You’re probably here because, like us, you’re a sucker for a good timeline view of your projects.
And how could you not be? A good timeline is the result of some genius alchemy between calendar, assignee, and task progress views that offers managers an instant summary of the what, who, and when of any given project. All in one clean visual.
Now you’re thinking, well hey, if you know so much about online timeline tools, can you point us in the direction of the best one?
Glad you asked. We sure can!
But first, as true timeline connoisseurs, we have to spend a minute expounding on the grace and functionality of the timeline visualization.
There is a real reason for that though — we want you to be totally clear on what separates the decent from the truly magnificent when it comes to online timeline platforms.
And your projects deserve better than ‘decent’!
Read on for our technical breakdown of what to look for in an online timeline platform, as well as an expert recommendation to get your projects off the ground.
What goes into a ‘good’ online timeline tool?
This section will break down a few defining characteristics of the highest-quality timeline tools.
1. Visualization
At its core, a timeline maker should offer a bird’s-eye view of a project workflow.
It should have calendar dates arranged in a linear fashion on the top row to offer an understanding of the time aspect of a project and its sub-tasks.
Underneath, teams or individual assignees form the basis of the secondary rows. Their tasks appear as lines, the length of which represents the expected time it takes for task completion.
As these lines overlap, the tools form a picture of a project’s progress that managers can adjust for optimal task or project progress.
Something like this, from (you guessed it, staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud):
For extra credit, timeline tools should offer one or preferably all of the following features, which will help supercharge projects with efficiency and clarity.
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2. Clean and simple view-switching
Timeline view is a manager’s best friend, but if that’s all there is, you’re missing out on some very valuable insights.
You use the project timeline to track individual and whole-project deadlines simultaneously, but deadlines aren’t everything. What happens when an employee hits a roadblock?
An alternative visualization like the Workload view let’s managers see how many tasks rest on certain employee’s shoulders at any one time. If you spot progress slowing down in Timeline, then switch to Workload to find out exactly why.
You can only identify mid-game adjustments like that with a flexible platform. Make sure your online timeline tool does more than just timeline creation.
That’s why we at staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud let our users assess their projects under 8 different data visualizations, including Kanban board, Gantt chart, and of course everybody’s favorite: timeline.
Not only can you easily jump in and out of different perspectives, each one is carefully designed to present information as clearly and as accessible as possible for maximum comprehension.
3. Ready-made, customizable templates
In the realm of project management, we’ve found that there is a huge amount of variance in the way that teams design projects.
Some teams opt for hyper-specificity, with sub-items upon sub-items going ad infinitum into the sunset. Some choose a simple Kanban board with the project leader’s name attached to the task “website design.That’s why it’s so important that your online timeline tool works with you (no matter how you work).
It should also feature a good number of ready-made project templates to get you off the ground. It’s a good way to slim down your time investment before the project has even truly begun.
It goes without saying, perhaps, that you can name any industry or project and staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud has the perfect template for it.
When you’re as experienced in project management as we are, no project is truly brand new. That’s why we’ve developed a library of over 100 ready-made templates to get you off to a flying start.
Social media calendars, employee onboarding, A/B testing, bug tracking — check out the full range yourself to see if your next timeline template is already ready for you.
4. Integrations with the tools you already use
Complex projects requiring multiple teams tend to get messy.
Which is why you want access to every bit of your project in a single place, instead of scattered across countless apps, browser tabs, and secret folders.
So your online timeline tool needs integrations.
Integrations are added functions from third-party applications that can be connected into software.
For instance, creatives can add design previews from their favorite file-sharing app and managers can alert teams using external messaging apps — all from inside staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud.
Clients and partners will appreciate your friendliness to their existing apps, but little do they know you’re fully integrated without ever taking your eyes off the timeline.
This is just one of the many reasons staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud calls ourselves a Work OS — a complete platform from which you can manage the projects that grow your business.
With staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud, you won’t ever have to leave your project HQ thanks to our countless third-party integrations from all your most-used apps including Google Drive, Zoom, LinkedIn, Zapier, and Slack.
staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud: time to upgrade your timelines?
If you’re looking to organize your project or workload in a timeline, it’s time to give staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud a try.
We’re not joking when we say that we’ve developed the most complete project management solution out there — striking the balance between technical prowess and stunning simplicity (if we do say so ourselves).
Prove us wrong by taking advantage of our unlimited feature 14-day free trial before committing to a paid plan.
Conclusion
The humble timeline is there for project leaders when they need them most.
But it’s only one element of a larger equation in unlocking your project.
Surrounding it should be a myriad of great features that take the notion of time-based project tracking and turn it into time-based project management.
The difference is speed, quality, and clarity, and once you get an idea of the full picture of our dynamic timeline, there’s no going back.
At staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud, we’re on a mission to make every project easier and quicker. Join us!
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