Business Process
Automation Consultants
Why using Smartsheet like Excel could be holding you back
When you first open Smartsheet, it’s easy to see why people think of it as ‘Excel online’.
You’ve got rows, columns, and cells. You can type in text, dates, and formulas. You can colour-code, sort, and filter.
But the reality is, Smartsheet is not Excel and using it like a traditional spreadsheet means you’ll never unlock its true potential.
The familiarity trap
Many organisations start their Smartsheet journey by importing existing Excel files. It feels logical because you’ve got working spreadsheets, so why reinvent the wheel?
The problem is that Excel is a spreadsheet tool, whereas Smartsheet is a work management platform. They may look similar, but they’re built for different things.
In Excel, horizontal layouts are common. You might have columns for ‘Action 1’, ‘Date Due’, ‘Date Completed’, ‘Action 2’, ‘Date Due’, ‘Date Completed’, and so on. That works fine for a single user tracking their own work, but in Smartsheet, it becomes a nightmare for reporting and automation.
Here’s a real-world example.
We worked with a client who had a Smartsheet that collected data from end users, then tracked it through a complex process. Over time, they’d added more and more columns:
- 17 date columns for different actions.
- 17 tick-box columns for completion.
- Multiple RAG status columns to track performance.
On paper, it worked. In practice, it was almost impossible to answer a simple question such as “How many actions were completed on time?”
To summarise the data stored horizontally would have taken huge nested formulas and every time a new action/stage was added, the whole structure had to be updated.
The smarter (Smartsheet) approach
Instead of cramming every action into one massive, wide sheet, Smartsheet works best when you separate core data from actions. You keep your main data in one sheet, normally referred to as an intake sheet and log all related actions in a separate project or task sheet, sticking to one row per action.
This structure means:
- All due dates for all actions live in one column (Due Date)
- All actual completion dates live in another (Finish Date)
- With a progress indicator column covering all actions, Status’ can be easily obtained
- RAG balls can be updated easily
From there, you can run reports, create dashboards, and analyse performance without battling dozens of complex formulas. It’s scalable, collaborative, easier to manage, and plays to Smartsheet’s strengths.
Why this matters
Smartsheet’s real value comes from visibility. Dashboards, reports, and automations give you live, reliable insights but only if your data is structured to support them.
If you build Smartsheet like an Excel spreadsheet, you’re stuck in a world of manual updates, limited reporting, and clunky workflows and you can never make the most of a dashboard overview.
By thinking in terms of data lifecycle rather than static tables, you can design solutions that grow with you. You can easily answer questions like:
- Which actions are overdue?
- Which team is hitting their SLA targets?
- How many tasks are stuck in review?
The takeaway
Smartsheet isn’t just ‘Excel in the cloud’. It’s a powerful, collaborative work management tool that can automate processes, integrate with other systems, and give you real-time visibility across your organisation.
At Smarter Business Processes, we help clients reimagine their workflows for Smartsheet to give them the insights they need without the headaches they don’t. Take a look at our case studies and testimonials to find out what the clients say about us.
If you think you could be working more efficiently with Smartsheet, or you’re still stuck with Excel spreadsheets, book a consultation call to find out how we can help you move forward, or call us about our Training programs to help you structure your Smartsheet’s in the best way possible.
