Link Decorative Designs streamlined production using Smartsheet, saving 60 hours weekly

Link Decorative Designs transforms everyday objects—like gates, furniture, and fixtures—into durable, beautifully finished pieces using advanced powder coating, wood grain, and custom sublimation techniques. Its craftsmanship, fast service, and quality assurance make the company a leading provider in Australia. “Our work has been featured in many iconic venues, with the Sydney Football Stadium being one of our proudest projects,” shares Preetesh Vekaria, Director at Link Decorative Designs. “We completed over 6,000 square meters of powder coating for the stadium. Seeing people walk into the stadium and experiencing that ‘wow’ factor makes us incredibly proud.” Initially, Link Decorative Designs used basic spreadsheets to manage its production processes. Its clients had to email or call the company to ask for order updates, creating an unnecessary burden on its support staff. “We had at least one full-time employee spending around 40 hours a week just answering inquiries,” recalls Preetesh. This cumbersome workflow also created room for error or delays. “If we missed one step, it would hold up the next stages, and tasks were often left incomplete,” adds Preetesh.

“It became clear that we needed a more efficient, user-friendly, cloud-based solution that we could manage from anywhere.

Link Decorative Designs did some research and decided to explore Smartsheet. Smartsheet connected the company with its Platinum Partner, InfoSpark—an award-winning provider recognised as Partner of the Year. InfoSpark started by understanding the Link Decorative Designs’ needs in order to build a tailored solution. “My experience working with InfoSpark was excellent.” recalls Preetesh.

InfoSpark visited our factory, observed our production process, and gained a solid understanding of what we wanted. In just one week, we developed a prototype to ensure the system aligned with what I was looking for. InfoSpark delivered exactly what we needed.

To ensure a smooth adoption across the company, InfoSpark held workshops and provided hands-on guidance. As a result, employees at Link Decorative Designs quickly picked up the new solution and became its strongest advocates. “I highly recommend Smartsheet. It's simple to use, fast, and cloud-based, allowing me to manage the system from anywhere,” shares Preetesh. Link Decorative Designs heavily invested in the initial setup of Smartsheet. “The management team knows the industry inside and out, so they have a clear sense of what users need and the common pain points they face,” shares Lindsay Whitbread, Chief Technology Officer at InfoSpark. “They’re an ideal customer because they understand that for a system to work effectively, they need to be engaged, test everything thoroughly, and provide timely feedback. This gave us the chance to build a strong relationship and tailor the Smartsheet solution to their needs.”

Today, Link Decorative Designs automates its entire production workflow in Smartsheet, everything from generating quotes to invoicing. When a new order comes in, details are entered into a Smartsheet form. This generates a sticker that is attached to each order throughout the production process, displaying key information like purchase order number, quantity, and colour. As the order progresses through each production stage, operators update its status in Smartsheet. Finally, an App Connector, custom-built by InfoSpark, seamlessly syncs these changes with the company’s accounting software, MYOB, automatically generating an invoice. Link Decorative Designs also uses a custom-built Smartsheet solution to track inventory, letting workers log the weight of powder used for each order. When supplies run low, Smartsheet sends reorder alerts to suppliers. Preetesh shares:

With Smartsheet, we have full visibility into every little detail of our production process. Any question—big or small—is answered through our Smartsheet dashboards: what materials have been received, which items are packed for shipment, or when an order will be ready for pickup.

The new system also keeps the customers informed. “With a custom-built Smartsheet solution, each customer can log into their own dashboard within Smartsheet where they can track the status of their jobs at their convenience,” notes Preetesh. Customers no longer need to call or email the company for updates, freeing up the support staff. “Thanks to InfoSpark and Smartsheet, we save up to 60 hours every week—equivalent to nearly two full-time employees.” Customers also receive automated notifications for every update. This streamlined communication and customer-centricity have given Link Decorative Designs a crucial competitive edge. With more transparency and automation, employees at Link Decorative Designs no longer need to manually process around 250 orders a week. Instead, managing the production process takes 50% less effort. Preetesh adds:

Previously, the accounting department used to be buried under piles of paperwork. Now that InfoSpark seamlessly integrated Smartsheet with our accounting software through its App Connector, everything is more efficient. This has not only improved our operations but also reduced our stress. We can now focus on research and development and marketing, letting us introduce new products and develop innovative solutions that aren’t yet available in the market.

12 months after the implementation, InfoSpark remains actively involved in helping Link Decorative Designs refine its operations. “We don’t just hand off the solution—we provide ongoing support,” explains Kira Stevens, Managing Director at InfoSpark. “Many clients engage us long-term because as their business evolves, they need adjustments to the solution.” With InfoSpark’s guidance and an efficient, visible, centralised platform, Link Decorative Designs is fully equipped to take on larger, more complex projects. “One such major undertaking is the new airport in Sydney,” notes Preetesh. “It’s an exciting, significant project, and we are honoured to deliver it to the people of Australia.”