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Access to All workspaces, sheets, dashboards and reports

It would be helpful if a System Admin or new role had access to all workspaces, sheets, dashboards and reports. Currently, we don't have a way to see how the organization is using Smartsheet. I can run a Sheet Access report, but, I don't have the ability to see how Smartsheet is being used.

36
36 votes

On Radar · Last Updated

As part of the Asset Ownership launch that’s coming up, we are providing a mechanism for SysAdmins and the new Plan Asset Admin role to request access to content, and approve their own request if an owner/admin is not assigned or active on the asset. We are also evaluating building reports to get a list of all assets in your plan. This is still being designed and we’d love any feedback you have around that. Please keep adding your comments and thoughts to this thread!

Comments

  • Carol-Anne Cerbone
    Carol-Anne Cerbone ✭✭✭✭✭

    Definitely need to have this functionality as a system admin. Need to know what people are putting out in their workspaces so that it complies with out IT standards.

  • Stu Benoff
    Stu Benoff ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited 07/21/23

    I am sorry, but, I do not agree with this request, as written, so maybe it could be fine-tuned? We have many HR, research, financial and other very private data in some of our sheets and, as a System Admin, I do not want access to this data unless the owner or other authorized individual specifically grants it to me. Having it the way you suggest feels like a violation of audit and compliance regulations.

    I think you could have a policy that "asks" your owners to grant view access to a CEO-READONLY account and give that to the CEO and, as a system admin, you could audit that these shares are/are not in place by using the Sheet Access report. Then, only the CEO, and NOT the system admin would be authorized to login using the CEO-READONLY account.

    I feel like if I had this functionality then I could held accountable for any violations or misuse of the tool and that sounds to be above my pay grade.

    I have been thinking about a similar need to what you're describing and contemplating the use of a survey to capture it. We could build a sheet from the sheet access report and send update requests to the owner of each sheet asking them to "check off/certify" the types of data contained in the sheet. This puts the responsibility on them. If they don't answer or answer honestly that's on them. I'm not risking my job over their misuse.

    Know what I mean? Happy to discuss further.

  • Robbert
    Robbert ✭✭

    I don't need access to the content, but having a way retrieve a list of all sheets, reports, dashboards, etc. and some stats about them would making administrating Smartsheet much easier. Also being able to take or reassign ownership would be nice to have.

  • QuanT
    QuanT Employee

    Hi all, thanks for the suggestion!

    As part of the Asset Ownership launch that's coming up, we are providing a mechanism for SysAdmins and the new Plan Asset Admin role to get access to content. This still requires the SsyAdmin or Plan Asset Admin to have a link to the asset and if they click on it, they need to request access. If the asset has an owner or admin(s), the request goes to the owner and admin(s) to review and grant access. This prevents someone from accessing potentially confidential data. If the owner is deactivated and there are no admins on the asset, the access request goes to the Plan Asset Admin. If no Plan Asset Admin is assigned, the request goes to the SysAdmin. In that situation, the Plan Asset Admin or SysAdmin can grant themselves permission and view the contents of the asset.

    We are also evaluating building reports to get a list of all assets in your plan. This is still being designed and we'd love any feedback you have around that.

  • Will.Parente
    Will.Parente ✭✭✭✭✭

    This 100%. Give me the ability to view the file structure - not the data. Add the ability to reassign sheets without being shared to the sheet would be great.

  • Stu Benoff
    Stu Benoff ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yes @Will.Parente -  "Add the ability to reassign sheets without being shared to the sheet would be great."

  • manley85am
    manley85am Overachievers Alumni

    @QuanT is there any update on the ability to view all assets in our plan? I'm a System Admin and Plan Asset Admin but I'm needing to see everything (even things others have created but I do not currently have access to). Can we do this now that Plan Asset Admin has been rolled out or is there more development being done before we can view and request access to things we previously couldn't see? Let me know ASAP please. Thanks.

  • QuanT
    QuanT Employee

    @Aaron Manley We're working on some reports to enable additional visibility of assets to sysadmins/plan asset admins. For now, SysAdmin and Plan Asset Admin still need to request access to assets. If the owner is deactivated and there are no admins, the access request will go to them and they can approve their own request, and access the asset. We are working on improving this flow.

  • I agree - this is years over due and may force us to move to a new platform. We are in a regulated industry and our Compliance department needs read only access to all content created. Admins need this to support uses that call in to our help desk with issues and also need to insure backups of workspaces are properly configured.