Workplace Timeline is a robust PowerPoint plugin for creating skilled timelines and roadmaps.
The Professional+ version is aimed particularly at undertaking managers needing to create timeline slides for government briefings and undertaking evaluations.
On this evaluate of Workplace Timeline Professional+, I’ll share the professionals and cons that I discovered from utilizing this instrument (and a kind of might be simply mitigated by upgrading to the Skilled version).
Abstract
Product: Workplace Timeline
Pricing:
- Professional: $149 per 12 months
- Professional+: $199 per 12 months
- Skilled: $249 per 12 months
There’s additionally a restricted model that’s obtainable free.
Internet hosting mannequin: The ‘essential’ model is a Home windows plugin, however there’s a cloud model which helps you to run the instrument within the browser (an answer for Workplace Timeline for Mac customers).
Languages: The interface is in English however you’ll be able to change the language on the timeline to indicate months/weekday names and so on in any commonplace Workplace language.
Web site: https://www.officetimeline.com
Abstract evaluate of Workplace Timeline: Workplace Timeline is a straightforward approach of making timelines in your undertaking from inside PowerPoint or your browser. It’s your reply to visually speaking key dates and undertaking duties in a format that feels acquainted. A must have app for managers wanting a quick approach to make enticing timelines.
What’s Workplace Timeline?
Workplace Timeline is a Microsoft Workplace timeline add in for PowerPoint that helps you make slides folks truly wish to learn. It’s a approach of making skilled visible timelines in a fraction of the time it might take you to manually set these up in PowerPoint.
And, you’ll be able to ditch your reliance on the ugly Good Artwork instruments!
I’ve had such good stakeholder suggestions from utilizing Workplace Timeline layouts on my slides.
The PowerPoint plugin has a number of options, similar to marking key dates, swimlanes for various workstreams, and milestones. You’ll be able to fashion the timeline to match your group’s model colours, and embrace all of the elements of a timeline which might be important.
What’s within the Professional+ Version?
The Professional+ version has options that make it much more related to undertaking groups.
You’ll be able to:
- Add sub-swimlanes
- Add a number of timeline scales
- Use new sub-swimlane templates.
Principally, in case your undertaking schedule is sophisticated with the necessity to show totally different workstreams or totally different time durations, then Professional+ has the pliability you want.
The right way to get began with Workplace Timeline
When you’ve purchased your licence, obtain the plugin and run the file to put in it.
When PowerPoint subsequent opens, you’ll see the next display screen. Copy/paste the Workplace Timeline product key you have been despatched in your activation electronic mail.
The wizard will stroll you thru a couple of issues to know so you may get began rapidly. There are additionally demo slides you’ll see so you may get used to the way to create the timeline earlier than you begin messing along with your Venture Board deck.
Professional+ Options
So what’s the advantage of Professional+?
Right here’s a breakdown of the principle options that you simply get with the totally different editions.
| Characteristic | Fundamental | Professional | Professional+ |
| Create swimlanes | No | Sure | Sure |
| Add milestones in swimlanes | No | Sure | Sure |
| Create sub-swimlanes | No | No | Sure |
| Present a number of timescales on the identical timeline | No | No | Sure |
There are another options as properly, however the capacity to craft your timeline precisely the way you need it’s the essential profit for skilled undertaking managers.
Be aware: Workplace Timeline Free version has limitations within the quantity of information you’ll be able to add, but it surely’s nonetheless sufficient to get you began and so you’ll be able to try the instrument to see if it’s a good match for what you want.
The Workplace Timeline value of every of those choices could be very cheap: ask your PMO to fund a licence or two for the important thing customers within the workforce. You will have one licence per particular person.
What’s a multi-level swimlane?
A swimlane is just a graphical approach of grouping duties on a chart. You color-code the background after which pop within the duties.
The timeline under exhibits a schedule utilizing single swimlanes. As you’ll be able to see, every block has one set of duties inside it.
