Project Templates

BrooksN

I am creating a system to manage projects within our core business. To fully manage the project I have several sheets, reports and dashboards. Some of the sheets are tied together with automation copying rows and recording dates. The multiple reports are gathering data from the sheets to be displayed on the dashboard. The dashboard also contains a form to input data on one of the sheets.

My question is this: what is the best way to duplicate the group of sheets, reports and dashboards to use on new projects? I basically want to use the setup as a template with minimal actions required each time I duplicate the setup for a new project. I have tried just saving all of the sheets, reports and dashboards into a folder and then just saving the entire folder under a new project name each time, but I find a couple of issues. One is that the automations on the sheets in the "template" folder continue to run, logging dates so I have data populating what is supposed to be a blank project sheet after a while. The second issue is the form on the dashboard used to input data on one of the sheets. When I create the duplicate folder for a new project all of the automation and cross sheet references realign properly but the form on the new dashboard is still connected to the original "template" sheet (note I have not saved the sheets as templates). The sheet in the new project is correctly tied to the reports and the dashboard but the form associated with that sheet is not on the dashboard because the form on the dashboard is tied to the sheet in the template folder.

Am I better off saving the sheets as a template? If so will that mess up the cross sheet references and also cause me to have to "remap" the sheets and reports on the dashboard? What do you suggest as the best way with the simplest process to duplicate the entire setup each time? (We run approximately 450 of these projects at a time so duplicating them properly with minimal adjustments is important.)

Andrée Starå

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/122446/project-templates

Hi,

I hope you're well and safe!

Have you explored the Premium add-on, Control Center?

Is that an option?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅ Did my comment(s) help/answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community and me by marking it - Insightful 💡- Vote Up ⬆️ - Aweseome ❤️ - or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer! I appreciate it, thanks!

BrooksN

The intent I think is that we will eventually upgrade to add on Control Center, but currently we do not have it. I guess I am looking for the best way to set up without it, but also make sure we can transition to using Control Center in the future to make it even easier. I am currently not familiar with the details of what Control Center can do and not do. I believe it will make a lot of what I want and need to do much easier when we have it.

Andrée Starå

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/437674#Comment_437674

If the budget allows it, you should have a Control Center structure for that many projects.
(Feel free to reach out; I'd be happy to help!)

Until you have it, keep this in mind.

• The structure you're describing is the best, and using the template feature is not an option.
• When you make a copy of a workspace/folder, you can keep almost everything connected, but move/copy workflows would still be connected to the same sheet and will not change to the new copied sheet(s).
  (Currently the same in Control Center)
• Forms work similarly, so if you have a form in a dashboard, it will keep the connection to the original sheet.
  (Currently the same in Control Center)
• Regarding the automation triggering, you would need to add a condition so that it doesn't happen until you want it to. This could be adding a date, checking a box, or something similar.

Make sense?

✅ Remember! Did my comment(s) help/answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community and me by marking it - Insightful 💡- Vote Up ⬆️ - Aweseome ❤️ - or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer! I appreciate it, thanks!