Let’s face it, as an IT manager you’re leading projects. That means you’re coordinating work between departments, overseeing the rollout and adoption of new software, and helping users succeed with those new tools.
As the IT project manager, you're the one who needs to ensure all software tools are well adopted and not just another tool that your company is paying for without good results. If you and your team use one tool to update your tracker, and other tools to update reports or create status updates, that’s a lot of moving parts.
Introducing Smartsheet—a streamlined, dynamic platform that helps team members work faster. Smartsheet makes it easy to track tasks; share, review, and approve files; create workflows; and prepare reports—all in one place! Plus, it integrates with some of your users’ favorite tools.
Smartsheet is a browser-based subscription service, accessible from any internet-enabled device. In terms of a secure experience, Smartsheet encrypts data, conducts regular security assessments, and uses Amazon Web Services data centers.
At its heart, Smartsheet is a great place for collaboration. Team members can share files, notes, and tasks. Everyone can see progress—or slowdowns—on a group project. If a given team is working remotely, Smartsheet can be a great way to keep everyone on the same virtual page.
With Smartsheet, users can open a visual Kanban style, see all their data in a chart, and switch between views. Team members can interact with data in Smartsheet in four views:
No matter which view is used, the menu bar stays the same—but the toolbar offers different options when you switch views.
Automation is a great way to simplify processes. Think IT help desk tickets, PTO requests, and all the other approval workflows that make your business tick.
In terms of Smartsheet automation, ask these three questions:
To get started, click Automation. Then, choose from the available Popular Workflows, or click Create a Workflow to start from scratch.
Popular workflows include:
Then, get ready to automate—and take some tasks off your team’s plate.
Smartsheet offers its own tutorials. When users need help with a specific use case, they can get relevant Smartsheet help within the BrainStorm platform.
Within the tool, users can create reports to summarize and display real-time data across multiple sheets. Reports can also be configured to show, hide, or highlight specific data. For example, a user can filter data to narrow their view; for instance, showing only prospects with a higher probability of closing.
You can also group data to make it easier to read, highlight key data points, and sort data by a specific column.
When updating data inside a report, the source sheets are also updated, and vice versa. Once users have their report the way they want it, they can save and share it with their team.
Smartsheet provides integrations to third-party apps and business cloud tools. If a team is already using one of these apps, set up an integration to connect the data between the two programs.
Available integrations include:
You’ve done your research, and Smartsheet seems like a great fit. As an IT pro, consider these tips before you roll out Smartsheet:
When you’re ready to move forward with a Smartsheet account, remember that you’ll also need a scalable adoption plan across your organization (or for the team that will use Smartsheet). Every user differs in skill level and project management needs. For example, not everyone on the team will use every feature, such as reports or automating tasks.
Consider what Smartsheet fundamentals users will need:
When it’s time for a Smartsheet adoption, users should understand:
With a little planning, your Smartsheet adoption strategy will be off to a solid start.
Need more help with the human side of software adoption? Contact BrainStorm today.