We listen, we develop, we release.  Our clients frequently ask us if we can help them to initiate new projects or work requests AUTOMAGICALLY using a range of their template sets.

Smarter Launch Pad app is designed to assist that process avoiding the need for manual set up, which risks data inconsistency and just takes too long. Details of the request data populates the new assets and updates your existing dashboards, making the whole process more efficient, and avoiding duplication. 

How Does It Work?

Simply start with a grid (tracker) sheet, receive & approve the work request and the Smarter Launch Pad will create a set of new Smartsheet assets, based on your pre-defined templates, with links from the request being shown in the newly created assets and metrics flowing back to the tracker sheet to provide data for dashboard updates.

What can I use this for? 

Any process that needs to consistently track an individual project or activity through a checklist of tasks. For example:

• A Project Request that creates a Project Plan, Dashboard and rolls up to a Portfolio Dashboard
• A Work Order Request that needs a Work Order Task List to track the order through to delivery
• A Job sheet whereby once a job has been approved, a checklist for that job is automatically created and reported on in dashboards at job and portfolio level.

Is this the same as Smartsheet’s Control Center?

 No.  Our Smarter Launch Pad is an app that will create new sheets based off a template automatically from a grid sheet.  This is where the comparison ends.  Smartsheet’s Control Center provides more control over the assets that are created, it has Global Updates, Archiving capabilities and more.

Then where does this app sit?

Smarter Launch Pad is great for clients that are looking to prove that Smartsheet’s Control Center is the way to go but don’t have the evidence or buy-in yet from Management to approve the spend.  

We recommend using Smarter Launch Pad as a steppingstone to prove the concept & methodology works, at a lower level of cost and then move onto Control Center when the business is ready.   The move from Smarter Launch Pad to Smartsheet’s Control Center will be smooth and painless as the design of the “blueprints” and methodology will have already been considered, tested, and can be evolved when ready.

When you are ready to move up to Control Center we will show you how.

In Summary – do you have…?

• Different individuals creating your Smartsheet assets/workspaces?
• Inconsistent naming of your Smartsheet assets?
• Dashboards all reporting the same data but inconsistently?
• A bottleneck in your workflow where you are waiting for the right person to set up the Smartsheet assets manually?
• Do you need automation for data consistency and efficiency at scale?

…then Smarter Launch Pad is your answer. Available by annual subscription. 

Contact us now to discuss how we can meet your needs with this exciting new product.

The post Smarter Project Launch Pad appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

What is Project Management Office?

A project management office (PMO) is a team or department that sets and maintains standards for project management throughout an organization. The PMO is in charge of creating procedures and best practices that will help operations:

• Go smoothly
• Complete on time
• Result in quality deliverables

What is Project Management Office in Smartsheet?

Project Office Management in Smartsheet is an accelerator tool that is particularly useful for IT-PMO. It gives IT executives visibility and helps align everything to your organisations key objectives.

Why approach us about Project Management Office?

At Smarter Business Processes we can help you identify and document your PMO Processes and help you in other ways too. For example Project Management Office can help you to create an IT solution which supports your project and organisational processes. 

Whether by using Smartsheet templates to jumpstart the design, or by careful planning and design by our expert consultants, we can build the solution tailored to your requirements. 

Once the solution is built and delivered, why not use SBP to help you educate your users? We can provide training on the best way of sharing and using the solution, and ensure a quick buy in from your work force.

Auto updates in Project Management Office

Do you need your Project Management Office solution to auto update and include all new projects?  Do you need those projects to follow your processes consistently, and provide clear repeatable statistics?  Then you need to consider Control Center. 

Control Center from Smartsheet

Control Center is a Premium App from Smartsheet which provides you with a repeatable process to create project workspaces and roll up all project data to portfolio dashboards. 

Control Center also provides you with reporting and global updating capabilities as well as archiving routines, all bundled into a complete control package. Contact us for a demonstration of Control Center.  

Affordable alternatives to consider

If you don’t have the budget for Control Center but would like to automate & control your project assets to a degree, then seek out a demonstration from us on our SmarterControls4sheets.

