A project schedule template in Microsoft Project column format: WBS codes, durations, predecessors, and resource names. Download the CSV, open it as an editable Gantt chart, and export Project XML that Microsoft Project can open.
7 phases, 31 task rows, WBS codes, finish-to-start predecessors, and resource names. Not an .mpp file, and the FAQ below explains why that is the point.
These are the same columns you would type into Microsoft Project. Predecessors are row numbers, so keep the rows in this order when you import.
| WBS | Task Name | Duration | Predecessors | Resource Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Project charter and scope baseline | 3 days | - | Project manager |
| 1.2 | Build work breakdown structure and schedule baseline | 4 days | 1 | Project manager |
| 1.3 | Confirm milestones and reporting calendar | 2 days | 2 | Project manager |
| 2.1 | Basis of design and specifications | 8 days | 2 | Design team |
| 2.2 | Layout and general arrangement drawings | 10 days | 4 | Design team |
| 2.3 | Mechanical and structural detail design | 12 days | 5 | Design team |
| 2.4 | Electrical and control system design | 10 days | 5 | Design team |
| 2.5 | Design review and approval | 5 days | 6, 7 | Design team, Project manager |
| 3.1 | Long-lead equipment inquiry and bid review | 10 days | 4 | Procurement team |
| 3.2 | Purchase orders for major equipment | 5 days | 9 | Procurement team |
| 3.3 | Equipment manufacturing and delivery | 45 days | 10 | Procurement team |
| 3.4 | Bulk materials and consumables | 20 days | 8 | Procurement team |
| 3.5 | Subcontract award and mobilization | 8 days | 8 | Procurement team |
| 4.1 | Site survey and setting out | 3 days | 13 | Civil crew |
| 4.2 | Excavation and subgrade preparation | 8 days | 14 | Civil crew |
| 4.3 | Equipment foundations and anchor bolts | 14 days | 6, 15 | Civil crew |
| 4.4 | Foundation curing and survey check | 10 days | 16 | Civil crew, Inspection team |
| 5.1 | Equipment receiving and inspection | 4 days | 11 | Mechanical installation crew, Inspection team |
| 5.2 | Setting main equipment | 12 days | 17, 18 | Mechanical installation crew, Mobile crane |
| 5.3 | Alignment and grouting | 8 days | 19 | Mechanical installation crew |
| 5.4 | Piping and utilities connection | 14 days | 12, 19 | Mechanical installation crew |
| 5.5 | Mechanical completion walkdown | 4 days | 20, 21 | Inspection team |
| 6.1 | Cable tray, conduit, and cabling | 12 days | 7, 19 | Electrical crew |
| 6.2 | Panel and MCC installation | 8 days | 23 | Electrical crew |
| 6.3 | Instrument installation and loop wiring | 10 days | 24 | Electrical crew |
| 6.4 | Loop checks and point-to-point testing | 8 days | 22, 25 | Electrical crew, Commissioning engineers |
| 7.1 | No-load and cold commissioning | 8 days | 26 | Commissioning engineers |
| 7.2 | Load testing and performance run | 10 days | 27 | Commissioning engineers |
| 7.3 | Punch list walkdown and closeout | 6 days | 28 | Inspection team, Project manager |
| 7.4 | As-built drawings and O&M manuals | 6 days | 28 | Design team |
| 7.5 | Training and final handover | 4 days | 29, 30 | Commissioning engineers, Project manager |
Open the CSV in Microsoft Project, choose New map in the import wizard, and map each column to the field below. The column headers are already named to match.
| CSV column | Microsoft Project field | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| WBS | WBS | Outline numbering. Microsoft Project can also regenerate this from the task outline. |
| Task Name | Name | The task row itself. Phase rows become summary tasks once the outline is applied. |
| Duration | Duration | Written as "12 days" so Microsoft Project reads the unit instead of guessing it. |
| Predecessors | Predecessors | Finish-to-start references by row number. Keep the row order intact or the links will point at the wrong tasks. |
| Resource Names | Resource Names | Comma separated. Microsoft Project creates the resources on import if they do not exist yet. |
An engineering, procurement, installation, and commissioning sequence: the work Microsoft Project is most often used to plan, and the sequence where predecessors actually decide the finish date.
