You are a project manager with a universe upon your shoulder. You want to collaborate tasks easily on GSuite just because you subscribed. What do you do? Answer: Create a Gantt Chart Google Sheets template.
Below is a simple action plan:
Create a Timeline Template or Gantt Chart in Google Sheets. You can change the dates so that they do not overlap and are more of a Gantt Chart than a project timeline template.
Assign task owners
Share the template with all task owners as Viewers or Editors
- File menu > Share
- In the window that appears, you can set whether “Viewers and commenters can see the option to download, print, and copy” from the top right’s gear icon.
- Add people and groups. You can assign them as Editor, Viewer or Commenter. Check to notify people. Enter a brief message. Click Send.
- In “Get link” section, you can also share document link and grant restricted permission. That is, only people added can open the link. This is another way to share the document.
Notification
Ask everyone to set notification settings to receive updates to project timeline.
- Tools menu > Notification rules.
- Select “Notify you when: Any changes are made” in most cases
- Subsequently, select either Email – daily digest or Email – right away to send an email for every change.
As soon as someone shoots you an email on changes in project delivery date, work it out on the template.
Sharing Document Access Rights
In Google Groups click on Create Group. Set the group name, group email address, language preference etc.
Send invite to project team to join the group. People in the same group have the same document access. Once they leave the group, they lose that access right.
Lock Critical Content
Open Project Timeline Template or Gantt Chart Google Sheets.
You can dictate who has the authority to edit certain ranges.
Go to Data > Protected sheets and ranges
Click “Set permission”.
You then have the option to “Restrict who can edit this range” and “Show a warning when editing this range”.
Assign Task in Gantt Chart in Google Sheets
In Google Sheets, you can click insert comments in cells (Insert > Comment). You then put a plus sign (+) followed by a person’s email address. By checking the “Assign to …” checkbox, this will assign the task to that person. The person will get a link to the file and an email notification. You can even add multiple people.
Present Project Plan Online
For remote teams, use Google Meet to host online meetings. You can access Google Meet directly from Gmail or Google Calendar interface.
Google Meet allows you to share your screen so that you can resent your project plan remotely.
View and Edit the Task On the Go
In Google Play store or App Store, find and install Google Sheets app.
This will allow you to view and edit Google Sheets on the go.
Gantt Chart Google Sheets Features
You can download a free Timeline Template Google Docs where dates will naturally expand as you put in start and end dates.
Alternatively, you can buy an improved version built on top of that, which will allow you to:
- Set Task Mode as either Done, Cancelled, In Progress or Not Started
- See task owners by picture
- Easily insert comments on tasks. Select the task, go to Insert menu > Comment (shortcut Ctrl+Alt+M)
- Edit Duration to control task end date
- Calendar dates in row 6 expand and shrink according to Start and End date
and more features to come.
Once you purchase the product, you will enjoy lifetime access to the document and all the upgrades that come with it.
This Gantt Chart Template Google Sheets product is free for the moment as more features are being added. Not for long though.
If you want a link to the product, put in comment below on what you would like to change on the product to make it fit your purpose. I will send you a link to copy the sheet in 48 hours.
Note that the system will check the validity of the email and so will take longer to jump to next page.
Gantt Chart Google Sheets as a Collaboration Tool
As shown, GSuite offers many features that will satisfy the regulation of access rights, sharing of contents, assignment of tasks and so on.
While it is certainly in no way as powerful as Microsoft Project, it could be a no brainer for teams already on GSuite for Business for a simple team project.