As Smartsheet Ambassadors, we pride ourselves on our ability to help our clients get the most from their Smartsheet licenses. We have listened to client feedback to create our own enhancement apps to provide you with effective automations to compliment your core product.

If you don’t know where to start, Smartsheet Solution Center (found by using the + in your left hand navigator bar) has a large selection of templates ready to jumpstart your design. 

Find out how we can assist your Project Management Office and management of Smartsheet items. Get in touch today!

The post Project Management Office in Smartsheet appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

In this article we can help you identify some of the smartest project management tools on the market and how to make the most of the opportunity for you and your team.

What is Project Management?

Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process.

The primary constraints of course are the project scope, time, and budget. We would also add the tools you use and the project management skills the team possess in how to use the software available.

Trying a New Software Solution

Your staff may not have the time or the confidence to acquire new project management certifications. All too often we fall back on the tools that feel familiar to us, rather than those which are right for the job. At Smarter Business Processes, a vital part of what we do is ensuring our clients have the right tools for their business, giving them the confidence to try something new.

The Right Tools Will Make a Difference

The levels of anxiety and stress associated with changes in tools and systems should not be understated. A recent study by the Journal of Business and Psychology found that employees’ self worth is often closely linked to the tools they use. Stress levels are often linked to feelings of uncertainty; employees need to feel confident that any new system will deliver on what it promises. 

Review Your Business Needs

Taking the time to review your business needs before implementing new software is essential, as is bringing the team in on the selection process and most vitally the training. Management may not always have full understanding of the intricacies of the tools required to get the job done.

However, by involving your team, you are ensuring you have all the relevant information, and you are encouraging their buy in early on.

What We Hear About Management Tools

At Smarter Business Processes, we hear many of the most common complaints about the available tools. This list comprises a remarkable set of criteria.

Point to note –

Most of these challenges and issues are avoidable by choosing the correct tool for your project and ensuring you secure the right training for your team.

Challenges Teams Face With Many Software Tools

• Overly complex. Employees have to spend time navigating various menus to find the features they need. Staff struggling to navigate an unfamiliar system quickly become stressed and demotivated.
• Irrelevant to workflow. Management need to have a clear understanding of their team’s workflow processes to ensure they have the right software for their needs. Train your team in tools that are relevant to their role, and achieve what is required.  
• Cost inefficient. Managers often find themselves out of pocket, having invested heavily in a new software system and only using a fraction of its capabilities.  
• Too labour intensive. Involving repetitive manual tasks such as data entry.  
• No allowance for the learning curve. As with all new tools and processes, new a management software project needs time to bed in. Allocating your team training resources is essential, as is a roll out period to iron out any quirks and address issues.

Finding the Right Project Management Tool For Your Team

Management software requirements vary depending on the business, and the size and scope of the project. But in our experience a strong tool will help you understand what project management is and should also do the following, without costing the Earth:-

Help to Plan and Track Deadlines, Resources and Constraints

This is a must. Efficient project managers need to be on top of resource allocation and delivery expectations at all times. Smartsheet’s Control Center can set up and initiate new projects quickly and easily.

Point to Note –

Care is needed in designing and creating the necessary automation at the setting up phase. Take a moment to consider what options you have and what tools there are that could help make this a more efficient process.

Smarter Launch Pad App

For many potential Control Center clients, our consultants recommend our own Smarter Launch Pad, which can do all this for a fraction of the cost.

Help to Communicate Efficiently with Managers and Staff

This doesn’t just mean relying on email to do the job. (yeah, we do it too!) We believe the key to efficient communication is finding accessible ways to keep the team up to date on the data that is relevant to them.

Smarter Dashboard App

We recommend our Smarter Dashboard application as a way to present and manage your data in a real time setting and view it in a range of ways with concise, graphical options. Slice and dice your Smartsheet data in live dashboards with charts, graphs and tables. You can even edit the data live in the dashboard interface.

You can also drill down to your data, simply by clicking on the relevant graph, and present handy snapshots based on any parameters you need!

Be Intuitive to Use

Our clients come to us for solutions they know will be friendly and easy to use, but we pride ourselves on our comprehensive training packages. For more information on using Smartsheet for project management, contact us today to discuss our training options.

