Project timeline templates for excel

Project Timeline Template

A project timeline can be created in Excel using charts linked to data tables, so that the chart updates when you edit the data table. The first template on this page uses a stacked bar chart technique and also includes up to 4 milestones as vertical lines. This template is a cross between my project schedule and task list templates. I’ve populated the template with some generic product development terminology, but it is designed for you to enter your own tasks and dates. The second template uses a scatter chart with data labels and leader lines to create a more traditional type of timeline.

Project Timeline Template

«No installation, no macros — just a simple spreadsheet» — by Jon Wittwer

License: Private Use
(not for distribution or resale)

Using the Project Timeline Template

Grouping Tasks Using Different Colors: One of the key features of this template is the ability to choose a different color for the bars in the timeline via a drop-down box in the Color column. This makes it easy to identify the different phases or categories of tasks. You can insert and delete tasks by just inserting or deleting rows in the spreadsheet’s data table.

The example above shows some of the steps in a product development cycle (Concept Development, System Design, Detail Design, Testing and Refining, Production, etc.), with different colors representing different phases of the cycle. However, there are other ways to use this type of timeline. Another common way to group tasks within a project timeline is by key organization function, such as Marketing, Design, Testing, Manufacturing, Finance, Sales, Quality Assurance, Legal, etc.

Milestones: With any project timeline, you will most likely want to define at least a couple key milestones. In the above example you will see 3 milestones as vertical lines. You can edit the milestone labels and dates via the data table. The template lets you show up to 4 milestones. Adding more is possible but would require you to create the new data series yourself (you can’t just insert rows for more milestones like you can with the tasks).

Can I Add More Colors? This project timeline is set up to allow up to 6 different color choices. Adding more colors is possible, but that would require more Excel experience. Some general steps to follow to attempt adding more colors:

1. Add a new column to the right of the current data table.
2. Copy the formulas in the previous column into the new column.
3. Select the timeline and drag the range marker to the right to include the new column.
4. Add some data to see what color the new column uses and then update the column label.
5. Update the list used for the data validation drop-down box in the Color column to include the new label.

Dates Not Changing in the Chart? To edit the range of dates shown in the chart, you need to edit the Minimum and Maximum bounds of the horizontal axis. Right-click on the axis and select Format Axis.

Want More Flexibility / Ease of Use? If you don’t care about automation and just want a simple way to create a high-level project timeline, you might want to try the Project Schedule Template. Colors are modified by just changing the background colors of the cells in the spreadsheet.

Project Timeline Chart

License: Private Use (not for distribution or resale)

Description

This project timeline uses two different scatter chart series to display milestones above the timeline and tasks with durations below the timeline. The durations are created using X Error bars. The length of the leaderlines for the tasks can be defined by the user to show task dependencies.

The vertical positions of the tasks and milestones are adjusted by the user. This may work great for some timelines, but if you have more than 20 tasks to show, you may be better of using a Gantt Chart.

This template is based on the original Vertex42 Excel Timeline Template, which was one of the first timeline templates developed for Excel using the technique of leaderlines and error bars for durations. This new project timeline works only in the more recent versions of Excel (2013 or later) because of the new feature in Excel that allows you to specify a range of cells for Data Labels.

To learn how to create a timeline using a scatter chart, see the video demos for the Bubble Chart Timeline and Vertical Timeline templates.

Use a Graphic as a Data Point Marker in a Project Timeline

You can add graphics to a project timeline to make it more interesting or visually appealing. For example, you may want to mark the final milestone with a finish-line flag, as shown in the image below. To do this, you will first need to create a graphic using your favorite image editing app, or download one. The diamond and flag that I use in my project timelines were created from screenshots of common unicode characters.

Steps for using a graphic as a data point marker:

1. Select a single data point by clicking on it and then clicking on it again.
2. Right-click on the selected data point to open the Format Data Point task pane.
3. Click on the Bucket > Marker > Marker Options > Built-in, then select the picture icon from the Type drop-down.
4. Select the image from your computer.

