Linking a created production sheet to a timeline or gannt to track milestones.

Erica C

I've been using Smartsheet for a while to manage my projects but I haven't seen many templates specifically designed for tracking production in construction or maybe I just haven’t found the right ones. As any project manager knows, we track everything: materials, invoices, dates, purchase orders, finances and more. I typically use the basic sheets provided and build from there. For instance, my main production sheet is linked to a material tracking sheet. So, if we use four pieces of material that day of production, it automatically deducts from the inventory in the material sheet. This setup helps me monitor when materials are running low.

Another example is how I manage subcontractor POs. I create a purchase order and as the subcontractor reports their daily production, those quantities are subtracted from the PO sheet. This not only helps me track how close they are to fulfilling their PO but also flags any potential overages in real time.

My question is, because I have to create my own sheet, is there anyway to link my production tracker into a gannt chart or timeline sheet to give live milestones?

I hope this makes sense.

Naeem Ejaz

Yes, your setup makes perfect sense—and it's actually quite advanced! You're already leveraging Smartsheet's linking capabilities effectively to track materials and subcontractor POs dynamically. Now, integrating your production tracker into a Gantt chart or timeline for live milestone tracking is absolutely possible, and here’s how you can do it:

Linking Production Tracker to a Gantt Chart in Smartsheet

To visualize live milestones based on your production data, you can follow these steps:

1. Create a Master Gantt Sheet

• Set up a new sheet with columns like:
  • Task Name
  • Start Date
  • End Date
  • % Complete
  • Dependencies (if needed)
  • Milestone Flag (checkbox)

2. Use Cell Linking or Cross-Sheet Formulas

• Link key dates or progress metrics from your production tracker to this Gantt sheet.
• For example:
  • Use =[Start Date]@row  or =[% Complete]@row  to pull data from your production sheet.
  • Or use INDEX(MATCH(...)) formulas to dynamically pull in values based on task names or IDs.

3. Automate Milestone Updates

• Use conditional logic or automation rules to flag milestones when certain thresholds are met (e.g., 100% complete).
• You can also use column formulas to calculate progress based on material usage or PO fulfillment.

4. Enable Gantt View

• Once your sheet has start/end dates and dependencies, switch to Gantt View to visualize the timeline.
• You can also use Timeline View for a cleaner, milestone-focused display.

5. Dashboards for Real-Time Visibility

• Create a dashboard that includes:
  • A Gantt chart widget from your master sheet.
  • Metric widgets showing material levels, PO fulfillment, etc.
  • Alerts or reports for low inventory or PO overages.

You can contact me if your issue persists.