in real time during a conference call while offering better security than Google Sheets.
- For login purposes, we love that Smartsheet integrates with our university's existing login credentials.
- Smartsheet allows users to attach files to cells within a sheet. We have not seen this with similar products.
- The "Email Shared Users" feature is very convenient for notifying all interested parties of updates.
- The visual appearance of Smartsheet seems a bit outdated compared to products like Google Sheets.
- Depending on how a link to a sheet is sent to users, it sometimes takes a series of clicks to figure out how to log in with your company's credentials.
- It appears that Smartsheet does not accommodate the use of functions/equations within a sheet to the same level of complexity as Google Sheets.
Smartsheet is a great project management tool, whether or not the users work within the same team. It works well for storing a checklist of tasks that need to be completed. If users want to provide evidence that a task was completed, Smartsheet's ability to attach files to a cell/sheet is valuable. It is less appropriate for situations where complex spreadsheet functions/equations are needed.
May 15, 2019
Review: "Smartsheet is a great timeline creation tool"
Verified User
Account Manager in Product Management
Health, Wellness and Fitness Company, 11-50 employeesSmartsheet is used in the project management department. Its main objective is to manage project timelines, produce visualizations, automate updates. The features are utilized to be both internally and externally facing. While it is used to manage projects and resources from an internal perspective, it is also shared with clients and project stakeholders.
- Automates updates
- Visualize timelines, milestones and corresponding resources
- Easy training for new users
- Excellent export to Excel and other platforms
- More modern UI
A specific scenario in which Smartsheet is well suited is for creating project timelines that follow the waterfall management methodology. It is quick to create milestones, define dependencies, and assign resources. It is also well suited for project updates to quickly change dates due to unforeseen delays.
A scenario in which Smartsheet is less appropriate is for assigning corresponding tickets or tasks that accompany a timeline or milestone.
A scenario in which Smartsheet is less appropriate is for assigning corresponding tickets or tasks that accompany a timeline or milestone.
November 28, 2018
Review: "Smartsheets is the best tool in my PM toolbox"
Verified User
Project Manager in Professional Services
Management Consulting Company, 51-200 employeesSmartsheet is used by our Project Management team to manage our project plans for our many clients. Smartsheet's easy-to-use UI will instantly feel familiar to anyone who has used MS Excel or any similar database tools. This interface allows new users to easily dive right in, without relying on tutorials like some of the other leading PM tools in the marketplace that are less intuitive and perhaps even overly-complex. I track project plans down to the task level in Smartsheet, and all of our project budgets are managed within the tool itself, as well.
- Easy to use and intuitive
- Sleek, clean user interface
- Manages user groups, security, and permissions with ease
- Parent / Child relationships at the 'sub-task' level could be easier to use. Sometimes i have issues 'rolling-up' data / numbers when I get below one level or two of sub-tasks. However it may just be user-error, as I have not had the time to investigate further or reference user manuals or tutorials.
- Nothing else. Smartsheet works quite well and does not leave much to be desired.
Smartsheets is very well suited for building and managing project plans, no matter how simple or complex they are. Budgets are easily managed and maintained, as are scheduling dates and assigning users 'action items' and permissions, with cell-level security features available out of the box.
Smartsheets is well suited for collaboration. Multiple users, if given admin or editor privileges have the ability to make changes at once, avoiding issues that often can materialize regarding versioning errors typical, as a result of multiple authors or editors.
For project managers, smartsheets has multiple 'views' available, which can come in handy depending on your specific purpose. For those interested in seeing all of the details, the standard view is a table/spreadsheet type of view. For a more agile approach, or a simplified user view, their 'task-list' type view can help to easily view in a card-type of format and classify those tasks that have been 'completed' versus 'in-progress' , 'in qa' or other relevant category / classification. Other views include the Gannt chart view, which is helpful for seeing things in a calendar-like view, helpful in showcasing things like dependencies.
Smartsheets is well suited for collaboration. Multiple users, if given admin or editor privileges have the ability to make changes at once, avoiding issues that often can materialize regarding versioning errors typical, as a result of multiple authors or editors.
