How to use a checklist with check-able check boxes attached to a row in a project schedule from a ta

I want our smartsheet project schedule to be "the start and end all" for all project information and processes, however, I am struggling in delivering a checklist system.

We currently utilize a standardize project template in smartsheet for each of our build clients. Approximatly 20 per year. Each row of our project schedule is associated with a specific construction trade. Each trade has unique checklist for our project managers to utilize to ensure consistent quality and standards. Currently, our check list is deleivered with google drive, google docs. We really like google in that there is only (1) document for the project - However, working from a tablet or a desktop screen, we can not actually check off the check boxes and "sign the document" when work is completed and approved for payment. It has to be printed to do this. (unless I am missing something?)

Our goal to be 100% paperless with this aspect of our business. Is there a way to use an electronic checklist that lives in the cloud and can be edited there too?

I have looked into a pdf solutuion, but find that to edit the document, it has to be downloaded to the tablety and then uploaded again - which becomes way to cumbersome for our field techs. Am I wring on this? I hope so, I wouwld like a pdf solutuion to this.

I have looked at evernote for adding checklists, but have found it cumbersome in that it is asking for a login everytime, with remember password for 30-days. Also then prompts to download and use the android app, and the checkboxes are not checkable.

Should we be taking a different approach and loading all checklists directly onto our field techs tablet and he is just sending in seperatly from smartsheet?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Jeremy Michels

Jef,

I manage our entire company through Smartsheet. We are a manufacturing and construction business. The process we use is Smartsheet to Smartsheet labs to Docusign.

In the sheets we have web forms set up for everyone to fill out and check off all the data. This is done on an Ipad. That data is loaded into individual sheets that pertain to the area of the scope of work. That data is then transfered into Docusign from Smartsheet labs and is available to be signed. The great part is when it is signed it is attached to the row that it was generated from in Smartsheet. You can walkd down every line item and see if you have sign off. The other benefits to the system are when you do the transfer into Docusing you can attach documents from Google drive that allow you to combine all of your data to a single row. As an example we use Good Notes app and detail all of our field notes onto the PDF plan on the tablet. We sync that with Google Drive. We do a web form to fill out site data and attach the google drive docs to the item and send it to de signed off on. The wed form can also do more for you in terms of schedule. It can have dates built into it so that when it is filled out it will update your schedule for items that are critical path. If the dates that are being turned in are not on schedule you can set a parameter to have it turn red so that it is clear there is something off.

To keep the paperless part of this going you can set up reports off of these sheets that create a dashboard for your team. Everytime they pull up the report it will have current data that is specific to them. It will also have a Gantt chart next to it so they can see schedule impacts. If they edit in the report it will update all of the sheets at the same time.

Hope this was not to frantic and helps.

J. Craig Williams

Jeremy,

That sounds amazing.

Craig

Jef Forward

Jeremy....thank you for sharing. You my friend have blown my mind. Its taking me a bit to digest. I have a lot of questions. More to follow...

Jef Forward

Jeremy - This sounds like a wonderful system, and I am contemplating what that would look like in our system. Can I schedule a web interview with you? I will cover your time!

So, it helps me to recap - you have multiple trade sheets, each with specific tasks that have check boxes and a final sign off procedure through SSlabs. Each of these sheets is linked to a master project sheet. From the master, your pushing the start date out to the trade, and the trade completed by date back to the master? Is this correct?

I have not pursued any type of syncing with google - perhaps I should. I really like your idea of redmarking the plan as recoord set of issues.

In our system this woule mean approximatly 30 trade sheets. Whats really got me thinking about this is that we also do all of our estimating in SS. I can see this same approach being applied in the estimate, and that indiviudal trade sheet estimate then becomes the trade work order.

Thank you Jeremy!

Jeremy Michels

What we do is similar to that. We have a master sheet that flows out to two main sheets. Our budgets sheets and our schedule sheets. We do this because we can share the schedule sheets with the subs and our customers. This creates an open work enviroment that engaes all sides in meeting the set goals. The schedule dates are set and we link those back to the master page. The finance side of the sheets are more involved to say the least. We use this side to do alot of the business management. We assign purchase orders to vendors and to sub contractors. We assign vendors to what we call material buy sheets. As a contractor you are very aware of the cost of materials is a huge burden on any job. What we have done is we share with our vendors our projected total year buying. What this has done is has driven our TCO down 12%. We were able to add that to the bottom line. The vendor seeing the total possible sales they could have gave us better buying power. All of our sheets start with estimated data and return back to the master page the actuals per line item. Depending how deep you want the rabbit hole to go. Depends on how much data you want to learn about will depend on how much you break down the job. We have a very granular system. We track to the nuts and bolts and time etc. We can see if we loose money or make money at every level of the system in real time. I dont need to wait till the end of a job to know. In this process we have sign offs that are done. The sign offs are done with docusign. When the signoffs are done the documents are atomatically attached to the line items in SS. You can use the docusing process to do change orders to the customer or subs. You can use it do internal sign offs for tasks complete, you can use it for safety reporting to get sign offs on training etc. In all of this we have automated emails that go to show work loads and and schedules at the same time. This automated sharing is a great tool to save TCO for you on your projects.

What I would encourage if you are committed to SS as we are, you need to start to see what the systems can really do for you and your business. We use every facet that applies to leverage the ability of our team. Web Forms to Sheets to Reports to Docusign and Maps and Good Notes and Google apps for work. We are adding two other tools this year to gain even more advantage. All of these tools communicate with each other as a requirement that we have. In the construction industry SS can take your business up several levels.

Jef Forward

Jeremy - Thanks again for sharing yor insight. We have jumped into this heavy and now have that checkable system I wanted! Thank you!