Do your projects often seem like a race against time?
Is your team constantly struggling to keep up with the schedule?
If that is the case, don’t sweat it — time management has never been as challenging as it is nowadays.
The good news is that there is an effective solution to this problem known as proper project time management.
Read on to find out what project time management is, what processes it involves, and what techniques, tools, and strategies you can use to keep your projects on track.
Let’s dive in!
In this article:
What is project time management?
Project time management is the process of planning how to best allocate project resources, set deadlines, and monitor progress in all project phases.
Time is one of the 3 pillars of project management. The aim of effective project time management is to stick to the schedule and bring projects to completion on time.
Since time doesn’t wait for anyone, and it just keeps going forward, time management becomes even more important.
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Why is project time management important?
Project time management is one of the 10 knowledge areas in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).
If time is not properly handled within a project, both scope and cost — the 2 other pillars of project management — start to shake and crack.
Therefore, effective project time management is important as it helps you:
- Set a realistic project timeline,
- Prevent bottlenecks and tight deadlines,
- Prioritize tasks,
- Use resources wisely,
- Mitigate risks,
- Reduce stress, and more.
💡Plaky Pro Tip
How do you manage time when your team is scattered across the world? Learn how to master working across time zones in the guide below:
Benefits of project time management
In general, project goals reached within the planned time frame and budget bring great benefits for both the project and the team working on it.
Some of the comforts of effective project time management are:
- Reduced stress — With clear goals and a well-planned schedule, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and do your job with less pressure.
- Increased productivity — Knowing your calendar and deadlines helps you prioritize tasks and finish the urgent ones first. If you invest the right amount of time in each task, you’ll soon notice a boost in your productivity. Also, some tasks will take less time to complete, leaving you enough room for additional checks or refinement.
- Improved work quality — You’ll know how to better estimate the time you need for different tasks and have more time to improve your skills and/or move up the promotional ladder.
- Efficient budget and resource management — Any delay might jeopardize the quality of the project and lead to additional costs. So, by sticking to a schedule, you can also control expenses and stay within budget.
- Good reputation — By showing you can complete your tasks effectively, you show you’re reliable and can easily earn respect and reputation, which can ultimately lead to career advancement.
- Better work-life balance — A well-organized work schedule allows you to finish your job duties on time and give yourself time to relax after work. When you’re unburdened by unfinished tasks, you can fully unwind and engage in other activities of your choice.
7 project time management processes
A project and a plan are inseparable, and time is a crucial link between the two. Here are the 7 time management processes that PMs must take into account when guiding their teams.
#1 Plan schedule management
During this process, project managers create a schedule management plan. To do this, they generally need to:
- Establish policies and procedures,
- Define project milestones and deadlines,
- Produce documentation guidelines,
- Specify who can approve schedule changes,
- Identify stakeholders, and
- Choose software for schedule monitoring.
💡 Plaky Pro Tip
A schedule isn’t of much use if you don’t stick to it. You can determine whether or not your project is veering off course (and by how much) by calculating the schedule variance:
#2 Define project activities
The next process in line focuses on defining project activities. You need to specify tasks that must be completed so that you can submit project deliverables on time.
Since a simple to-do list doesn’t get the job done for complex projects, a great option is to organize tasks in dedicated software, like Plaky.
The software can display all the activities divided into tasks and subtasks of different priorities.
Plaky makes this process even easier by letting you define project activities by assigning relevant people, setting up priorities, and defining due dates.
#3 Sequence project activities
This process is about putting project activities in order of performance. Some of them will probably overlap, so you have to pay attention to deadlines.
The aim of this process is to order the activities in a way that enables the most efficient project workflow.
Also, keep close tabs on the order of tasks allocated to your team members to avoid unnecessary delays and chaos.
💡Plaky Pro Tip
No matter how complex your project is, you can always put all your project activities in efficient sequence. The best thing is you can do it in 5 easy steps. Check out how in the following article:
#4 Estimate activity resources
The focus of this process is to ensure there are enough resources for each task and that they are adequately allocated.
The term “resources” doesn’t only stand for people working on a project, but the entire project arsenal, including tools, finances, machines, materials, and, of course, time.
Resources affect the project schedule to a great extent — so the more accurate resource allocation is, the fewer schedule changes it causes.
