Smartsheet

What is Smartsheet?

Smartsheet is an enterprise work management and automation platform developed by Smartsheet Inc., founded in 2005 by Brent Frei and Mark Mader in Bellevue, Washington. The company went public in 2018 and has grown to become one of the leading work management platforms serving Fortune 500 companies and millions of users worldwide. Smartsheet was built on the premise that spreadsheets are familiar and powerful, but lack the collaboration and automation features modern teams need for complex project management.

What distinguishes Smartsheet from other project management tools is its spreadsheet-based interface combined with powerful enterprise features. Users familiar with Excel or Google Sheets can immediately begin working in Smartsheet while gaining access to Gantt charts, card views, automation, forms, dashboards, and collaboration capabilities that traditional spreadsheets cannot provide. This approach dramatically reduces the learning curve while delivering sophisticated project management functionality.

Smartsheet serves organizations across industries including technology, healthcare, financial services, construction, and government, with particular strength in project-intensive environments requiring detailed planning and resource coordination. The platform handles everything from simple task tracking to complex portfolio management, making it suitable for teams of all sizes while maintaining the scalability needed by large enterprises. With robust security certifications and compliance features, Smartsheet meets the demanding requirements of regulated industries.

Key Features

• Spreadsheet Interface: Familiar grid-based workspace that users can master immediately, with rows, columns, and cells functioning like traditional spreadsheets but with enhanced capabilities.
• Multiple Views: Switch between grid, Gantt, card/Kanban, calendar, and timeline views without changing underlying data, providing flexible visualization options.
• Automation: Powerful workflow automation including conditional triggers, approval workflows, reminders, and cross-sheet automation that reduce manual work.
• Dashboards: Create real-time dashboards combining data from multiple sheets, charts, and widgets for executive visibility and reporting.
• Forms: Build custom forms for data collection that automatically populate sheets, useful for project requests, surveys, and intake processes.
• Resource Management: Track team capacity, allocate resources across projects, and visualize workload distribution to prevent overallocation.
• Proofing: Built-in review and approval tools for documents, images, and videos with markup capabilities and version control.
• Cell Linking: Connect data across sheets to create master reports and ensure data consistency without manual updates or copy-paste.
• Document Management: Attach files directly to rows, integrate with cloud storage services, and maintain document context within project workflows.
• Control Center: Enterprise feature for managing portfolios of projects with templates, governance, and standardized processes at scale.

Latest Updates

Smartsheet continues to enhance its platform with advanced automation, improved collaboration features, and expanded enterprise capabilities.

• WorkApps: No-code application builder that creates role-based views and workflows from Smartsheet data without showing the underlying sheets.
• Data Shuttle: Automated data integration tool that imports, syncs, and exports data between Smartsheet and external systems on schedule.
• Enhanced Automation: Expanded automation capabilities with more triggers, conditions, and actions including cross-sheet and cross-workspace automation.
• Improved Dashboards: New widget types and enhanced customization options for creating more informative and visually appealing dashboards.
• Calendar App: Enhanced calendar functionality with improved views, filtering, and integration with external calendar systems.
• AI Capabilities: Introduction of AI-powered features for generating formulas, summarizing data, and providing intelligent recommendations.
• Mobile Improvements: Redesigned mobile applications with better offline support and improved editing capabilities.
• Enhanced Security: Additional security features including advanced audit logging, enhanced access controls, and expanded compliance certifications.

System Requirements

Web Browser

• Google Chrome (latest version, recommended)
• Mozilla Firefox (latest version)
• Microsoft Edge (latest version)
• Safari (latest version for Mac)
• Stable internet connection required

Desktop App

• Windows 10 or Windows 11
• macOS 10.14 or later
• 4 GB RAM recommended
• 300 MB available storage

Mobile

• iOS: Version 14.0 or later
• Android: Version 8.0 (Oreo) or later
• Storage: 100 MB

How to Install Smartsheet

Web Access

1. Visit smartsheet.com and click Try Free
2. Enter your email and create your account
3. Verify your email address
4. Complete the onboarding wizard
5. Create your first sheet or start from a template

# Smartsheet is cloud-based - access via browser
# Your workspace: https://app.smartsheet.com

# API access for integrations
# Base URL: https://api.smartsheet.com/2.0

# Example API call (requires API token)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
     https://api.smartsheet.com/2.0/sheets

Desktop App Installation

1. Sign in to your Smartsheet account
2. Go to smartsheet.com/downloads
3. Download the desktop app for your OS
4. Run the installer
5. Sign in with your Smartsheet credentials

Mobile Installation

1. Open App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android)
2. Search for “Smartsheet”
3. Tap Install to download
4. Open and sign in with your account
5. Enable notifications for updates and reminders

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Familiar Interface: Spreadsheet-based design means users can be productive immediately without extensive training, reducing adoption friction significantly.
• Powerful Automation: Sophisticated workflow automation handles complex business processes without requiring code or IT involvement.
• Enterprise-Ready: Strong security, compliance certifications, and admin controls make Smartsheet suitable for large organizations with strict requirements.
• Flexible Views: Multiple visualization options from the same data accommodate different work styles and stakeholder needs simultaneously.
• Excellent Reporting: Dashboard and reporting capabilities provide real-time visibility for executives and stakeholders without separate BI tools.
• Strong Integrations: Deep integrations with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Jira, and hundreds of other tools via connectors and API.
• Scalability: From simple task lists to enterprise portfolio management, Smartsheet scales to meet growing organizational needs.

