Smartsheet is mission administration software program that is available in a spreadsheet format. Whereas which will appear perfect if you’re conversant in Excel and related apps, is Smartsheet the one PM software program resolution that may fulfill your software program growth workforce’s wants? In fact not, which is why we’ll reveal a number of Smartsheet options on this mission administration tutorial.
What are Smartsheet Options for Software program Improvement Undertaking Administration?
Smartsheet might appear like a spreadsheet, however the software program presents rather more that will help you handle your tasks, equivalent to:
- An exercise log to see what adjustments have been made and by whom
- Automated workflows
- Baselines to maintain tasks on monitor and workforce members accountable
- Calendar, card, Gantt, and grid views
- Conversations and content material collaboration
- Important path to see duties that impression your mission completion date
- Customizable dashboards
- E-signatures
- File attachments
- Integrations with Slack, Skype, Dropbox, G Suite, Microsoft Groups, and many others.
- Report sharing and publishing
- Useful resource administration through mission budgeting, portfolio administration, reporting, and primary time monitoring
Smartsheet Pricing
Not like many different mission administration options at the moment in the marketplace, Smartsheet doesn’t have a free plan. You may join a free trial, however the lack of a free endlessly plan might deter many.
Smartsheet’s least expensive plan is its Professional providing that prices $7 per person, monthly when billed yearly. It’s meant for groups trying to handle, monitor, and share tasks and presents limitless sheets and viewers, Gantt charts, card, grid, and calendar views, 20GB of storage, 250 month-to-month automations, as much as 10 editors, integrations with Slack, Microsoft Groups, and different third-party apps, plus dashboards, reviews, and kinds.
The Enterprise plan prices $25 per person, monthly, when billed yearly. It’s meant for groups trying to handle tasks with limitless editors and superior options. The Enterprise plan presents every little thing from the Professional plan, plus baselines, person, group, and license administration, 1TB of storage, limitless automations, an exercise log and doc builder, proofing, superior assist, entry to Smartsheet coaching, and the flexibility to publish sheets, reviews, and dashboards.
Smartsheet additionally has an Enterprise plan with customized pricing. It provides you every little thing from the Enterprise plan, plus a devoted supervisor, DocuSign integration, single sign-on, limitless storage, customized e-mail domains, and many others.
Smartsheet Strengths And Weaknesses
Smartsheet has a number of strengths which will push you in direction of choosing it as your mission administration software program to spice up your workforce’s collaboration and productiveness, nevertheless it additionally has weaknesses which will have you ever look elsewhere. Right here is how Smartsheet breaks down by way of its professionals and cons.
Execs of Smartsheet Undertaking Administration for Builders:
- Spreadsheet format could also be most popular by some groups which are used to working with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and many others.
- Drag-and-drop automation builder helps you create superior workflows to avoid wasting time and enhance effectivity
- Simple-to-generate, real-time reviews which you could share with colleagues or shoppers
- Options for useful resource, portfolio, and digital asset administration
- Budgeting and forecasting instruments
- Staff collaboration by means of conversations, notes, file sharing, and extra
- Prime-notch safety through two-factor authentication, single sign-on, safe information facilities, AES 256-bit at-rest encryption, and many others.
Cons of Smartsheet Undertaking Administration for Builders:
- No free plan
- Not essentially the most intuitive interface round
- Manually sifting by means of the spreadsheet’s rows and columns as you search for information might be time-consuming
- Spreadsheet view is considerably restricted or limiting for mission administration in comparison with different extra user-friendly choices that provide higher visualization
- Not perfect for Agile groups looking for Kanban boards
- Can really feel clunky when attempting to handle extra complicated tasks
- A better worth level than some options
- Time monitoring is missing
You may learn our full Evaluate of Smartsheet Undertaking Administration to study extra about its options and advantages for software program growth groups, mission managers, and builders.
