THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF OUR SERIES EXPLORING INNOVATIVE NEW PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, PLUG-INS, AND PLATFORMS. IN THIS SERIES OF ARTICLES, MUSTARDSEED PROJECT MANAGERS HIGHLIGHT THE BEST NEW TOOLS THEY’VE DISCOVERED TO SUPPORT EFFICIENT, FORWARD-THINKING PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
Gone are the days when project managers needed multiple software products to manage project workflows. Smartsheet allows project managers to manage tasks, workflows, automation, collaboration and more all in one place. As an experienced Senior Project Manager, I’ve used a variety of systems and tools to manage project workflows. Smartsheet gives me the functionality I need to manage my projects well – all in one place.
Collaboration is built directly into Smartsheet.
Imagine you are a project manager. You track your projects in one system – let’s say Microsoft Project. Every week, when the time comes to update your project team, you must first save your Project file to your computer, attach it to an email and/or Teams and/or Slack channel, maybe translate some key information into a quick table or screenshot, wait for responses from the team, align inconsistent feedback, and then – finally! – integrate those updates back into the original plan.
The above scenario is all too familiar for most project managers. Having lived it myself, I can share from experience that it’s extremely easy to miss an update, have someone overwrite your file, or share feedback in a manner that is time-consuming to implement. Smartsheet takes these steps out of the equation. With Smartsheet, I can tag teammates and ask questions or provide comments directly within the platform. Since it’s cloud-based, multiple team members can collaborate in real-time within a sheet, with built-in change tracking. If I need something specific, I can tag a team member and a notification or email will be sent to that member directly. Working solely within the Smartsheet platform in this manner keeps communication easy and changes simple to implement.
Automation saves valuable time.
There are many ways to use automation in Smartsheet. Two of my favorites that I use in my projects are reminders and flagging incomplete, past-due items. With the first automation, Smartsheet allows me to email an automated reminder to task owners to update task progress. These emails can be sent at the cadence I choose, so as not to overwhelm team members with emails – and risk them going unread. This automation frees me up from having to remind or chase down project team members to update their tasks. Instead, I now happily let Smartsheet do that work for me.
Second, it’s important to me to track tasks with upcoming due dates that do not appear to have made adequate progress. For example, if a task is due in three days and is only 10% complete, that would make me concerned as a project manager. I might have Smartsheet automatically highlight that task or have the font color turned red. Smartsheet uses simple if-then logic to set up infinite rules based on my needs as a project manager. I can also have Smartsheet automatically notify the team of the issue.
Dashboards offer flexibility and executive-level information to report progress.
Dashboards are my favorite function of Smartsheet. With a little upfront work, I can pull together multiple “widgets” on a project dashboard displaying key project metrics. I can display graphs, budgets, milestones, and more in a single, easy-to-read dashboard. Dashboards can be shared directly with key stakeholders or used in project updates. Best of all, the information is displayed in real-time, so changes are integrated automatically. As long as my stakeholders save the dashboard link, they can visit anytime to get a current snapshot of the project status.
Finding a project management tool that meets every need is challenging. Smartsheet shines above the rest because it powerfully replicates the utility standalone tools like Microsoft Project, Excel, Asana, and Slack, in a single, integrated platform. MustardSeed project managers use Smartsheet for a wide variety of projects. In fact, after seeing the benefits of Smartsheet when working with a MustardSeed project manager, many of our clients choose to implement Smartsheet in their day-to-day work across multiple business functions. As for me, I know I can trust Smartsheet to keep my projects organized and running smoothly.