Project Management Webinar

You might also be interested in our webinar on Using Smartsheet as a PMO tool. In this webinar we offer a demonstration of how to download Smartsheet’s own PMO Template set and customise it for your own use. This includes set up a project intake sheet, which then launches a project plan to help you coordinate resources and timelines, a project dashboard to help with communications on progress and all the reports and metrics required to roll up the data to a portfolio overview, thus creating a fully integrated Smartsheet PMO Solution.

In Summary

Reviewing and changing your project management toolkit can power efficiencies and be cost effective, provided it is done in the right way. Take the time to consider your company workflow and business needs, and act in consultation with the team for the best results. 

If you are reviewing your business processes and still unsure where to start, get in touch. We can offer a free consultation to uncover the tools, software and processes that are right for you.

Further Reading

If you would like to read more about effective project management and how to demystify the stages of each project, take a look at some of the articles on our blog:

Recommended articles

4 Tools to increase productivity and efficiency

What are the 5 Stages of project management

The post Best Tools for Project Management appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

The Challenge

The engineers at European Electronique predominantly work on site, providing engineering tech support to schools and colleges. With different engineers working on different sites, visibility of availability was poor and project planning was a challenge. The team needed a central hub to improve communication and track resources across the team.  After Initial licence purchase, the client found they needed a little assistance in configuring both areas to provide a well structured PMO solution that integrated with the Resource Management module.

Our Solution

We worked collaboratively with the client to help build and set up a Project Management Solution in Smartsheet.  We then helped configure a Resource Management module to integrate with the PMO. 

Once this was up and running we then provided training across the team on how to use it. 

The Benefits 

• Increased visibility across multiple projects
• Single source of data shared among the team 
• Reduction in duplication of work
• Effective resource management 
• Streamlined the management of the projects

Testimonial

“From the start the support I have received from Debbie and the team has been great. It can be quite demanding sometimes when you have users that want to run before they can walk and I am no exception. Idea generation and training have been provided throughout and also with a friendly smile, it is always nice to be valued, and the team certainly made me feel that way – thank you.”

Richard Howes- Head of Project Management Office- European Electronique

The post European Electronique Takes PMO Solution To The Next Level appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

When we’re developing our Smarter Apps we pay close attention to what the Smartsheet Community needs.

And our Smarter Dropdown List Manager is no exception.

5 Reasons to use Smarter Dropdown List Manager

Here’s 5 reason why Smarter Dropdown List Manager remains our most popular product year after year…  

1. Time Saving. Smarter Dropdown List Manager allows you to send a single list of options to multiple drop down lists and multiple sheets from one central point. You can specify individual sheets, or all of them, saving you time and energy.  

2.  Automation. Whether you are managing one project or one hundred, Smarter Dropdown List Manager gives you full control of your dropdown lists from one central point. Update the assigned to column on one sheet, and it will automatically update as many sheets as you need, without having to go into each sheet and manually make the changes. 

3. Manual Refresh. Normally the SDLM will update every ten minutes or so. But you can refresh manually any time you need by clicking on the manual refresh button on your Smarter Controls for Smartsheet console. 

4. Flexibility and Control. Use the Control Sheet to specify the source sheet and tell the system which column to use as the source data. Your destination sheet can represent an entire folder or workspace, giving you even greater control over your sheets.

5. SDLM is just the beginning. Our consultants can design and implement a range of enhancements to Smartsheet for less than you might think. Our support packages are tailored to your needs and support can be used in a range of ways to suit you.

Video demonstration of Smarter Dropdown List Manager

Watch our latest demo video from Smartsheet consultant David Bower below.

Alternatively, for more information contact us to arrange a free consultation today.

The post Smarter Dropdown List Manager: Why We Love It appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

The Challenge

The team at SIP Build UK have been using a purpose built tool for their pre sale process, which is effective and efficient for their needs. However, they were experiencing problems once the orders came through to the Design and Manufacturing departments. 

The orders were being tracked and maintained in silos with multiple MS Excel sheets, which were being manually updated across the departments. The need to duplicate data was time consuming, and date changes in one department weren’t showing the cascading effect they have across other areas of the business. Ultimately there was a lack of visibility across the organisation on the status of all the jobs.  