| WBS | Phase | Typical tasks | Why it matters | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Project Setup | Charter, scope baseline, WBS, milestone and reporting calendar | Microsoft Project schedules are built around the WBS. Getting the breakdown and milestone set right first is what keeps the outline usable later. | 7-12 days |
| 2 | Engineering and Design | Basis of design, layouts, detail design, electrical and control design, approval | Design releases drive both procurement and foundations. These are the predecessors most often missing from a schedule that looks fine but cannot be built. | 30-45 days |
| 3 | Procurement | Inquiry, bid review, purchase orders, manufacturing and delivery, bulk materials, subcontracts | Equipment manufacturing is usually the longest single bar on the chart. It runs in parallel with civil work and decides when installation can actually start. | 60-80 days |
| 4 | Civil and Foundations | Survey, excavation, equipment foundations, anchor bolts, curing and survey check | Foundations need the detail design finished and must be cured and surveyed before equipment is set. Both constraints are easy to lose when dates get compressed. | 30-40 days |
| 5 | Mechanical Installation | Receiving, setting equipment, alignment, grouting, piping, mechanical completion | Setting equipment needs the foundations and the delivered equipment together. This join between civil and procurement is where the plan is usually tested. | 35-50 days |
| 6 | Electrical and Instrumentation | Cabling, panels and MCC, instruments, loop wiring, loop checks | Electrical work follows the equipment being set, and loop checks need mechanical completion. Starting loop checks early is the most common false start. | 30-40 days |
| 7 | Commissioning and Handover | Cold commissioning, load testing, punch list, as-builts, training, handover | Commissioning turns installed equipment into an accepted plant. Punch list, documentation, and training each need their own duration and owner. | 25-35 days |
A Microsoft Project template that arrives as a broken .mpp file is worse than no template. These notes explain the format choices.
The .mpp format is closed and version specific. A CSV in Microsoft Project column names imports cleanly through the import wizard, and Project XML is the format Microsoft Project itself uses for exchange. Both are more reliable than an .mpp file made by another tool.
The Predecessors column refers to task row numbers, which is how Microsoft Project reads them. If you sort or reorder the rows before importing, the links will attach to the wrong tasks.
Draft or revise the schedule online, export Project XML, and open that file in Microsoft Project when the plan needs to go back into the reporting pack. You are not asked to abandon Microsoft Project to use it.
The predecessor links in the table are not decoration. These five are the ones that move the completion date when a project like this slips.
Equipment foundations depend on mechanical and structural detail design, not just on the excavation finishing. Miss this link and the civil crew mobilises before the anchor bolt layout exists.
Setting main equipment waits for both the foundation survey check and the delivered equipment. It is the single most important join in this schedule, and the one that decides the finish date.
The 45 day manufacturing bar starts from the purchase order, not from site work. If the schedule is compressed anywhere, check this bar first: site progress cannot pull equipment forward.
Loop checks depend on both the instrument wiring and the mechanical completion walkdown. Starting them on wiring alone is a false start that reappears as rework during commissioning.
Final handover waits for punch list closeout and the as-built documentation. Documentation runs in parallel with punch list, so it needs its own row and its own owner.
The round trip works in both directions, so this template fits a team that has to report in Microsoft Project but does not want to open it to try a change.
Confirm equipment lead times, site access, subcontract scope, crew availability, inspection hold points, and commissioning requirements before this becomes the plan anyone reports against.
No, and that is deliberate. The download is a CSV using Microsoft Project column names, which imports through the Microsoft Project import wizard. If you want a native Microsoft Project file, open the template in GanttPilot and export Project XML, which Microsoft Project opens directly.
In Microsoft Project, use Open and select the CSV, then choose New map in the import wizard and map the columns: WBS, Task Name, Duration, Predecessors, and Resource Names. Import the rows in the order they appear so the predecessor row numbers stay correct.
Yes. Open in GanttPilot loads the same schedule as an editable Gantt chart in the browser, including the dependency links and resource assignments. Export Project XML when you need the plan back in Microsoft Project.
An engineering, procurement, installation, and commissioning project, which is the work Microsoft Project is most often used for. The structure edits down easily for smaller installation or equipment packages.
Durations carry over because they are written with units, for example "12 days". Dates are calculated by Microsoft Project from the project start date, the durations, and the predecessor links, so set your project start date after importing.
No. It is a starting structure. Confirm the equipment lead times, site access, subcontract scope, crew availability, inspection hold points, and commissioning requirements for your project before setting a baseline.