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Managing project timelines effectively is essential for keeping your projects on track and your team aligned. However, without the right tools, it’s easy to lose sight of deadlines, dependencies, and key milestones. That's why it's important to have reliable project timeline managment software.

Project timeline management tools can help you visualize timelines, assign tasks, and track progress to give you the clarity and control you need to deliver projects successfully.

In this article, I’ve reviewed and tested the best options on the market. I’ll walk you through their key features, who they’re best suited for, and why they might be a good fit for your team. Here, you can evaluate your options and find the best solution to help you stay organized and focused.

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We’ve been testing and reviewing project management software since 2012. As project managers ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software.

We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions. We’ve tested more than 2,000 tools for different project management use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & our review methodology.

Compare Specs Side-by-Side

Here is a convenient table that you can use to compare all the tools we just covered. If you want to expand your research, keep scrolling!

Best Project Timeline Software Reviews

Here’s a brief description of each project timeline software to showcase each tool’s best use case and noteworthy features.

Best for tracking projects across the teams

  • Freemium version available
  • From $10/user/month (min of 2 seats)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Wrike is a work management platform that lets you plug into 400+ integrations and customize your workflows, dashboards, and request forms.

Wrike’s easy-to-use interface offers intuitive navigation with distinct Spaces, folders, and tasks, which you can customize however you like and collaborate in real time while sharing workflows, calendars, and more. This feature makes it easy to track different projects across teams.

Wrike offers a user-friendly experience with advanced customization capabilities. For example, you can organize, see, and manage project timelines using Kanban boards, drag-and-drop Gantt charts, and detailed dashboards. Additionally, you have access to advanced insights with a suite of analytics, resource management, and performance-reporting features.

Wrike offers native pre-built integrations with more than 400 popular platforms, including Microsoft, Google, and Dropbox, along with sales and marketing software from Salesforce and Marketo.

Best customizable workflow templates

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $8/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

monday.com is a popular enterprise project management tool used by companies across different industries, like Abbott, Costco, Uber, Adobe, and Hulu.

monday.com's timeline view features a visual presentation allowing users to view timelines within single or multiple boards. The tool provides a glimpse of the timeframe allocated to complete a project, providing an opportunity to plan accordingly. The software provides teams with a tool for managing tasks, to-dos, collaboration, time tracking, task automation, task tracking, task planning, and other elements related to project timeline management.

One of the main reasons monday.com is at the top of this list is that the tool brings together collaboration, project and task management, and CRM tools. Another element worth mentioning is that this software allows for a high degree of customization, and its interface is appealing. Add this to the project management app automation, and you will understand why 127,000 customers use Monday.com in more than 200 business verticals.

monday.com integrates with several leading apps like Slack, HubSpot, Airtable, Trello, Asana, Zoom, and Microsoft Project, and others. They have a full list of integrations on their webite.

monday.com costs from $6/user/month with a two-week free trial and offers a free plan with up to two seats.

Best for agency timeline management with resourcing

  • Free trial available
  • From $9/user/month (billed annually)
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Rating: 4.4/5

Bonsai is a business management platform designed to consolidate various aspects of business operations, including project management, client management, and financial management. Its integrated approach and comprehensive suite of tools cater to the needs of agencies and professional services firms, making it an ideal solution for managing business workflows effectively.

As a project timeline management software, Bonsai provides the ability to create and customize project timelines, set milestones, allocate resources, and manage deadlines. It also facilitates collaboration among team members with task assignment and tracking features, integrated CRM, scheduling, and forms. Users can even view project statuses in a Kanban-style or list format to stay on top of how task progress aligns with timelines.

Furthermore, Bonsai has time tracking and resource management features. This allows users to get a comprehensive view of time planned versus time spent, capacity levels, and overall utilization rates to help improve current and future project plans and timelines.

Integrations include QuickBooks Online, Slack, HubSpot, ClickUp, Trello, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Gmail, Google Calendar, Calendly, Xero, Zapier, and more.

