Project Gantt & Timeline
Manage delivery dates, dependencies, and schedule risk using the project timeline view
The Timeline view (also called the Gantt view) is where you manage delivery dates, task sequencing, and dependencies for a project. When dates slip or work needs rescheduling, this is the page to use.
Project timeline showing task bars, milestones, and dependency lines
This article refers to a live TurfWise screen. Media is omitted here so the written steps stay current across releases.
What this page does
The Timeline shows all project tasks as horizontal bars on a time axis. Each bar represents a task with its planned start and end dates. Milestones appear as markers. Dependency lines show which tasks must finish before others can start.
You can zoom in and out, switch between day/week/month views, filter by assignee or section, show only critical-path tasks, compare against a baseline schedule, and export the view as an image.
When would you use this?
- You're doing a weekly project review and need to check schedule health
- A task has slipped and you need to see what else is affected
- You need to reschedule work and want to understand the knock-on effects
- You're preparing a timeline snapshot for a committee or stakeholder meeting
- You want to compare the current schedule against the original baseline
How to use the Timeline
Open the Timeline
Open your project from the Projects list, then go to Plan > Timeline (the Gantt section).
Set your view first
Choose your time view: Day for detailed planning, Week for normal reviews (this is usually the best default), or Month for strategic overview. Adjust zoom until the bars are readable.
Check for problems
Turn on Critical only briefly to see which tasks are on the critical path. Then turn it off and scan all sections for late or at-risk tasks.
Make changes carefully
When you need to move dates, check dependencies first. Move the smallest safe set of tasks, not the whole schedule at once. After changes, add a timeline note explaining why.
What do the controls do?
- View mode (Day / Week / Month) -- changes the time scale. Day view is for near-term detail, week view is for standard reviews, month view is for big-picture planning.
- Zoom in/out -- adjusts how compressed or spread out the bars appear.
- Critical only -- hides everything except critical-path tasks. Useful for quick risk scans.
- Show baseline -- overlays the original baseline schedule so you can see how much the current plan has drifted.
- Filters -- narrow the view by assignee, section, status, or date range.
- Export PNG -- creates a snapshot image of the current view for sharing in reports or emails.
- Add note -- attach a note to a specific point on the timeline for audit trail and handover.
- Refresh -- reloads the timeline data if someone else has made changes.
How to read the timeline
Use this order so you don't miss problems:
- Check the headline numbers first: total tasks and completion percentage
- Look at late and critical tasks
- Scan milestone dates and hard deadlines
- Review section by section (collapse sections you've already checked)
- Click into problem tasks and check their dependencies before moving anything
The visual elements are:
- Task bars -- coloured bars showing planned timing for each task
- Milestones -- flag markers at critical checkpoints (approvals, handovers, stage gates)
- Dependency lines -- lines connecting tasks that have a sequence relationship
- Timeline notes -- text annotations explaining scheduling decisions
What to do when a task slips
Find the slipped task
Identify it on the timeline. It will be past its planned end date but not marked as complete.
Check its dependencies
Click into the task and see what other tasks depend on it. These are the tasks that will be affected by the delay.
Reschedule the smallest safe set
Move the slipped task and its dependent tasks. Don't reschedule unrelated work at the same time.
Add a note explaining why
Add a timeline note with the reason for the delay. This is essential for audit trail and for anyone reviewing the project later.
Check the budget impact
Open Budget > Forecast and check whether the schedule change affects the spend profile. It usually does.
Schedule changes have budget consequences
When dates move, the spend profile usually changes too. If you update the timeline without checking Budget > Forecast, you may be reporting an accurate schedule alongside an inaccurate budget.
Common problems and fixes
- Timeline is completely empty -- tasks need to exist before they appear on the timeline. If the timeline is blank, generate tasks from the BOQ first, or create them manually in Plan > Tasks.
- Can't see all tasks -- check your filters. If you have Critical only turned on, non-critical tasks are hidden. Also check section collapse states.
- Dependency lines look confusing -- zoom out to see the full picture, or filter to one section at a time.
- Baseline doesn't appear -- a baseline needs to be saved before it can be shown. If no baseline exists, there's nothing to compare against.
- Changes aren't saving -- make sure you're confirming each change. Some timeline edits require explicit save or confirmation.
Good habits that prevent issues later
- Review the timeline weekly in Week view. Monthly reviews aren't frequent enough to catch slippage early.
- Always check dependencies before moving a task. Moving one task can cascade delays through the whole schedule.
- Add a timeline note every time you change a date. A reschedule without explanation makes the audit trail useless.
- Use Critical only mode for a quick 30-second risk check at the start of every review.
- Export a PNG before committee or board meetings so you have a snapshot to discuss.
- Don't move too many tasks in one session. Small, deliberate changes are easier to track and reverse.
Where does this data go?
Timeline data feeds into the project health cards on the project detail page. Slipped tasks affect progress percentage and timeline status. If you export timeline snapshots, they can be included in committee reports. Schedule data also connects to Budget > Forecast through resource and spend timing.
Where to find it
Open a project from Projects > Projects Overview (direct link: /projects), then go to Plan > Timeline.