Isolate clients from each other with one license

Victor Selindh

Hi!

 

We are new to Smartsheet but have already encountered a potential problem. We are a management consultancy and like most of them we carry out projects together with our clients. We have one smartsheet license at the moment, and would like to keep it that way if possible. But how can we make sure each project is totally isolated from eachother, without the need to buy a new license for every new client?

 

For users with restricted access there is no problem since they will only see what has been shared to them, but for a client coordinator who we would like to have a licensed user access in order to invite restricted access users from their own organisation - he/she will have access to our Team user list and Groups (where people from other clients are listed).

 

I hope you understand our wish here; to make each project isolated from each other so that there is no way for an external person to have insights about what other projects we are running and people involved in those.

 

I believe we can't be the only ones with this set up? Or are multiple licenses the only answer here?

 

Thanks in advance //Victor

Brett Evans

Seperate workspaces, one for each client.  you can give seperate access by email address ot each workspace.

Victor Selindh

Thank you Brett for your reply. We use seperate workspaces for each client, but we won't come around the fact that invited licensed users from one client will have access to see out Team user list and groups, right? For example, when the coordinator wants to invite a restricted access user to the team, and start to type in the email address, suggestions from "our" address book will come up showing everyone named "Richard", even those from other clients.

 

To clarify our set up; we have a team account with three licensed users at the moment. If we sign up for a new team account for each project that will do it - but I was hoping there was a smoother way to do it since each account requires a specific email address - meaning I will need one unique address for each project.

Travis

You are correct, in that if you invite a user to your Team they will have the ability to see members of groups and email addresses of team members will auto resolve.

 

What is your reasoning for wanting to add the users to your account?

 

Users who are not members of your account can be shared to sheets/workspaces owned by you and your team, collaborate on the sheets, share sheets to other users (who are or are not members of your team plan), etc. 

 

The only advantage you might want by adding them to your account is to give them a paid license which will give them the ability to create and own sheets and to give you the ability to manage their accounts - send password reset links, change their account name, etc.

 

If you want them to be able to create sheets, you might consider having them start a trial account which gives them the option to create sheets for 30 days rather than giving them a license on your account (which you would pay for). 

Victor Selindh

Hi Travis!

 

Thank you for your input!

 

We want them, as a part of our coaching, to take full responsibility and eventually full ownership over the process. A part of that is to be able to create sheets. The idea is that we introduce the tool to them - that we at that moment own - let them use it for some weeks/months and then ask them, as our project reaches the end, to buy their own license so we can export the progress made over to their license and go on with our next project.

 

Users who are not members of our team but with access to share the sheets to other people, they will see our full contact list once they start typing? That is what we want to avoid.

 

Trial version is a good idea, but our projects are often much longer than that and we would want to push and own the project to the very end, before making the client buy it's own license and transfer the data.

Travis

Thanks for clarifying Victor!

 

To touch on trial account - they can be set up as team trials which can give them full access to manage a team and see what it means to own a team - just as they would if they chose to purchase the product. 

 

I understand that 30 days might be too short of a period for then to complete the project you are working with them on but it could be a good start if you want to give them that type of access.

 

One idea might be to have them start their trial towards the end of the project (last 30 days). Start with sharing sheets to them and getting them accustomed to the product, then when the project is nearing the end, have them start their own team trial so they get a feel for how to manage their own team and create their own sheets. 

 

Users who are not members of your team will not see the email addresses of your team members when they start typing - even if they are shared to sheets you or your team owns.

 

Here's a little information on how this works.

 

When you share a sheet with someone, results will auto resolve based on who is in your "My Smartsheet Contacts" and who is a member of your team. 

 

When you assign a task to a user in a Contact List column, results will auto resolve based on who is in your "My Smartsheet Contacts", a member of your team, shared to the sheet you are currently on, and is assigned to a task somewhere in the sheet. 

 

My Smartsheet Contacts cannot be shared - so you dont have to worry about other users seeing this information.

 

Team members can only be viewed by members of your team - so you dont have to worry about users who are just shared to sheets, seeing this information. 

 

Hope this helps! 

Victor Selindh

Thank you Travis, some interesting input for us to consider! Really helpful.

 

"Users who are not members of your team will not see the email addresses of your team members when they start typing - even if they are shared to sheets you or your team owns."

 - But will they see people from other clients, who are just like them, operating with a restricted access and not part of our team?

Travis

You are welcome!

 

Users who are shared to sheets but not members of your team will only see the email address of:

 

-Anyone in their "My Smartsheet Contacts" (these are personal to each user and cannot be shared)

-Users shared to the sheets they are on

-Assigned to tasks on the sheets they are on

 

If the other clients are not shared to the same sheets or assigned to tasks on the same sheets, they will not see their information. 

 

Let me know if you have any other questions!