Resource Management

Angela Logie

I know that the resource management feature only works with one 'contact list' however I have a customer that, on their project plan, is looking to have 4 contact list columns for different types of groups and for us to be able to report on their for 30, 60, 90 days out.

Is there an easy way for me to do this?

Bassam Khalil

Hi @Angela Logie,

To address the scenario you've described, involving multiple contact list columns for different group types within a project plan and reporting on these over 30, 60, and 90-day periods using Smartsheet's resource management feature, you'll need to employ a combination of Smartsheet functionalities and potentially some creative workarounds. Here's a strategy to achieve this:

1. Utilize Multiple Contact List Columns:

First, you can certainly have multiple contact list columns in your Smartsheet project plan. Each of these columns can represent a different type of group (e.g., Project Managers, Developers, Designers, etc.). While the resource management feature directly interacts with one primary contact list for resource allocation and tracking, you can still use the additional contact lists for organizational and reporting purposes.

2. Custom Reporting for 30, 60, 90 Days Outlook:

Since the standard resource management feature may not directly support reporting across multiple contact list columns in the way you want, you'll likely need to use a combination of reports, formulas, and possibly the calendar app integration to achieve your desired outcome.

• Create a Date-Based Reporting System: Utilize the "Report" feature in Smartsheet to create custom reports that focus on tasks or projects due within your specified time frames (30, 60, 90 days). You can use the "Due Date" or "End Date" of tasks as a filter to segment tasks based on their expected completion time.
• Leverage Formulas: Use Smartsheet formulas to calculate and flag tasks that fall within your 30, 60, and 90-day outlook windows. You can create a helper column that calculates the number of days until the task's due date and then use conditional formatting or another helper column to categorize tasks into your desired time frames.
• Cross-Sheet References for Aggregation: If you need to aggregate or report on data from multiple sheets (each possibly using different contact list columns), consider using cross-sheet references. This allows you to pull information from various sheets into a master sheet, where you can then create more comprehensive reports or dashboards.

3. Dashboard for Visualization and Reporting:

Use Smartsheet dashboards to consolidate and visualize the data from your reports or master sheet. You can create widgets to display the information filtered by the 30, 60, and 90-day outlooks, as well as by the different group types defined in your contact list columns.

• Metric Widgets: Use these to highlight key figures, such as the number of tasks or projects due in each of your specified time frames.
• Chart Widgets: These can be useful for visualizing the distribution of tasks across different groups or time frames.
• Report Widgets: Embed custom reports directly into the dashboard for detailed views.

Considerations:

• Automation: Explore Smartsheet's automation features to streamline the updating and reporting process. For example, you could set up automated alerts or actions based on the due date of tasks to help manage the 30, 60, and 90-day outlooks.
• Integration: If Smartsheet's native capabilities are insufficient for your needs, consider integrating with external tools or services that can enhance your reporting and visualization capabilities.