Project Timeline Template

Most companies rely on a structure to ensure every project component is being taken care of for big or small projects.
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Project Timeline Template

About the project timeline template

What is a project timeline?

One of the essential things a project should have is a project timeline. A project timeline is a comprehensive visual list of deliverables placed in chronological order. It is an integral part of a project as it helps track a project's progress. No matter what the type of project, a timeline can help in its successful completion. It is usually represented in horizontal bar charts with a corresponding name, start, and end date.

Benefits of using a project timeline template

A project timeline template can be very intimidating at a glance since it involves a detailed approach to a project's needs to succeed. Here are other good things this template brings to organizations and companies:
  • Organization of tasks. Projects tend to be broken down into smaller tasks, especially if it is big one. And that is when a timeline comes to play and shows its usefulness. It allows you to organize different tasks and assign them to other people.
  • It helps the estimation of the time allotted for a specific task. The project timeline allows you to organize your project's task and set its start and end date. You can select a more extended working time for big tasks or those having greater difficulty than others. And the same goes for the small tasks.
  • It helps in tracking a project's progress. A project timeline also allows you to track how your projects are doing in terms of deliverables and deadlines.
  • It shows what tasks should be prioritized. There are project tasks that are highly dependent on the previous task. With that, having an unfinished task on its deadline can cause problems in the project's progress. But you can avoid that with the help of the project timeline, as it will let you see what task is near its end date and that needs to be prioritized.

How to create a project timeline?

EdrawMind has a user-friendly interface that even beginners can navigate quickly to several tools to create a project timeline. You can edit your timeline on the browser or install the software and make the template on your desktop. Here are fundamental steps on how to do it:
  • Launch EdrawMind from your browser or desktop. Choose between the Horizontal Timeline and the Winding Timeline to start.
  • After choosing a timeline type, choose a theme based on your preference from the theme gallery at the right panel. Customize your project timeline by adding design elements such as color, stockers, and icons, among others. Do not forget to write your content on the empty boxes.
  • Once you're done, you can export your template in several formats, print it out, or share it through email and social media.

More Project Timeline Templates & Examples

Project timelines are extensive and play a significant role in organizing tasks, budgets, and other logistics. Below are some projects where timelines are used:

Construction Project Timeline Template (a winding timeline and a Gantt chart)

Construction projects involve huge investments not just in funding but also in human resources. That is why most companies rely on project timelines to visualize and illustrate schedules for either residential or commercial building projects. Looking at the example below, a construction project timeline breaks down all the necessary work over different stages of the project cycle. Every stage in construction is laid out in the diagram, complete with start and finish dates, duration, and progress. The project timeline template serves as a guide to ensure that every stage in the construction is executed accordingly.
You can use EdrawMind to formulate your project timeline. Since construction projects involve several people, you can collaborate with other stakeholders using the online software.

Marketing Planning Timeline Template (a horizontal timeline)

A marketing timeline allows users to chronologically visualize a marketing plan - from its target audience, tactics, budget, and marketing goals. It is a diagram that provides an accurate schedule flow and helps marketers organize specific marketing projects.
The timeline in the marketing industry allows you to document milestones and highlight hurdles and issues that might have happened during the project duration, which can be helpful for the next projects. Your marketing planning timeline with EdrawMind does not have to be plain black and white as you can add shapes, colors and even insert icons and additional texts.

IT Project Timeline Template (a winding timeline and a Gantt chart)

As with any other project, an IT project entails thorough and detailed planning. It involves scheduling, planning, monitoring, execution, and reporting of IT projects. They often deal with risks, software updates, interdependent integrations, scope creep, and many more; it is best to lay out all the necessary information in the project timeline template.
The example below shows a winding timeline and a Gantt chart which can be both drawn in EdrawMind. No need to transfer to another software to create a Gantt chart. All you need to do is proceed to the Advanced tab in EdrawMind's interface, then click the Gantt Chart button.

Software Development Timeline Template (a horizontal timeline and a Gantt chart)

Creating an app or developing software is similar to building a house. There has to be extensive scheduling and planning before the real work begins. The example below still has a Gantt chart above the horizontal timeline to illustrate how long it will take for a specific stage in the project to be completed. The horizontal diagram and the Gantt chart can be drawn using EdrawMind through your browser or desktop.
As you can see, the project timeline goes through a comprehensive design and several testings to ensure everything is done accurately.

Employee Onboarding Timeline Template

The employee onboarding timeline is a comprehensive but straightforward plan on training and introducing the newly-hired employees to your team. Depending on you, the timeline can be planned-out weekly. It is vital to have this kind of timeline to guide the new employees. Besides creating an employee onboarding timeline using an online tool, EdrawMind also allows collaboration among teams. Hence, there is no need to email and provide a link for team members to modify your timeline.

Meeting Project Timeline Template

Like any other timeline, a meeting project timeline helps you plan out the activities of your meeting to go smoothly. It also allows you to set a time on how long you need to discuss a specific agenda.
If you think your timeline is good to go and you plan to share it with team members, EdrawMind lets you export your meeting project timelines in multiple formats or send them to your friend through email or social media channels.