Project handover checklist template excel
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A project plan is an essential part of any project manager’s toolkit. While it can be tempting to get started on completing tasks as soon as possible, taking the time to map out your strategy can help you save money and resources. Your project will constantly be shifting, and you need a project plan template that can keep up. But, with so many available templates, how do you know which one to use? We’ve sorted through them all and found the best project plan templates in Excel. We’ll explain the different types of templates and when you should use each one, and let you download a project plan template in Excel for free. We’ll also go through what a project plan is and how to make one from scratch in Excel and also in Smartsheet, a work execution platform that empowers you to better manage projects with real-time collaboration and process automation.
Download Excel Template Try Smartsheet Template A project plan template can be as simple or as complex as you need, depending on your style of project management and the requirements of your project planning. You can choose to include a static timeline or a dynamic Gantt chart, and focus on action items or business goals. A project plan is most often used in a project management context, with Gantt charts to plan and report progress as the project changes. The main difference between a project plan and a work plan is the Gantt chart, making it a more integrated project plan complete with a way to track tasks against timelines. A Gantt chart is a dynamic, horizontal bar chart to visualize a project schedule and is an important asset to share with stakeholders to communicate project status. This type of template caters toward project managers who are managing larger projects with many people. Project plan templates, complete with a Gantt chart, are used most often in instance like construction project management, or where there’s a need for a more agile project plan. Sometimes, people prefer to use a project management software to create more complex project plans, enabling them to easily update and manage their plans with greater flexibility.
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Download Excel Template Try Smartsheet Template A work plan template is designed to break down your large project goals into smaller, actionable steps. This kind of template outlines what needs to be done, by whom, and when. It also includes a timeline to help set expectations and improve transparency, keeping everyone on the same page about deliverables and deadlines. A work plan template is best for larger teams working on big projects with many tasks and due dates.
Download Excel Template Try Smartsheet Template An action plan lists all the steps that must be taken to achieve a specific goal. The template includes information about the actions that need to happen, the people that will complete them, due dates, priority, and status. While an action plan and work plan are similar, an action plan focuses on goals, whereas a work plan template focuses on phases of tasks that are usually listed in chronological order. An action plan template is best for individual use or by smaller teams.
Download Excel Template Try Smartsheet Template A business plan template highlights business goals and the plan for achieving them. It focuses on your business’ future and how you intend to reach your objectives. Business plans are much more strategic than a work plan or action plan and often include a vision statement, business profile, economic assessment, and more. A business plan is most appropriate for people who are starting their own business, growing their business, or seeking outside help.
The Smartsheet Solution Center includes hundreds of pre-built templates and template sets you can customize. The Project Tracking and Rollup Template Set is a quick and easy way to get a project up and running and report on risks and milestones to stakeholders. Watch the Demo
A project plan is designed to deliver the intended scope of a project, facilitate communication among stakeholders, and track planning assumptions and decisions. It is a living document that can include a stakeholder list, a scope statement, a project schedule, schedule and cost baselines, baseline management plans, communication plan, and it can change over the course of a project. It is worth noting that a project plan is not just a project timeline, although that is an important component of the plan. You should always create a project plan before starting a new project. Start with what you want to achieve from the project and break it down into the things you need to do in order to accomplish the goal. Then, once you have a high-level plan of all the things that need to be done, you can think about timing, budget, resources, and more. At the very least, a project plan should answer the following questions about a project:
A project plan is one of the most important ingredients for a successful project. It is used to document and communicate expectations, to control schedule and delivery, and to calculate and manage risks. In general, it acts as a roadmap for everyone involved in the project. Here are the four biggest benefits of a project plan:
Here are some step-by-step instructions for making a project plan in Excel. You’ll first create the table with your project information, then we’ll show you how to make your project timeline. 1. Add Headers to the TableFirst, you’ll need to add some headers to your table.
2. Add Your Project Information
3. Add Colors to Convey Project Status at a GlanceIt’s easy to customize your project plan with colors and visual hierarchy. By changing the styling and font sizes, you can highlight key information and convey project status at a glance.
We recommend adding a background color to the main header and to each group or phase of tasks, as well as your target completion date or launch date. You can also change the font color of in the Status column to reflect current progress (in this example, red represents Overdue, green represents Complete, etc).
4. Create the Project Plan TimelineYou’ve already added all your project information to the table, now it’s time to make the corresponding project timeline. Including a timeline in your project plan will help set expectations and increase transparency, keeping everyone aligned around priorities and due dates. Add and Format Dates
Add Colors to Make the Project Timeline
5. Final Touches
Smartsheet’s pre-built project template with a Gantt chart makes it even easier to organize tasks, foster communication, and improve transparency. In this template, duration is automatically calculated for you and the interactive Gantt chart lets you drag-and-drop task bars to adjust dates. Smartsheet’s powerful collaboration features let you have discussions directly in the project plan, attach files, and set alerts and reminders. Here’s how to use a project plan template in Smartsheet: 1. Select a Project Template
2. List Your Project InformationA pre-made template will open, with sample content filled in for reference and the sections, sub-tasks, and sub-sub-tasks already formatted. With Smartsheet, it’s easy to add or delete columns depending on the scope of your project. Simply right-click on a column and select Insert Column Left/Insert Column Right to add a column or Delete Column to remove a column.
3. Add Start and End Dates
4. Enter % Complete and Assigned To InformationThe % Complete and Assigned To columns provide more information about your project and improve transparency by allowing team members to see who is doing what and the status of each task. On the Gantt chart, the thin bars inside the task bars represent the percentage of work complete for each task.
With just a couple clicks, you can customize the appearance of your project timeline. 1. Customize Fonts and Colors in Your Project Plan
2. Change the Colors in Your Gantt Chart
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. xlink:href="#a"/> |