Groups of various sizes use Smartsheet to spice up collaboration and handle workflows. Is Smartsheet’s spreadsheet format perfect to your software program improvement staff’s venture administration wants? Hold studying to search out out, as we are going to focus on Smartsheet’s strengths, weaknesses, and pricing so you may see if it has the PM software program options you might be in search of.
What Are Smartsheet Challenge Administration Software program Execs And Cons
If you happen to take pleasure in utilizing conventional spreadsheet options like Excel and Google Sheets, then you’ll be happy to know that Smartsheet presents an identical format. However not like Excel and Google Sheets, Smartsheet comes filled with options that may enable you handle a number of tasks.
Here’s a have a look at the place Smartsheet excels and comes up brief for builders and venture managers of software program groups.
What Are Smartsheet’s Execs?
As you might be about to see, many options make Smartsheet a gorgeous PM software program choose, particularly for spreadsheet lovers.
Limitless Flexibility for Challenge Managers
Though Smartsheet has many execs in its favor, we start with what could also be its prime characteristic: flexibility. How versatile is Smartsheet? So versatile that it could possibly be used to switch many enterprise instruments all through your group.
Much like spreadsheets, this PM software program resolution helps you to manipulate sheets round your wants. As an illustration, you may remodel one sheet right into a venture administration device, whereas others deal with marketing campaign monitoring, bills, finances monitoring, stock administration, and extra. You can too make use of limitless sheets and customized fields, plus a number of views.
With so some ways to combine and match, you may make use of Smartsheet’s PM powers all through your group. And as soon as you might be completed, you need to use it to switch different instruments to streamline your processes and get everybody on the identical web page.
Whereas this spreadsheet-style will not be for everybody, it’s Smartsheet’s versatility and suppleness that would win many over, as there actually are not any limits to how you employ this PM software program.
Learn: Challenge Administration Software program for Builders
Highly effective Automation
What is likely one of the greatest explanation why groups use venture administration software program? To save lots of time and increase effectivity, which is what Smartsheet can obtain by its bevy of automation instruments.
You will discover automation instruments in lots of venture administration software program choices, however the ones present in Smartsheet are on one other stage. Whether or not you search automation instruments, connectors, integrations, clever workflows, and so on., you’ll discover them right here. And whereas extremely highly effective, these instruments are surprisingly easy to make use of.
Smartsheet has a drag-and-drop builder that makes it easy to generate time-saving automations inside a matter of minutes. They don’t have to be fundamental, both, as you may create superior workflows with the builder because it makes use of fundamental logic, triggers, and conditional paths.
Sturdy Reporting
Smartsheet presents strong reporting that customers, managers, and admins are certain to like. With only a few clicks or faucets, you may consolidate important knowledge right into a single report from a number of sheets. With such user-friendly reporting, Smartsheet makes it straightforward for groups to enhance by pinpointing bottlenecks and traits.
Whereas Smartsheet makes it straightforward to generate studies, it additionally simplifies sharing them with colleagues, staff in different departments, or stakeholders. And so you might be all the time within the loop, Smartsheet additionally helps you to see who accesses studies by its exercise log.
Outdated info can render studies ineffective. To keep away from this, Smartsheet updates report modifications in real-time. If somebody edits a report, you will notice that immediately mirrored on the hooked up sheets.
Learn: Finest Challenge Administration Instruments for Builders
Enhanced Performance
If you don’t thoughts paying further, Smartsheet offers you the choice to increase the software program’s performance properly past normal venture administration. And earlier than you scoff on the considered paying further, know that it’s a higher choice than having to purchase one other venture administration device altogether.
Listed here are some add-ons and perks that Smartsheet presents for groups in search of extra out of their PM software program:
- Useful resource administration
- Portfolio administration
- Digital asset administration
- Time monitoring
- Challenge portfolio administration
- Superior reporting and analytics
- Challenge budgeting
- Forecasting instruments
Strong Collaboration
Whereas Smartsheet markets itself as venture administration software program, it additionally holds the title of “dynamic work and collaboration software program.” Its options keep true to that title, as Smartsheet lets groups collaborate by duties, notes, and file sharing, so no one is neglected of the loop.
If you happen to want a number of staff members engaged on a single venture, they’ll accomplish that by sharing PDFs, pictures, and displays that come full with model management, notifications, and customizable approvals. And talking of customizable, Smartsheet’s collaborative options are simply that. To keep away from litter, you may take away the collaborative options you don’t want and maintain those you do.
Learn: What’s Agile Challenge Administration Software program?
Safe Information
Smartsheet’s safety is enterprise-grade, due to options like single sign-on, safe knowledge facilities, two-factor authentication, AES 256 bit at-rest encryption, and extra. And whereas these options can maintain unauthorized entry at bay, Smartsheet also can ease your privateness and safety compliance worries because it complies with HIPAA, FERPA, ISO, GDPR, ITAR, and SOC.
What are Smartsheet’s Cons?
Smartsheet has many options that make it worthy of being your prime PM software program selection. Nevertheless, it does have some downsides, resembling these listed beneath.
Spreadsheet-Primarily based Challenge Administration Device
Whereas spreadsheet followers will take pleasure in Smartsheet’s format, others might even see it as limiting, particularly these trying to implement sure venture administration methodologies. For instance, since all the pieces on Smartsheet is spreadsheet-based, agile groups wanting to make use of Kanban boards might really feel neglected.
Can you alter views in Smartsheet? Certain, however on the finish of the day, spreadsheets are the muse right here.
A Bit Of A Studying Curve
Even you probably have expertise utilizing spreadsheets, it’s possible you’ll discover that Smartsheet takes some getting used to. The interface isn’t all the time seen as intuitive, making it robust to chart and analyze knowledge proper out of the field.
You can’t analyze sheets on the spot. As an alternative, it’s a must to sift by rows and columns manually, which might take a ton of time.
Learn: Finest Challenge Administration Software program for Sport Builders
Exercise Log Is Missing
Smartsheet’s exercise log lags behind these from different PM software program. Sure, you need to use it to see what has been shared and seen, but it surely doesn’t supply a fast overview of what has occurred since your final login. To get the information you need, you’ll need to do some work that you could be discover tedious.
For instance, suppose you need to have a look at a cell’s full historical past. To get that info, you’ll have to navigate to the cell, right-click, and think about the historical past versus seeing it in a single fast shot.
Price
On the floor, Smartsheet doesn’t value a reasonably penny, as you can begin with the Professional model for $7 per person, monthly. Nevertheless, whenever you examine what Smartsheet presents for that worth in comparison with different PM software program, it could come up brief. In different phrases, Smartsheet might not provide the most bang to your buck, relying upon your software program improvement staff’s wants.
What’s Smartsheet’s Pricing?
Smartsheet is obtainable by way of three pricing plans. The Professional plan is the most affordable at $7 per person, monthly. It permits groups to handle, observe, and collaborate with the PM software program’s most important options.
The Enterprise plan is $25 per person, monthly. It presents all the pieces the Professional plan has, plus upgraded program, venture, and course of administration options with limitless automated workflows. The Enterprise plan additionally permits for fundamental integrations with Skype, Slack, Microsoft Groups, and so on.
Smartsheet’s closing providing is the Enterprise plan, which has all the PM software program’s options, plus enhanced IT governance and administration. To get pricing for this plan, you’ll have to contact Smartsheet straight.
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