A challenge timeline is a challenge scheduling device that’s used to estimate the whole period of a challenge from begin to finish by mapping duties, deliverables and milestones in chronological order. Gantt charts are probably the most generally used device to create and handle challenge timelines, however there are different strategies and instruments you need to use like Excel.
On this weblog, we’ll undergo a step-by-step information on learn how to create a challenge timeline in Excel utilizing varied strategies after which, we’ll discover different project scheduling tools that may enable you create a challenge timeline comparable to Gantt charts, kanban boards or challenge calendars.
Why Ought to You Make a Undertaking Timeline In Excel?
Earlier than studying learn how to make a challenge timeline in Excel, let’s evaluate the ultimate product to raised perceive how this device can assist you. As you possibly can see, this Excel challenge timeline resembles a Gantt chart that features your challenge duties, their period and due dates in addition to a visible illustration of your project timeline.
The most effective half is, that after you make this Excel challenge timeline, you’ll have a template that can permit you to estimate future challenge timelines based mostly on challenge duties and due dates. As challenge timelines are probably the most necessary instruments to execute a successful project, having a template available will be extraordinarily useful and cut back wasted time. We encourage you to obtain our free file beneath!
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Undertaking Timeline Template
Use this free Undertaking Timeline Template for Excel to handle your initiatives higher.
Whereas Excel is usually a useful device, a challenge timeline in Excel can solely achieve this a lot. Consider timelines as simply an inferior Gantt chart, which is a staple of challenge administration. If you wish to elevate your challenge timelines, ProjectManager is an award-winning challenge and portfolio administration software program that has highly effective Gantt charts that may do greater than what Excel does.
For instance, our Gantt chart will hyperlink all 4 dependencies that can assist you keep away from expensive delays. It additionally filters for the important path to determine important duties. Then, set a baseline to trace deliberate progress and prices towards precise progress and prices to keep away from lacking deadlines and overspending your funds. Get began with ProjectManager totally free.
The best way to Make a Undertaking Timeline In Excel
Excel wasn’t designed for project scheduling, however fortuitously, we will use its stacked bar chart function for making a easy Gantt chart challenge timeline. Right here’s what you’ll have to do.
1. Listing Duties and Their Due Dates
Begin by creating 4 columns to your activity names, begin and finish date and period. Listing your duties and due dates in day/month/yr format, however depart the period column empty. We’ll add a components to calculate activity period within the subsequent step.
2. Create a Components for Calculating Job Length
Go to the primary row within the period column, and enter a components to subtract the “Finish (Date)” worth from the “Begin (Date)” worth. To take action, start by typing an equal image “=” to start out making a components, then choose the “Finish (Date)” cell, add a minus image “-” and eventually choose the “Begin (Date)” cell as proven beneath. The distinction between these two values will decide the period of every activity measured in days.
Apply the identical components to the remaining cells within the activity period column. Then it is best to have a desk that signifies your challenge duties, their due dates and period. Now it’s time to create a Gantt chart so you possibly can visualize your challenge timeline.
3. Insert a Stacked Bar Chart for Your Excel Undertaking Timeline
Choose all values within the “Begin (Date)” column after which insert a stacked bar chart following these steps:
- Click on on the “Insert” tab on the high left nook of your display screen
- Click on the chart icon
- Choose the stacked bar chart
4. Choose Information for Your Excel Undertaking Timeline Gantt Chart
When you full the final step, a stacked bar chart ought to mechanically seem. Now we’ll want so as to add some information to it so it exhibits your challenge timeline info. Proper-click your stacked bar chart and click on choose information from the dropdown menu.
A window will pop up. Now, click on “add” as proven within the instance beneath.
Now select the “Length (Days)” column header because the sequence identify after which, choose all of the numeric values within the “Length (Days)” column because the sequence worth.
Once more, right-click your stacked bar chart and click on on choose information. This time, choose edit beneath “horizontal (class) axis labels” as soon as the window pops up after which choose the values from the duty identify column as proven within the examples beneath.
5. Format Your Excel Undertaking Timeline
Now your challenge timeline’s Gantt chart has the best information. Now it’s time for the ultimate formatting steps to create your challenge timeline in Excel. Proper-click on the blue bars of your stacked bar chart, go to the “fill” choices and choose no fill. This may make these blue bars disappear and can present your challenge duties because the remaining stacked bars.
Now right-click the duty names, choose “Format Axis…” after which test the “classes in reverse order” checkbox on the best aspect of your display screen.
Congratulations! You’ve created an Excel challenge timeline geared up with a working Gantt chart that’ll alter itself based mostly on the duty info information you add to the desk.
This challenge timeline Excel template is right for making a challenge timeline you possibly can share together with your challenge crew members or stakeholders. Merely enter your challenge info and estimate your challenge timeline in minutes.
