The Project Schedule allows you to track your progress and make changes to items or the entire schedule easily!
Schedules are created in Projects by accessing the Schedule tab:
The Schedule can only be created in the Project or Project templates and not in other areas like Opportunities or from the global Schedule.
Project Schedules consist of two main items:
Phases - these items represent the high level overview of the Project and typically consist of a title, start date or date range, completion status and dependencies. Phases appear on the Schedule in Green and are automatically shared with Clients so they can get a quick picture of how long each progress piece of their schedule might take.
Tasks - Tasks are the more granular to-do's on the schedule. Tasks can exist in a Phase creating a Parent/Child Relationship or they can exist independently. They typically include a title, assignee, start date or date range, as well as dependencies and optional sub-tasks. Tasks appear on the Schedule in Blue and are not automatically shared with Clients. If you want to assign or share Tasks with a Client, check out our article that goes over that here.
You can create your schedule using a combination of both Phases and Tasks, just Phases or just Tasks. It's completely up to you on how you'd like to build your Schedule!
Schedule Views
BuildBook’s Schedule feature allows you to view and manage your project’s schedule using both a traditional calendar view or a Gantt chart view. Switch between views by clicking "Calendar View" or “Schedule View” in the upper right of the Schedule:
Calendar View
The Calendar View lets you see the schedule by month (five weeks) and is a great way to visualize your schedule on your mobile device or tablet. The Calendar View is the default view of the Schedule in BuildBook for Clients, Limited Access Users, and on mobile devices. From the calendar you can easily click on any item - just like the Schedule View - to see more details and filter.
Gantt Chart
The Gantt Chart is the normal view that most of our Pros use to manage their schedules. Gantt Charts display the items on the schedule in a linear fashion that allows you to see dependencies created between items and allow you to move items by clicking to push and pull them. To learn more about the Gantt Chart and how that works, check out our Gantt Chart 101 article!
Copy another Schedule
You can copy a Schedule from another Project and import Phases, Tasks, and schedule dependencies into the current Project. Copying a schedule over is not meant to overwrite information already on the schedule, it is going to add to the information already there. If you're wanting to start over, consider deleting your schedule first, then using this function. In this example, we'll be using Project A and Project B.
To copy your Schedule from Project A to Project B, start at Project B (the destination Project).
Go to your Schedule tab in Project B and click on the ellipses menu in the top right corner of the Tasks > choose "Copy From"
Choose your Project to copy the Schedule from by using the Copy From drop-down menu.
You can then adjust the dates for the Schedule to match the start of your Project or leave them as is and adjust them once they're copied over.
Once you've selected your Project to copy the Schedule from and adjusted your dates, click on the Copy Phases and Tasks button. You'll notice that the Copy button at the bottom will tell you how many Phases and Tasks from the Project are coming over.
What to know about copying a schedule into an existing project:
Other items with dates (such as budget items or selections) will not be copied into the schedule.
Only Pro Team Members with Manage Project permissions enabled will be able to access this feature, and they will only be able to copy from projects where they also have access to Manage Project.
Print or Export your Schedule
Export your schedule to save as a PDF or print it to share with others!
Export your Schedule
Click Export in the upper right of your Schedule from the Schedule View.
Once you click Export you'll have some options to choose from that allow you to customize the information you'd like to export.
Schedule Range
Choose what part of the schedule you want to print:
Whole Schedule: Entire schedule
Viewable Schedule: Print the date range currently on your screen
Date Range: Print a specific date range. This option gives you better control over the information you want to share.
Control Pagination
Although this is a choice to choose from, the pagination is actually controlled by the size of your schedule. Choosing a multi-page option on a schedule that can fit on one page won't allow you to move it to multiple pages. Similarly, trying to fit a multipage schedule on a single page also won't be available. You can always attempt to manage these in the printer settings, especially if you're choosing a slightly different paper size then we support. Otherwise, the schedule will print out on a single or multiple pages depending on how larger your schedule is.