For project managers, smartsheets has multiple 'views' available, which can come in handy depending on your specific purpose. For those interested in seeing all of the details, the standard view is a table/spreadsheet type of view. For a more agile approach, or a simplified user view, their 'task-list' type view can help to easily view in a card-type of format and classify those tasks that have been 'completed' versus 'in-progress' , 'in qa' or other relevant category / classification. Other views include the Gannt chart view, which is helpful for seeing things in a calendar-like view, helpful in showcasing things like dependencies.
December 18, 2018
Smartsheet Review: "The Product Name Says it All!"
Verified User
Program Manager in Customer Service
Computer Software Company, 10,001+ employeesWe primarily use SmartSheet at my company for managing internal projects (we use different software for external project management). It's very useful for the simple capture of project requirements (and for later reference) and tracking tasks. We also use SmartSheet for collecting requests from stakeholders using the form function which is very handy since it can populate straight into the sheet. Then, we use some Gantt type functions for managing the timelines of the project tasks and who owns. We have also used SmartSheet joined to our Business Insights tool as a way to capture reference data needed in a dataset otherwise connected to a production system, e.g., adding notes to priority orders. Pretty neat!
- The Form is a great feature. It allows sheet managers to create a simple user interface for capturing data from other users that you may not want to have access to the full sheet. It's also just a simple way for inputting data without distractions if the sheet is complex. I have used the form myself many times where it was the least distracting method to input data for many rows.
- Smartsheet's pre-built templates make a great starting point for many different applications of the tool. I have used the project management template many times and it makes setup of simple to complex projects with goals and timelines much easier, allowing easy flipping between sheet view, Gantt view or calendar view to track project tasks and milestones.
- Frequent improvements, with easy-to-follow notifications highlighting the improvements! It's great to see a product that gets regular updates to improve functionality and user experience. Even better when a company includes simple, helpful communications about those updates. I think Smartsheet does a great job of both. I regularly see a tutorial popup when logging into Smartsheet to highlight some new features, which is easily dismissed if I want to check it out later.
- Version control could use improvement. I'm not sure if this is a feature included in a higher level license than mine, but currently the only way I can find to track changes is cell history. If there are major rollbacks needed on the sheet, it can be tedious to do this by individual cells, which I have had to do. Still better than no version control though.
- A bulk sharing option would be nice. Currently, it seems the only option to share is by searching users and adding one by one. There's an option to create a group and share with the group, but adding users to the group is the same issue: one by one. A list import option would be ideal, especially since you can import sheets for use within the product. I would like to import a group by using a sheet of email addresses. If that feature exists I cannot find it in the product or product documentation.
Under just about any circumstance where you'd need basic spreadsheet functionality, using Smartsheet would be advisable over a file form like Excel. If collaboration on said sheet(s) is needed, Smartsheet makes that collaboration so much easier. I have worked in scenarios where spreadsheet files were used and shared through file sharing services, but that means more difficult version control and locking/unlocking files to ensure other users don't edit the wrong version. Smartsheet averts all those issues.
December 11, 2018
Review: "Smartsheets is a smart workplace solution"
Verified User
Administrator in Finance and Accounting
Telecommunications Company, 1001-5000 employeesMany different departments across the company use Smartsheet for different purposes. I feel that they are most helpful for inter-departmental requests that need to be logged. It allows us to share data between departments and across the globe without having to give access to secure databases on our servers. Smartsheet is one of the fastest and straightforward ways to allow people from multiple locations to collaborate on files.
- The Smartsheet interface is very user friendly and organized.
- The Smartsheet website is very fast and can be accessed from anywhere.
- It is so easy and quick to share files with anyone anywhere in the world with Smartsheet.
- I wish there was an autosave feature. It is very frustrating when there is an interruption in your connection and data gets lost.
- You cannot view changes in real time like you can with some other similar programs. You have to refresh to see changes made by others.
- The site is often under maintenance.
Smartsheet is best for sharing basic data or request logs that are not often edited at the same time by different people. It works very well if one person edits and then later someone else goes in to retrieve the data or make edits, but if two or more people are working at the same time, they may end up doing overlapping work since the changes do not update until you save and refresh.
August 16, 2018
Review: "Excel on steroids! If you manage a team that manages a ton of projects, Smartsheet is a LIFESAVER! It's familiar, dynamic, and comprehensive in its reporting and dashboard features."
