30 Free Timeline Templates (Excel, Power Point, Word) Download by One Click

For project managers and planners, a timeline template is a highly helpful tool. Everyone engaged in the project can see where the project is intended to be and how much work left by using timelines. Timelines also assist in keeping projects on schedule and graphically explaining the project's various accomplishments. Without a timeframe, it is hard to plan adequately. You must be aware of what is being done, what has been accomplished, and what needs to be accomplished.

Using Timelines to set pace

Timelines are frequently developed at the start of a project because they allow management to control the project's pace. A project entails many different individuals and activities, and having a uniform template ensures that everyone knows what they're meant to accomplish and when. 

The schedule specifies when the project should be completed and informs all project participants of the amount of time they have to complete it. It is critical to consider accurate estimates of how long each job will take while developing a timetable to determine the pace. When setting timetables, people frequently become too enthusiastic and commit to unattainable completion dates.

If any of the activities involved are delayed, do not establish a timeline that goes completely off the tracks. Your timeline should allow for some wiggle space since, no matter how carefully you prepare, things will go wrong in real life. It's preferable to devise a strategy that can withstand a few setbacks without going off the tracks.

Using timelines to manage

Managers will benefit from timelines since they make it easier to see how much work has been completed and how much work remains to be completed. Managers must have a deep grasp of the project, and the scope and timeframes may assist tremendously. If you're utilizing timelines to manage your project, you'll need to be especially careful and thorough while creating them. Some of our excel timeline templates allow you to include even the tiniest elements in the timeline.

Because your aim is different, you must be more specific; if you are creating a timeline to determine the pace, you can include broad project objectives. You only need to highlight the main milestones if you're just attempting to convey a tale. If you're using the timeline as a project management tool, though, you'll want to make sure nothing is forgotten. Once you've created your timeline, you'll need to keep it up to date as time passes. Continue to add information as they arise, and your timetable will become an invaluable resource for everyone engaged with the project.

Using timelines to tell a story

Timelines are also a wonderful method to mark a goal or an accomplishment. Many businesses have a graphic history reflecting their company's humble origins and present condition in their offices. When you move a company from a small start-up to a major player, it's important to preserve a record of the trip. If you're trying to explain an incident or a development, timelines are also useful. People will be able to grasp the links between the events just by looking at where the different events are in your timeline if you map out the key points of the tale on the timeline.

Use one of the PowerPoint timeline templates when you're using timelines to convey a tale. The reason for this is simple: PowerPoint makes it far easier to be visually appealing than Excel or even Word. You'll be able to quickly add visuals and effects to make the tale stand out. When delivering a tale, it's ideal to include as many visuals as possible to maximize the impression on the audience.

How to make a timeline

If you start making a timeline right away, things can get a little complicated. If you want to complete the timeline right, you'll need to put in some effort ahead of time. If you follow these instructions, you'll have a fantastic timeline in no time.

Figure out the objective of the timeline

What are you hoping to accomplish with your timeline? If you're constructing the timeline for decorative purposes or for a class assignment, you don't need to include as many information as you would think. If you're building it for a project, you'll need to think about it a lot. You must first establish what you want to communicate to people through the timeline before you can proceed.

Write down the important information

Make a text file with all of the events you'll be mentioning in the timeline. Remember that if you've already created a timeline and discover later that you need to modify certain events, it'll be a pain. It's far easier to just finalize the events ahead of time rather than thinking about them while you're putting up the timeline. Share the events you've jotted down with the rest of the team, and get their input. Inquire if any information or events should be added to the chronology. You may start creating your timeline after you're satisfied that you've entered the correct quantity of information.

Choose a template that fits

You must determine which timeline template is appropriate for you. Some of the themes have a bit more flare to them and are better suited to timelines with a lot of graphic content. If you're more concerned with the graphics and want a file that can be updated fast, our PowerPoint timeline templates are ideal. Excel timeline templates, on the other hand, are ideal if you want to get more technical with the timeline and have more control over how it appears. There is no such thing as a correct or bad template. What important is that you figure out which template is best for you.

Use pictures

A timeline is a visual tool, thus photos should be included wherever possible. The timeline of a building's construction is a perfect illustration. Sure, you may only enter the key milestones, but the timeline will appear much better if you include photographs of the building at various stages of development and construction. Consider your project as a structure; what pictures would convey the same idea if it were a building? Put photos where they go, and your timeline will have a wonderful visual impact. Keep in mind that you might enter too many images and make it appear cluttered, so keep it tasteful.

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