Why Smartsheet for Project Managers?
Project Managers who think in spreadsheets but need project management rigor will find Smartsheet to be the most natural transition path. Its grid-based interface behaves like a spreadsheet with PM superpowers: Gantt charts generate automatically from date columns, dependencies update linked rows when schedules shift, and conditional formatting highlights at-risk items without manual color-coding. For PMs who have outgrown Excel but resist unfamiliar interfaces, Smartsheet eliminates the adoption barrier.
Beneath the familiar surface, Smartsheet offers enterprise-grade capabilities that PMs managing complex programs will appreciate. Resource management provides cross-project capacity views, automated workflows handle approval routing and status escalations, and WorkApps lets you build role-specific portals so executives see dashboards while team members see only their assigned tasks — all powered by the same underlying sheet data.
Project Managers Workflow with Smartsheet
Here's how Project Managers can integrate Smartsheet into their daily workflow:
- Step 1: Create a project sheet with task hierarchy (parent/child rows), populate predecessor columns to define dependencies, and add start/end date columns — the Gantt chart generates automatically and updates dynamically as you adjust the schedule.
- Step 2: Set up automated workflows for recurring PM processes: route deliverables through approval chains when status changes to "Ready for Review," send reminder emails 3 days before milestone deadlines, and escalate blocked tasks to your attention after 24 hours.
- Step 3: Build a dashboard that aggregates data from all your active project sheets, using widgets for status distribution charts, milestone timelines, budget burn-down, and team workload — giving stakeholders a self-service view that reduces ad-hoc status requests.
- Step 4: Configure resource management to view team allocation across all your projects simultaneously, identify scheduling conflicts, and use the heatmap to rebalance workload before capacity constraints impact delivery.
Key Features for Project Managers
- Grid view with automatic Gantt generation lets PMs plan projects in a spreadsheet-style interface while getting full Gantt visualization with critical path, dependencies, and baseline tracking — no view-switching required.
- Automated workflows support multi-step approval chains, conditional logic, and integration actions, so PMs can build sophisticated process automations for change requests, deliverable sign-offs, and status escalations without IT involvement.
- Resource management provides a cross-project view of team allocation with heatmap visualization, availability forecasting, and skill-based filtering — enabling PMs to make data-driven staffing decisions across their portfolio.
- WorkApps create role-specific interfaces from sheet data: executives see summary dashboards, team leads see their group's workload, and individual contributors see only their assigned tasks with relevant forms and reports — all maintained through a single data source.
Pricing Quick Look
| Model | per-seat |
|---|---|
| Free Tier | No |
| Pro | $9 /user/month |
| Business | $19 /user/month |
| Enterprise | Custom |
| Advanced Work Management | Custom |
For complete pricing details, see our full Smartsheet review.
Methodology Fit
Bottom Line
Smartsheet is the optimal choice for Project Managers who want spreadsheet familiarity with enterprise PM capabilities — especially those managing programs where stakeholders require tailored views of project data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Smartsheet's Gantt chart compare to dedicated scheduling tools like MS Project?
Smartsheet's Gantt supports dependencies, critical path highlighting, baseline tracking, and summary task roll-ups — covering 80-90% of what MS Project offers. Where MS Project excels is in advanced resource leveling and what-if scenario modeling. For most PMs, Smartsheet's Gantt provides sufficient scheduling capability while offering superior collaboration, automation, and reporting features.
Can Smartsheet handle multi-project resource management effectively?
Yes. The Resource Management add-on (formerly 10,000ft) provides a dedicated resource planning view across all projects. You see team availability, allocation percentages, and scheduling conflicts in a visual timeline. PMs can filter by skill, department, or project to find the right person with available capacity. It integrates directly with your Smartsheet project data.
Is Smartsheet suitable for agile teams or only waterfall projects?
Smartsheet supports both. Card View provides a Kanban board for agile workflows, and you can manage sprint backlogs with grid views and custom fields for story points. However, it does not have native sprint velocity tracking or burndown charts. For hybrid environments where some teams run agile and others run waterfall, Smartsheet's flexibility is actually an advantage over tools locked to one methodology.
Other Tools for Project Managers
Looking at alternatives? Here are other top-rated tools for Project Managers: