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How to reference Project Metadata and display sum of $ as metric value on a dashboard?

Tom Williams

Hi all - new here. We recently procured Smartsheet for our PMO, and I have to say I am really struggling with what seem like genuinely basic things. We had a Smartsheet consultant help with design and building it out, however it just seems so cumbersome and unnecessarily complicated, with very limited customization available. Anyway…

My current problem - we have an intake form and sheet set up which is fine and works, however some project metadata is added after the intake process, such as the $ benefit value. This is entered in the Project Metadata via the Project Plan sheet, but I cannot seem to find where the project metadata is actually stored, and I have no idea how to access and reference the values in the metadata. Even if I create a new column in the intake sheet, there is no project metadata master dataset/sheet to reference to pull that metadata into the intake sheet… so it exists somewhere, but I can't access it and it can't be referenced? I've created a report, however you cannot display a single sum total value from a report file. I created a new sheet to reference the report, but you cannot reference data from in a sheet.

I'm sure there is an easy fix for this, but it's been an incredibly frustrating time to say the least and I could really do with some advice.

I come from MSPO / PowerBI, so the workflows are a bit of a learning curve… but in terms of capability and functionality for Portfolio management… I am yet to be convinced.

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Paul Newcome

@Tom Williams It sounds like they set you up with a Control Center solution. Does that sound right to you? If so, there are two possibilities. Either each project is provisioned to its own new workspace, or all projects are provisioned as folders within the same workspace. Either way and generally speaking, there is a metadata sheet associated with each project.

If you can locate the template folder used by Control Center, you should be able to explore that to find the metadata sheet.

You can also go to

controlcenter.smartsheet.com

and browse the blueprints there to help you locate the template folder.

I'm sorry to hear you are not thrilled with your solution, but I can assure you that Smartsheet is great for PMO. I have built quite a few solutions that have been received very well, so it may just be that the solution needs a little tweaking.

When you say "This is entered in the Project Metadata via the Project Plan sheet", are you able to provide some screenshots for context?

Tom Williams

Hi Paul - thanks for the response. Our SS consultant has come back to me, but he has just done the same as what I did. We are on the EU instance, and we have a single Workspace with projects within it.

We have the template folder with sheets/reports etc. all set up, but still cannot find the master metadata sheet that has all the info stored. It's

For example, this is what I am trying to create, but without the table embedded in the card. I just want a plain white background with the $7m figure center-aligned, without 'Benefit ($)' and 'sum', and the table format.

The screenshot below is the current view I have, and it does provide the information I want, but it just looks and feels sloppy, like I've copy/pasted from excel.

In terms of the metadata, we have the intake form/sheet that prepopulates some of the project plan metadata. Then, on the right-panel, I can open 'Sheet Summary' and can further update project plan name, the PM, and some other details. One of those other details is the 'Benefit ($)'. Screenshot below:

After I enter the benefit (i.e., $2,100,000 here), where can I then access this information in sheet format? This is entered after a project is submitted through the intake form, so it's not included as part of the intake process. Is including it as part of the intake form the only fix, as in you cannot update the sheet summary AFTER the intake process if I want this data included on the intake sheet to later reference?

To me, the $2,1m figure is stored somewhere, and most likely in a sheet, but it is just not very clear or known where that might be.

Andrée Starå

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/510325#Comment_510325

Hi @Tom Williams,

I hope you're well and safe!

The following is coming from a report, and it's probably a Sheet Summary Report.

Reports can't be formatted, but if it were a Row Report, we could have centered the amount in the referenced sheet(s).

I'd recommend using a Metric Widget instead of the Report Widget, and then you can make it look much nicer. (See my example(s) and more information below)

Examples and more information

ScreenFloat Shot of Arc on 2026-04-23 at 12-03-02.jpeg

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/518558-widget-types-for-smartsheet-dashboards#toc-metric-widget

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2482273-using-metric-widgets

Answers to your specific question(s)
Please take a look at my comments and/or answers below.

[Andrée Starå] I don't think it's available in sheet format, and that it's a Sheet Summary Report that is used. Also, you can edit the Sheet Summary Data after the Intake if there are no formulas or similar used in the field.

At a glance, it doesn't look like you're using Control Center.
When you provision/create a project, do you need to input a Project ID or similar somewhere to have the data populate from the Intake sheet? (This is automatic in Control Center)

Does that make sense?

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic day!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Smartsheet Expert Consultant & Partner / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅ Did my comment/answer help? Please support with 💡 ⬆️ ❤️ ✅ so others find it. Thank you! 🙏

Andrée Starå

@Tom Williams

To add.

I concur with Paul.

PMO in Smartsheet, and especially combined with Control Center, is fantastic!

Tom Williams

Hi Andrée - thanks for the response.