To see other examples of using graphics in a timeline, see my original Timeline Template.

Источник

Timeline Templates for Excel

A timeline can be a useful way to visualize changes or events that occur over periods of time. Excel can be a great tool for creating timelines, particularly when you want to perform date calculations or take advantage of the drawing tools in Excel. See below for some example timeline templates to help you get started.

Common Uses for Timelines

• Display a project schedule.
  — Deliverable dates — Milestones — Task completion —
• Chronologically arrange past events.
  — Innovations in science between 1800 and 2000 — World history —
• Represent a person’s life history.
  — Depiction of life events along with historical time periods or local events —
• Map historic events and time periods.
  — History of the universe — Theory of evolution — Geologic time —

Example Timeline Spreadsheets

Project Timeline / Schedule ▶

This project schedule template can be used for creating nice looking project timelines. It is very similar to a gantt chart but it doesn’t have all the features that a typical gantt chart would have.

Vertical Timeline Using Shape Objects

License: Private Use (not for distribution or resale)

Author: Jon Wittwer

Description

I like using Excel has a drawing canvas, especially for timelines, because the canvas is nearly infinite in size. A vertical timeline is easy to create using shape objects (lines, text boxes, callouts, etc.). You can use this template to give you a head start. Format a shape or callout the way you want and then use copy/paste to duplicate the shape and add your events.

Project Timeline via Drawing Tools

A Gantt chart is typically used in business and engineering to plan and schedule projects. If you need a special format for a project timeline, you can create one using the drawing tools in Excel. This spreadsheet below contains two example project schedules.

Time Period Comparisons

In history and geneological research, timelines are particularly useful for comparing events and people’s life spans. This example spreadsheet uses stacked bar charts to compare a few different people living before and during the civil war. If you do genealogy research, you may want to try the Family Tree Template, also.

Automated Timeline Templates

Horizontal Bubble Chart Timeline

Bubble Chart Timeline Template ▶

(For Excel 2013+) Learn how to create a timeline using a Bubble Chart! The axis labels can be customized easily and the bubbles for the axis and timeline events can be different sizes.

Excel Timeline Template ▶

Create a historical or project timeline quickly and easily using this original Vertex42 timeline template. This page was originally an article explaining how to create a timeline using an XY chart and error bars for leaderlines, but now you can download the time line template and get a huge head start on your project!

Vertical Timeline ▶

Create a dynamic vertical timeline in Excel using a scatter chart, data labels, and leader lines. Download the template or follow the instructions to create the timeline from scratch.

Google Sheets Timeline Template ▶

Create a horizontal or vertical timeline in Google Sheets using a scatter chart and data labels.

Project Timeline Template ▶

Create a project timeline in Excel using a stacked bar graph and different colors for different phases or categories. Great for high-level project timelines.

Project Timeline Chart ▶

Create a project timeline showing both milestones and tasks, using a scatter chart with data labels and leader lines.

References

• Create a Timeline in Excel — Vertex42.com — This is my article about various techniques for creating timelines using Excel.
• Make a Timeline Using SmartArt graphics — support.microsoft.com — I haven’t tried this approach yet, but it looks interesting.

Cite This Page

To reference this page, please use something similar to the following citation:

Источник

Free Excel Project Timeline Templates

In this article, you’ll find the most useful collection of free Microsoft Excel project timeline templates for project managers, project sponsors, project team members, and other project stakeholders.

Simple Project Timeline Template

Use this simple project timeline template to break down your project’s tasks into weeks, months, and phases. This visually dynamic timeline includes pre-filled, color-coded project phase swimlanes, such as Project Conception and Initiation, Project Definition and Planning, and Project Launch / Execution, so you can match each project task to a phase and track its progress chronologically. This timeline template uses a classic Gantt chart to help you plan and execute your time-sensitive project deliverables.