Sr. Partnership Development & Events Manager
McGraw-Hill EducationPublishing, 1001-5000 employees
We use Smartsheet to share dynamic project info and manage multiple projects with changing information on a daily basis. Our entire organization uses an enterprise level account, but we are power users in our department. My team manages over 75+ projects with multiple moving parts and I need an easy way to see a snapshot of daily progress on all projects, as well as a dashboard view that includes statuses. Smartsheet does just that. We think of it as Excel on steroids, that you can maintain in a live, real-time environment. It has made my team faster and more accurate for sure.
- Dashboards. If you know how to use them, they can combine the info and data from multiple sheets into one comprehensive view. This is crucial if you are managing a team that manages multiple projects in Smartsheet. It's like having all of the up to date, real time info at my fingertips.
- Love that they went mobile. I can check info onsite when I'm traveling without having to login to my computer or have my computer with me.
- I would love to see the ability customize some of the forms with our own branding.
- I would love the ability to be able to delete a sheet, even if I was not the owner. Perhaps maybe give an overall administrator status. We have folks who have left the company and I cannot delete their old sheets. It gets very cluttered.
Again, if you are the head of a department and manage multiple project managers, Smartsheet will keep you organized, keep your info up to date and safe online, and will give you the tools you need to access on desktop or mobile. It will create efficiencies just by convenience alone. It also helps our organization become more GDPR compliant. With a million different Excel spreadsheets floating around, saved on different laptops, it's hard to track and manage privacy issues. With Smartsheet, it's all online, in one spot and deleted that data is easy.
May 23, 2018
User Review: "Smartsheet virtually does it all!"
UX Program Manager
Google via Artech Information SystemsInternet, 10,001+ employees
Smartsheet is used by multiple groups across the organization. Each department uses it to address unique department challenges. My team uses it to track projects from development/standup work to high-level dashboard reporting on projects within the portfolio. There are many projects and limited resources. Smartsheet really helps me keep track of all projects under my purview.
- Organizing and editing of items
- Aggregated reporting of disparate sheet
- Many structured categories
- Flexible templates for many use cases
- Better linking between Smartsheets
- Integration with Google Forms where submissions can go straight to a Smartsheet.
- Allow for card creation at all levels (when view is changed from grid mode that has nested rows)
Well suited for project planning, sprint planning/tracking, task assignment. Less appropriate for image/asset repository even though one could use it for such function.
August 28, 2018
Smartsheet Review: "Easy to use project management solution at the right cost!"
Systems Analyst
Frederick Primary Care Associates, P.A.Medical Practice, 201-500 employees
Smartsheet is being used throughout many departments and users in our organization to collect, store and report on information such as employment applications, training registrations, and employee suggestions. We are also using it for project management to keep track of assigned staff, timelines and tasks to complete. With the notifications and alerts, Smartsheet allows us to keep track of a wide variety of tasks and organize our work.
- The thing that made Smartsheet stand out to us from other project management solutions was how easy it is to use. The spreadsheet-like layout allows users to jump in and use it without much, if any, training. Once you are comfortable with the basic spreadsheet functions, you can dive into formulas and different layout options to make it as complex as you like.
- Alerts and Notifications help keep you aware of changes made or when certain tasks are due. It's easy to end up with a multitude of sheets and lose track of where you stand or what is due. With the variety of ways that you can set up notifications and alerts, Smartsheet does the work for you.
- I would love to see new features rolled out a little more quickly. Many users have been waiting for some time for the ability to multi-select items in a list.
Smartsheet is well suited for those with a desire to track projects and resources, without the intricacies of bulkier project management solutions. If you are a large organization with a significant number of employees to track, Smartsheet may be too simple.
August 16, 2018
Review: "SmartSheet is a great product for everyone!"
Senior Project Coordinator
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - PNNLResearch, 1001-5000 employees
We utilize SmartSheet in various functions in our daily work. One of the aspects that I appreciate the most is the scheduling aspect, and the reporting functions. I really enjoy the collaboration capabilities and the ease of the conditional formatting. The import and export functions are extremely useful in order to share sheets with non users.
- Conditional formatting makes it easy for anyone to personalize a sheet!
- Sharing sheets with free users, and they really have a considerable amount of usability!