Yes, this is exactly what I am trying to get to, but the problem I have is that I am unable to automate or have a sheet pull the 'benefit ($)' value from the project summary sheet, because I don't know how to access the sheet that stores the project summary data. I suspect there is a sheet with the project summary/metadata stored somewhere in sheet format, but I just don't know where it is and no one here nor at SS seems to be able to know either.

I know the current visual I have is from a report, and it's genuinely driving me insane. I know if I can get it into a sheet, then I can create the metric, but I cannot get the benefit value into a sheet format to then create a metric widget without populating a sheet manually which just seems like a non-starter.

Your examples are exactly the types of visuals I am after - looks so much better, cleaner, and presentable. The report view as a visual is awful, and this was what our SS consultant created, which now gives me less confidences they have the required competency to build and configure it how we are asking…

I'll have a look at the links you've sent - thanks so much

Andrée Starå

Happy to help!

I don't know if you noticed, but I edited my answer and added the following.

Answers to your specific question(s)
Please take a look at my comments and/or answers below.

Does it sound correct?

✅ Remember! Did my comment/answer help? Please support with 💡 ⬆️ ❤️ ✅ so others find it. Thank you! 🙏

Tom Williams

I didn't see the edit, thanks - here are responses:

TW - I know I can edit the project sheet summary after the intake. This is what we are currently doing. The issue is that because the benefit is input/captured here after the intake process, it is not included in the intake sheet. And so I am finding now that there is no way to then reference the benefit value back into the intake sheet, or reference it at all. As it stands, the benefit value I am adding to the sheet summary after the intake process is non-referenceable, and I need to be able to reference it. Where can I possibly find it so that I can reference it?

TW - We create the projects via the intake process. Once a project is submitted, it is auto-assigned a Project ID. I haven't been able to speak with our SS consultant as they are located in different timezone, to confirm if it's a CC set up or not.

Paul Newcome

It sounds like a CC solution if you have an intake and don't have to manually copy a template folder for each project.

If you can locate the template folder, you can create a metrics widget on the dashboard that is linked directly to the sheet summary field. Any projects provisioned from that template afterwards will have the new widget, but any projects already created will have to be manually updated.

In Control Center there is a feature called "Global Updates" which allows you to retroactively apply updates to projects that have already been provisioned, but Global Updates unfortunately does not play well with dashboards that have metrics widgets populated by sheet summary fields.

Tom Williams

Thanks, Paul - I think I've managed it.

It all still seems unnecessarily, overly complicated, for very simple tasks. Feels like we've been sold a dud in all honesty. The lack of customization such as not being able to format x/y axis numbers on charts to remove decimal points (?!), the lack of chart customization, the lack of formatting available from the dashboard (center-aligning text in reports and so on), the lack of being able to add filters directly to the dashboard, the fact the dashboards are for the most part static / non-dynamic (no on-screen filters/slicers etc.), and the need to create additional reports and sheets to then build into a dashboard… I created a dashboard and then had to go back and reformat source data as you cannot format directly in the reports, nor dashboards.

I am sure I'll get to grips with the workflows in time, but in the first few weeks that we've had it I am considering scrapping use of it and going back to previous tools - it just doesn't appear to have anywhere near the level of functionality, capability, nor same user-experience as MS products that are available.

Any suggested materials / youtube / masterclasses that may help with adoption? I will need to present this to our function as our tool of choice, and right now I am not even sure I can / want to adopt it myself

Paul Newcome

@Tom Williams I certainly understand your frustrations. Solutions are supposed to make life easier, not add complexity.

I will admit that some of the frustrations you are encountering are just part of how Smartsheet works, but I can also say that some of them can be worked around with a little creativity, and others have fixes in the pipeline. You are more than welcome to join the Early Adopter Program (EAP) which will give you the ability to test out some of the upcoming features and added capabilities prior to general release.

As with any new program / process, there is always a bit of a learning curve. One of the challenges with Smartsheet is also one of it's benefits. Flexibility. Because the platform is so flexible and can be used for so many use cases, it has a lot to learn.

The flexibility in use cases also lends itself to not having all of the little features you might expect from a dedicated PMO program, but the flexibility in use cases also means that it can be used across many departments all relying on the same data sources without having to link as many systems together. A little give and take so to speak. While it may not be as good at some things as other platforms, it certainly outshines other platforms in other aspects as well.

Here are a couple of links you may find useful…

EAP: Early access to some of the newest features before they are released as well as the ability to provide feedback on those features.

https://www.smartsheet.com/eap

Mobilizers: Resources to aid in adoption.

https://www.smartsheet.com/mobilizer

Smartsheet University: A place to find training materials from beginner to advanced.

https://smartu.smartsheet.com

Tom Williams

Thanks, Paul - appreciate it! Have a good weekend

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