The Swiss Army Knife of Task Management
Updated May 26, 2015
The Swiss Army Knife of Task Management
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Software Version
SaaS
Modules Used
- Box
- Evernote
- Google Drive
Overall Satisfaction with Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a very easy to use tool. Most users are familiar with Excel, so starting with a spreadsheet feel makes it easy to adopt. Summarizing data across all projects into one place with linked cells and reports is extremely valuable. It allows me to quickly dive into the areas that need the most attention. Row level associations for Reminders, Discussions and File Attachments keep the team up to date. Web Forms and Update Requests make life SO much easier. We've reduced email traffic tremendously. Most Smartsheet users use Web Forms for customer feedback. We use them internally to log the activities of large groups and program membership. We're using it for 3rd party agency collaboration on projects. Templates help us communicate licensing and upgrade options with customers. It's been a true game changer and given us a competitive advantage.
- Collapsible Rows - The ability to create a hierarchy and 'nest' rows under one another brings order to chaos. I have a Smartsheet that is over 800 rows. When collapsed, it's only 4 rows and allows you to logically dive into the parts that mean the most to you. Like a Mind Map.
- Ease of Use and Adoption - Smartsheet is seeing viral adoption here at VMware because it looks & feels like a spreadsheet.
- Versatility - It is the Swiss Army Knife of task management. Events, Customer Enablement, Professional Services, Sales Enablement, Sales Reporting, Lead Reporting... It's a game changer...
- Collaboration - Internally everyone can stay updated and on the same page. The ability to share outside the company has mad working with agencies MUCH easier, drastically reducing the time it takes to complete projects.
- Reporting - I have tasks assigned to me on several different project sheets. I have 1 report that lists everything assigned to me across all projects.
- Some basic spreadsheet functionality like Merge Cells have to be worked around.
- I am an advanced Excel user and wish I could have Visual Basic functionality in Smartsheet.
- At ~$500 for our team account, ROI was less than 1 month. In that 1st month we won 2 deals worth a total of $800k that we could absolutely tie to Smartsheet. Both customers stated that the Smartsheet we created for them... 1. Allowed them to clearly understand what products they owned 2. Accurately share the specifics of the deal internally. 2. This expedited the consensus that needed to be made and helped them confidently move forward.
I was attempting to do all I've described with Google Sheets & SharePoint. Google Sheets didn't have all the functionality we needed. SharePoint was too difficult to set up and doesn't work well with Mac users. None of the solutions I listed could match Smartsheet's versatility and ease of use.
Smartsheet Feature Ratings
Using Smartsheet
500 - Marketing, Sales, Professional Services, Program Managers, Product Managers, Customer Advocacy
1 - Desire to help others and point out the obvious. Everything you need to get rolling is there. You just have to look. If you want to take it to the next level, someone that's good at Excel formulas can make Smartsheet extremely valuable. A Python developer can make Smartsheet irresistible.
- Project Management
- Program Management
- Customer Collaboration
- Sales Reporting
- Customer Templates - To articulate what licenses the customer owns & what their upgrade options are.
- Summary Sheets - Viewing multiple projects on one sheet that allow you to dive into & back out of them at will.
- Salesforce automation is in the works. Having a Smartsheet that updates based on a Salesforce report... Oh, man...
Evaluating Smartsheet and Competitors
Yes - MS Project - Smartsheet is more versatile, easier to use and enables greater collaboration.
- Price
- Product Features
- Product Usability
Smartsheet's versatility and ease of use were primary factors. It being inexpensive was an added bonus. Users are free and unlimited. Licensed Creators are the only ones that pay ~$13/mo with an Enterprise agreement. Our Free to Paid ratio is 20:1.
Make sure to keep the big picture in mind. Smartsheet's versatility beyond project management was a huge differentiator.
Smartsheet Implementation
- Implemented in-house
No - 1. Log in
2. Import an Excel, MS Project or Google Sheet OR Use a template
3. Customize your sheet.
Can be done in minutes.
2. Import an Excel, MS Project or Google Sheet OR Use a template
3. Customize your sheet.
Can be done in minutes.
Change management was minimal - The only thing that had to change was people knowing it existed.
- While easy to use, Smartsheet was something new. Sometimes people are resistant to change.
Smartsheet Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support understands my problem Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response | None |
No - In 2 years I have only contacted support 1 time. My issue was resolved in minutes. Most of my needs were around training and advice on best practices which is easy to get and free from Smartsheet.
Yes - I submitted one bug that was resolved in less than 1 day.
I was given 3 weeks to create a multi-tier solution for our 25 live events in 2015. The Smartsheet Design-Desk team helped me setup the solution in 2 days. We went live on day 3. I got employee of the quarter and many kudos from my peers.
Using Smartsheet
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar | None |
- Setup & Configuration - I can import Excel, MS Project and Google Sheets. There are also 100's of solution templates that can have you up and running in minutes.
- Gantt & Calendar - All you need is one date column for Calendar & two date columns for Gantt. You can share as Read-Only and iCal for mass consumption.
- Conditional Formatting - Quckly understand the data in a visual way.
- Formulas are easy to understand.
- There are no "Merged Cells". This might annoy you if you are used to using this feature in Excel.
Yes - Smartsheet Mobile Apps work very well. We use them all the time to update tasks while onsite for our live events. The only limitation is calendar views. However, you can add Smartsheet calendars to your mobile device by publishing to iCal.