Roadmap and Desired Features

Robert Casper

Smartsheet, we need you to bring the public roadmap back.  I could present a long case to justify it, however it should be sufficient to say that we need that transparency to know if often requested features will be implemented.  For example, my number one (by far) desired feature is the ability to either share reports without sharing the entire underlying sheets or just restrict sharing specific rows on a sheet based on the user name and a linked cell.  With either feature, we can flush a long list of databases.  Without it, we have to keep workarounds in place.  That is just one feature, there are more for the audience.  A roadmap keeps us in the loop.

Mike Wilday

Roadmaps increase expectation and excitement! 

 

A roadmap also confirms to your audience that you are working on requested features, and that they are in the forefront of your mind. Most of us understand that production is rapidly changing, as well as priorities. But it helps to know that you aren't forgetting what your community is requesting, even if it's not the highest priority. +1 for bringing back the roadmap. 

Shaine Greenwood

Hello Robert & Mike,

 

We're evaluating how we keep customers in the loop for upcoming features. What we found was that the information in the product roadmap we previously had would become inaccurate as we shifted our focus or completely realized how much time and resources it would take to develop features—so instead of leaving features up on our roadmap for months (sometimes years) we decided to take it down altogether.

 

We're working a way of communicating what features we're working on in an accurate and transparent way.

 

Currently, we make announcements in the community (check the right side bar) and update our release notes at the time of release: https://www.smartsheet.com/release-notes

 

I understand that these don't communicate what we're working on for future releases, but I believe that these are a step in the right direction. 

Mike Wilday

Is there any way to subscribe to these release notes? Or are we already subscribed as we are smartsheet subscribers? 

Shaine Greenwood

Hi Mike—

 

There isn't a way to subscribe to the release notes but that would be a great idea. I'll see if our Website team can add this option.

 

We also highlight notable features with splash screens in the application itself.

J. Craig Williams

Mike, 

 

Until they do, try Wachete.

Free version (5 pages), updates within 24 hours

https://www.wachete.com/#pricing

 

Can also be combined with Zapier to get you that email if the page loads a lot.

 

Craig

Chris McKay

Hi Shaine,

I really don't want to come across as "that guy that always complains", but it's now been 10 months since your post and presumably over a year since the previously published product roadmap was retired.

I've only been using Smartsheet for about 6 months, and in that time it's become apparent that proper responses to information requests (like the above) and the resolution of fundamental issues with the platform are taking far too long. The response is almost always "we're working on a way" or "trying to determine the best method". This definitely conveys a message that there is a lack of commitment or urgency on the part of the product team when dealing with clients.

I'm being very careful not to shoot the messenger, as the Community team have been very communicative and I want to be clear that I'm not referring to feature enhancements, but critical bug fixes or requests like the OP.

A year to work out how to communicate your product roadmap is far too long considering the financial and reputational investment your customers have made in Smartsheet. We rely on Smartsheet partnering with us to deliver solutions to our customers. This includes transparent communications (obviously within reason) from Smartsheet, as our customers have exactly the same questions we do about where the product is headed and how that will affect future functionality impacting their projects and ultimately their business.

Similarly, taking 18 months to determine an approach (I'm not even touching on the actual remediation work) to resolving the outstanding issue with system dates only pulling the underlying UTC times (fundamental functionality for a project management tool) is beyond reasonable. As is the lack of even basic documentation for Smartsheet Control Center, which is annoyingly still in Beta 9+ months on from the time it was presented to us.

There is a ton of stuff that Smartsheet and the teams that work on the product do exceptionally well and for that I'm thankful. It's a product that really contributes to a collaborative project management environment. But equally, there are some areas that really need to be improved upon.

Chris McKay

Hi Smartsheet,

Any update to the above request for a published roadmap?

There are some exciting enhancements due for Q1 2018 including native Smartsheet Graphs and Cross sheet LOOKUP that will be absolute game changers for us. We'd be keen to know if they're still on track or have been delayed.