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Project Schedule and WBS with Simple Gantt

Build a WBS, schedule in weeks and see a formula-driven 16-week Gantt with progress shading, milestones, planned-versus-actual flags and a summary.

Free

Free Excel workbook. Build a WBS, schedule in weeks and see a formula-driven 16-week Gantt with progress shading, milestones, planned-versus-actual flags and a summary. Download it, add your project details and use it today: no sign-up for software, no paywall.

A lightweight scheduling workbook for projects that do not need a full scheduling tool. Number your work breakdown structure, enter a start week and a duration for each task, and the sheet calculates planned dates from a single project start date. A 16-week Gantt draws itself with formulas, shading completed portions, showing remaining work and marking milestones. Set a status date and each task compares actual percent complete with where it should be, flagging slipping or behind tasks. The Summary gives the planned finish, progress and late milestones for your status report. Ideal for PMs, PMP candidates and consultants.

What's inside

  • Schedule: WBS with week-based Gantt. Enter Start week and Duration; dates and bars calculate. █ done, ░ remaining, ◆ milestone.
  • Project Settings: Keep these three rows in place: the Schedule sheet reads B5 (start date) and B6 (status date).
  • Summary: key numbers calculated automatically from your data
  • Drop-down lists, worked example rows and formulas you can rely on

How to use it

  1. On Project Settings, enter the project start date (a Monday) in B5 and your reporting status date in B6. Keep these rows in place.
  2. Break the scope into deliverables first, then into work packages. Number them with WBS IDs such as 1, 1.1, 1.2 and give each a single owner.
  3. For each row enter Start week and Duration in weeks. Use duration 0 for milestones. End week, planned dates and the Gantt bars calculate automatically.
  4. Record dependencies in Predecessor and make sure each task starts after its predecessor's end week.
  5. Each reporting cycle, update % complete and Status. The Gantt shades completed weeks and the Schedule flag compares progress with the status date.
  6. Use the Summary for your status report: planned finish, weighted progress, slipping tasks and late milestones.
  7. For projects longer than 16 weeks, use a separate copy per phase or plan in two-week units.

Who it's for

Project and program managers, PMP candidates, PMOs and delivery leads.

Let's connect

I'm Pranshu Shubham, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O Solution Architect and PMP-certified program lead with 8+ years of ERP and AI transformation across the USA, Europe and APAC. I created this resource from real project experience, and I'd love to hear how you use it.