Smartsheet

Overview

Smartsheet brilliantly combines the familiarity of spreadsheets with the power of modern project management. For millions of users comfortable with Excel, it provides an easy transition to collaborative work management while maintaining the flexibility of a spreadsheet paradigm.

The Spreadsheet Advantage

Familiar Interface

• Rows and columns structure
• Formula bar
• Cell formatting
• Filter and sort
• Conditional formatting

Enhanced Capabilities

Beyond traditional spreadsheets:

• Real-time collaboration
• Automated workflows
• Multiple views
• File attachments
• Comments and conversations

Core Features

View Types

Grid View

Traditional spreadsheet with:

• Cell-level editing
• Formula support
• Hierarchy (parent/child rows)
• Conditional formatting
• Column types

Gantt View

Project timeline featuring:

• Dependency management
• Critical path
• Baseline tracking
• Milestone markers
• Resource allocation

Card View

Kanban-style boards with:

• Drag-and-drop cards
• Swimlanes
• Custom fields
• Quick filters
• Card limits

Calendar View

Date-based organization:

• Multiple date columns
• Color coding
• Event details
• Drag to reschedule
• iCal publishing

AI and Automation

AI-Powered Features (2024)

• Formula generation from natural language
• Data analysis suggestions
• Automated insights
• Pattern recognition
• Predictive scheduling

Workflow Automation

No-code automation builder:

Trigger: When status changes to "Complete"
Condition: If priority is "High"
Action: 
  - Send alert to manager
  - Move row to archive
  - Update dashboard
  - Create follow-up task

Common Automations:

1. Approval request routing
2. Status update notifications
3. Recurring task creation
4. Data collection via forms
5. Cross-sheet updates

Advanced Capabilities

Resource Management

• Resource allocation views
• Capacity planning
• Availability tracking
• Skill matching
• Utilization reports

Portfolio Management

• Program-level dashboards
• Cross-project dependencies
• Budget rollups
• Risk tracking
• Executive reporting

Proofing

• Visual markup tools
• Version comparison
• Approval workflows
• External reviewer access
• Audit trails

Formula Power

Enhanced Functions

Beyond Excel basics:

• Cross-sheet references
• @row references
• Sheet summary formulas
• Column formulas
• Helper columns

Example Formulas:

=IF(Status@row = "Complete", "Green", 
   IF([Due Date]@row < TODAY(), "Red", "Yellow"))

=SUMIFS({Other Sheet Range}, {Criteria Range}, 
   [Project Name]@row)

=INDEX(COLLECT({Resource Names}, {Skills}, 
   HAS(@cell, "Python")), 1)

Integration Excellence

Microsoft 365

Deep integration with:

• Teams (embedded sheets)
• Outlook (calendar sync)
• Power BI (live data)
• OneDrive (storage)
• Power Automate

Other Integrations

• Salesforce
• Jira
• Slack
• Google Workspace
• DocuSign
• 100+ more

Control Center

Automated Project Creation

• Standardized templates
• Consistent structure
• Automatic provisioning
• Metadata tracking
• Blueprint management

Portfolio Rollups

• Automatic data aggregation
• Cross-project reporting
• Standardized metrics
• Real-time updates
• Executive dashboards

Templates

Project Management

• Waterfall projects
• Agile sprints
• Construction schedules
• Event planning
• Product launches

Business Operations

• Budget tracking
• Inventory management
• Employee onboarding
• Sales pipelines
• Marketing campaigns

Security & Compliance

Enterprise Security

• SOC 2 Type II
• ISO 27001
• HIPAA compliant
• FedRAMP authorized
• EU-US Privacy Shield

Access Controls

• Row-level security
• Dynamic view sharing
• Admin controls
• Audit logs
• SSO/SAML

Pricing Breakdown

Pro ($9/user/month)

• Unlimited sheets
• Gantt, Calendar, Card views
• Automation (250 actions/month)
• Forms
• Activity log

Business ($19/user/month)

Adds:

• Unlimited automation
• Sheet summary reports
• WorkApps
• DocuSign integration
• Admin capabilities

Enterprise (Custom)

Adds:

• Control Center
• Advanced security
• Unlimited external users
• Phone support
• Success programs

Mobile Experience

Full-Featured Apps

• Create and edit sheets
• All view types
• Camera integration
• Offline access
• Barcode scanning

Mobile-Specific Features

• Quick actions
• Voice comments
• GPS location
• Push notifications
• Touch ID/Face ID

Best Practices

Sheet Design

1. Plan Structure: Think before building
2. Use Hierarchy: Parent/child relationships
3. Standardize Columns: Consistent naming
4. Leverage Formulas: Automate calculations
5. Build Templates: Reusable frameworks

Performance Tips

1. Archive old data
2. Limit cross-sheet formulas
3. Use reports vs. large sheets
4. Optimize conditional formatting
5. Schedule automation wisely

Common Use Cases

Construction Management

• Project schedules
• RFI tracking
• Punch lists
• Resource allocation
• Budget tracking

Marketing Operations

• Campaign calendars
• Asset management
• Budget tracking
• Vendor management
• Performance metrics

IT Project Management

• Sprint planning
• Bug tracking
• Release schedules
• Infrastructure projects
• Help desk tickets

Smartsheet vs Competitors

vs Microsoft Project

• Smartsheet: Cloud-first, collaborative, easier
• MS Project: More powerful scheduling, desktop-focused

vs Asana

• Smartsheet: Spreadsheet paradigm, more flexible
• Asana: Purpose-built PM, better UX

vs Excel + SharePoint

• Smartsheet: Real-time collaboration, PM features
• Excel: More formula power, lower cost

Training Resources

Smartsheet University

• Free courses
• Certification programs
• Live training
• Video tutorials
• Best practices

Community

• Active user forum
• Template gallery
• Solution center
• Partner network
• User groups

Migration Path

From Excel

1. Import existing files
2. Add collaboration features
3. Build automation
4. Create dashboards
5. Train team

From Other PM Tools

• Import templates available
• Data mapping tools
• Professional services
• Phased approach
• Parallel running

Verdict

Smartsheet is ideal for organizations already fluent in spreadsheets but needing true collaboration and project management capabilities. Its familiar interface reduces training needs while its powerful features rival dedicated PM platforms. The lack of a free tier and relatively high pricing for advanced features may deter smaller teams, but for spreadsheet-comfortable organizations ready to modernize their work management, Smartsheet offers an excellent bridge to the future.