- The scheduling aspect combined with many of the traditional Excel functions.
- Some of the automated update requests could use some tweaking. It would be nice to be able to send an automated request update to a contact list without a trigger.
- It seems as though there are a lot of requested functions that are not addressed.
- The sheet limitations seem a little low considering the package we are paying for.
Any scenario where you need to continually update a sheet with information from various people, or use it as a scheduling program. The ability to create forms in order to capture data from various sources and automatically feed into a sheet is amazing. Having notifications and request updates when a line of data changes is also very nice as well.
August 15, 2018
Review: "Smartsheet is a great tool for team collaboration!"
International Franchise Paralegal
CKE Restaurants, Inc.Restaurants, 5001-10,000 employees
I work for a holding company which works with restaurant franchisees both domestically and abroad. Naturally, our international team is spread around the globe, so in order to share information and documents fluidly, we need a web-based system to be able to do so. Smartsheet is one of the many tools we use to do that. As the sole franchise paralegal for the international team, I utilize Smartsheet in conjunction with our international operations personnel located abroad to keep track of our current franchisees, prospective franchisees, development schedules, etc. I love that we can all work in the system at the same time and receive real-time updates from coworkers anywhere in the world. It's a great tool for us, and I highly recommend it!
- Provide real-time updates
- Allow multiple users to view and edit simultaneously
- Simple, easy-to-use interface
- Document security
- I haven't come across any cons, personally, in my use of this system
The only scenario where I wouldn't recommend using Smartsheet would be if you want to lock a document for editing by anyone other than yourself. While it does allow you to choose who has access, the whole point of the system (in my opinion) is to allow for document collaboration. Any situation wherein you would use a spreadsheet to keep track of anything you'd share internally is a situation I'd recommend Smartsheet for.
August 15, 2018
Smartsheet Review: "Super efficient and organized"
Marketing Coordinator
SourceMediaTelecommunications, 51-200 employees
Smartsheet was used by my organization's marketing and creative departments to track all of our information. We have Smartsheet docs for contact sheets, for scheduling, and for tracking. One of the things we used Smartsheet for was to track which film studios had purchased ad buys with our owners because we needed that information to know what materials we need to create. Every week, we would generate a report on this spreadsheet, which would sort the data and give us only the relevant information for our weekly meetings. We would search by which of our owners needed the content, and then by date, so that the correct liaisons could look at their sections and then know what to work on based on the date. We also linked many of our smartsheets to a large dashboard, which was created each month, that allowed each of us to input specific information into our own personal Smartsheet docs and all of this info, combined with everyone else's, would populate into the larger dashboard, which could be looked at as a whole. That way, we each only had to put in our information once, and it would update the master dash for everyone.
- Generation reports - this is super simple to do and saves tons of time and effort. Instead of having to create reports every time you need one, we can generate a report any time and it is nearly instant.
- Linking sheets - this saves us from duplication of efforts. We will never have to input the same data into two separate sheets, instead we can update one sheet and it will populate into the linked sheets.
- Exporting documents - It is super simple to export documents into excel format so that they can be sent outside of our organization. It allows us to control what is internal, and what is shared externally.
- I preferred the old design better, but am slowly getting used to the new design.
Smartsheet is great for managing information internally within your organization. It is very easy to link sheets together, and allow different parts of your company to work together easily and without duplication of efforts. For documents that are being sent externally, it is probably easier to go with a normal Excel document that is accessible for everyone.
August 15, 2018
Smartsheet Review: "The Smarter Way to Help Your Team"
Marketing Coordinator
iN DEMAND - Leading VOD and PPV DistributorBroadcast Media, 51-200 employees
Several departments in the company utilize Smartsheet to track production and distribution of everything that we work with. It makes sure everyone is held accountable and everyone is up to date on information for every project that month. We also track assets that we bring in to work on these projects and share these sheets with other teams to make sure THEY are aware of what is in house, what is not and what to expect/when to expect it.
- Being able to utilize and connect several people and teams to efficiently have a project flow
- Organized and easy to use
- Fast-working and adaptable when updated
- I sometimes have a problem linking sheets. This comes and goes, but is a hassle
- I'd love to see a easy to use calender sheet that could be shared
I track 100s of projects every month. I also track the production of assets as far into the future as 2021. Smartsheet helps me do that efficiently and without confusion. It also gives me the option of coordinating these projects with others so that they are informed; but I can give them certain rights to my sheets so they can't edit or upset the project by mistake. For project management, Smartsheet is my go-to. However, to create a slate or a way to brainstorm I would potentially use something else.
