Case Study: WestEd achieves organization-wide project visibility and collaboration with Smartsheet

WestEd Uses Smartsheet to Instill a Culture of Success

WestEd is a nonprofit research and development organization that supports the American education system through grants, assessments, and training. Working on hundreds of contracts each year, the organization lacked a standardized project management system: teams relied on disparate tools (Excel, MS Project, open-source apps), which caused version control problems, unclear roles, missed deliverables, and poor visibility into timelines.

After piloting Smartsheet and rolling it out as an opt‑in tool, WestEd adopted Smartsheet across the organization (growing to 400+ users) and integrated it with Box for file sharing. Using features like update requests, cell linking, and automated alerts, teams now manage project plans, deliverables, budgets, and risks in one place. The result: improved collaboration and transparency across contractors and stakeholders, standardized project-management practices, and better leadership visibility into work demands.

WestEd

Yvonne Gemmell Keene

Chief Information Officer