Free Multiple Project Tracking Template for Excel (2 Options)

Keeping track of multiple projects simultaneously can be challenging for a project manager. But it doesn’t have to be. You can use a free multiple-project tracking template in Microsoft Excel for task tracking. Then, you can add the various workflows in the template to get a better overview of the projects.

In this multiple project tracking template Excel article, I’ll explain in depth what a multi-project tracker is, its benefits, and what to add. I’ve also created some templates for tracking multiple projects.

What Is a Multi Project Tracker Template in Excel?

Multiple project dashboard templates in Excel are spreadsheets explicitly designed to help team managers track the progress of numerous projects simultaneously.

A general multi-project business template allows you to add several projects and individual tasks to those projects. The template also enables users to view the progress of each project and make changes to ensure the projects go smoothly.

Benefits of Using a Multiple Project Tracking Template

I usually work on different projects simultaneously, so having several Excel spreadsheets is often a hassle. This is why I use a multiple-project timeline template.

Here are some of the benefits of a multi-project tracker template:

• Centralized Management: Having all the information about my projects in a single spreadsheet makes it easier to track them simultaneously. This helps me ensure everyone can access the latest updates and prevents information gatekeeping.
• Clear Overview: The multi-project templates provide a clear overview of active projects, along with their subtasks, deadlines, assignees, and status. This makes it easier for me to point out issues early on and take measures to keep the projects on track.
• Resource Allocation: The multi-project template allows me to allocate project resources more effectively. I can see all projects’ available resources, workloads, and inventory.
• More Accessible Communication: The template can also serve as a communication tool, allowing my team and I to share updates, reports, and project timelines. This helps improve collaboration and ensures everyone is informed about the project details.
• Scalable: The Excel template is scalable, so I can add space for additional projects if needed. This flexibility makes managing small and large-scale projects of varying complexities easy.
• Cost-Effective: Specialized multi-project management software can be costly. Using an Excel template for project planning requires minimal investment and is fully customizable to meet the team’s specific needs.

Things to Add to a Multi Project Management Excel Template

Although you can create a template to suit your needs, there are a few things that I recommend adding to a multiple-project status report template in Microsoft Excel. These are:

• Project Names: Adding a column for project names is essential, as it allows you to see the project details at a glance. I generally add this column to the leftmost part, so it’s the first thing I see.
• Task Name: This column allows you to add the individual tasks in the project.
• Description: Although optional, I tend to add this column in templates that contain projects with varying responsibilities. In this column, I can add additional details about the specific task.
• Assignee: In this column, I can write the name of the team member responsible for completing the task.
• Deliverables: This column lists the features that must be completed by the milestone deadline.
• Start Date: Here, you can enter the start date or time of the task.
• Deadline: This column contains the scheduled finish time of the task.
• Status: In this column, you can write the task’s current status. I often add dropdown menus containing labels like Complete, Not Started, and Overdue to better manage my project status reports.
• Priority: This column contains each task’s priority level. It also works better as a dropdown menu where I add labels like low, medium, and high.

Best Excel Multiple Project Tracker Templates

Creating a multiple-project tracker template in Excel can be time-consuming. So, I’ve created a few multiple-project templates to help you get started on your projects without wasting time. Once you download the Excel file, customize these templates based on your needs.

Note: After you click the link, click “Edit a copy” in the top right corner to edit the file!

Don’t forget to hit “Play” to watch my latest video on multiple project tracking templates in Excel!

Simple Multiple Project Tracking Template for Excel

I designed this Excel template for tracking multiple projects with simplicity in mind. This multi-project tracker template contains two worksheets: the Main and Data worksheets.

You’ll use the Main sheet to keep track of your projects. You can add project details, including the Project, Task Name, Description, Assignee, Deliverables, Start Date, Status, Priority, and Deadline.

The values for the Project, Status, and Priority columns can be selected from the dropdown menu. That’s where the second worksheet comes into play.

You can add the values for the dropdown menus on the Main sheet in the Data worksheet. There are three columns: Project, Status, and Priority.

I added placeholder values, but you can add your unique values for your project. Then, they will be in the dropdown menus in the main sheet.

I added conditional formatting to the Priority and Status columns so that you will see colors corresponding to the values in the cells. For example, low priority is green, whereas medium and high priority are yellow and red.

Access Template

Detailed Multiple Project Dashboard Template

With this multiple project status report template, I wanted to create a planning template project managers can use to see the details of various projects.

The Main worksheet contains the data used to track your projects. On the left side, I added columns where you can add the Project Name, Task Name, Assigned To, Start Date, End Date, Total Days, and whether the project is Complete.

I added visual charts and tables on the right side, allowing you to view the project details.

I also added space for five projects with up to 10 trackable tasks. To mark a task as finished, write anything in the Complete? Column. Here, you can see the percentage levels of the completed projects.

Below it, you can see the time for the entire project and the time for the other projects. A bar chart on the right side shows the progress made in real-time. These will automatically update as you enter data, as shown below:

These charts are possible because the calculations are done in the Data worksheet. Here, I used various formulas (mainly COUNTIF formulas) to calculate the percentages of the projects’ completion status.

I recommend using this template if you want to use a detailed project tracking template to track multiple projects and view the project progress visually.

Access Template

Using Excel Default Project Trackers

Aside from using the templates I built for tracking multiple projects in Excel, you can also find plenty of useful templates in the default Excel template library. To find them:

1. In Excel, navigate to “Home” > “More Templates.”

2. Type “Project” in the search bar.

3. Scroll and find a template you like.

Here, you’ll find everything from Gantt chart templates to a multiple project timeline template.

Tips on How to Track Multiple Projects in Excel

Now that I’ve shared some of my templates, here are some tips for using them to their full potential.

• Consistent Structuring: Following a consistent structure when filling out the template will save you a lot of headaches when reading the spreadsheet.
• Color Coding: I recommend using colors to differentiate between different tasks and mark their importance level.
• Charts and Graphs: Using Excel’s built-in chart creation tools, you can create charts to visualize the project data. Charts and graphs will help you quickly identify patterns, trends, and areas that need attention.
• Regular Updates: If you’re a project manager with multiple projects, update the spreadsheet regularly to ensure your team can access the latest project information.
• Filtering: Excel’s filtering features make it easy to sort project data. For example, you can sort the project tasks by deadline to see which tasks need immediate attention.

Wrapping Up

Managing multiple projects can be hectic and time-consuming. But with the right tools, this process can be easy as pie. Hopefully, you found the perfect Excel project management template.

Even if the template isn’t quite suitable for your needs, you can use built-in customization tools to adjust the free multiple-project tracking template for Excel to suit your needs. What projects are you working on while using our templates? Let us know in the comments below.

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