SBP were asked to provide a project tracking solution where;

1. Visibility of all projects was possible across the relevant teams.
2. The impact of date changes showed immediately.
3. Dates were planned from the Estimated Project Date but then superseded by the actual dates of tasks.

The Solution

SBP created a project tracking solution with an intake sheet and multiple job sheets. The way the jobs needed to plan and report dates meant that inbuilt dependencies were unable to be used, therefore with extensive formulae the cascading required for date data flow was created.  Separate manufacturing sheets monitoring build elements were linked through to the job sheets too.  This was delivered with a detailed portfolio dashboard, tailored specifically for their requirements.  

SBP also streamlined the intake → job sheet creation process using an API program.

Testimonial

Smartsheet has revolutionised our operational processes.  We have up to date information and notifications that tell the relevant team when action is required.  The information is at your finger tips and the time taken waiting for individuals to respond has reduced dramatically.  The development work was both responsive and knowledgeable – so much so we have already been back for another system to add in!!! Thank you SBP for helping us achieve vision and transparency.

Chris Duckworth – Managing Director – SIP Build UK

The post Smartsheet Project Tracking Solution helps streamline SIP Build appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

We had our highest attendance yet, and a truly global feel as clients joined us from Toronto, Uruguay, Ethiopia, South Africa, London and Texas to name just a few!

Chief Smartsheet Solutions Officer Debbie Sawyer took everyone through how to customise the Smartsheet PMO template set with her usual clarity and attention to detail including a peak at the new Baselines feature . Our Smartsheet and AppSheet Consultant David Bower then followed up with a cracking demo of how to share PMOs in MS Teams.

So far delegates have described the event as, “Good, and it was broken down at a level that a new Smartsheet user could understand”, “Another very informative session” and an “Excellent, well-paced webinar.”

Missed out? You can catch the live recording below, with loads more over on our Youtube page.

Join us for Webinar #5, on Wednesday June 23rd when we’ll cover Tips and Tricks with Dashboards.

Register now or subscribe to our Tips and Tricks mailing list for the latest in Smartsheet.

The post Smartsheet IT PMO – Tips and Tricks Webinar #4 is Done and Dusted! appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

A baseline in project management is a fixed reference point in time. Project Managers use this to measure and compare a project’s progress.

How is it useful?

Capturing and comparing variances between the current actual schedule and the originally planned schedule is essential for tracking any deviations, and allows project teams to quickly reprioritize, forecast, and accurately report on project timelines.

How does it work?

1. Set up a project sheet with tasks that have start and end dates (or use an existing one)
2. In Gantt view, click the new ‘Baselines’ button in the toolbar
3. Click the ‘Set’ button in the summary modal to set the baseline
4. That’s it!

Three new columns automatically get added to your sheet – ‘Baseline Start’, ‘Baseline Finish’ (both column type = date), and ‘Variance’ (column type = duration). These columns are read only and cannot be edited. You’ll see the baseline visualized as a thin grey line underneath the Gantt bars.

Users with the correct permissions can toggle the baseline on/off, reset, and remove the baseline in the summary modal via clicking the ‘Baselines’ button.

All licenced Smartsheet owners and admins can create and edit baselines. Your stakeholders and external users can view them. 

Baselines are just one of a variety of ways we can help you use Smartsheet for Project Management. 

For more information head over to Smartsheet’s article on baselines.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our tips and tricks mailing list or sign up to one of our webinars. 

The post Smartsheet Baselines Now Available appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

The function can vary depending on the scale and project type, but usually the focus is on project cost, schedule, and resource allocation. A good Project Management Office should help you with: 

• Project scheduling
• Resource management 
• Tracking project performance and Identifying risks
• Standardising your policies to ensure quality and consistency in projects
• Communication with key stakeholders and team members

A PMO can provide reliable support when trying to run a project at scale. They are particularly important when trying to keep pace with rapid growth and technology changes You should consider implementing a PMO if:  

• You are finding difficulty meeting your targets and goals. 
• Your organisation is going through a period of rapid growth or change. 
• Management requires greater visibility on resources and costings. 
• You are finding your budgets are becoming unmanageable. 
• You are looking to standardize your practises and protocols.

