| name | pdd-schedule |
| description | Use this skill to build a project schedule (a dated Gantt) that matches the ETR/Infinum Project Schedule tab. It takes any project information — deliverables, phases, and existing timelines from the SOW — and lays out phases and tasks across a week/day calendar, with each phase a different colour and heading, and milestones for delivery dates and client-feedback due dates. It always previews the schedule in chat for adjustments before building the spreadsheet. Triggers whenever a user wants to: create a project schedule or timeline, lay out a Gantt chart, schedule deliverables and milestones, or turn an SOW timeline into a schedule. Also trigger when the user says "schedule", "timeline", "project schedule", "gantt", or "lay out the phases" — even if they don't call it a skill. Output is an `.xlsx`. Cowork-ready.
|
PDD Schedule
Before you start: Read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/instructions.md and follow its PDD persona and ways of working. The output reproduces the ETR/Infinum Project Schedule tab exactly (it's built by copying the bundled template), so its fonts and colours are already on-brand — don't re-apply the generic document styling.
Builds a Project Schedule — a dated Gantt of phases, tasks and milestones — in the exact
style of the ETR/Infinum Project Schedule tab. It's built from the bundled template
(assets/schedule-template.xlsx), so the week/day header, fonts and grid match. Read
references/schedule-structure.md for the layout, colours, and config shape.
Needs openpyxl (pip install openpyxl --break-system-packages). Runs locally; nothing is
written to any connected drive.
Phase 0 — Gather project information
Scan the conversation and any project materials first — SOW, deliverables list, existing
timeline, the estimate's phases, kickoff/start date, holidays, dependencies. To build a
schedule you need:
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|
| Start date | Anchors the calendar (use the kickoff; a Monday lines weeks up cleanly). |
| Phases | The colour-coded sections (e.g. Discovery, UX, Visual Design, Development). |
| Deliverables & tasks | The rows under each phase, with durations or dates. |
| SOW timeline / dates | Any fixed dates, durations, or milestones already committed. |
| Review cadence | How long client feedback windows are (to place feedback-due milestones). |
Use what's there; ask for what's missing (at minimum the start date and the deliverables/phases).
Don't invent committed dates — derive them from the SOW/estimate, or ask (Simplicity Takes Work).
Phase 1 — Draft the schedule
Lay the work out as phases → tasks, sequenced from the start date:
- Give each phase its own colour and heading (Discovery, UX, Visual Design, Development, …).
- For every deliverable, include the work task plus two milestones: the delivery date
and the matching client-feedback-due date (mark both
milestone: true). Reviews and
approvals are easy to forget — make them explicit.
- Account for dependencies, holidays, and realistic durations.
Phase 2 — Preview in chat and confirm (required)
Always show the schedule in the conversation before building the spreadsheet. Present it as
a compact table grouped by phase, e.g.:
| Phase | # | Task / Milestone | Start | End | Milestone |
|---|
| Discovery | 1.0 | Discovery kickoff | 7/8 | 7/8 | ◆ |
| Discovery | 1.1 | Stakeholder interviews | 7/9 | 7/20 | |
| Discovery | 1.2 | Discovery readout (delivery) | 7/24 | 7/24 | ◆ |
| Discovery | 1.3 | Client feedback due | 7/29 | 7/29 | ◆ |
Note the overall duration and end date. Then ask:
Here's the draft schedule. Want to adjust anything — dates, durations, phase breakdown, or
the delivery/feedback milestones — before I build the spreadsheet?
Wait for approval or edits. Revise and re-show if needed. Only build once the user confirms.
Phase 3 — Build the spreadsheet
- Ensure openpyxl:
pip install openpyxl --break-system-packages -q
- Write the approved plan to
config.json (title, start, phases with tasks; set
milestone: true on delivery and feedback-due dates — see references/schedule-structure.md).
- Run the build script (uses the bundled template automatically):
python3 "<this skill dir>/scripts/build_schedule.py" --config config.json --output "Project Schedule - [Project].xlsx"
It keeps only the Project Schedule sheet, regenerates the week/day/date header from the start
date, writes the colour-coded phases, tasks and milestones, and shades each task's Gantt bar.
Phase 4 — Deliver
Present the .xlsx with present_files and include this starting-point note:
A note on this schedule: These dates are a working plan based on the SOW and what you
shared — confirm them against the team's capacity and the client's review turnaround before
committing. Milestones (deliveries and feedback-due dates) are best-effort; adjust as the
timeline firms up. Per Keep It Human, this is a shared starting point to review and refine
together with the team — not a finished, committed schedule.
Then offer to adjust dates/phases or regenerate after changes.
Quality checklist
Fallback
If the bundled template is missing, ask the user for the Project Schedule template (a local
.xlsx) and pass it with --template. Install openpyxl if it isn't available.
Files in this skill
| Path | Purpose |
|---|
SKILL.md | This workflow |
assets/schedule-template.xlsx | Bundled template (exact Project Schedule styling) |
scripts/build_schedule.py | Keeps the schedule sheet, regenerates the Gantt from config |
references/schedule-structure.md | Layout, colours, milestone convention, config shape |