Best for setting and tracking task dependencies

  • 10-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $4/user/month (billed annually)
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Rating: 4.2/5

Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management software that helps businesses and teams of all sizes manage their projects, tasks, and timelines in an efficient and organized manner. Its powerful features enable project managers to plan, track, and collaborate on projects easily, allowing them to stay on top of deadlines and deliverables.

One of Zoho Projects' essential features is its ability to create and manage project timelines. With this feature, project managers can create timelines for each project and assign tasks to team members, complete with start and end dates. This allows team members to clearly understand what needs to be done, when, and by whom. Project managers can also set dependencies between tasks, ensuring each job is completed before the next one begins. This helps to prevent delays and ensures that the project stays on track.

Zoho Projects has a mobile app that allows team members to access the platform and manage tasks on the go. This can be particularly useful for remote teams or for team members who are frequently on the move. Zoho Projects also comes with a Gantt chart view, which provides a graphical representation of the project timeline. This helps users visualize project progress and identify potential delays or issues. Moreover, this view allows project managers to easily adjust the timeline, such as shifting tasks or changing dependencies.

Team members can collaborate on tasks, share files and documents, and communicate with each other through a centralized platform. Zoho Projects comes with time tracking and billing features, allowing users to track the time spent on each task and project, which can be helpful for billing clients or internal cost tracking. The software enables companies to set hourly rates for team members, ensuring the project stays within budget.

Zoho Projects integrates with other Zoho apps, commonly used apps by Google (Google Calendar, Drive, Spreadsheets, etc.), and Microsoft (Calendar, Excel, Office 365, OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint), and other third-party apps such as Basecamp, Jira, Slack, Zendesk, and Zapier.

Zoho Projects costs from $5/user/month for tracking unlimited projects. A freemium plan with limited features, as well as a 10-day free trial, are also available.

Best for structured project timelines

  • 7-day free trial
  • Pricing upon request
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Rating: 4.6/5

Screendragon is a work management platform tailored for marketing, agency, and professional services teams. It combines project management, workflow automation, resource management, and budgeting in one solution.

It incorporates tools like Gantt charts and Kanban boards, which aid in task assignment and timeline adjustments, providing clarity and structure to project timelines. The software also enables real-time financial tracking and resource management, allowing you to keep budgets aligned with actual spending and anticipate future needs effectively. 

I also like that it has customizable workflows and templates that assist in streamlining project delivery, and visual dashboards that deliver real-time updates on project status and key metrics. Overall, these features provide flexibility in managing workflows and contribute to a more organized project management experience.

Some integrations include MS Power BI, Slack, MS Teams, and Zapier.

Best for aligning financials and timelines

  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.1/5

Kantata is a robust software solution designed for professional services seeking to optimize their project management and resource allocation processes.

What sets Kantata apart as a project timeline management software is its ability to align financials with timelines. Kantata offers project planning tools that allow users to create detailed project timelines, assign resources, and set milestones. The software's financial management capabilities enable users to track expenses in real time and run projects on budget.

Additionally, Kantata includes forecasting and reporting tools that empower businesses to anticipate potential project challenges and adjust their plans accordingly. The software's real-time analytics and customizable dashboards provide a clear overview of project progress, financial status, and resource utilization. 

Kantata integrates with Salesforce, QuickBooks, Jira, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, HubSpot, Asana, Trello, Basecamp, Smartsheet, Zendesk, GitHub, Dropbox, and more.

Best for a highly flexible solution

  • Free plan available
  • From $8/user/month
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Rating: 4.8/5

Miro is an online whiteboard and collaboration platform that supports various project management activities. From brainstorming to task management, teams can utilize a blank canvas or select from numerous templates for timelines, roadmaps, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and more.

The software allows the importation and expansion of existing charts from tools like Visio or Lucid, facilitating continuity and saving time. Its infinite canvas also accommodates the unrestricted development of ideas, while its multimedia features allows for a diversity of idea expression, enriching project visualization.

Moreover, Miro’s collaboration features, including real-time voting, stickies, and comments, enable teams to adjust and refine projects on the fly. Security is also a priority, with end-to-end encryption and customizable access settings ensuring project safety.