Contact us today for a chat on how we can help you create an affordable PMO to suit your project needs.

The post What is a PMO? Do I Need One? appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

Are you looking for inspiration on Portfolio Management?  

Have you explored the Smartsheet Solution center for ideas?

SBP have identified through client feedback that the solution template sets are excellent, but also quite in-depth. Without a PMO background some users struggle to understand what all the different items are and how they link to each other.

In our next webinar we will demonstrate how to find, download and utilise the PMO template set from Smartsheets own Solution Center and explain how it could be used to collaborate with users in MS teams.  We love the fact that not all users need to be in Smartsheet to benefit from its dynamic and collaborative center of truth with regards to your project data.

As always, our webinars will be full of Tips and Tricks within the Smartsheet environment and we will be pointing out and exploring any new functionality found within the templates.

It will then be followed by a Q&A with our experts to ensure you get maximum value from the session.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Register now for May 19^th 16.00GMT.

And don’t forget, you can Subscribe to our regular Tips & Tricks and get alerted about our New Tips & Tricks Webinars.

The post Smartsheet Project Management Webinar. Let’s Get Started. appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

Delivered via screenshare and broken down into 1.5 hour sessions, clients can choose from a range of modules from the Smartsheet Light and Smartsheet Champion courses.

Hear what one of our satisfied clients had to say:  See Case Study

“The indepth remote training, delivered by Smarter Business Processes Lead Trainer James was excellent.  Broken down into 1.5 hour sessions to fit into my busy schedule, the course covered everything from orientation and setting up dashboards to Project Management and understanding the importance of data triggers to webforms, timesheets, resource planning, reporting, smartstats and smartgraphs.

I am now a proficient Smartsheet Champion, armed with the necessary skills to design my own smartsheet solutions and share knowledge with my team.  I would have no hesitation in recommending this course to other Smartsheet users.”   Tim Appleton – Harvest Healthcare

The post New Smartsheet Online Training to satisfy demand appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

We know you’re busy so we’ve revamped our Solution Centre to make it easier than ever to find the Smartsheet solutions you need.  Designed by experts and infused with best practices, these new solutions and templates were built from the ground up to help you work smarter and more efficiently in 2016.

What Makes Smartsheet Great for Project Management, IT Departments, Sales, Marketing, Product Development and HR ?  Find out More

Need Help with your Design and Development, Smartsheet optimisation, Training and Support ?  Contact us to arrange your free initial Smartsheet Consultancy.  We’d love to hear from you.

The post Your Head Start to a Productive 2016 appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

At the root of any successful project is a project manager (PM) worth his or her weight in gold. While some people think a project manager’s sole job is to remind everyone about deadlines and set up status meeting, that’s simply not the case.

There is a science to what they do – they have a deep understanding of and can perfectly execute the five phases of project management. In this article, we’ll cover what each of these phases entail and share tips for boosting success during each stage.

5 Phases of Project Management

According to PMI, “project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a broad range of activities in order to meet the requirements of a particular project.”

Phase 1: Project Initiation

This is the start of the project, and the goal of this phase is to define the project at a broad level. This phase usually begins with a business case. This is when you will research whether the project is feasible and if it should be undertaken. If feasibility testing needs to be done, this is the stage of the project in which that will be completed.

Important stakeholders will do their due diligence to help decide if the project is a “go.” If it is given the green light, you will need to create a project charter or a project initiation document (PID) that outlines the purpose and requirements of the project. It should include business needs, stakeholders, and the business case. Note: There are plenty of PID templates that adhere to PMBOK guidelines available online that you can download to help you get started.

Tip: When creating a PID, don’t get too bogged down in technical requirements. Those will be clarified and clearly defined in Phase 2.

Phase 2: Project Planning

This phase is key to successful project management and focuses on developing a roadmap that everyone will follow. This phase typically begins with setting goals. Two of the more popular methods for setting goals are S.M.A.R.T. and CLEAR:

S.M.A.R.T. Goals – This method helps ensure that the goals have been thoroughly vetted. It also provides a way to clearly understand the implications of the goal-setting process.

