Robust scheduling is vital to the successful completion of a project within budget and on time. A well-planned project schedule provides ample information with a clearer picture of all project deadlines, milestones, and timeframes. It charts out how all created tasks are to be executed, the methods and sequences in which materials are to be delivered, the pace of each activity, management of equipment, labor, and materials, and so on.

It also includes plans and how the work should progress through each phase and predicts a tentative completion date of the entire contractually based project, which, in turn, has significant implications on the project's profitability. Before heading on to the best practices for effective project schedule preparation and management, here are some key elements every project schedule should include.