Make resource allocation simple with Plaky
Another important factor that project managers need to consider is the productivity level of each team member, i.e., they should analyze the time their team members spend on their tasks.
To do that, it’s handy to integrate Plaky with Clockify, a free time tracking tool used worldwide.
Tracking time spent on tasks offers project managers an insight into the tasks that take more time and effort to complete. And, when you know how resources are spent, you can detect potential issues and make schedule adjustments when needed.
#5 Estimate activity duration
PMs also have to estimate the time needed to complete tasks. Based on these estimates, they can set up deadlines, leave some buffer time for potential troubleshooting, and decide when to close the project.
Though there’s no guarantee you’ll get your estimates right, you can rely on historical data, like the reports or lessons learned from previous similar projects, when making your duration estimates.
#6 Develop the project schedule
Based on the outcome of the previous processes, you can now develop the project schedule.
This process usually specifies:
- Start and end dates,
- Order of activities,
- Resources, and
- Potential risk factors.
#7 Control the project schedule
Finally, regular schedule control and project monitoring are highly recommended.
Since no project runs without a few stumbling blocks in its path, progress review is essential as it mitigates risks and lets you make quick changes.
In general, you should make it a habit to compare the actual progress with the original plan daily and see if there are any schedule delays.
💡Plaky Pro Tip
Use the Schedule Performance Index (SPI) to identify if your project is on the right track. Learn more below:
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10 project time management strategies for overwhelmed PMs
As there is no magic wand to create an effective project plan or spell to put a project back on track, you can try out some of these strategies in your future projects.
#1 Set realistic goals
If you’re looking to set clear and realistic goals for your project, try to establish S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based).
Clear goals can help you manage your time effectively as you’ll know what you want to achieve, how to do that, and what resources you need. By making your goals S.M.A.R.T., you’ll stay focused and on the beam.
#2 Prioritize
Being snowed under with work can happen to all of us, but there’s a way to organize your tasks better.
Prioritization is a great strategy that you can use to determine which tasks are urgent and should be tackled first. In short, you prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency.
💡Plaky Pro Tip
Deadlines are approaching, and you don’t know what task to tackle first. Learn how to prioritize your tasks and prevent lagging behind your regular schedule:
#3 Break larger tasks into smaller ones
Don’t know where to start when dealing with a complex project?
A good strategy is to divide projects into manageable phases, tasks, and subtasks. Essentially, this gives you a better overview of the project and reduces the risk of overlooking important details.
Make tasks manageable with Plaky
#4 Delegate tasks
The main goal of any project is to finish it on time and within budget — and you can’t do everything on your own.
It is perfectly fine to delegate tasks in order to balance workload. As a project manager, you should optimize work and assign tasks to team members who have the skills and capacity to get the job done on time.
💡 Plaky Pro Tip
Delegating tasks can improve your team’s efficiency. Learn how to do it in the article below:
#5 Improve communication with stakeholders
Stakeholders should always be informed about the project’s progress. To keep them up-to-date, you can send weekly or monthly project status reports or organize regular meetings to share the latest information.
#6 Facilitate team communication and collaboration
Effective communication and collaboration among team members are a huge time-saver. They become even more important when cross-functional collaboration comes into play.
When teams have open communication, they can avoid misunderstandings and potential confusion over what should be done and who they should contact if issues arise.
Regular meetings and updates keep everybody on the same page and help drive the project to success too.
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#7 Minimize interruptions
A working day is full of interruptions — meetings, calls, emails, or chats with coworkers. Such interruptions prevent you from focusing on important tasks and usually divert your attention from priorities.
By snoozing notifications and setting your phone aside, you can resist the urge to constantly check messages. Another good strategy is to block time for checking and answering emails and other messages.
When it comes to coworker interruptions (online or in the office), you can find a way to show that they should not disturb you. For example, you can put your headphones on or say that you are in a meeting in your internal chat channel.
#8 Learn to say no
It is never easy to say no to your coworkers or superiors, but this strategy can save you from burnout.
It’s always OK to pitch in at work, but you can’t always take over other people’s duties or accept extra work. You need a break, too.
There are polite ways to say no — just be honest and explain the reasons why you can’t cope with more tasks. Check if any of the tasks can be postponed or delegated. Also, point out your priorities and let your superiors/coworkers decide what is best for a project.
