As concrete mixers whirr and hammers clang at construction sites, digital tools power the workflows and project management of the property owners, architects, and contractors that transform blueprints into completed structures. After all, these stakeholders need to get every detail right, from planning to tracking materials, while they collaborate with construction project managers every step of the way.
Professionals in the construction industry use the Smartsheet work execution platform and its app Integrations and Add-ons for planning, tracking, and managing their daily work.
From ensuring data consistency through DataMesh, to collecting digital signatures through DocuSign, to secure file storage through Egnyte, many companies leverage Smartsheet to move away from paper-based record keeping toward digital transformation.
1. Maintain data consistency with DataMesh
Some construction companies use DataMesh, a Smartsheet premium Add-on. DataMesh empowers teams to maintain data consistency between their sheets by automatically finding and removing duplicate data points, creating links based on specific lookup values, and populating empty cells in sheets using known values, such as phone numbers or email addresses.
Whether handling commercial or residential construction projects, Smartsheet customers use DataMesh in many ways, from timestamping milestone completion dates to transferring key information from a facility lookup sheet into an active architectural estimating sheet.
A California-based construction firm’s HR department uses DataMesh to trigger their onboarding process. The premium Add-on automatically transfers information gathered during the recruiting phase to the HR team’s sheet for employee records. This process practically streamlines their data collection process, resulting in fewer data-entry errors while saving time they might spend copying and pasting information.
Download the DataMesh data sheet to learn more.
2. Share dynamic, accurate data with Smartsheet Pivot App
The Smartsheet Pivot App is a premium Add-on that enables teams to quickly summarize and dynamically refresh data stored in a sheet using pivot tables. With the Add-on, teams can keep key metrics up to date, surface important information, and respond to and act on changing data needs.
For example, a retail store fixture manufacturer uses the Pivot App and Smartsheet Control Center in tandem to manage construction projects. They use Control Center to roll key metrics from all of their active projects into a single portfolio sheet that tracks workload. Working off of that sheet, they use the Pivot App for forecasting and metric counts for client-facing Smartsheet dashboards, which provide better visibility to their clients into financial health and progress.
A full-service architectural firm that handles planning and design also uses the Pivot App to work with clients on architectural estimates. When their clients request updates for a facility design, the firm determines the estimate and uses Pivot App to produce six types of cost reports. This provides clients with insight into cost by priority level per facility or department, soft cost breakdowns, and more, empowering them to respond and execute faster.
To learn more, check out the Pivot App data sheet.
3. Secure key files with Egnyte, Google Drive, OneDrive
Construction teams that move beyond a paper-based filing system typically use secure file and document storage apps and platforms. To help teams that have gone paperless quickly surface documents and information relevant to their work, Smartsheet connects with cloud-based file storage apps such as Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Egnyte. Using these Smartsheet Integrations comes in handy for architectural design firms and real estate developers.
Architectural firms create design documents and take site photos for each construction project. For example, one firm specializing in designing high-profile, commercial storefronts and interior store sections uses Egnyte as a repository for all of their image assets, from standard photos to 360-degree, walkthrough-mapping images.
They use the Egnyte app Integration to attach those images to relevant rows in Smartsheet, so all project information is bundled together in one sheet. Another architecture firm uses the Smartsheet integration with Microsoft OneDrive to manage documents for every architecture project.
In another example, a real estate developer in California uses Google Drive to store job site photos. Since they manage projects using Smartsheet, they use the Google Drive Integration to attach relevant images to rows, allowing them to access these images on the Smartsheet mobile app when they’re out in the field.
For these three companies, having photos centralized in Smartsheet adds visual context to each project. Some architectural design firms can have hundreds of project underway at once, so being able to quickly submit images from mobile devices, then organize and access reference photos is a game-changer that saves them from endlessly searching through digital folders in their cloud-based apps.
4. Collect paperless signed contracts with DocuSign
DocuSign is another app Integration that assists construction project teams in making the change to digital documentation. Instead of maintaining a paper-based system for contracts and other key documents, project managers can collect signed, electronic documents using contact lists in Smartsheet.
In Smartsheet they can auto-populate and map row data to documents that are sent out to stakeholders, attach signed documents to rows, and use a DocuSign template for repeatable processes. These automations empower stakeholders to review and sign documents even faster so they can get back to more pressing tasks.
Using a combination of DocuSign and Smartsheet, a real estate property management company was able to replace their paper system. Where the project manager (PM) used to have to walk around collecting signatures and approvals in person, by using the combination of DocuSign and Smartsheet, they’ve saved time and cut down on the overhead required to store all of that paper. The PM can spend more time focusing on process efficiencies instead, and continue to impress their management team.