Undertaking Administration Software program Options to Smartsheet
If a few of Smartsheet’s weaknesses make it appear to be the software program isn’t best for you, listed here are some mission administration options that could be a greater match:
Microsoft Undertaking
Like Smartsheet, MS Undertaking makes use of the spreadsheet format. It’s higher fitted to complicated tasks, however does include a steep studying curve and the next worth level. Microsoft Undertaking highlights price mentioning embrace shared calendars, time monitoring, useful resource administration, customized reporting, superior budgeting, detailed process descriptions, and assist for Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid methodologies.
You may study extra by studying our Microsoft Undertaking Evaluate.
Jira
One of many prime Smartsheet options for Agile and Scrum groups is Jira. It has an open-source model that may be personalized to suit your growth workforce’s distinctive wants, plus customizable dashboards. Different causes to decide on Jira as a Smartsheet various embrace bug monitoring, customized workflow templates, strong reporting, bug monitoring, roadmaps, Scrum and Kanban boards, third-party integrations, and a strong cell app for engaged on the go.
Causes to skip Jira embrace its larger worth level, restricted collaboration options, and a steeper studying curve.
We’ve got a fantastic Evaluate of Jira PM Software program that will help you resolve if Jira is the fitting alternative to your software program growth workforce.
Asana
Many mission managers use Asana because it has a restricted studying curve, works nicely for giant groups, and might deal with a number of tasks concurrently. Asana is nice for Agile groups with its Kanban boards, workflow automation, and backlog administration and is easy to make use of but has superior options for managing duties like checklists and subtasks. Because of the software program’s sturdy mission overviews, useful resource administration is a breeze, and you’ll collaborate through Asana’s process feedback and file-sharing features.
The place does Asana fall brief as a Smartsheet various? First, you can not assign a number of workforce members to a process. Second, you can not assign feedback to workforce members. Third, its time monitoring is missing. And lastly, whereas Asana does have a free plan, it’s quite restricted.
Try our Evaluate of Asana Undertaking Administration for extra about its options, pricing, and professionals and cons.
Basecamp
Small to medium-sized groups might flip to Basecamp as their Smartsheet various for managing tasks. You should use its to-do lists to handle duties, chat for real-time communication, hill charts for monitoring mission progress, and doc administration to remain organized. Basecamp can be simple to make use of, options drag-and-drop performance for sharing recordsdata, and has reviews that provide you with an in depth look into process or workforce member progress. You’ll not must take a ton of time to search out desired data in Basecamp due to its common search bar, and you’ll not have to fret about retaining your recordsdata safe because it has computerized hourly backups.
It’s price noting that Basecamp is a bit mild by way of time monitoring and budgeting.
You may study extra about Basecamp by studying our Basecamp Undertaking Administration Device Evaluate.
ClickUp
ClickUp is highly-rated mission administration software program that serves as a Smartsheet various due to instruments for collaboration, monitoring, reporting, and extra. Whereas Smartsheet’s views are quite restricted, that’s not the case with ClickUp, as you recover from 15 personalized views to visualise information, equivalent to calendar, Kanban, Gantt, field, record, and many others.
Staff members can collaborate by means of feedback in duties, tagging, and file sharing, and ClickUp’s time-tracking capabilities are additionally significantly better than Smartsheet’s. Add in process checklists, 100-plus automation templates, tons of integrations, thoughts maps, and drag-and-drop performance, and a user-friendly interface, and you’ve got many causes to take a robust have a look at ClickUp as a Smartsheet substitute.
Learn our ClickUp Undertaking Administration Software program Evaluate for extra data.
Trello
If in case you have a easy mission to handle, Trello might suffice as your Smartsheet various. Trello’s user-friendly interface could also be perfect for Kanban followers, and you can begin utilizing its customizable and interactive playing cards with no need for onboarding. Organizing duties is easy sufficient due to color-coded labels, and drag-and-drop performance makes it simple to handle your boards.
Nonetheless, if you want to handle extra complicated tasks, Trello might fall brief because it lacks the superior PM options that different options on this record provide.
You may study extra by studying our Trello Evaluate.