Paper Format
Choose your paper size from the dropdown. Currently, we do not have commercial plotter sizes, however, your printer driver software may have additional sizes that you can use for specialty sizes.
Once you've chosen your pertinent data, click on Export. Once the document is ready, a window in the bottom right-hand corner of your schedule will let you know that the export is complete. Click "Open Schedule Export" and your export will be downloaded as a PDF.
Schedules are exported in PDF but can be saved as additional file options when you click on the export. Once opened, you'll have the ability to save or print the schedule.
Print your Schedule from Calendar View
Exporting the Gantt Chart is a great way to keep folks involved with things on the job site who don't have time to check BuildBook. This view may be difficult for others, like Clients, to read so we've added the ability to print from the Calendar View as well! This process requires you to print out each month of the calendar and doesn't give you the same options as above to control information.
While in Calendar View, click on the Prepare Print option, then click on Prepare Print once more to see the Print screen pop up:
You'll be able to save the schedule as a PDF if you'd like, or you can print it using your designated printer. Additionally, you have a few options within those printer settings like ensuring the background graphics are visible to make things easier to read!
Add Schedules to an External Calendar
You can "subscribe" to a BuildBook project schedule using the iCal feed, which allows you to see project events right in your own mobile and desktop calendars like Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar. This is only available via the Project Schedules and not the Global Schedule.
Subscribing to project schedules helps to consolidate calendar events for your entire business. You'll be able to see project schedules right alongside other business activities that might live outside of BuildBook projects.
You'll need to be using an iCal-compatible calendar such as Apple Calendar, Microsoft Outlook 2007+, and Google Calendar in order to add your BuildBook project schedule.
You can easily access the Share links by clicking the "Share" dropdown in the upper right when you're in a project Schedule.
Add to Calendar
Clicking "Add to Calendar" automatically adds the project schedule to the default calendar application on your device.
Click "Open Application" in the pop-up notification in your browser
Click "Open Calendar" and your calendar application (such as Apple Calendar) will open with the URL of the calendar.
Click the "Subscribe" button in your calendar application
Depending on the calendar application, you'll see a menu to customize the calendar (how you want to receive alerts, the name, color, etc)
Once you've subscribed to the calendar, it will appear in your sidebar and in the calendar. If you have multiple project schedules you can easily check/uncheck them just as you would in your BuildBook Schedule.
Copy Calendar Link
You can also manually copy the link to your BuildBook schedule and add it to your own calendar outside of BuildBook. This is done by subscribing to an online calendar by pasting a URL into the calendar application you want to use (known as an ICS subscription or an iCal subscription). Subscribing to an iCal online calendar connects it to your calendar.
From the "Share" menu click "Copy Calendar Link."
Google Calendar:
In the left sidebar under "Other Calendars" click the + sign
Choose 'from URL' option
Paste in the URL copied from the BuildBook 'Copy Calendar Link' button
Click 'Add calendar'
Outlook Calendar:
Sign into Outlook on the web
Select 'Calendar'
In the navigation pane, select 'Add calendar'
Select 'Subscribe from web'
Paste in the URL copied from the BuildBook 'Copy Calendar Link' button
Select 'Import'
Permissions
Pro Team and Collaborators
Schedule permissions are given via Project by Project basis. Anyone on your Pro Team or Collaborators who have Everything access will be able to create, edit and adjust items on the Gantt Chart at any point in time. Additionally, they will have access to the Gantt Chart at any point in time during the Project as well as the Calendar View.
If your Pro Team or Collaborators have Read and Comment Only access instead, they will not see the Gantt Chart and instead, they'll see the Calendar View of the Schedule. Folks with these permissions are often permitted to see information, but they're not able to create or edit that information. They can comment on any Phase or Task and they can complete Tasks that they're assigned to.
Clients
We made it easy for Clients to review scheduling information if they need to by only viewing the Calendar and not the Gantt Chart. This way of sharing information makes it easier for Clients to access and read.
Clients are automatically shown Phases but they do not see Tasks on the schedule unless you share those with them. To bulk share Tasks, check out our Bulk Editing Tasks article!
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