Specific – To set specific goals, answer the following questions: who, what, where, when, which, and why.
Measurable – Create criteria that you can use to measure the success of a goal.
Attainable – Identify the most important goals and what it will take to achieve them.
Realistic – You should be willing and able to work toward a particular goal.
Timely – Create a timeframe to achieve the goal.

For more information about S.M.A.R.T. goals and to download free S.M.A.R.T. goal templates, read “The Essential Guide to Writing S.M.A.R.T. Goals.”

C.L.E.A.R. Goals – A newer method for setting goals that takes into consideration the environment of today’s fast-paced businesses.

Collaborative – The goal should encourage employees to work together.
Limited – They should be limited in scope and time to keep it manageable.
Emotional – Goals should tap into the passion of employees and be something they can form an emotional connection to. This can optimize the quality of work.
Appreciable – Break larger goals into smaller tasks that can be quickly achieved.
Refinable – As new situations arise, be flexible and refine goals as needed.

During this phase, the scope of the project is defined and a project management plan is developed. It involves identifying the cost, quality, available resources, and a realistic timetable. The project plans also includes establishing baselines or performance measures. These are generated using the scope, schedule and cost of a project. A baseline is essential to determine if a project is on track.

At this time, roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, so everyone involved knows what they are accountable for. Here are some of the documents a PM will create during this phase to ensure the project will stay on track:

• Scope Statement – A document that clearly defines the business need, benefits of the project, objectives, deliverables, and key milestones. A scope statement may change during the project, but it shouldn’t be done without the approval of the project manager and the sponsor.
• Work Breakdown Schedule (WBS) –This is a visual representation that breaks down the scope of the project into manageable sections for the team.
• Milestones – Identify high-level goals that need to be met throughout the project and include them in the Gantt chart.
• Gantt Chart – A visual timeline that you can use to plan out tasks and visualize your project timeline.
• Communication Plan – This is of particular importance if your project involves outside stakeholders. Develop the proper messaging around the project and create a schedule of when to communicate with team members based on deliverables and milestones.
• Risk Management Plan – Identify all foreseeable risks. Common risks include unrealistic time and cost estimates, customer review cycle, budget cuts, changing requirements, and lack of committed resources.

Tip: When creating a WBS, work packages shouldn’t be longer than 10 days. Be sure to solicit the input and perspective from team members about their specific tasks.

Phase 3: Project Execution

This is the phase where deliverables are developed and completed. This often feels like the meat of the project since a lot is happening during this time, like status reports and meetings, development updates, and performance reports. A “kick-off” meeting usually marks the start of the Project Execution phase where the teams involved are informed of their responsibilities.

Tasks completed during the Execution Phase include:

• Develop team
• Assign resources
• Execute project management plans
• Procurement management if needed
• PM directs and manages project execution
• Set up tracking systems
• Task assignments are executed
• Status meetings
• Update project schedule
• Modify project plans as needed

While the project monitoring phase has a different set of requirements, these two phases often occur simultaneously.

Tip: Consider using cloud-based project management software so team members can update task status in real time.  

Phase 4: Project Performance/Monitoring

This is all about measuring project progression and performance and ensuring that everything happening aligns with the project management plan. Project managers will use key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine if the project is on track. A PM will typically pick two to five of these KPIs to measure project performance:

• Project Objectives: Measuring if a project is on schedule and budget is an indication if the project will meet stakeholder objectives.
• Quality Deliverables: This determines if specific task deliverables are being met.
• Effort and Cost Tracking: PMs will account for the effort and cost of resources to see if the budget is on track. This type of tracking informs if a project will meet its completion date based on current performance.
• Project Performance: This monitors changes in the project. It takes into consideration the amount and types of issues that arise and how quickly they are addressed. These can occur from unforeseen hurdles and scope changes.

During this time, PMs may need to adjust schedules and resources to ensure the project is on track.

Tip: Review the business case at the end of each phase and make adjustments to the project plan as needed.

