Project management templates save project managers countless hours when starting a new project.
No matter the size or complexity of the project, templates remove unnecessary friction and eliminate that “hard to start” feeling because everything is laid out for you — begin filling in the blanks instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.
In this guide, we’ll explain what a project management template is and why you should use one. We’ll also answer some frequently asked questions and provide five rock-solid project management templates from monday.com that you can use today.
What exactly is a project management template?
A project management template contains placeholders that help you document and launch various project-related activities, such as:
- Project planning
- Project kick-off meetings
- Project tracking & deadlines
- Project budgeting
- Project risks
- Project resources
- Project status
- Project reporting
The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines project management as “the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver something of value to people.”
And project management templates are just one of the tools that project managers use to plan and execute projects successfully. Here’s what one could look like on monday.com.
Why should you use a project management template?
A project management template enables you to quickly set up and manage a project without starting from scratch every time.
It allows you to:
- Reduce friction and eliminate that “hard to start” feeling because it’s pre-formatted — simply fill in the blanks versus trying to reinvent the wheel
- Save time by speeding up new project creation and standardize workflow processes
- Replicate and reuse the structure of previous projects, including milestones and tasks with start and end dates
What are some examples of a project management template in action?
Organizations of all sizes and industries can use project management templates to streamline their work processes. monday.com allows you to create an ideal project management template for any workflow or requirement for maximum impact.
For example, subscription video streaming service Hulu uses monday.com to manage ad placement purchases according to its highly specific audience segments. This process can be especially challenging due to back-and-forth communications and protocols spread across the different teams and locations.
With monday.com, Hulu’s Ad Analytics team manages its projects using:
- One centralized place to manage work requests
- Standardized templates for segment requests that are easily scalable
- Email integration so the sales teams can continue using their preferred systems
As a result, they’ve saved 36 days per person per year.
You can use project management templates for work, hobbies, school, and any other type of project you can dream up. But, most importantly, the right software solution, like monday.com, can provide structure and automation around many of the processes you use today.
Get startedWhat makes monday.com project management templates special?
With monday.com Work OS, you get a robust, flexible platform that helps you track and manage all aspects of your projects. Whether you’re planning a small interior design project or scoping a complex commercial build, you and your team can quickly adapt to whatever changes get thrown your way.
It includes hundreds of templates that’ll cover just about anything your stakeholders can dream up, plus it’s fully customizable. Choose a template to get you up and running quickly and then adapt it to your project requirements. Furthermore, you can create custom boards on monday.com and duplicate them over and over for templates.
- Columns: Drag and drop 36+ column types to customize your project workflows. From due dates to status fields, keep everyone and everything on track with visual dashboards.
- Views: Choose from over 27 views, including Gantt, Kanban, Calendar, Timeline, Table, and Chart, to visualize your work how you see fit.
- Automations: Streamline your workflow and focus on the work that adds value rather than manual administrative tasks. Send emails when due dates arrive and receive real-time notifications when tasks are completed.
- Integrations: Continue working with your existing tools in one place for greater efficiency. Sync due dates with your Google Calendar, or instantly share your Dropbox files with your entire team.
5 project management templates from monday.com
Here are five project management templates you can use on monday.com to get your projects up and running in next-to-no time.
Single Project Template
From planning and monitoring progress to execution, the Single Project Template has everything you need to start managing a project immediately. Organize deadlines, stakeholders, budgets, and more in one place. Keep track of everything, so nothing slips through the cracks.
Project Portfolio Management Template
Plan, track, and manage complex projects across multiple teams and departments with the advanced Project Portfolio Management Template. Streamline project requests and get a high-level view of your entire portfolio in one place. Stay up-to-date on the latest status updates of multiple projects as well as meeting outcomes, action items, or important client or customer notes in real-time.
Agile Project Management Template
If you’re using agile methodology to manage your projects, then the Agile Project Management Template is ideal. Plan a roadmap and manage your sprint backlog with a high degree of flexibility. Build, iterate, and learn while collaborating with stakeholders.
Project Workflow Template
Organize and track projects and timelines with the Project Workflow Template. Easily visualize your workflow, add your task details, start and end dates, and duration times, to define responsibilities, monitor progress, and keep tasks and projects on track.
Risk Register Template
Manage all of your project risks in the Risk Register Template. Add risk owners and probabilities, and use the smart formula to help assess the risk level. Visualize the risk statuses at a glance through the risk register dashboard.
FAQs about project management templates
Here are a handful of commonly asked questions regarding project management templates:
Does Excel have a project plan template?
Technically speaking, you can perform project management duties, including planning, using Excel spreadsheets (or Google Sheets). That’s fine for small projects without much riding on them or small teams that don’t communicate much.
But a free template can only go so far. If you’re communicating with multiple people, handling complex tasks, or working on high-stakes projects, investing in effective project management software is worth every penny.
With monday.com Work OS, you get a full suite of project management tools that simplify complex projects and enable visibility across the entire work process.
How do I create a project plan template?
A project plan is a formal document that outlines the purpose of your project, the materials you’ll need, the timeline for deliverables, and much more. Almost every project needs a project plan template because you need a way to communicate project details to stakeholders.
A project plan template is part of the suite of project management templates you need if you want to get your project up and running with minimal fuss. Thanks to our fully-customizable templates, creating a project plan using monday.com is simple.
What templates do you need for project management?
The exact templates you need to effectively manage your project will be unique to you and the type, size, and complexity of your project. There are all kinds of project management templates, including:
- Project Planning Templates
- Project Kickoff Templates
- Project Execution Templates
- Project Tracking Templates
- Project Budget Templates
- Project Reporting Templates
- Work Schedule Templates
- Graphic Design Project Management Templates
- Construction Project Templates
- Marketing Project Templates
Kick off your next project with a project management template
With monday.com in your corner, you can access an entire library of project management templates. And you can make them work even harder using the easy “If this/then that” automations – freeing up your bandwidth to do the things computers aren’t good at, like developing relationships and creative work.
If you want to see our project management automation in action, then check out this awesome video on monday.com’s project management features. It’s just a fraction of the functionality you get when you invest in the monday.com Work OS to power up your projects.
Get your next project off to a flying start with a project management template from monday.com.
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