The software integrates with other workplace tools like Figma, Slack, monday.com, Asana, Confluence, Notion, and Jira, among others. With these integrations, ideas generated in Miro can be turned into tasks and projects, or shared across teams and departments.

A free plan is available, and paid plans start from $10/user/month.

Best for real-time, collaborative planning

  • Free plan available
  • From $15/seat/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

FigJam is a virtual whiteboarding tool, created by (and easily integrated with) Figma. Because it's a more freeform solution, it can be used for project timeline management but also project brainstorming, scoping, planning, and more. The software comes with tons of templates your team can use to structure their work planning and tracking activities.

Once you have a whiteboard set up, you can customize it with stickers, comments, shapes, lines, arrows, images, and more. Timeline templates are among the pre-built options to choose from, and your team can collaborate in real-time to outline your project plan. You can also use your timeline board to track your team's progress as they accomplish tasks. Plenty of support documentation is also available for FigJam, both from the company and from the community.

Something else that stands out about this tool is its integration with Figma's design platform. You can connect the assets you create in FigJam with your Figma assets, creating a direct line between your ideation and planning with your team's execution. This can be helpful for adhering to timelines and reducing jumping between disjointed systems.

Native integrations are available for Figma, Microsoft Teams, Asana, Jira, Mixpanel, and Github.

A freemium plan is available for up to 3 boards, and paid plans start from $3 per user, per month.

Best for software development teams

  • Free plan available
  • From $35/month
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Rating: 4.5/5

Backlog is designed to ensure that all the different segments of a project easily connect with each other. The tool's Wikis make projects available to all team members and allow for easy editing, making it a great tool for software development teams. The Kanban boards make it easy to visualize different phases. Interactive Gantt charts permit users to visualize the timeline of an entire project.

Other features that put Backlog in this top ten list include giving users the ability to create parent and child tasks to enhance order and create custom fields relevant to a specific project. Its file-sharing feature makes it possible to keep all files in one workplace. The tool's drag and drop functionality allows for easy editing of timelines and durations or changing a task's status.

Backlog integrates with Typetalk, Cacoo, Nulab Pass, Slack, Redmine, Jira Importer, iOS App, LombdaTest, and Android App.

Backlog costs from $35/30users/month and offers a forever free plan for up to 10 users and a 30-day free trial on paid plans.

Best for remote teams

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $13/user/month (billed annually)
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Rating: 4.4/5

Since the pronouncement that Covid-19 had become a pandemic, the workplace has changed. Many organizations have realized that a hybrid team can be as effective as co-located teams. ProjectManager is a software program designed for these hybrid teams.

A central feature that makes ProjectManager one of the best tools is that while it provides team members with a common goal created in, say, Gantt charts, it also allows individual teams to use different methods to execute the project such as Kanban boards or spreadsheet views.

ProjectManager integrates with Slack, Trello, Atlassian Jira, and Microsoft Teams.

ProjectManager costs from $14/user/month and offers a free 30-day trial and a free forever plan for up to three users.

Other Project Timeline Management Software

Here are a few more that didn’t make the top list, but definitely worth looking at to expand your research.

  1. Office Timeline

    For visual project planning

  2. GoodDay

    Timeline management for its customizability

  3. Ravetree

    For integrated project timelines

  4. GanttPRO

    For professionals and students

  5. ClickUp

    For freelancers

  6. Smartsheet

    For working with formulas

  7. Celoxis

    For project portfolio management

  8. Scoro

    For end-to-end work management

  9. Polaris PSA By Replicon

    For sophisticated what-if scenario analysis

  10. Hive

    For large and complex projects

  11. Hub Planner

    For team analytics & dynamic reports

  12. PathPro

    For public roadmaps

  13. Tempo Portfolio Manager

    Project management for predictive scheduling in agile teams

  14. Forecast

    For specialized services firms

  15. Paymo

    Project management software for tracking work time and client billing

  16. Basecamp

    Project timeline software for tracking progress for scattered teams

  17. Projectworks

    Project timeline, resource, and budget management

  18. Toggl Plan

    Project timeline management tool for ensuring equitable work distribution in small teams