Phase 5: Project Closure

This phase represents the completed project. Contractors hired to work specifically on the project are terminated at this time. Valuable team members are recognized. Some PMs even organize small work events for people who participated in the project to thank them for their efforts. Once a project is complete, a PM will often hold a meeting – sometimes referred to as a “post mortem” – to evaluate what went well in a project and identify project failures. This is especially helpful to understand lessons learned so that improvements can be made for future projects.

Once the project is complete, PMs still have a few tasks to complete. They will need to create a project punchlist of things that didn’t get accomplished during the project and work with team members to complete them. Perform a final project budget and prepare a final project report. Finally, they will need to collect all project documents and deliverables and store them in a single place.

Tip: Using a cloud-based software solution is an easy way to collect and save all project documents in one location throughout the life of the project.

We hope this article gives you a new appreciation of the project managers in your workplace.

The post Demystifying the 5 Phases of Project Management appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

Google Apps users benefit from the recommended apps program by skipping the guesswork in finding a tool they can trust and rely on. Customers trust Google Apps for Work to provide an enhanced productivity environment, and now they can also trust their knowledge of vetted and proven products like Smartsheet. To be included in the initiative, Smartsheet has undergone rigorous reviews for integration quality and an extensive assessment of security policies, including application penetration testing. In a nutshell, that means a more seamless work experience with extensive built-in security.

Smartsheet is Google’s selection for the Project Management category, along with 7 other applications selected in other categories. The initial set of applications being added to the Recommended for Google Apps for Work program includes:

• Smartsheet for Project Management
• ProsperWorks for CRM
• Ringcentral & Switch for cloud-based communications telephony
• Ping Identity & Okta for identity and access management

Smartsheet has had a strong and harmonious relationship with Google Apps for Work since we began work together in 2010 with the launch of the Google Apps Marketplace. Just last year, we were honored to be among the first ISVs named as a Google Apps Premier Technology Partner; it strengthened our platform and added an extra level of empowerment to our customers’ collaborative work. And today, our relationship with Google became even mightier.

What this means for you

Google integrations with Smartsheet complement each other at every turn across the Google Apps for Work product suite. The benefits of using Smartsheet with Google Apps are huge, especially in regards to daily productivity:

• Easy administration and use. Administrators can add Smartsheet for all users directly from their administration consoles.
• Single sign-on. Sign in to Smartsheet with Google credentials to provide seamless account access.
• Secure storage. House documents in Google Drive directly from the context of work in Smartsheet.
• Shared dates. Synchronize Smartsheet with Google Calendar to stay up-to-date on the latest meetings and appointments.
• Instant meetings. Start a Google Hangout from within Smartsheet with everyone currently collaborating on the same work.
• Gmail integration. Update work in Smartsheet directly from inside Gmail.
• Form data collection. Collect responses to Google Forms in Smartsheet to organize them and take additional actions.
• Merge document data. Use lists of data in Smartsheet to generate multiple customized Google Docs.
• Mobile access. Access work in Smartsheet from anywhere with the Smartsheet Android app.

We feel confident that our strengthened partnership with Google Apps for Work will empower your business and employees to be their best. With increased movement away from traditional work applications to a cloud productivity suite, you’ll see boosts in performance across your projects, IT and HR departments, sales and budget tracking, and so much more.

We’re so excited about this new opportunity to provide our customers with improved work solutions.

Contact us to arrange a Smartsheet demo, Free consultation or Free Trial and see how we integrate with Google Apps for Work for an enhanced and effective workflow between two partners you can trust.  We’d love to hear from you!

The post Smartsheet Named by Google as One of the First Solutions “Recommended for Google Apps for Work” appeared first on SmarterBusinessProcesses.

We’re very excited about the latest and very welcome features which take Smartsheet to the next level in Project Management.

Save time and gain greater control over your work with Smartsheet’s newest features.

With Gantt and calendar views on summary reports and enhanced update requests, you now have more power to choose the level of detail you want to share. You can send a project rollup to executives or share a single row to an external collaborator for a quick status update.

We’re also announcing a new self-service experience that lets you easily manage and configure accounts at any time with user auto-provisioning and authentication settings, for Enterprise users only.