#9 Focus on one task at a time
Multitasking, i.e., juggling multiple tasks simultaneously isn’t as efficient as you might think since our brains need time to switch from one task to another. And, while multitasking leads to errors and inability to focus, single-tasking does the opposite.
When you’re focused on one task, your brain concentrates on what needs to be done to complete the task without compromising the quality. This way, you not only avoid rework but boost your productivity and minimize fatigue.
#10 Use the right time management tool
Gantt charts, time trackers, PM software, and various communication tools — all these can help you ease project management procedures.
The question is: which software to choose?
The choice is completely yours, and it depends on your needs. Bear in mind that quality software is not necessarily expensive, and make sure you use free trials to see whether it works for you in terms of budget and necessary features.
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9 project time management techniques to try out today
There are different techniques you can apply to make the best use of yours and your team’s time. Here are some of the methods used in project time management.
#1 The Pomodoro technique
According to this technique, you divide your work into 25-minute intervals and give yourself a 5-minute break in between. After you repeat this sequence for 4 times, you can take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.
Although it takes practice, by using this technique, you can increase productivity and become less distracted. Along with such behavior, you reduce stress and get more energy.
#2 Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix is a technique often used to differentiate between important and urgent tasks.
The technique includes 4 categories, with each quadrant representing a group of tasks:
- Important and urgent — tasks that you should do first,
- Important but not urgent — tasks you can do a bit later,
- Not important but urgent — tasks that should be delegated if possible, and
- Not important and not urgent — tasks that can be eliminated.
The matrix is a great prioritization tool, but bear in mind that priorities differ from person to person. So, when categorizing your tasks, consider and focus on what is really important for your work.
#3 The Pareto principle
Also known as the 80/20 rule, this principle implies that 80% of your results should be derived from 20% of your activities.
By using this principle and focusing on the most important tasks, you can optimize your time at work and improve your productivity.
#4 Eat the frog
The “Eat the frog” technique requires you to deal with the most challenging and mind-boggling tasks first.
You basically eat your “frogs” at the start of the day when you are full of vim and vigor, and all other tasks will feel easier to tackle.
The aim of this technique is to resist procrastination by focusing on high-impact tasks during your most productive work hours.
#5 Time blocking
With this technique, you dedicate time blocks to dealing with specific tasks or activities.
As you estimate the time needed for your tasks, you can assign time slots for each and complete them one by one. This way, you avoid multitasking and put more effort into each of the tasks.
#6 Get Things Done (GTD) method
The GTD method is a popular time management technique that refers to a 5-step process that will help you with effective planning and prioritization.
The main idea is to list all your tasks and avoid trying to remember everything, i.e., to declutter your mind.
The 5 steps are:
- Capture — Collect all the tasks that you can think of.
- Clarify — Determine the tasks that are actionable and what you should do next to complete them.
- Organize — Place the tasks in separate categories, e.g., calendar, project lists, or reference folders, and under different labels (work, home, tasks to delegate, etc.).
- Reflect — Review your tasks and make adjustments (if necessary) on a regular basis.
- Engage — Start working on your tasks.
#7 Time tracking
Time tracking is often used by project managers who use different tools and platforms to monitor and record how much time their team members spend on different tasks and activities.
This way, project managers improve project scheduling, set more accurate deadlines, and enhance resource allocation.
#8 The Pickle Jar theory
The Pickle Jar Theory requires you to visualize your day as an empty jar that is supposed to be filled with tasks of different importance. You’ve got 4 elements to categorize the tasks:
- Rocks — big and important tasks that require immediate attention,
- Pebbles — important tasks but not time-sensitive,
- Sand — less important tasks, usually administrative that don’t require too much time, and
- Water — your private life, family time, seeing friends, or hobbies.
By filling the jar with these elements, you can prioritize tasks, manage your time, and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
#9 Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
This method’s acronym stands for “result-oriented, purpose-driven, and massive action plan”.
By training your brain to envision your goals, you can get the necessary clarity and focus to organize your tasks better and be more productive.
The method has 7 steps:
- Capture — Note down all the tasks you have for the day or the entire week.
- Create a vision and chunk — Visualize your desired results and group similar tasks together.
