Smartsheet Announces Real-Time Data Exchange with Tableau

BELLEVUE, WASH., May 21 – Smartsheet, the spreadsheet-inspired collaborative work management tool used by millions worldwide, today announced the general availability of the Smartsheet Live Data Connector. The new functionality uses industry standard Open Database Connector (ODBC) capabilities to link live data in Smartsheet with other ODBC-compliant tools like Tableau Software, Microsoft Excel, QlikView and Qlik Sense.

“This new live connection will help Smartsheet users get more out of their data,” said Francois Ajenstat, Vice President, Product Management at Tableau. “The ability to quickly and seamlessly visualize Smartsheet data in Tableau will let people see and understand their data in entirely new ways. We’re excited about this collaboration and expect it will deliver significant value to our joint customers.”

Real-Time Visibility = Better Decision Making

A global technology company was one of the first to reap the benefits of the new capabilities. The project team in the shared services group is responsible for preparing data visualizations that gauge the health and costs associated with 40+ different employee services like relocation and technical support services. These scorecard graphics, created in Tableau, are presented at the organization’s quarterly reviews, and are paramount to tracking employee satisfaction.

To collect the most accurate data, the team used to work with various analysts around the company to update 15+ spreadsheets. “It was always a mad scramble to get this data collected after a quarter ended,” said the program manager. “We would spend more time tracking and managing versions of the spreadsheets and extracting data than doing meaningful analysis.”

Now Smartsheet serves as the data collection repository, with analysts simply updating a row or two in the online tool each month. With the connector capability, data flows immediately from Smartsheet into Tableau, ensuring the visualizations are always up to date and available.

“Not only is it faster and easier for all of us, we now have real time visibility into the health of the programs. Our management team can now review programs more frequently, and see if things are on track, long before the Quarterly Operations Review,” he said. “If they’re not where they want them to be, they can take corrective action a lot faster than ever before. Smartsheet is playing an important role in helping us be a more nimble, data-driven organization. We’re very excited about the potential.”

As a trusted provider to many of the world’s industry-leading organizations including Cisco, Google, Bayer, HomeAway, Groupon, DHL, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and more than 60,000 other companies in 170 countries, Smartsheet is making significant strides towards becoming the global standard for work management.

Smartsheet pairs the familiar, easy to use spreadsheet interface with capabilities like file sharing, work automation, Gantt chart features and integration with leading cloud productivity tools, leading to a flexible, highly functional project management tool that is becoming incredibly popular. It is used to collaborate, plan and execute a broad spectrum of work, including marketing campaigns, product launches, business operations, manufacturing processes, strategic planning and HR initiatives.