Fortunately, there are technological tools out there that can simplify the project planning process. And the best part is that some of them are free. Dropbox Paper is a free document creation and editing tool offered through Dropbox. All you need is a Dropbox account.
Planning Business Projects with Dropbox Paper
Dropbox Paper has all the tools you need to plan projects easily and quickly. For example, you can use the timeline tool to assign dates to tasks and visualize your completed project.
You can also create to-do lists and tag specific team members who are responsible for each task. The best part? You can do this all in one document, which makes it easy to keep track of all the details.
Dropbox Paper is brainstorm-friendly
Before we dive in, we want to share this: You don’t need to have your entire project figured out before using these tools. Plus, you might want to learn more about what Dropbox Paper actually is.
It’s easy to collaborate with your team to brainstorm projects as you plan them. All members of your team can view and edit Dropbox Paper documents at the same time.
Developing a timeline using Project Timeline
First, let’s create a basic project timeline. Open a fresh Dropbox Paper document and name it according to your project.
At the bottom of your document, you’ll see the Dropbox Paper toolbar. Select the Timeline icon, which resembles a miniature calendar.
Your timeline will appear. Then, select the arrow next to 2 weeks to choose the duration of your project.
Add in tasks
After all your milestones have been entered, you will now want to add specific tasks to be completed by the due date. These are the tasks you’ll need to complete in order to reach each milestone.
Hover over the blank space below each date to reveal the gray area. Select it to open the New Item window.
If you want to draw attention to specific tasks, you can color-code them by selecting the palette icon in the upper right of the window. For example, you can color high-priority tasks red.
Organizing tasks using a to-do list
If you want to skip the timeline, you can use the To-Do List tool. Or, you can use the To-Do List with Timeline tool to further organize project tasks.
For example, you can keep your tasks with major milestones in the timeline and dates inside the to-do list. When tasks are completed, you simply check the box next to the task.
this much only! If you want to comment about specific tasks, you can do so by selecting the comment icon (which looks like a speech bubble) next to the task.
Additional Features for Business Project Planning
After you’ve filled out your project timeline and your to-do list, you’re well on your way to planning the perfect project. If you want to take your project planning a step further, here are some additional features that might be helpful.
Document tagging
Do you have multiple documents for each project you are working on? This can quickly become confusing and frustrating for your team. The simplest way to organize your project documents is through tagging.
Project planning template
Don’t want to create a project from scratch inside Dropbox? Dropbox makes it simple with project planning templates that you can find here.
Simply select Use Template, and the template will open inside your Dropbox Paper account. This template includes both a to-do list and a timeline, as well as other information, such as project information.
Fill in your information, and you’ll be good to go. It’s also fully editable, so you can make changes to suit your specific needs.