The timeline under makes use of sub-swimlanes. For a timeline maker to be really helpful in a undertaking setting, this function is a must have.
It seems to be much more sophisticated but it surely’s nonetheless simple to know. There are three essential sections:
- Key dates
- Engineering
- Infrastructure.
Every of these is damaged down into totally different strands, so there’s a workstream for Engineering App Providers and one other one for Engineering Design. You’ll be able to see that inside a selected workstream, this function can be actually essential, and makes for a cleaner presentation of the schedule.
This timeline additionally makes use of a number of timebands. On the prime you’ll be able to see that there are three gray timebands, one for 12 months, one for quarter and one for month. That helps all types of stakeholders to orientate themselves as to the place they’re and what’s occurring when.
Milestones get extra context than earlier than.
Possibly you need Workplace Timeline Skilled version?
Skilled version is absolutely geared toward individuals who must customise their timelines frequently. It has the benefit of customized themes, customized templates and standardizing visuals throughout shared themes, so it’s nice for PMOs.
In case you use Jira, that is the model you’ll need, because the Jira import lets you align a number of Jira tasks on a slide.
If, like me, you spend numerous time creating decks for communication functions, you then’ll save loads of formatting time by upgrading to Skilled.
Extra options coming
After I spoke to the Workplace Timeline workforce, I used to be impressed by their dedication to always releasing new options. Probably the most spectacular factor is that they’re truly listening to the undertaking administration group and constructing the performance we want.
For instance, that strap line: “Give stakeholders program slides they are going to truly learn.”
I used to be advised that got here from suggestions from a ‘actual’ undertaking supervisor. The workforce speak concerning the new stuff within the pipeline and the options they’ve constructed casually referencing their market analysis and suggestions from prospects. They’re actually listening, and I believe that’s essential for the way forward for the instrument.
Edited so as to add: since this evaluate was initially printed, they’ve now added dependencies and critical path into the Professional+ model, in addition to added Jira import into each the Professional and Professional+ variations.
Restyling the ribbon
One other factor that the workforce behind Workplace Timeline has performed is to restyle the ribbon in PowerPoint to make issues easier. For instance, within the timeline view you’ll be able to add duties, milestones and swimlanes direct from that view.
You’ll be able to nonetheless use the information view and/or import knowledge, however now you don’t need to.
As you progress objects on the timeline graphically, it displays within the knowledge view as properly. Drag and drop makes enhancing your timeline very simple. It’s a drag and drop visible editor and it’s actually good.
When you’ve added the duties, milestones and swimlanes required, click on Create and it creates a slide with the timeline on it. Then the enjoyable begins!
Styling your timeline
You’ll be able to edit the timescale settings and now there are 3 choices for scales: prime tier, center tier and backside tier (though you don’t have to make use of all three). This implies you’ll be able to set separate timescales.
For instance, in case you have a undertaking that’s going to run for years, you’ll be able to have a giant lengthy annual scale on the prime. Then if it’s essential to determine a precise time limit e.g. a milestone for a day that helps folks place moments in time on the undertaking, you are able to do that with one other timeband. In any other case it would seem like you could have duties that go on for years and it’s arduous for folks to orientate actions inside a 12 months.
Tip: Rotate the titles of swimlanes to make them smaller columns! It’s really easy to make the schedule look good, which is essential to assist get the message throughout.
You’ll be able to apply totally different templates to make the feel and appear match what you need. If not one of the pre-created kinds work in your model, create your individual timeline template with your individual shapes for milestones and so on after which save as a template to make use of sooner or later.
Importing from MS Venture
Let’s say you have already got a schedule in MS Venture. You don’t actually wish to need to create one other timeline by hand, copying and pasting dates.
Nicely, you don’t need to!
The Import wizard is absolutely easy to make use of. Browse to your file. The wizard will assist you choose the information for the slide.
