Download these Free Project Timeline Templates created using MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint to quickly assist you in your project Timelines.
In project management, there are several different things and tasks involved. One of the key elements of any project management is the project timeline. A project timeline is the list of tasks and assignments that should be done to complete the project. Not only that the project timeline include all of the important parts and milestones of a project but it also provides additional help with explaining how things should be done, which task should be completed first, which part depends on other tasks, the time it will take to complete each task and most importantly, the cost and resources required for completion of individual tasks as well as the entire project.
Key Elements of a Project Timeline:
- Overview of the project
- Core objectives
- Key performance indicators
- Breakdown of the project into smaller tasks
- Date for completion of each task
- Time required for completion of each task
- Dependencies of tasks
- Responsibilities of core team members
Free Project Timeline Templates:
Here are previews and download links for this Weekly Project Timeline Template in MS Excel.
Here is the download link for this Project Timeline Template 01 in MS Excel Format,
Another very useful yet professional Yearly Project Timeline Template in MS Word is to help you out.
Here is the download link for this Yearly Project Timeline Template,
You can find a useful Project Timeline Template with Gantt Chart in MS Excel format.
Role of Timelines in Project Management:
It helps in Cost Management:
One of the most important aspects of any project is its cost and the expenses that the company has to make to execute and complete a project. When the team members are not so sure about how to execute, what important milestones are, and which task depends on what, it’s going to create problems, issues, and delays in the overall performance. When you create a project timeline, not only that it streamline every important task of the project but the team members and project manager are also sure of when and where to put the resources to work to avoid last-minute hiccups and spending the extra money to get things done quickly.
It Accommodates Proper Documentation:
Projects most of the time seem very simple but clever project managers know that even if a task seems simple, it’s not that simple to execute. They understand the real challenges that might take place during the execution of the project with limited resources. Therefore, to avoid most of these troubles, project managers create proper documents including project timelines. Not only that this timeline break down the project into smaller pieces but every part is clearly explained the most important part is that each document is shown to the client and the project team moves forward only after the approval of the client.
It Makes Execution Simple and Practical:
When you listen to the idea that a client has and you understand what he wants, you quickly realize that it’s going to be difficult to complete the project because it requires 1 year’s worth of work to be done in just six months. This is where a project timeline shines mainly. When you use the timeline, you break down the entire project into smaller tasks or projects that are easy to manage and focus on. This way you can not only see how things should be done but can estimate the workforce you will need, which tasks are more important than others, and which ones should be completed first to keep moving things forward on the decided schedule. Another added benefit is that you can assign these smaller tasks to individual members to separate teams and they will be fully responsible for the execution and completion which makes accountability much easier.