Document review/approval tracking

Steve Mount

Interested to hear if anyone has setup a process in Smartsheet to track document review and approval. SOWs and Cost sheets need to be reviewed and approved by multiple people prior to being reviewed by the customer. I'd like to embed this process into an existing customer tracking smartsheet if I can but am undecided on implementation so hoping to get some ideas from the community!

Andrée Starå

Hi Steve,

What type of documents and where are they stored?

Have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant @ Get Done Consulting

Steve Mount

Currently, docs are stored in Google Drive, maybe Box, and attached in a Sheet.

Andrée Starå

Are the links to the different services in Smartsheet already? Can that set up change if needed?

Can you describe the process in more detail?

Best,

Andrée

Ezra

I've been noodling this too.. for now, it may come down to having something like a few different "Assigned to" columns for the Mid Management, Upper Management and Other (not req. if blank). Then just assign as contact list (perhaps even multiple? - may be tricky), the managers get notified when XYZ.doc has a status of "review and send to customer". As the reviewers go over things, they can set a status - specific to them - only visible to them (via individualized reports) of "good to go" or "try again" ..... or add notes/comments, etc. via google docs or smartsheet.

Steve Mount

Current process is all outside of smartsheet and is pretty much the equivalent to "throwing it over the fence". Basically, someone creates a document and puts it in a channel in Slack and asks for review. Or they email it and ask for review, or could be a private slack channel. A single document may need review by multiple people before its finally approved and ready to be sent to the customer.

I'm moving toward having the documents attached to a line item in the customer database in smartsheet, and added a few columns as a Contact List, asking those that need to review a doc to make sure they add their name to that column. 

A little cumbersome, and I still have to follow up with people when I'd prefer some automation.

Steve Mount

Thanks for that. I'm headed down a similar road, though there are certain docs that need 4 people to review and a single customer might have multiple docs to review. A Solution Build Document, a Cost sheet, Scope of Work, etc. 

I'm almost thinking about a document intake process/sheet which is a single database for all documents, with the proper links to the customer database and other places.

Andrée Starå

Depending on your structure, in general, another option could be to use a separate sheet entirely for the process. I've done that in the past for several clients because the documents needed to be shared with many people, but they should have access to the Project Plan.

Hope that helps!

Best,

Andrée

Steve Mount

I agree, though I wish I could do it all in one location. I created a simple sheet that has the documents attached, and fields for customer, type of document, date needed, submitted by, then a Reviewed by contact list allowing multiple contacts. Now I'm looking at how to add dependencies to it and tie it back to a customer record in a separate sheet. For example, a Cost sheet cannot be created until a Solution Scope Document has been provided so I need to point to multiple forms.

I'm getting closer to nearly recreating a CRM within Smartsheet that contains all of the customer information, documents included, with a report that pulls certain criteria to show if there is a document/contract pending review and sign off.

 

Regards,

Steve

Andrée Starå

The Premium Add-on, Dynamic View could solve to keep it in one sheet.

The fruit of the acquisition of Slope will start to show in the coming months so that will probably enable several features that would improve this kind of workflow and need.

I'm excited about that!

Best,

Andrée

Steve Mount

Can you elaborate? This is news to me. Premium Add-on? Dynamic View? Slope?

 

Steve

Andrée Starå

Here you go!

https://www.smartsheet.com/product/dynamic-view

https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/smartsheet-acquires-slope-speed-innovation

https://www.goslope.com/

Best,

Andrée