August 15, 2018
Review: "Smartsheet - a user-friendly and functional project management tool"
Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Medical Devices Company, 51-200 employeesSmartsheet is used for project management across the whole organization. It addresses the company's needs for tracking individual project tasks, responsibilities, due dates, completion percentage as well as to provide higher level schedules, expected deliverable dates, critical path activities, and the like.
- Smartsheet is very good at tracking tasks and generating dependencies. The user interface for accomplishing these functions is very intuitive, especially for anyone who has familiarity with Microsoft Excel. It basically takes some of the functionality of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project and merges them into an application that is more user friendly.
- Smartsheet is also very good at offering connectivity and collaboration. Because of the way in which non-project management users can log in, receive notifications, and interact with the Smartsheet, it doesn't feel like it is the project manager's domain but rather something that is a tool for everyone to make use of and share.
- Smartsheet is very accessible. As a someone who used Microsoft Project in the past, it has been much more convenient to access Smartsheet through the web rather than having to ensure I have access to the latest file or ensure that multiple people aren't trying to work on the file at the same time.
- There really isn't much up-front guidance offered on using Smartsheet. As with any company, they will provide training and obviously have a help menu, but it would be nice for there to be some "forced" tips and tricks or tutorials provided to give new users the ability to "power-use" the software more quickly.
- Project files become very large, and it is often very difficult to work on different sections without getting lost within the project. This is not necessarily specific just to Smartsheet, but functionality that would enable modularization or more easy navigation to work on multiple parts of a sheet at once would be helpful.
- Communication tools within Smartsheet are not very functional or not very intuitive. Because of its collaborative nature, it would be helpful for there to be more capabilities for communication within the application about changes being made or between users who are editing the same sheet.
Smartsheet is well suited for detailing project tasks, assigning task responsibilities, and tracking project progress, especially within a team of people. Its accessibility makes it ideal for when people are working remotely or when the project information is intended to be shared with a lot of people. The project files are easy to share, and since it is housed in the cloud, there is never a question of whether it is the most "up-to-date" file or not.
It is an invaluable tool for project management but can also be used for any sort of complex task management. The only scenarios in which it seems like it is not very appropriate is if the project or task is too small to require much planning or has too few people to require any sort of collaboration or visibility.
It is an invaluable tool for project management but can also be used for any sort of complex task management. The only scenarios in which it seems like it is not very appropriate is if the project or task is too small to require much planning or has too few people to require any sort of collaboration or visibility.
August 17, 2018
Review: "Smartsheet - Good for Project Management and Collaboration"
Verified User
Project Manager in Marketing
Broadcast Media Company, 51-200 employeesSmartsheet is used to organize, track, and share data regarding upcoming projects and deliverables. Smartsheet is used by marketing and the creative departments to organize and track data. We input data regarding upcoming campaigns, and use the "share" option to communicate updates on our projects to our coworkers and external partners. We also use the linking option to update everyone's tracking information and deliverables, to save time and avoid duplication of efforts. Smartsheet prevents miscommunications, as you are able to effectively share and track data.
- The sharing option allows you to share data with external partners/co-workers.
- The linking option allows you to update multiple pages at once.
- This is great for business meetings as you are able to export information into Excel and print data.
- Sometimes I experience linking issues with particularly lengthy sheets.
Smartsheet is appropriate when you are a project manager or working among project managers. If you are tracking a project or information over a length of time, this is appropriate for you.
April 30, 2018
User Review: "Smartsheet is a smart choice"
IT PeopleSoft Analyst
Costco WholesaleRetail, 10,001+ employees
Smartsheet is one of the primary tools our IT project managers use to manage work timelines, dependencies and resource reporting. It is mainly a tool used in our IT division. Though it is a tool used by our project managers, it is used to track other smaller work efforts and to collaborate with others involved. It is also easy to access since it is an app on Google.
- Easy collaboration without having to have a program installed on your machine.
