Best method to handle multiple workstreams

John Dunn

I am very new to Smartsheet. I need to provide project management services to multiple workstreams with many tasks working on a project. Is it better to:

Develop a separate Sheet per workstream, and then join all of the individual Sheets up for a composite view, or develop a Sheet with all workstream tasks and then break the main sheet up into individual Sheets per workstream?

What might the advantages be to either approach?

Andrée Starå

Hi @John Dunn

I hope you're well and safe!

It depends.

• How many projects, how advanced, how many rows for each, and so on.
• Who should have access?
• Do you want/need to use multiple reports/Dashboards/Portals for each project and/or combined as an overview?

Can you describe your process in more detail and maybe share the sheet(s)/copies of the sheet(s) or some screenshots? (Delete/replace any confidential/sensitive information before sharing) That would make it easier to help. (share too, andree@workbold.com)

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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John Dunn

Hi Andrée,

We have taken two approaches:

1. Individual sheets for each workstream with maybe 20 to 100 tasks, and combining the workstream task lists to get a master view.
2. Master sheet with all workstream tasks, individual workstream views via Reports.

One thing I have already run into is that if dependencies are enabled, the workstream cannot change an End Date of a task, only the Start Date (and then arrive at a new End Date by manipulating the Durations.

What might be the tradeoffs with either approach?