WWW… Wednesday! Smartsheet

For many, the spreadsheet was where it all started. Spreadsheets offer an intuitive layout that makes them both easy to use and approachable to a wide range of people. It’s no wonder that most productivity tools today incorporate some sort of spreadsheet in their interface. While the functionality spreadsheets offer make them a must for those looking to stay organized, few tools manage to harness their full capabilities. Smartsheet, however, takes a different approach, using the spreadsheet as the basis for its robust project management solution.

The main reason to choose Smartsheet over other comparable project management tools is ease of use. Because Smartsheet makes use of an intuitive format many are already familiar with, adaption is quick and painless. This makes it easily scalable and a viable option for teams of all sizes.

Upon creating a new project you will be presented with a blank spreadsheet. The various tasks that make up the project can be placed in the first column of cells on the far left, with each successive column serving to add any other necessary information. This might include things like which team members are assigned to the task, due dates, or priority. You can add as much or as little information as you need to fully customize your sheet on a project-by-project basis, or use one of the many included templates to get started right away.

By default, tables are displayed in grid view, which is the standard sort of spreadsheet most will already be familiar with. The same information can also be viewed as a kanban board for sorting by priority and checking progress, or as a Gantt chart or calendar for tracking the overall project timeline.

Smartsheet also features workflow automation to help save time by cutting down on repetitive tasks. Workflow automations function like a basic conditional expression, allowing for a specific action to take place when triggered by a predetermined event. These automations can be created for all sorts of tasks, ranging from alerting all related parties whenever a task is updated to requesting approval upon any submissions made to the task.

Smartsheet is built for collaboration, and makes it easy to communicate with team members and stay organized. Comments on tasks make it easy to both request and provide feedback while attached files make it easy for team members to find any resources relevant to the task or project.

Smartsheet is free to try. You can learn more here.