- I like the ability to export gantt charts to a variety of output formats (excel, pdf, .png, XML, Google Sheets)
- Comments and attachments are easy to attach and access.
- Very easy to switch views from Gantt to Card (Kanban) to Grid to Calendar view.
- Would be nice to have a burn down chart to track remaining tasks and forecast over/under progress.
- It really does most things pretty well.
I track several projects at a time and I like the ability to have different tabs open, one with each project. Switching between them on the fly is a plus for me. Usability and accessibility is easy and straight forward. I think the collaboration feature is especially helpful in sharing status real time as well as housing documentation for ease of reference by the team.
February 22, 2018
User Review: "Smartsheet is an efficiency booster!"
HR Manager
Dawson Tire & WheelWholesale, 51-200 employees
We use SmartSheet in place of Excel worksheets that multiple people need to have access to manipulate the data. We use it for meetings/departments that need to assign items- the reminder function allows us to 'set it and forget it'. It is great for collaboration as we have different locations.
- Ability to have multiple people access data at a time they need, without worrying that another person may have the sheet 'locked' as often happens when working with Excel.
- The ability to set automatic reminders. I use it for those things 60, 90, even 365 days in the future. I tell it when I want to be reminded and I get an email in my inbox telling me a task needing attention (much more effective than the task function in my email that I am great at ignoring).
- The formatting capabilities allow for a lot of data to be managed effectively.
- The conditional formatting is not as robust as in Excel.
I would not use it for anything that requires pretty extensive conditional formatting. For any other Excel spreadsheet you would normally share (and fight when someone is in it and you need it) I would definitely recommend using SmartSheet!
July 27, 2017
User Review: "Smartsheet: Yes, It Is"
Director, Strategic HR Programs
Sierra WirelessWireless, 1001-5000 employees
Smartsheet is being used primarily by our global HR team. It has enabled us to automate some extremely manual processes including job orientation training, training requests, training registrations, training feedback, training tracking, HR action notifications including new hires, changes, terminations, etc., project management, etc.
- Project management template is outstanding. Mirrors MS Project without the learning curve.
- Web forms automate all processes including surveys, training registrations, etc.
- Operates like Excel so anyone with Excel experience can readily use it.
- It's collaborative.
- N/A
- N/A
- N/A
- Collaboration on any project
- Job orientation training
- Training rosters
- Training feedback
- Surveys of any kind
- Project management templates including built-in Gantt charts
October 18, 2017
Smartsheet Review: "Complex to Use but Sometime Worth It"
Verified User
C-Level Executive in Research & Development
Broadcast Media Company, 11-50 employeesSmartsheet was used across our organisation to manage in a controlled deadline framework. It was good to have some visual dependency between parts of a project and being able to visualize where the team stands on the project in comparison to the ideal timing for delivery. Management members were using the software as a true representation of the achievements of the organisation
- open sharing across the organisation of the project
- good overlapping of the dependencies between tasks of the project
- bad user interface experience
- difficult to get into it without proper training
If you have to launch a product, smartsheet is the best tool to make sure you got all in time for your minimum viable product. Unfortunately it would be quite time consuming for the project manager to insure all is in there but it's worth it to do it for showing achievements to the top management.
August 10, 2017
User Review: "Smartsheet - A smart alternative"
Verified User
C-Level Executive in Professional Services
Information Technology and Services Company, 1-10 employeesSmartsheet was brought in to serve as a lightweight project and task management tool. Specific emphasis was placed on a simple to use and intuitive interface that would not require significant training. It was deployed across a large agile program as the main program management tool. It was easy for business and technical users to understand and begin using as it felt so similar to Excel.
- Easy to use. It is a very intuitive natural interface for business and technical users.
- Dashboards were relatively easy to create and use.
- SaaS model allowed easy but secure access across geographically disparate resources.
- Workspaces feature was rarely used for comments or sharing.
- Report builder took some getting used to.
Good for small project or department management. Basic PM and task management works well.
September 23, 2016
Smartsheet Review: "Fast and easy solution!"
Lead Program Manager
PerficientInformation Technology and Services, 1001-5000 employees
I work for a large organization with multiple business units. Our PMO team often has to interface with multiple systems and processes and Smartsheet has been versatile and easy to use in such a varied environment.
