Smartproperties are (in my opinion) "THE" solution, it's configuration time (let's not hide it) at the beginning but the time saved every day and above all you make your properties more "clean" (with multiple choice lists, obligations to fill in, etc.......) especially if you are several cartoonists.
You can set a specific directory for your document templates (in tools/options/file locations and for "document template" you define a directory (on a network if you are several designers).
To create your document templates (with your properties pre-filled I guess), you start with the basic templates of the SolidWorks templates and you save it as template (*.asmdot,*.prtdot,*.drwdot)