Explore project timelines in Workfront
In this step, you will delve into project planning and management using Workfront. You will learn how parent tasks group sub-tasks, which are assigned to job roles and later to users with the necessary skills. Discover how predecessors indicate sequential relationships between tasks, while tasks without predecessors can be done in parallel. You will also explore the Gantt chart for a visual timeline and the Critical Path feature to identify tasks that could delay the project if they slip. Additionally, you will understand different views in Workfront for planning and monitoring progress, and learn about scheduling options and task constraints.
- Get an overview of project planning and management using Workfront. Learn how parent tasks group several sub-tasks, which are assigned to job roles and later to users with the necessary skills. Predecessors indicate sequential relationships between tasks, while tasks without predecessors can be done in parallel. The Gantt chart offers a visual timeline, and the Critical Path feature highlights tasks that could delay the project if they slip.
- Different views in Workfront, such as the standard view for planning and the status view for monitoring progress, which includes flags for progress, comments, documents, issues, approvals, critical path, and milestones. Recent activity can be tracked to see updates and notes.
- Scheduling can be done from a start date or a completion date, with Workfront calculating the corresponding dates based on task durations and predecessors. The video advises scheduling from a start date for critical completion dates to allow some slack. Task constraints, such as “as soon as possible” and “as late as possible,” are also covered, showing how they affect task scheduling. Custom views can be created to display task constraints.
Key takeaways
- Task Management and Assignment: Parent tasks group several sub-tasks, which are assigned to job roles and later to users with the necessary skills. Predecessors indicate sequential relationships, while tasks without predecessors can be done in parallel.
- Gantt Chart and Critical Path: The Gantt chart provides a visual timeline of the project, and the Critical Path feature highlights tasks that could delay the project if they slip.
- Views and Monitoring: Different views in Workfront, such as the standard view for planning and the status view for monitoring, include flags for progress, comments, documents, issues, approvals, critical path, and milestones. Recent activity can also be tracked.
- Scheduling Options: Projects can be scheduled from a start date or a completion date, with Workfront calculating the corresponding dates based on task durations and predecessors. Scheduling from a start date is recommended for critical completion dates to allow some slack.
- Task Constraints: Task constraints like “as soon as possible” and “as late as possible” affect task scheduling. Changing the schedule mode after project creation can impact task constraints and planned dates. Custom views can be created to display task constraints.
To change or not to change dates on your project timelines…
PROS (Changing dates)
CONS (Changing dates)
PROS (Not changing dates)
CONS (Not changing dates)
- Reduce stress/provide up-to-date expectations for users - “Creatives wouldn’t know what’s real”
- Accurate resource allocation, especially in the Workload Balancer
- Use journal entry reports (or project duration) to call out date changes
- Use of condition to show if project is out of scope
- Can add a custom form (or use issues) to track changes– why it was pushed, by whom, how long
- Misleading data as reports do not reflect true state
- False perception of progress - illusion that everything is on track
- Foster a culture of always pushing back timelines instead of addressing root causes
- Loss of stakeholder confidence / team perception to meet deadlines
- Accurate representation of project timeline – data can be used for analysis and to tell a clear story of what happened
- Option to change duration or add lag to predecessor instead
- Easily identify process improvements for future project planning/ risk mngt
- Option to leverage baselines to capture original project plan and use that as comparison
- If you don’t have the people to do it, and to do it for everything, don’t do it
- User confusion and/or frustration - abundance of “late” tasks despite the fact that they just got notified
- Resources were effectively allocated to map to the original plan, but now are overloaded with delayed work
- Project timeline cannot be used to clearly communicate updates to stakeholders
Next, you will learn about date types and progress status in Workfront, enhancing your understanding of project timelines and management.