- Easy to share with non-Smartsheet users for visibility and collaboration
- Just the right level of complexity. Anyone who has put together a project plan before can do this.
- Multiple ways of planning and displaying your project. Also easy to export to a pdf for historical or formal reasons.
- There may be a few features that would be nice to have a shortcut button for, like indenting / outdenting
Perfect for a Project Manager or teams of Project Managers who need to be flexible and adapt to other client and internal team process and systems. Not appropriate if you are looking for a true PPM system that tracks more than just individual plans.
February 16, 2016
User Review: "Smartsheet for Productivity"
Program Assistant, Epidemiology Planning and Communications Division
Tri-County Health DepartmentProgram Development, 201-500 employees
Smartsheet is being used by various programs across the agency. The software is used in diverse ways some use it for: tasks, assigning case loads for environmental health using reminders, to track programmatic processes at both high-level reporting and diving into the details of projects.
- Smartsheet has been excellent for assigning tasks to teams. By entering my team member's contact information and a due date, I can easily set reminders to keep them on track and to notify me if anything is running behind.
- Reports are an excellent way to pull information from multiple sheets. One of our teams uses this for each staff member to track their case load. Team leads are able to easily see the status of each assignment.
- Smartsheet is easy to learn. We have staff ranging widely in age and technology use. The functionality of Smartsheet is like a mix of Excel and Google Docs with the additional perk of alerts and easy collaboration. We have found that anyone who has even basic experience with Excel can easily work in Smartsheet with a little extra guidance.
- Conditional formatting automatically changes as a project is updated by you and/or your team. This makes it easy to identify where the project is on track and where it is falling behind with just a quick glance at your Gantt Chart or spreadsheet.
- We have found that Excel and Google Docs "super users" get frustrated with some of the nuances of Smartsheet compared to their regular programs. Making sure that Smartsheet is not "just another tool" that our staff has to use, discussing the differences between Smartsheet and those programs, and explaining why we chose to use Smartsheet for a particular program, makes a huge difference in staff perception.
- A lot of front end planning and organization is needed for some of the larger projects in Smartsheet. It is best to start small and play in the software so you can learn how everything works, before developing a robust program Gantt and reporting system.
- Our organization has looked at expanding the use of Smartsheet to report consistently across our seven divisions. However, the dashboard functionality is not quite where we need it.
Very similar to other project management software, Smartsheet should be used for a program with a designated program/project coordinator or manager who has the time to set up the system, test it, possibly train their team on how to use it, and keep it up to date.
December 23, 2015
Review: "Forget Microsft Excel or Project and Use SmartSheet!"
Engineer Assistant
Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc.Utilities, 201-500 employees
Here at Minnkota Power, we use Smartsheet to manage and track our many construction projects throughout the year. We have essentially replaced Microsoft Project with Smartsheet due to the ease of creating custom GANTT charts and schedules and the ability to share and collaborate on these schedules across our department.
Currently we are only using Smartsheet heavily in the Engineering department, but our Operations department has taken an interest and is ramping up their usage. Occasionally we send out update requests to other departments in the company but I would not consider them to be users of the software. The main problem that Smartsheet addresses is it puts everything in one place. Not only does it eliminate everything being stored in a huge folder hierarchy where no one can ever find anything, but it puts everything online and can be accessed from anywhere! It is also great for reminders and updates on a regular basis.
- Collaboration - The ability to easily share a sheet with another co-worker or multiple people and have everyone making updates all at the same time is really nice.
- Integration - Smartsheet integrates with Outlook very nicely. I can easily send updates, notifications, or any other messages to anyone through email. This eliminates having to open up my email and type up a message about a particular row or item in Smartsheet. Using the send row option it just sends a nice snapshot of the row with a brief message! We also use Microsoft SharePoint here at Minnkota as well and I have found the publishing function of Smartsheet to be very useful! This allows a sheet to be embedded into a webpage or SharePoint site for viewing access to any of our SharePoint users, which is everyone at our company.
- Keeping up with the times - There seems to always be new features or updates coming out for Smartsheet. A lot of other companies do this with their software as well, but usually it just adds a lot of confusion with the product. SmartSheet is all about keeping their product user friendly. Not to much training is really required for Smartsheet. I'd say that most anyone could sign up for the 30 day trial and have a good portion of the product features figured out. However, the best practices take time and a lot of trial and error before you can figure out what works best for your company.