Cons

• Pricing Structure: Per-user pricing can become expensive for large teams, and many features require premium or enterprise tiers.
• Performance with Large Sheets: Very large sheets with thousands of rows can experience performance slowdowns in the browser interface.
• Complexity Creep: The flexibility that makes Smartsheet powerful can lead to overly complex implementations without proper governance.
• Limited Free Tier: The free trial eventually expires, and there’s no permanent free tier for ongoing basic use.
• Resource Management Extra: Full resource management capabilities require additional Resource Management add-on at extra cost.

Smartsheet vs Alternatives

Who Should Use Smartsheet?

Smartsheet is ideal for:

• Excel Power Users: Those comfortable with spreadsheets who need collaboration and automation features will find Smartsheet a natural evolution.
• Project Managers: PM professionals appreciate the combination of familiar interface with powerful scheduling, resource, and reporting tools.
• Operations Teams: Organizations managing recurring processes, workflows, and operations benefit from Smartsheet’s automation and form capabilities.
• Enterprise Organizations: Large companies with complex project portfolios and governance requirements find Smartsheet’s enterprise features comprehensive.
• Construction and Engineering: Industries requiring detailed Gantt scheduling and document management find Smartsheet well-suited to their needs.
• Marketing Teams: Campaign management, creative workflows, and cross-functional collaboration benefit from Smartsheet’s flexibility and visibility.

Smartsheet may not be ideal for:

• Software Development Teams: Agile teams with specific dev workflow needs may prefer purpose-built tools like Jira.
• Budget-Conscious Small Teams: Small teams with limited budgets might find more affordable alternatives for basic project needs.
• CRM Needs: Those primarily needing customer relationship management should use dedicated CRM platforms.
• Database-Heavy Use Cases: Complex relational database requirements might be better served by Airtable or actual databases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Smartsheet just like Excel?

Smartsheet looks similar to Excel but provides much more. While you get the familiar grid interface, Smartsheet adds real-time collaboration, automated workflows, Gantt charts, dashboards, forms, and enterprise features that Excel lacks. You can use formulas similar to Excel, but Smartsheet formulas are optimized for project management and include unique functions for cross-sheet references and date calculations. Think of Smartsheet as a spreadsheet evolved for modern work management.

How does Smartsheet pricing work?

Smartsheet uses per-user pricing with multiple tiers. Pro plans start at $9/user/month for basic features. Business plans around $19/user/month add automation, proofing, and more. Enterprise plans (custom pricing) include advanced security, admin controls, and premium features. There’s also a separate Resource Management add-on for capacity planning. Volume discounts are available for larger deployments. The pricing can add up for large teams, so evaluate which tier’s features you actually need.

Can Smartsheet replace Microsoft Project?

For many use cases, yes. Smartsheet provides Gantt charts, dependencies, resource management, and portfolio views similar to Microsoft Project while adding modern collaboration and automation features Project lacks. Smartsheet’s interface is generally considered easier to use, and cloud-native architecture enables real-time collaboration. However, Microsoft Project may still suit organizations with very complex scheduling needs, existing Project expertise, or deep Microsoft ecosystem integration requirements.

What integrations does Smartsheet offer?

Smartsheet integrates with hundreds of applications. Key native integrations include Microsoft 365 (Teams, Outlook, SharePoint), Google Workspace, Salesforce, Jira, Slack, DocuSign, and Adobe Creative Cloud. The Data Shuttle feature enables automated data import/export from various sources. Smartsheet also provides robust APIs for custom integrations, and connectors like Zapier extend reach to thousands of additional applications. Most enterprise tool stacks integrate smoothly with Smartsheet.

Is Smartsheet secure enough for enterprise use?

Yes, Smartsheet maintains enterprise-grade security with SOC 2 Type II certification, ISO 27001, HIPAA compliance option, and FedRAMP authorization for government use. Features include SSO integration, two-factor authentication, custom access roles, activity logs, and data encryption. Enterprise plans add governance features like user management domains and external sharing controls. Major enterprises across regulated industries including healthcare, financial services, and government successfully use Smartsheet for sensitive projects.

Final Verdict

Smartsheet succeeds by taking the world’s most familiar interface – the spreadsheet – and transforming it into a powerful work management platform. This approach eliminates the learning curve that hampers adoption of many project management tools while delivering enterprise-grade capabilities that spreadsheets alone cannot provide. For organizations where Excel proficiency is widespread, Smartsheet represents the path of least resistance to modern project management.

The platform’s strengths lie in its powerful automation, flexible visualization options, and comprehensive enterprise features. The ability to switch between grid, Gantt, card, and calendar views from the same data accommodates diverse working styles. Dashboards and reporting provide executive visibility without separate business intelligence tools, and the automation engine handles complex workflows that would require custom development elsewhere.

Smartsheet best serves organizations seeking enterprise work management capabilities with minimal training investment. It excels for project managers, operations teams, and any group currently struggling with spreadsheet limitations. While the pricing can become substantial for large deployments and some advanced features require premium tiers, the productivity gains and adoption ease often justify the investment for organizations managing complex work at scale.