- Define your purpose — Explore the reasons why you want to reach a particular goal.
- Establish specific outcomes — Think about the results you want to get after completing your tasks.
- Create massive action plans (MAPs) — Make a plan and specify the steps you need to take to get what you want.
- Schedule MAPs and execute — Create a schedule for your steps and take action.
- Review and adjust — Try to assess your progress and make changes if necessary.
8 best project time management tools
There are various diagrams and charts PMs can use to plan projects and estimate time. Here’s a quick overview of some of the most common tools that can do the trick.
#1 Work breakdown structure (WBS)
The work breakdown structure is used to create a visual representation of a project in the form of a tree diagram. Basically, you make a hierarchical decomposition of your project by dividing it into phases, phases into tasks, and tasks into subtasks.
The structure that you get represents all the work that needs to be completed and the order of tasks.
#2 Gantt chart
A Gantt chart can provide you with a clear visualization of your project timeline, which can simplify resource planning and help you spot potential roadbumps.
This tool also helps you adjust project timelines on time as it usually displays milestones and important deadlines, making sure you always stay on schedule.
#3 Timesheets
Timesheets are a must in all kinds of businesses nowadays and are especially useful for the payroll process. At the same time, they are an invaluable source of information for project managers as they also show how much time their team members spend on their tasks.
By analyzing timesheets, you get an insight into what works well and where your project plan needs adjustments.
#4 PERT chart
A PERT chart (project evaluation and review technique) is used to map out projects and get an overview of the project schedule. It helps break tasks into smaller tasks, highlight dependencies, and make estimations.
#5 CPM chart
A critical path method (CPM) chart is used to calculate the time you need to complete a project while taking into account the most critical project tasks.
Project managers typically create this chart during the project planning phase to get a visual representation of dependent project activities.
#6 Flowchart
A flowchart is another tool in the form of a diagram that displays all project steps within a project workflow.
PMs can create it to illustrate the sequence of project activities. As a result, they can get a clear picture of potential bottlenecks.
#7 Project time reports
Project time reports can also be a source of information on how you plan and use time throughout your projects.
These reports help you track the progress of each task so that you can spot potential delays or identify risks.
You can also compare reports on a weekly or monthly basis and see where you can improve.
#8 Project dashboards
Project dashboards usually get the central place within project management platforms and provide a clear insight into relevant project metrics.
With a comprehensive dashboard, you can have completed tasks, deadlines, and team workload data always close at hand. Also, dashboards show your project’s progress in real time, thus helping you stay on track.
Upgrade your time management with Plaky
No matter how small or complex your project is, it’s good to have all the necessary data in one centralized space. Add unlimited users, boards, projects, and tasks to that space at no cost — and you’ve got yourself a winning combo.
Luckily, you get all that and more with Plaky, our cloud-based task management software!
Nail project management with Plaky
Once you’ve set up your Plaky account, you can invite all your team members and create a board for your project.
Plaky is fully customizable, so you can include different fields to upgrade your task information structure, including:
- Start and due dates,
- Assignees,
- Priority status,
- Task descriptions, etc.
And if you’re trying to enhance your time management, take note of the timeline field — a custom field that lets you visually monitor your project’s progress and know exactly how far along you’ve come with each task!
Apart from the timeline field, Plaky’s status field can help you keep an eye on your entire project workflow — and any potential bottlenecks.
Better yet, Plaky’s activity log provides a real-time insight into the task progress and keeps you up-to-date on what has been done so far and what still needs to be covered.
In the activity log, you can see all updates, time spent on activities, added users, changes of start and end dates, as well as comments.
But that’s not all.
In Plaky, you can also monitor your project’s progress and adjust timelines using any of the 3 available views:
- Table view (the default one) — See all project and task information in a table and make changes in a few clicks within each of the fields.
- Kanban view — See your tasks in columns that you can easily reorder by priority or redistribute to avoid overloading some team members. Drag and drop the tasks between columns to signify their movement across stages and easily spot which tasks are stalled.
- Gantt view — See your tasks and timelines in a horizontal bar format and get an overview on your tasks’ progress, their position on the timeline, and potential blockages.
Plan your projects so that they can run like clockwork! Sign up and upgrade your project time management with Plaky!
