Product Overview of Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a cloud-based dynamic work platform designed to empower teams and organizations to capture, plan, and manage all aspects of their work in a single, intuitive, flexible, and scalable environment.
Core Functionality
At its core, Smartsheet serves as a comprehensive project management and collaboration tool. It allows users to create and manage projects from start to finish, breaking down workflows into tasks, and assigning these tasks to team members. The platform supports multiple views to cater to different working styles, including:
- Grid View: Resembles a spreadsheet, allowing for customization with column types, conditional formatting, and formulas.
- Gantt View: Displays tasks in a timeline view, showing cross-project dependencies, hierarchy, milestones, and critical paths.
- Card View: Organizes tasks as movable cards in dynamic vertical lanes, ideal for Kanban-style project management.
- Calendar View: Displays dates contained in a sheet or report in a calendar format.
Key Features
Collaboration and Communication
Smartsheet facilitates real-time collaboration by enabling users to share and comment on content directly within the sheets. It also supports streamlined approval processes and the ability to attach files and documents to tasks.
Automation and Workflow Management
The platform offers robust automation capabilities, allowing users to set up event-based triggers to perform specified actions. This includes automated workflows such as reminders, updates, and custom forms to collect consistent data. These features help in reducing human error and saving time on repetitive tasks.
Reporting and Dashboards
Smartsheet allows users to compile information from multiple sheets into easy-to-build reports and roll these reports into interactive dashboards. These dashboards can display charts, images, and key metrics in real-time, making it easier to share updates across the organization.
Customization and Integration
The platform is highly customizable, with features such as cell formulas, column formulas, and cross-sheet formulas to automate calculations. It also integrates seamlessly with other applications, including Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Dropbox, Jira, Tableau, Salesforce, and Slack.
Security and Access Control
Smartsheet provides secure permission controls, allowing users to lock or unlock rows and columns to protect key data from changes or deletion. It also supports granular access control, enabling the sharing of only relevant items or parts of any workspace.
Additional Capabilities
Other notable features include:
- Resource Management: Helps in understanding and managing resource allocation to keep project schedules and budgets on track.
- Document Builder: Generates custom PDFs for rows in a sheet, useful for preparing contracts, purchase orders, and other standard documents.
- WorkApps: A no-code platform for building intuitive web and mobile apps to streamline business processes (available with the Enterprise plan).
- Activity Log: Tracks and views all activities and changes made to a sheet, dashboard, or report.
Benefits
Smartsheet offers several benefits that enhance team productivity and project management:
- Real-Time Visibility: Provides a clear view of project status, enabling informed decision-making and better accountability.
- Increased Transparency: Clearly shows who is responsible for which actions, reducing confusion and improving communication.
- Automation: Automates repetitive tasks and reduces human error, allowing teams to focus more on execution.
- Scalability: Supports the management of multiple, complex projects, making it suitable for both small and large organizations.
In summary, Smartsheet is a versatile and powerful work management platform that streamlines project planning, execution, and reporting, while enhancing collaboration and productivity across teams.