Multiple Project Timeline Template

This visually rich, dashboard-style multiple project timeline template enables you to be proactive and stay on schedule regarding project deliverables. Use the Delivery Timeline and Resources section to get a bar-chart overview of each project’s sequential progress. The Risk Analysis section’s vertical bar graph indicates the risk level of each project task (e.g., High, Medium, or Low). The Open and Pending Actions section lets you know how many project tasks have open issues, are undergoing revisions, or have pending actions. This project-by-project template provides a high-level overview of each project’s status and allows you to drill down into time-crucial, project-specific action items.

To find additional resources and get the most out of your project planning timelines, see this collection of free project timeline templates.

Sample Timeline Template

With this comprehensive sample timeline template, you can customize the task durations of each project phase in order to solidify your project’s key deliverables. The template includes editable example text to guide you through the project-development stages, from project conception and initiation through project completion. View project-task achievement in quarterly, monthly, and week-by-week stages with this easy-to-use template that keeps you and your team on track to successfully complete your project on time.

Monthly Project Timeline Template

Create accurate month-by-month project plans and track the progress of deliverables with this color-coded, monthly project timeline template. The template includes five horizontal Phase swimlanes in which to capture your project’s various tasks. Plan tasks within their respective stages by plotting them on the timeline and setting start and end dates for each. This fully customizable template is the perfect fit for project teams that want to plan and execute their tasks on a monthly basis and quickly view their project’s cascading progress in its entirety.

Weekly Project Timeline Template

Easily manage the week-to-week logistics of your project tasks with this dynamic weekly project timeline template. Enter task names, their start and end dates, durations, and current status (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, Complete, or On Hold) so any team member can quickly determine how close a task is to completion. The template is ideal for teams undertaking single-week sprints or who want to keep tabs on week-by-week task interdependencies, while also viewing overall project progress.

Yearly Project Timeline Template

Capture your project’s key milestones with this high-level, yearly project timeline template. Simply add descriptive text for each milestone, its delivery date, and any other relevant details, and arrange them chronologically on the horizontal timeline. This template is the perfect tool to help you prioritize tasks visually and ensure the timely delivery of your team’s long-term projects.

IT Project Timeline Template

This IT project timeline template provides a comprehensive structure for everything you and your IT department need to plan and successfully complete IT projects. The template includes rows where you can list each project task, subtask, work breakdown structure (WBS), description, dependencies, and task owners. Schedule project task start and finish dates, compare the variances between proposed and actual finish dates, and enter the percentage complete of each task. The template also allows you to add visually compelling milestones to its weekly calendar section.

Project Tracker Timeline Template

Use this dynamic project tracker timeline template to keep tabs on the deadlines, priorities, and statuses of each project task. Enter task name, description, assignee, deliverable, percentage complete, and estimated hours to complete. Team members can refer to the Status Key and Priority Key legends to help determine whether prioritized tasks are at risk of not being completed and how close the entire project is to successful completion.

Project Milestone and Task Timeline Template

This timeline template provides you with a milestone-driven, visual illustration of your project’s primary events and their statuses. While many templates break project goals into individual tasks and subtasks, this template’s emphasis is on crucial project milestones. By referring to this visually rich timeline, any project team member can see, at a glance, if a scheduled milestone has been started, is in progress, is on hold, or has been completed.

Project Timeline Gantt Chart Template

Provide team members with a proactive project timeline by using this all-inclusive, dynamic project timeline Gantt chart template. Break project goals down into achievable tasks, then assign task owners, and set start and end dates for each. Customizable, color-coded phase columns visually guide you through the sequential process of planning and successfully executing your project.

Agile Project Timeline Template

This Agile-specific project timeline is the perfect tool for Agile teams to perform sprint-by-sprint task scheduling and monitoring. The template enables you to assign a weight or story point to each task during Program Increment (PI) Planning, and update their statuses as your project progresses. An Overall Status section helps you keep track of overall project status so that you’re on track for on-time project completion.

Daily Project Timeline Template

Clearly communicate your project’s deliverables and deadlines on a day-by-day basis with this daily project timeline template. Update the template frequently with overall project and individual milestone statuses so that all team members and stakeholders stay up to date on project progress. Enter the details, owners, due dates, and current statuses for each task in the appropriate field. This template is the perfect fit for teams working on short deadlines that need frequent updates on project status.

