Disable License Request Features

Renee N

Can it be possible to have a configuration option to remove the "Request License" button?

It creates confusion with our users as they are requesting licenses that are not needed. This causes extra work for our admins to sort out what license requests are valid and which ones are just noise.

A_Blue

Hello!

To maybe put a different spin on the ask (I'm not sure, this thread is way too long), if the button cannot be disabled, can the link it goes to at least be customized? We have an internal ticketing software for license requests, and if the license request button could redirect there instead of creating a request in SS, that would be super helpful to us.

I know this functionality is possible because the same functionality exists for adding domains to the whitelist for access management inside Smartsheet.

Obviously this button is just a money grab, but for many larger organizations we manage licenses through the SCIM automation, so this button is clearly only preying on smaller orgs. Adding this functionality only to the enterprise level would make sense (and allow the preying to continue).

Julie Becker

As others have mentioned MANY times in this long thread, we are NOT asking Smartsheets to Remove the Sales pitches in their program, we are SIMPLY ASKING you to ➕ ADD a Toggle On 🟢 / Off ⚫️ Button for your PAYING 💸 customers who you have already locked us in with $$$$$$$ Contracts. These Marketing Banners / Notifications are NOT for EXISTING $$$$$ Paying Customers, therefore, please provide us with that option to turn those features on/off or the ability to manage for our OWN internal purposes as "YOU" Smartsheets are creating more enemies and forcing longtime clients/customers to take their business elsewhere. As others stated, its NOT that hard to create (any of your Software Engineers, can do this as its basic programing)

You 🏆️ WON that match with all of us 🤑 paying customers (we signed ✒️ up & pay you rediculously large amounts of 💸💰️$$), now please STOP 🛑 rubbing it in our faces asking our users / employees (Who are most likely on that paid plan already) to click on your sales pitches.

Yolanda_Elv

For the love of all things cute and fuzzy, please allow us to disable that banner. All the mistaken requests make sys admin life harder than it has to be.

Michael Chohrach

The problem with the new user subscription model is that, although it allows users to have "provisional" access to test out Smartsheet to the fullest, once the sysadmin decides that specific users do not need this access going forward, the system still allows these same users to once again have "provisional" access during the next "usage period" cycle, if some other user decides to share a sheet to them with more than viewer permissions. This will create a vicious cycle of requiring the admin to go in every 3 months to "downgrade" the same users in order to prevent having to shell out even more money for users who don't really need anything more than view access. There needs to be a way for the sysadmin to be able to permanently "lock down" individual users to "viewer only" based on business needs and budgets. Under the new user subscription model, the "Licensed" toggle in User Management has been replaced by a "Member" toggle, but that toggle is now disabled so that it cannot be turned off. Re-enabling this toggle will allow sysadmins more control over which users can impact licensing costs for the company.

Solar Eric

@Michael Chohrach Can you clarify how provisional access is enabled? Can the user do that or does the sys admin have control? I'm certainly watching for licensing changes to create increased SS revenue based on their recent acquisition.

Michael Chohrach

@Solar Eric Based on the Smartsheet documentation, and what we've experienced thus far under the new User Subscription Model, provisional access is granted in the following ways:

1. Any new user is automatically granted "provisional member" access.
2. Any existing user who is shared to any Smartsheet item with any permissions higher that viewer access

The sysadmin has no control other than during the "true up" period at the end of each 3-month cycle (at least for Enterprise plans), they have the ability to downgrade users to Viewer level (or No Access). But even then, once the new 3-month cycle begins, if anyone then shares any Smartsheet item to this "downgraded" user with Commenter or above access, they are then automatically re-elevated to "provisional member" access and the sysadmin has to downgrade them again before the end of the next "true up" period, if they should still only have viewer level access. Thus begins a vicious cycle of managing all of your users to ensure they remain at the levels you desire.

For clarification, "provision member" access gives the user full access to Smartsheet, meaning they can create new sheets, reports and dashboards, something previously restricted to Licensed Users.

For us, this meant that we went from around 70 licensed users to over 200 "members / provisional members", meaning we now have 3 times the number of users who can create Smartsheet items, making it 3 times more difficult for us to properly manage workspaces against our internal governance policies.

Solar Eric

Summary of this post:

1. How SS "resolved" our product idea with 'provisional users'
2. How the new reconciliation of provisional users puts an additional burden on sys admin's to perform a monthly or quarterly operation or see their account auto-billed for users they did not enable
3. A list of newer feature requests as an alternative to this "resolution"

Hi All,

I just saw that as of 6:51 AM MST voting on this feature was closed, but the email didn't mention the feature release.

__________

Here is a copy/paste for anyone subscribed to the thread on how they "resolved" our need:

On Smartsheet's new subscription model there are no license request buttons for any of your shared users. The new provisional member status enables shared users to evaluate features they need before a System Admin decides whether to pay for ongoing access. For more information on migrating to the new model, please search for the keywords “User Subscription Model” in our Help Center.

_________

This new model seems to require sys admins on annual plans to "reconcile provisional users" within a 30 day period quarterly or get auto-billed. Monthly plans you'll need to do it every 30 days and have 7 days to execute on it.

Quote: "The reconciliation period occurs:

Approximately 30-35 days before the quarterly auto-bill date for annual customers
Seven days before the auto-bill date for monthly customers"

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2483245-User-Subscription-Model-System-Admin-overview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3z_N7zdv7Y

So basically smartsheet has migrated from a sys admin "repeatedly tell users no when they click the license request button" model to a "provisional users can be created by any other user. And if you don't reconcile these quarterly then we'll bill you from provisioning date" model

This is, by far, the most ridiculous and confusing licensing model I've ever seen.

Here are some of the new feature requests around this chaos:

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/135290/allow-new-users-under-the-new-user-subscription-model-to-be-set-to-viewer

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/135185/smartsheet-new-user-subscription-model-usm-provisional-status

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/136183/user-subscription-model-user-type-and-true-up-page-enhancement

I suppose what we need to do is centralize our voice to a single product enhancement, reach out to our account reps, and threaten to vote with our feet. New product requests don't seem to be working. And per glassdoor reviews, there has been quite a shake-up at Smartsheet during the acquisition period.

Monica

Another vote for removing the banner. I just launched a new solution that took over a year to build with a Smartsheet team and it does not require a license for our users to work in the solution, but I purchased a certain amount of licenses to enable specific users to engage and possibly become super users. I am receiving a high volume of chats, emails, and questions during office hours about this, and many users are clicking the banner, leading to unnecessary license requests from people who will not receive one. This is consuming a significant amount of time that I need to focus on addressing other feedback and issues.  PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!!

Melissa Bosi

I found these idea requests, but shocked the first one has so few votes. I find it difficult to find ideas on the Community that I know have to be out there to be voted on.

Request to Deactivate Smartsheet License Request Features — Smartsheet Community

Automated Response on License Requests — Smartsheet Community