How to Create the Perfect Project Timeline [Template + Examples]

Putting together a project timeline template usually requires a Google Doc and mediocre formatting skills. This is followed by the assignment of tasks to teammates and the promise to meet the agreed delivery date. But a couple of weeks go by and the timeline falls apart. Higher priorities emerge and deadlines pass without much progress.

Projects can fail for many reasons: lack of leadership support, unforeseen budget cuts, or overly promising results. In fact, bad project management is more common than you think – just 55% of the projects are completed on time.

However, by creating a timeline where everyone involved knows what they’re working on and when they’re due, you can make sure your project doesn’t go past its original deadline. It’s important to keeping projects (and the people who complete them) on track.

To make sure your next project stays on schedule, learn how to set up a project schedule, the best templates, and a handful of examples to inspire your future planning.

Why create a project timeline?

time management is one of the top skills employers look for in applicants. Missed deadlines and rushed projects can cause entire teams (and companies) to fall behind.

A structured project timeline offers more than pluses from your boss. It can also:

• Bring leadership and structure to a project
• Outline what will be delivered by when
• Share who is responsible for each task and set expectations for the scope, quality and performance of the work
• Show how the project outcome contributes to the company’s goals
• Reduce risk by taking into account changes in project scope, budget, results, or deadlines.

Ultimately, a project timeline makes it easier and more efficient to manage a project. However, it is important to adapt the timeline structure to the scope of the project. Planning an editorial calendar for the quarter can take more time and effort than creating a marketing video for an upcoming product launch.

This is where the right template comes into play.

Example of a project timeline

Without the right project timeline template, organizing a project can be a lot of manual work – not to mention the formatting chaos of multiple people getting hold of it.

The ideal schedule gives direction to a project but is easy to adjust as changes occur. Here is a project schedule for opening a new corporate office.

You can create a project schedule for any process based on a schedule (almost anything today), such as: B. the onboarding of employees, the management of a crisis or the planning of social media campaigns. All you need to know is to outline the steps of a project and the tasks required to complete each phase.

Let’s get into the details.

How to create a project timeline

Creating the perfect project schedule takes strategy, organizational skills and a lot of collaboration. You need support from supporters and clear instructions for everyone involved.

First, follow these step-by-step instructions to set up a structured timeline – regardless of your job, industry, or management level.

1. Write a project description.

A project briefing communicates how to approach a project. It details the goals, deliverables, timeframes, tasks, processes, people involved, and resources required to carry out a project from start to finish.

Asana outlined the steps to create a simple but effective project description. You can use it for free Project plan template to outline the project’s goals, roles and responsibilities, schedule, results, budget and more. It’s a great starting point for any planning process.

Or if you need a broader overview that includes the most important messaging and distribution processes, a Creative letter could be right for your project.

2. List all tasks and action items.

Any task required to achieve the project objectives must be included in the project timeline. After creating the brief, make a list of these tasks. You can start with large tasks and break them down into smaller tasks.

For example, let’s say you are responsible for creating a marketing video introducing your company’s latest product. Your list can include:

• Establish project leaders from every department
• Set the project budget
• Find a video production company
• Design the video storyboard
• Select the main functions for videos
• Write a video script
• Record video content
• Add sound and background music
• Add animation and graphics
• Edit video
• Write a copy of the announcement
• Craft marketing campaign
• Create clips to share on social networks
• Get video and marketing assets approved

Once you’ve set the key milestones, break each task down into smaller parts. For example, choosing a video production company includes:

• Researching video production companies
• Make a list of production companies
• Get quotes from any production company
• Compare offers and narrow down options
• Meet with the selected companies
• Choose a production company
• close a deal

3. Connect dependencies.

In a project, certain tasks cannot be started until another has been completed. These tasks are called dependencies. For example, a video cannot be filmed until the storyboard is completed. And the storyboard cannot be completed until the video theme is selected.

Mapping dependencies helps you consolidate the order of each task and decide who is responsible for what. Everyone knows what part of the project they are working on, what tasks need to be done before their own, and who to turn to for the services they need.

Here you can see how dependencies can play out in a project timeline.

Image source

In the example you can see that a caterer has to be hired before the lunch menu is completed. But other tasks, such as looking for a DJ and deciding on an event topic, can happen at the same time. So as you plan each task, you need to see which steps may overlap and which ones will have to wait for others.

4. Estimate the time it will take to complete each task.

Once you’ve figured out the order of the tasks, you need to figure out how much time each one will take. Appreciate as best you can. This makes it easier to create the project roadmap and understand the overall project timeframe.

Take into account your team’s other projects and priorities. A designer might be able to do a rough draft of video animation in a week, but if they finish another project, they might not be able to start yours for two weeks.

Paying attention to your team’s time makes it easier to put together a sensible, reliable schedule.

5. Create the project timeline.

Create your timeline by organizing your tasks from step one to the last. Make any necessary adjustments to task times, add milestones, and solidify the deadline. When your team works with Project management software, organize the schedule and tasks so that they can be approved after the project’s kickoff meeting.

You can save time in this step by using one of the project timeline templates below. It’s easy to customize each one and avoid the extra work of creating your own from scratch.

6. Share the timeline with the project team.

Phew, your timeline is complete! Now you have to share it with the stakeholders. This includes everyone who is involved in the project. You already listed these people in your briefing (in the first step) so it is time to let them know your clear path for the project.

It is a good idea to a. to keep Project kickoff meeting with stakeholders and individual contributors so that everyone starts on the same page. You can communicate the project goals, results, roles and deadlines – without going into overwhelming details. From there, schedule time with the project’s immediate contributors to chat details and answer questions before work begins.

Do you need help visualizing the entire project? It can help a Timeline graphic like the following to give everyone a feel for the full timeframe. Depending on the complexity of your project, you can add or remove steps.

Image source

7. Adjust as you walk.

Do you remember that just over half of the projects finish on time? Road blockades and setbacks are inevitable in every project. So if your team gets into a delay, you need to understand the implications and adjust the schedule if necessary.

While it is possible to make up for delays without changing the final deadline, it is your job as the project owner to keep those involved informed of the project’s progress. It is not always necessary to report a minor problem (e.g. a colleague who is sick for a few days) to supervisors. But if it’s a major obstacle that requires extreme adjustment of the schedule (such as a key employee leaving the team), you need to communicate a new schedule to the stakeholders.

Change is a part of every business, so don’t panic if you need to adjust your schedule. It is better to be transparent about the scope of the work and schedule than it is to keep people in the dark until the deadline. The sooner you adjust to change, the easier it is to get back on track.

Examples of the project timeline

Visualizing a project makes it easy to understand what needs to happen from start to finish. Whether you need a template for a product launch or a campaign meeting, these are well-designed Project schedule templates are perfect for your next planning session.

Employee onboarding timeline

Product launch timeline

Rapid Response Project Timeline

Historical timeline

Task project timeline

Meeting project schedule

Do you need as many templates as possible? Download all of these project schedules (and more) for free. With the right schedules, it’s easy to keep everyone updated and informed. Now all you have to do is make sure your projects stay on schedule. Much luck!