Here’s more information on these new features:

Get Quick Updates From Anyone, on Mobile and Desktop, with Update Requests

Receive updates to key rows in a sheet or report from any collaborator, whether or not they have a Smartsheet account, by sending Update Requests. Choose which columns you would like to add to your Update Request, allowing contractors, consultants, clients, and others to add or change information with a simple form sent via email.

Collaborators are able to easily respond to update requests wherever they are, on any device. No login is required to update the rows and the collaborators do not need to be shared to the sheet.

You can learn more about Update Requests here.
To send Update Requests on desktop:

1. Highlight the row to be updated by clicking its row number. To highlight multiple rows, hold down the [Shift] or [Ctrl] key on your keyboard as you click the row numbers.
2. Click the drop-down arrow next to the row(s) and select Send Update Request.
3. The Send Update Request form will appear. Type in the email address of the recipient and click Schedule to send it on a recurring daily, weekly, or monthly basis, or to schedule the request for a later date.

To respond to Update Requests on desktop or mobile:

1. Click the Open Update Form button in your email and complete the Update Request in the vertical form that appears (on a smartphone or tablet, the form will open in a mobile browser).
2. Click Submit Update when you are done.

Note: Update requests must be created on desktop. We will release the ability to create update requests in the mobile app in fall 2015.

Roll Up Sheets and Projects into Summary Reports with Gantt and Calendar View

Consolidate key tasks and milestones across many sheets into a single overview with Smartsheet reports, now with Gantt and calendar view.  You can easily share the big picture of your entire portfolio with stakeholders or see a master calendar of all activities across multiple initiatives.

For more granular control over the information that is shared from a sheet, publish your report and share it with outside vendors, ensuring that they only see the high-level milestones.

You can learn more about Reports here.
To view Gantt and calendar on reports on desktop:

1. Use an existing report with two date columns or create a new report. To create a new report by clicking Home > Create New >Report. Then, walk through the Report Builder to specify the criteria for the report.
2. Once you’ve run the report, click on the Gantt or calendar view button on the left sidebar.

In the Gantt view, you can also choose to include % Complete, displaying a visual indicator of progress on the Gantt bars.

Note: Your report must have two date columns in order for the Gantt view to work.

Easily Configure and Manage Your Account at Any Time: Enterprise Only

For Enterprise plans only, administrators can use the new 100% self-service feature to configure and manage account authentication and user auto-provisioning settings. You’re in control of your account configuration, reducing time, labor, and complexity.

You can increase account security by explicitly restricting the options available to your users for signup or login. For example, you may want to restrict users to only use Google for their authentication. Choose one or more from the list of authentication options that include email + password, SAML, Google, and Microsoft Azure AD.

You can also intercept new users as they sign up for Smartsheet and automatically add them to an existing company account. Simply register the domains you own and choose to add new users as licensed users or non-licensed users. For example, all employees from “acme.com” who sign up for Smartsheet will automatically be added to an existing acme.com’s company account in Smartsheet.
To configure authentication and user auto-provisioning: 

1. Click Account in the upper left-hand side of your screen. Select Account Admin > Security Controls.
2. Click Edit next to Authentication to choose from email + password, Google, Microsoft Azure AD, or SAML authentication.
3. Click Edit next to User Auto Provisioning to disable or enable specified domains to sign up with Smartsheet and to add validated domains.

Save More Time with Smartsheet

You now have the ability to share the big picture view of your entire portfolio, get quick status updates from anyone, and manage your account settings at any time. Keep stakeholders updated on key tasks and milestones, while tracking the project details by sending Update Requests to internal and external collaborators.

To learn more about these new features, sign up for a free webinar on August 20th. 

For more information about this release, read our external release notes.

To ensure you make the most of not only this weekend’s feature upgrade but the recent upgrade to Critical path and Partial Days, talk to us about your:

• Smartsheet Consultancy needs
• Smartsheet Training requirements:   Getting to Grips with Project Management in Smartsheet 
• Or Project Migration:  Project Development Consultancy and Workflow Process Improvement

Contact us to discuss your needs – we’d love to hear from you !

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