SmartME is a cloud-based project portfolio management platform tailored for public sector agencies and international development organizations. It addresses the challenge of overseeing complex programs with multiple projects by providing robust portfolio tracking by providing multi-level governance and cross-organizational coordination capabilities. Users benefit from comprehensive reporting and interactive data visualization, enabling transparent communication of results to stakeholders. Built-in automated workflows, KPI management, and real-time performance monitoring allow continuous oversight of project outcomes against targets. Integrated contract management, risk monitoring, and financial tracking equip users with the tools needed to manage obligations, anticipate issues, and maintain budgetary control. Collaborative features further ensure that teams across departments and partner organizations remain aligned and informed, improving accountability and strategic decision-making.

Business use cases

Project Execution Alignment

Frends enables integration between SmartME and project execution tools like Adobe Workfront to align day-to-day tasks with portfolio oversight. As teams update tasks and timelines in Workfront, key milestones and status information are automatically reflected in SmartME. This synchronization eliminates duplicate data entry and ensures the portfolio view in SmartME is always accurate, giving managers real-time visibility into project progress without micromanaging individual tools.

Streamlining Task and Project Management

By integrating Smartsheet with task management tools such as Jira, Asana, or Microsoft Planner using Frends, businesses can streamline project workflows. For example, Frends can automate the creation and updating of Smartsheet tasks based on changes in these tools. This provides a unified view of task progress and project status across different platforms.

IT Task and Issue Integration

For including technical components, Frends integrates SmartME with issue tracking systems like Jira, bridging agile development work and broader program management. Development teams manage sprints and issues in Jira while Frends continuously updates SmartME with relevant issue statuses, deliverables, and risks. This automated integration ensures that non-technical project managers and stakeholders using SmartME have full visibility into IT progress and impediments, enhancing cross-functional coordination.

Collaboration and Document Synchronization

For improved collaboration, Frends links SmartME with platforms like Microsoft Teams and SharePoint to synchronize communications and documents. Project documents uploaded or updated in SmartME can be automatically copied to a SharePoint repository, ensuring all partners access the latest versions. Similarly, key project updates or alerts from SmartME are posted to Teams channels. This integration streamlines knowledge sharing, reduces silos, and keeps everyone informed with minimal effort.

Audit Trail and Compliance Automation

Frends automates audit trail management by integrating SmartME with compliance and archival systems. All project approvals, budget changes, and key decisions logged in SmartME can be periodically exported and stored in a secure archive or fed into an audit management system. This scheduled integration ensures compliance with donor and regulatory audit requirements, preserving a complete history of project data changes and reducing manual effort during audits.

Procurement and Grant Management

Through Frends, SmartME connects with ERP and procurement systems to streamline project funding workflows. When a new budget allocation or grant is approved in SAP or similar platforms. Frends automatically updates or creates the corresponding project entry in SmartME with the approved funding. Similarly, when procurement milestones like contract awards are reached, SmartME’s project status and financials update immediately. This synchronization ensures project managers and finance teams share a single, timely view of funding and expenditures, improving oversight and scheduling.

Monitoring & Evaluation Data Aggregation

Frends helps aggregate monitoring and evaluation (M&E) data by integrating SmartME with external data sources and field reporting tools. Data from surveys, spreadsheets, or partner databases can be automatically imported into SmartME’s KPI tracking module, eliminating manual consolidation for reporting on development outcomes. Project officers get a real-time view of outcome indicators in SmartME, improving the accuracy of progress reports and facilitating evidence-based adjustments to projects.

Public Transparency Portal Updates

Public sector organizations can use Frends to integrate SmartME with public transparency portals or open data platforms. Key project information and results recorded in SmartME are automatically published or updated on public websites at defined intervals. This integration provides citizens and donors with current information on project status, budgets, and outcomes without requiring manual web updates, thereby enhancing transparency and public trust through consistent, up-to-date disclosures.

Automated Alerts and Notifications

Frends can also integrate SmartME with communication tools to automate propagation of alerts and notifications. If project performance deviates from defined KPIs or a milestone is delayed, the integration triggers an immediate notification via email or a collaboration app like Slack. Stakeholders and managers receive timely alerts generated from SmartME data. This proactive communication mechanism helps in early issue resolution and keeps all relevant parties informed without manual status checking.