- Support - Smartsheet has a link on their website where you can shoot an email off about anything. They are usually pretty quick to respond and if what you are requesting is not "possible" then they seem to always have a work-around for everything!
- There are minor details dealing with the dependency settings on a sheet. For some reason, if you are trying to utilize cell linking, the parent rows can not be used as a source. This really isn't a huge issue and I have been using a work-around for this but it is one thing that would be nice to just be built in.
- Reporting - Reports are very nice because they can pull information from multiple sheets. However, when information is pulled in, the Parent-Child relationships are not shown. Everything appears to all be on the same hierarchy level. The only work-around I found for this is to apply formatting to the parent rows, basically filling the rows with color or editing the font.
- A new update is coming out that eliminates the ability for users with Admin access to a sheet to be able to edit column properties. This was one of the strengths of SmartSheet that they seem to be taking away for some reason. Now, I just don't really see the benefit of being an Admin of the sheet versus an Editor. Only Admins that are actual Licensed Users can edit column properties. Seems to be a way for SmartSheet to get more money by forcing companies to purchase more licenses.
How much information are you trying to manage? Smartsheet is great for all sizes of projects, but you should be sure to choose the appropriate platform and number of licensed users to fit your need.
Smartsheet is well suited for data that comes from multiple sources or people. If you are just using it for your own personal information tracking, then I would just opt for Excel or some other cheaper software. It is also great for anything that deals with a schedule or dates. The dependency settings that are built in are nice and if you are used to using Microsoft Project then you will catch on fast. Even without Project experience though, the dependency settings are easy to learn.
Smartsheet is well suited for data that comes from multiple sources or people. If you are just using it for your own personal information tracking, then I would just opt for Excel or some other cheaper software. It is also great for anything that deals with a schedule or dates. The dependency settings that are built in are nice and if you are used to using Microsoft Project then you will catch on fast. Even without Project experience though, the dependency settings are easy to learn.
Smartsheet Scorecard Summary
Feature Scorecard Summary
Task Management (46)
8.5
Resource Management (40)
8.5
Gantt Charts (37)
9.2
Scheduling (39)
8.7
Workflow Automation (30)
8.9
Team Collaboration (43)
9.2
Support for Agile Methodology (23)
8.3
Support for Waterfall Methodology (24)
8.5
Document Management (36)
8.8
Email integration (31)
7.6
Mobile Access (31)
8.1
Timesheet Tracking (16)
8.6
Change request and Case Management (19)
8.1
Budget and Expense Management (24)
8.2
Quotes/estimates (4)
6.6
Invoicing (3)
6.3
Project & financial reporting (14)
8.5
Integration with accounting software (4)
8.7
About Smartsheet
Smartsheet is an online project management and collaboration tool from Smartsheet.inc in Bellevue, Washington. The software has a characteristic spreadsheet like interface but contains the full panoply of features expected of project management and collaboration software, such as automated alerts, instantaneous updating and sharing across team members, resource management facilitating budgeting and task allocation, nested tasks organized in a hierarchy, a Gantt chart view, the ready production of exportable reports (e.g. Excel), and integration with email. Across spreadsheets cells can be linked allowing the creation of master spreadsheets that provide ready summaries or automated reports. Smartsheet's capabilities can be expanded with a multitude of apps (e.g. Dropbox, Google Apps) or integrated into combinatory solutions (e.g. with Salesforce) to tailor fit business needs. It supports full mobile access.
Three tiers cover Smartsheet's pricing options. The Basic level provides core features for small groups of individuals, while the Team level is recommended for groups of up to 50 people and supports more user features, allows multiple sheet creators, and has reporting functions. The Enterprise level is a custom fit tier for groups of greater than 50 individuals or companies, and may include dedicated support personnel if desired.
Three tiers cover Smartsheet's pricing options. The Basic level provides core features for small groups of individuals, while the Team level is recommended for groups of up to 50 people and supports more user features, allows multiple sheet creators, and has reporting functions. The Enterprise level is a custom fit tier for groups of greater than 50 individuals or companies, and may include dedicated support personnel if desired.
Categories: Project Management