  19. ProofHub

    Time tracking, task management, file storage, and messaging software for project management teams

  20. nTask

    Free project management software for managing deadlines through managing task statuses and priorities and setting planned and actual due dates

Selection Criteria for Project Timeline Management Software

When selecting the best project timeline management software to include on this list, I considered common buyer needs and pain points like the need for intuitive timeline visualization and collaboration across teams. I also used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:

Core Functionality (25% of total score)
To be considered for inclusion on this list, each solution had to fulfill these common use cases:

  • Creating, editing, and managing project timelines
  • Assigning tasks and deadlines to team members
  • Tracking project progress and milestone completion
  • Generating visual timeline charts like Gantt or calendar views
  • Sharing project timelines with stakeholders

Additional Standout Features (25% of total score)
To help further narrow down the competition, I also looked for unique features, such as:

  • Integrations with third-party tools like CRMs or task management platforms
  • Predictive analytics for timeline adjustments
  • Customizable templates for various project types
  • Mobile apps for timeline updates on-the-go
  • Multi-project dashboards for high-level portfolio management

Usability (10% of total score)
To get a sense of the usability of each system, I considered the following:

  • An intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • A minimal learning curve with clear navigation
  • Drag-and-drop functionality for timeline adjustments
  • Quick access to frequently used features
  • Responsive performance with minimal lag

Onboarding (10% of total score)
To evaluate the onboarding experience for each platform, I considered the following:

  • Clear and comprehensive training videos
  • Ready-to-use templates for immediate use
  • Interactive product tours for feature walkthroughs
  • Chatbots or live chat available for setup assistance
  • Webinars or live demos to guide new users

Customer Support (10% of total score)
To assess each software provider’s customer support services, I considered the following:

  • Multiple support channels like email, phone, and live chat
  • A detailed knowledge base or FAQ section
  • Availability of support across various time zones
  • Quick response times for urgent queries
  • Support for troubleshooting integrations or customizations

Value For Money (10% of total score)
To evaluate the value for money of each platform, I considered the following:

  • Flexible pricing plans suitable for different team sizes
  • Transparent pricing without hidden fees
  • A free trial or freemium version included for evaluation
  • Balanced features and cost compared to competitors
  • Discounts for annual subscriptions or large teams

Customer Reviews (10% of total score)
To get a sense of overall customer satisfaction, I considered the following when reading customer reviews:

  • Ease of use and intuitive design highlighted in customer feedback
  • Reported reliability and system uptime
  • Praise regarding feature completeness
  • Satisfaction with customer support responsiveness
  • Any recurring complaints or concerns

How to Choose Project Timeline Management Software

It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind:

FactorWhat to Consider
ScalabilityMake sure the software grows with your team. Look for tools that can handle an increasing number of projects and users.
IntegrationsCheck for integration with tools your team already uses, like CRMs, collaboration platforms, or accounting software.
CustomizabilityOpt for software that lets you tailor templates, workflows, and timelines to match your specific project needs.
Ease of UseChoose an intuitive platform with a clean interface, drag-and-drop functionality, and minimal learning curve for your team.
BudgetCompare pricing plans to ensure they fit your budget. Look for value-packed solutions with flexible options and no hidden fees.
Security SafeguardsPrioritize tools with strong data protection, compliance certifications, and user access controls to keep your information safe.
Mobile AccessEnsure the software includes a mobile app so your team can view and update project timelines on-the-go.
Collaboration ToolsLook for features like real-time updates, task comments, and file sharing to keep your team aligned and productive.

In my research, I sourced countless product updates, press releases, and release logs from different project timeline management software vendors. Here are some of the emerging trends I’m keeping an eye on:

  • AI-Driven Insights: Vendors are adding AI to predict delays, suggest timeline adjustments, and recommend task prioritization. For example, some tools now analyze historical data to optimize future timelines automatically.
  • Collaborative Whiteboarding: Many tools now include shared digital whiteboards to help teams map out timelines visually. This makes brainstorming and planning more interactive, especially for remote teams.
  • Scenario Planning: Tools are introducing features to simulate multiple "what-if" scenarios for project timelines. This helps teams prepare for potential risks and see how changes might impact deadlines and resources.
  • Resource Allocation Analytics: Advanced analytics now focus on tracking resource availability and capacity in real time. Vendors are building dashboards to highlight overbooked or under-utilized team members directly on timeline views.
  • Industry-Specific Templates: More vendors are providing pre-built timeline templates tailored to industries like construction, marketing, and IT. These save users time by aligning with common workflows in specific fields.