When you’re able to attempt challenge administration software program, you possibly can add this challenge timeline Excel template to ProjectManager and use its superior challenge administration instruments comparable to Gantt charts, challenge calendars, dashboards and rather more.
Benefits of an Excel Undertaking Timeline
Now that you simply’ve realized learn how to make a challenge timeline in Excel, it’s necessary that you simply clearly perceive each the professionals and cons of utilizing Excel for challenge scheduling or project management. Let’s begin with the benefits of utilizing a challenge timeline for Excel.
- Most Individuals Are Acquainted With Excel: Excel is a very talked-about software program that’s broadly utilized by organizations throughout industries, so your crew members are seemingly aware of it.
- Suitable With Undertaking Scheduling Software program: Excel information will be exported to superior challenge administration software program comparable to Microsoft Project or ProjectManager, which have rather more superior challenge scheduling options and are simpler to make use of.
- Easy to Use Undertaking Timeline Template: Our Excel challenge timeline is straightforward to make use of. All you should do is fill out the template together with your challenge info and it’ll mechanically generate a Gantt chart challenge timeline.
Disadvantages of an Excel Undertaking Timeline
Whereas a challenge timeline for Excel can assist you visualize your challenge timeline, it’s a really restricted device with only a few challenge scheduling options that may’t compete with extra sturdy project management software.
- Restricted Undertaking Scheduling Performance: Our Excel challenge timeline solely permits you to get a high-level view of your challenge timeline, however lacks superior Gantt chart software program options comparable to assigning duties to crew members, monitoring their progress, figuring out activity dependencies or discovering the critical path.
- No On-line Collaboration, Laborious to Share Information: Excel doesn’t enable a number of customers to collaborate on information on-line, which implies everyone has to work on their copy of the Excel challenge timeline. Worse than that, that signifies that each time somebody makes modifications to it, it must be despatched to everybody in your crew.
- Modifying Excel Information Is Time Consuming: Normally, creating, modifying and sustaining Excel challenge paperwork and templates is a time-consuming course of that includes an excessive amount of handbook work.
Extra Free Undertaking Administration Templates for Excel and Phrase
We’ve created dozens of project management templates for Excel, Phrase and Google Sheets. Listed below are some that may enable you as you undergo the method of making a challenge timeline.
Task Tracker Template
As mentioned above, your project timeline is made up of many particular person duties that should be accomplished on time. This activity tracker template for Excel lets you monitor the due dates, progress and standing of your challenge duties so you possibly can monitor their completion. This is essential; if duties aren’t accomplished on time, their period will prolong and so will your challenge timeline.
Project Budget Template
Making a challenge timeline is only one of your tasks as a challenge supervisor. In addition to estimating the period of your challenge duties, you’ll additionally have to estimate their prices. When you achieve this, you’ll have to create a project budget which can outline how a lot cash will probably be obtainable for the execution of your challenge.
Project Plan Template
A project plan is a complete doc that describes how a challenge will probably be executed. It contains necessary elements such because the challenge timeline, funds and schedule. It additionally establishes the rules and procedures that the challenge crew ought to comply with for particular challenge administration areas like useful resource administration and threat administration.
Utilizing ProjectManager Is Higher Than Making a Undertaking Timeline for Excel
ProjectManager presents all kinds of challenge administration instruments that can permit you to create detailed challenge timelines, collaborate together with your crew and monitor your challenge progress. Right here’s a fast overview of a few of its key options.
A number of Undertaking Scheduling Instruments
ProjectManager presents a number of challenge administration views comparable to Gantt charts, kanban boards, activity lists and challenge calendars to provide you a number of challenge planning options. You need to use them to assign duties to your crew members, set due dates and alter your challenge timelines. All of them sync with one another so the modifications you make in a single view will mirror on the others.
Highly effective Useful resource Monitoring Options
To execute your challenge duties, you’ll want sources like folks, supplies and gear, so that you’ll want a device that helps you allocate them and monitor their availability and utilization. ProjectManager presents varied instruments like workload management charts, dashboards and timesheets that can assist you allocate, schedule and monitor your challenge sources and prices.
Import and Export Excel Undertaking Timelines
ProjectManager permits you to import Excel information so you possibly can view and edit your Excel challenge timeline with its challenge views. Or within the reverse case, you possibly can create challenge timelines in ProjectManager after which obtain your challenge information as an Excel file.
ProjectManager is on-line challenge administration software program that connects groups whether or not they’re within the workplace, out within the subject or wherever else. Excel can’t allow you to share information, remark on the activity degree and keep up to date with electronic mail and in-app alerts like we do. Be a part of groups at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software program to ship profitable initiatives. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.
