Resource Placeholders?

New (or "re"new) to SmartSheet (not project management) and I am trying to do something that would be easy in MSProject, but for which I am hitting roadblocks accomplishing in SmartSheets.

When planning out projects, we would normally use resource placeholders, until actual resources are assigned, i.e. Engineering, Production, Quality. I can predefine those resource names in other tools such that everyone uses the same names.

In SmartSheet, there appears to only be two ways to create resource lists:

1) Create users (with fake emails) and then share the projects with them

2) Add contacts

The problem with (2) above is that is only available to one user, not multiple users.

The problem with (1) above is that there is no way to modify the email address once you create them, so you "mass-change" to a real user.

Is there any way to create placeholder resources in SmartSheet that are available to everyone?

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Comments

Richard Rymill SBP

Hi Jack

Try this, it might give you what you need which is a generic resource or several generic resources for planning, then exchange the Generic for the actual person once decided.

Create "fake" emails for each of your generic resources and add them as USERS in your admin console and Invite them to join the account.... they dont need to accept nor do they need a License or any Rights so no cost to you.(or can't accept because they are fake) but you can track them as a resource and see where they are overcommitted etc. Then, when you want to exchange that "Assigned to" to a real person you do it one at a time, Filter for them or use a Report on that Generic.

Hope that helps? It's a workaround we use for Training Rooms and People resources. Havent found any issues with that yet but no doubt Travis will tell us if there are?

RichardR

Travis

Richard - there are no issues with that method! Adding fake email addresses to your account is a good way to create placeholder resources. As JackL mentioned, there isnt a way to edit the email address once its added to your account, you would have to add the new users then assign the tasks to the new user. However, you can create a report to show all the tasks assigned the 'fake' user across all your projects, then drag fill the new, 'real', user's information.

Dan Sanderson

Hi,

I am dealing with a similar issue and think I have found a solution with the Find and Replace Option. Ctrl + F opens the "Find and Replace" Dialog Box and it seems to work when assigning a task to an individual.

For example, I have a placeholder in the "Assigned To" column named Project Manager. When I choose the PM I will be assigning the task to, I simply find and replace with their name.

J. Craig Williams

For Project Sheets using placeholders, I use Filters and Reports to make it easy on the person setting up the project. And then Find & Replace is used to putting the finishing touches on it.

Craig