5 Project Plan Templates That’ll Help Your Team Stay the Course
Every project worth finishing deserves to have a real plan behind it. A good plan will keep your project on track when unexpected problems pop up, help you come up with realistic deadlines, and provide a clear picture of the scope. However, rather than building a project plan from scratch, why not use a pre-made project plan template, and make your life a heck of a lot easier?
What does a project plan template need?
A solid project plan template should be able to tell you the following:
- The objective of the project, or the problem it’s intended to solve
- The key deliverables of the project
- The timeline, including any deadlines
- Who’s on the project team and what their roles are
- What resources or materials the project will require
Developing a detailed plan on your own can seem like a project in itself, but here’s some good news. Project managers before you have already created powerful, flexible project plan templates that you can easily pick up and adapt to fit your own needs. Here are a few that we recommend looking into.
Gantt chart project plan template for Javascript
Gantt charts have been in use for over a century. They’ve stuck around because they’re an effective way of visually representing a series of tasks to be completed over a period of time. A Gantt Chart consists of bar graphs that represent each task, arranged in rows, with start and end points denoting the length of time the task should take. This template doesn’t require Excel or any other specific software platform—you can set it up to run in any web browser. The professional version offers a 30-day free trial and technical support, but there’s a free version available for download as well.
Gant chart template for Excel
One of the most widely-used platforms for creating Gantt Charts nowadays is probably Microsoft Excel. This free project plan template is designed to be simple and intuitive, as long as you have basic proficiency with Excel. New tasks can be added by copying and pasting rows, there are embedded formulas for tracking task completion percentages, and date ranges are easily adjustable. While most organizations have access to Excel, there are times when it can be helpful to make a cross-platform template available, for team members who might have different device or software requirements. For these situations, a web-based template that runs on JavaScript might be the solution.
Project planning template for Airtable
Airtable is a powerful platform for building all sorts of things, from dedicated databases to, yes, a project plan. This simple template has everything you need to start planning your projects, and it’ll give even some of the most advanced project management tools a run for their money.
Agile workflow project plan template
The Agile model of project management has become increasingly popular in recent years, and a project template designed around Agile concepts is a great way to get your team on board with using Agile methodology. This template for Airtable will allow you to start using elements of the Agile framework in your project plan, without having to bring your entire organization under the banner of the Agile manifesto. It will encourage your team to start using Agile practices, including scrums, sprints, and daily stand-ups.
Project plan template for Notion
Notion is another example of a flexible tool you can use to build just about anything, making it ideal for Agile teams and their projects. With this template, you can plan all sorts of projects, collaborate across teams, and make sure your work starts off on the right foot.
Templates: They get the job done
Even if you’re an inveterate do-it-yourselfer and developer of in-house processes, a tried and true project plan template can be an excellent starting point for creating project plans that keep your team collaborating harmoniously and delivering great results.
Whether your project is best suited to an old-school method like Gantt Charts or the most modern, bleeding-edge iteration of Agile you can find, there’s nothing better than a solid plan, backed up by versatile tools, to help you achieve your goals.