What is Project Timeline Management Software?

Project timeline management software is a tool that helps teams create, manage, and track project schedules visually. These tools are commonly used by project managers, team leads, and professionals in industries like marketing, construction, and IT to stay on top of deadlines and keep teams organized. Features like timeline creation, task assignment, and milestone tracking help teams visualize progress, identify bottlenecks, and adjust plans as needed. Overall, these tools simplify project planning and ensure everyone stays aligned with key goals and deadlines.

Features of Project Timeline Management Software

When selecting project timeline management software, keep an eye out for the following key features:

  • Timeline visualization: Lets you create clear, visual timelines like Gantt charts or project management calendars to track project progress.
  • Task dependencies: Enables you to link tasks together so one cannot begin until another is completed, ensuring smooth workflows.
  • Milestone tracking: Helps you set and monitor key deadlines or achievements within a project.
  • Resource management: Lets you allocate team members, equipment, or budgets to specific tasks to avoid overbooking or shortages.
  • Progress tracking: Provides real-time updates on task completion and timeline shifts to keep the team informed.
  • Custom templates: Offers pre-built timeline formats tailored to common project types, saving time during setup.
  • Collaboration tools: Allows teams to comment on tasks, share updates, and work together directly within the software.
  • Scenario planning: Lets you test different timeline adjustments to see how changes might impact the overall project.
  • Automated notifications: Sends alerts for approaching deadlines, task updates, or overdue items to keep everyone on track.
  • Integrations: Connects with tools like CRMs, communication platforms, or time trackers for a more efficient workflow.

Benefits of Project Timeline Management Software

Implementing project timeline management software can provide several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:

  • Improved organization: Helps you structure tasks and deadlines clearly, so everyone knows what to do and when.
  • Better collaboration: Keeps everyone on the same page with shared timelines, task updates, and commenting features.
  • Time savings: Reduces manual work by automating updates, notifications, and timeline adjustments.
  • Enhanced visibility: Lets you see the big picture of your project’s progress and spot potential delays early.
  • More accurate planning: Helps you account for dependencies, resources, and deadlines to create realistic project schedules.
  • Reduced risks: Identifies bottlenecks or overloaded resources before they cause problems.
  • Informed decision-making: Offers data and insights to adjust plans and prioritize tasks based on real-time updates.

Costs & Pricing of Project Timeline Management Software

Selecting project timeline management software requires an understanding of the various pricing models and plans available. Costs vary based on features, team size, add-ons, and more. The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and typical features included in project timeline management software solutions:

Plan Comparison Table for Project Timeline Management Software

Plan TypeAverage PriceCommon Features
Free Plan$0Basic timeline creation, limited task assignments, and basic collaboration tools.
Personal Plan$5-$25/user/monthTimeline creation, task dependencies, milestone tracking, and integrations with a few external tools.
Business Plan$30-$60/user/monthAdvanced reporting, resource management, team collaboration features, and priority support.
Enterprise Plan$70+/user/monthCustom workflows, scenario planning, dedicated account management, and enterprise-level security.

Project Timeline Management Software FAQs

What is a project timeline?

A project timeline is a visual representation of the work you need to do in a project. You can find it in the best project management software as a special view and it contains task information, and details on milestones, dependencies, and task progress.

How do you create a timeline?

Creating a timeline is usually the easy part. After you have laid out all the tasks that need to be done, you can go to the timeline view. Then, you use the drag-and-drop functionality to start building your chart. Finally, once you finish you can connect bars to signal dependencies between tasks.

If you want detailed information, you can check out our guide to building Gantt charts.

