Generation of a Project Management tool/tracker

lauren.green

Please could I have some advice before tackling the creation of a tracker.

I need to create a sheet which tracks the progress of multiple documents which need reviewing by various departments. Ideally, the tracker would show the outstanding actions for each material and the status/work flow of the material is unable to progress until all actions have been marked as complete. This process involves a simple feedback loop so more actions may be added and there may be multiple iterations of one material.

Is there an easy way to implement this tracker which can be rolled out via a form being filled in by the material initiator and columns can be updated in real time by the approvers (i.e. adding the actions)?

LijuGeorge

• Yes this is Possible in Smartsheet, I will try to elaborate here lil bit;
  Set up the main tracker sheet Create columns for Material ID/Name, Initiator, Department, Action Required, Status (Not Started/In Progress/Complete), Iteration #, Comments/Feedback, Due Date, and Overall Status. The “Overall Status” column can be formula-driven so that a material only moves to Complete once all actions linked to it was mark complete.

• Form for initiators : We’ll create a Smartsheet Form so that material initiators can log new documents directly into the sheet. This ensures all requests enter the tracker in a consistent format.

• Update process for approvers : Approvers won’t need to fill the form. Instead, we’ll configure Update Requests so that when a material requires review, the assigned approver automatically receives an email notification and can update their section directly. Their updates flow back into the sheet in real time.

• Feedback loop and iterations : If rework is needed, the approver can update the Iteration # and add new actions/comments. We can also use child rows or automation to log a new version of the same material, so history is preserved.

• Automation & visibility : Automation rules will ensure that materials cannot progress until all actions are completed. Department-wise Reports can be created to show outstanding actions, and a Dashboard can give leadership a high-level view of progress across all documents.