Tip
Add a brand new column to your Microsoft Venture plan that features the swimlane/sub-swimlane title so Workplace Timeline is aware of the place to map the duty to. You don’t have to do that, however it should make styling your timeline loads simpler.
In case you don’t have correctly-named columns in MS Venture, you’ll be prompted to assist the Workplace Timeline wizard map the appropriate columns.
As that is for a undertaking presentation or report, you gained’t wish to usher in all 100+ traces of your big schedule. Choose what duties you wish to convey over. To make my life simpler, I sometimes already create an exec abstract on the prime of my MS Venture plan. I’d solely choose these duties.
I like the truth that the workforce acknowledge that this isn’t a instrument that might essentially exchange Microsoft Venture or the scheduling instrument of your alternative. Sure, you’ll be able to construct out a easy undertaking schedule in it, but it surely’s actually designed for fairly presentation of your knowledge and reporting: government summaries.
Subsequent month, hit the Sync button after which the PowerPoint timeline will evaluate the file and search for updates to the file.
Tip
Don’t change the placement or file identify of your unique import knowledge supply (e.g. .mpp or .xlsx) so Workplace Timeline can return and examine for adjustments.
Getting began
Don’t fear should you’ve by no means used it earlier than or can’t fairly see how your enormous schedule might condense down right into a single slide.
Generally it helps to begin from another person’s plan to provide the concepts of what’s attainable. Open a template undertaking with dummy knowledge after which put in your individual. There are many sources of inspiration constructed into the instrument and in addition within the Sources part on the web site.
It’s very intuitive when you get going, and the net assist is nice sufficient to get you unstuck.
Tip: At all times be sure to have the most recent model. Obtain the most recent construct on the location, and make a diary be aware to examine again each six months to seize any enhancements from the Updates page on the web site.
Professionals
- Workplace Timeline is built-in inside PowerPoint and has the texture of PowerPoint. You don’t have the impression you’re working with a special instrument
- You’ll be able to have milestones on the prime or backside on the bar
- Nice for giant image communications and serving to stakeholders perceive the complexity of the work
- Nice for expectation setting
- Each Venture Board deck wants a timeline like this!
Cons
- Updating the colours generally is a bit time consuming. When you have favourite or model colours, you need to first save them as Theme colours in PowerPoint in order that they present up in your Workplace Timeline colour choices. Additionally, you should use the “Apply to all” button to use colour adjustments to a number of components directly. If this can be a blocker for you, get the Skilled version and use the customized themes so it’s arrange completely each time.
- It takes a little bit of formatting to get the arrange precisely as you need it, the primary time. There are numerous choices and styling decisions to contemplate and use – and it would be best to check all of them out as an alternative of counting on the templates.
Abstract
Workplace Timeline Professional+ (or Skilled) doesn’t exchange your advanced undertaking knowledge software program, however does imply that stakeholders don’t have to take a look at it!
As a substitute, they’ll take a look at a simplified, simple to know Gantt chart on a slide.
Let’s face it: whereas many PPM instruments supply dashboards and government studies, the stakeholders you’re employed with may nonetheless favor info on a slide. Workplace Timeline Professional+ offers you an enormous vary of professional-looking choices to make that occur.
Make your communications shine and assist stakeholders perceive what’s occurring with a transparent undertaking timeline!
Office Timeline
Create spectacular PowerPoint timelines in just some clicks with this plugin for Workplace.
We earn a fee should you click on this hyperlink and make a purchase order, at no extra value to you #ad
FAQ
Is Workplace Timeline Professional+ a Microsoft product?
No. Workplace Timeline is just not owned by Microsoft however is a completely appropriate plugin for Microsoft PowerPoint.
How do I get to Workplace Timeline Professional/Professional+/Skilled?
After you have put in the plugin, the menu choices for the timeline creator will likely be within the PowerPoint ribbon on the prime of your display screen. You entry Workplace Timeline direct from the PowerPoint menus.