Why do projects get delayed?

If your team can deliver projects on time and within budget most of the time, congratulations; your project planning or project timeline management software is on point. You deserve a pat on the back because a recent survey concluded that only 29% of organizations said they mostly or always complete projects on time.

Several reasons can be attributed to projects that overrun their allocated timeframes, including poor teamwork or team collaboration, lack of automation, cumbersome approvals and permissions processes, general poor communication regarding due dates, poor resource management, and failure to manage remote teams effectively.

Undoubtedly, balancing all the elements attributed to project success can be challenging, especially for small businesses, when you use legacy project management solutions like excel spreadsheets and old-fashioned written to-do lists. However, the good news is that the market is awash with software geared explicitly at managing project timelines for all types of teams.

What are some limitations of project management charts?

Project management charts, such as Gantt charts, excel in visually representing project timelines, dependencies, and progress. However, their limitations include difficulty in handling complex projects with numerous tasks and dependencies, as the chart can quickly become cluttered and overwhelming. They also struggle with scalability, making it hard to adapt to changes in large or dynamic projects. Additionally, they often lack real-time updates unless integrated with software tools, which can lead to outdated information.

What are some alternatives to Gantt charts?

Gantt charts provide a timeline-based visual representation of tasks, showing start and end dates, dependencies, and project progress. While they are ideal for linear, schedule-focused projects, they struggle with complexity, scalability, and adaptability to dynamic workflows.

Alternatives to Gantt charts include:

  1. PERT Charts: Focus on task dependencies and critical paths, making them ideal for analyzing task sequencing and estimating durations in complex projects.
  2. Kanban Boards: Use a column-based layout to visualize workflows, promoting flexibility, real-time updates, and task prioritization, ideal for agile, iterative projects.
  3. Work Breakdown Structures (WBS): Break projects into manageable tasks hierarchically, useful for defining scope but lacking timelines.
  4. Timeline Charts: Provide high-level overviews of milestones and deadlines, ideal for presentations or status updates without showing dependencies.
  5. Scrum Boards: Divide tasks into “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done” categories, emphasizing collaboration and frequent deliverables in iterative workflows.
  6. Mind Maps: Non-linear visualizations great for brainstorming and evolving task relationships in creative projects.
  7. Flowcharts: Highlight processes and decision paths, focusing on workflows rather than timelines.
  8. RACI Matrix: Clarifies roles (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed), improving team collaboration and task ownership.

Each alternative suits specific needs, whether for flexibility, simplicity, or deeper analysis, addressing scenarios where Gantt charts may be too rigid or complex.

What are some features of free project management tools?

Free project management tools often include essential features to help teams stay organized and productive. These features typically include:

  1. Task Management: Tools to create, assign, and track tasks across multiple projects, with basic timelines or priority levels.
  2. Collaboration Options: Shared dashboards, comments, and file-sharing capabilities to facilitate team communication.
  3. Multiple Project Handling: Manage several projects simultaneously, with options to view tasks or progress across all projects.
  4. Integrations: Basic integrations with popular tools like Google Workspace, Slack, or calendar apps to streamline workflows.
  5. Reporting: Simple reports or progress tracking to monitor project performance.
  6. Limited Users/Storage: Often suitable for small teams or solo users, with restricted storage or user counts.

These tools are ideal for small teams or startups looking to manage projects without a financial commitment. However, it is important to note that they often come with limitations such as restricted storage, user caps, fewer advanced features, and fewer customization options.

project timeline management software logos list

What's Next?

Now that we've covered the basics of timelines and tools you can use, you can check out more content on this topic. We have a guide that tells you how to create a project plan in 10 easy steps. Also, a little more in-depth knowledge on project milestones and how they are important to your timeline.

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Galen Low
By Galen Low

Galen is a digital project manager with over 10 years of experience shaping and delivering human-centered digital transformation initiatives in government, healthcare, transit, and retail. He is a digital project management nerd, a cultivator of highly collaborative teams, and an impulsive sharer of knowledge. He's also the co-founder of The Digital Project Manager and host of The DPM Podcast.