Hourly Project Timeline Template

Break down your project’s work days into hourly tasks with this simple hourly project timeline template. For each task, you can easily add the task owner, start and end time, and current status. The template also includes a visual day-by-day bar chart to show you the progress of each project task across any designated time period.

Six-Month Project Timeline Template

Track project tasks and milestones across a six-month period with this easy-to-use, broad-strokes project timeline template. List project start and end dates, and add project tasks to this visually dynamic timeline. The template includes example text for primary project actions (e.g., Project Kick-Off or Project Complete) and milestones so you can ensure that you capture all of your project’s deliverables.

Three-Month Project Roadmap Template

This dashboard-style three-month project roadmap template helps you capture your quarterly project goals with both a visually dynamic bar chart workstream timeline and project task Status and Priority pie charts. Enter task details under the template’s Workstreams section, including to-do task items, start and end dates, and task duration. Status Percentage and Priority Percentage tables give team members at-a-glance insight into overall project status and what tasks remain for successful project delivery.

Construction Project Timeline Template

Download Construction Project Timeline Template

Ensure that you and your construction team are on track to complete all required project tasks with this construction project timeline template. The template includes pre-filled sample tasks, such as excavation, concrete, framing, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical, to help aid in quick and comprehensive construction project planning. This template is the perfect fit for construction project managers who need a project plan that can facilitate timely task completion and that they can easily present to project stakeholders.

For additional resources and to get the most out of your construction project planning timelines, see this article on Microsoft Excel construction management templates.

What Is an Excel Project Timeline Template?

An Excel project timeline template is a visually dynamic tool that project managers can use to plan and monitor project progress. Use the template for a visual representation of your project’s goals, scope, and tasks to ensure timely project delivery.

As the primary vehicle for managing your project’s deliverables, a project timeline template provides a comprehensive method for tracking project tasks, assigning them to team members, setting delivery dates, and monitoring their progress. Timeline templates also serve as a roadmap for your project so that all stakeholders are aware of project goals. Use a project timeline template to add key project milestones so that it’s clear during project planning what primary actions or events need to be met, and when.

With its horizontal bar chart, a project timeline provides team members with a clear visual map of individual task delivery dates, priorities, and current statuses, as well as whether or not they have task dependencies.

While project timeline templates may vary, most of them include the following components to ensure that you account for everything on your project roadmap:

• Project Name: Enter the name of the project that you and your teammates will be undertaking.
• Task Name: Provide a name for each project task that needs to be completed in order to meet the criteria for project success.
• Task Owner: Assign the team member who is responsible for completing each individual project task.
• Start Date: Enter the date that each individual task needs to be started.
• End Date: Set the date for when the individual task must be completed.
• Duration: Review the task duration, which is calculated by each task’s defined start and end dates.
• Status: Select a status for each individual project task (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, On Hold, or Complete).
• Milestone: Define your project’s time-sensitive milestones that must be met in order for the project to be successfully completed.

Additionally, some project timeline templates include the following components:

• At-Risk Tasks: Identify tasks that are in danger of not being completed, and notify relevant team members.
• Department: Include the name of any department responsible for a project task or phase, or the department on which a task or project phase has a dependency.
• Objectives or Goals: List the project’s key objectives, such as the problem it will address and what goals it must meet by project completion.
• Project Scope: Provide a brief description of what is in scope for the project. This includes all aspects of the project, including tasks, activities, departments, timeline overview, key deliverables, and milestones.
• Sprint: For Agile teams, clearly label each sprint on your project timeline so that team members can see which sprint-specific tasks must be completed within a specific timeboxed period.
• Stage or Phase: Break your project timeline down into stages that include key tasks for each phase of the project.
• Task ID: Provide a unique identifying number for each task on the project for easy reference.

Accurately Track Your Project Timelines with Smartsheet

From simple task management and project planning to complex resource and portfolio management, Smartsheet helps you improve collaboration and increase work velocity — empowering you to get more done.

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed.

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Источник