The Ultimate Guide to Google Workspace Project Management

Launched almost 20 years ago now, Google Workspace is the professional operating system for 3 billion users worldwide. Little wonder, as the companies that choose to use it praise the platform for it’s familiarity and ease of use. It’s able to handle everything from email, document creation, and file storage to real-time communication. If your teams are already using Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Calendar all day, every day there’s little to no learning curve for Google Workspace project management. However, there’s one common pain point that team leaders comment on and that’s the fact that Google Workspace lacks a dedicated, professional-grade project management application.

Sure, the tools are there, but they’re fragmented. And it means that teams end up cobbling together solutions that don’t always work, using things like: 

• Spreadsheets
• To-do lists
• Calendar invites. 

And for basic needs, this DIY approach works. Once you get into more complex projects with a larger scope and strict deadlines, Google’s ecosystem lacks punch. It creates friction, slows progress and leads to frustration amongst team members when vital parts of tasks are missed. This guide will show you how to maximize the capabilities of your Google tools for basic task management. We’ll also identify precisely where these tools inevitably reach their limits. That’s where Kanbanchi steps in as a solution…

Is Full Project Management Possible with Native Google Apps?

We know that investing in software can be a significant financial consideration, especially if you’re an SME. Stats show that productivity software from Google is still leading the market at the end of 2025. So, you’ve got to ask, “How can we squeeze as much functionality as possible out of the tools we already pay for?”

When teams attempt to manage projects natively within Google Workspace, they typically follow a DIY approach that relies on three core applications: 

• Google Sheets
• Google Tasks
• Google Calendar

You’re essentially building your own lightweight project hub, so it’s clear to see why it’s so popular. Let’s take each one step by step.

Google Sheets

Google Sheets is the most common starting point for teams venturing into Google project planning software. This is because it’s so collaborative, flexible, and it feels familiar. You can create columns for task names, assignees, deadlines, and status.

Example of task management with Google Sheets

Why use Google Sheets? 

It makes it easy to:

• Track deliverables
• Create basic contact databases
• Compile stakeholder requirements

What’s the Appeal of Google Sheets?

These sheets offer a format that allows for custom views and simple filtering. It is highly accessible and requires no new learning curve.

Google Tasks

Google Tasks is integrated directly into Gmail, Calendar, and Docs. It serves as an excellent, minimalist companion for productivity and simple next-action management.

Example of task management with Google Tasks

Why use Google Tasks? 

It’s a perfect starting point for:

• Creating a quick, personal list of daily priorities
• Adding follow-up actions to a document or email
• Managing simple individual checklists.

What’s the Appeal of Google Tasks? 

Users love it for its seamless integration into the sidebar. It means tasks are always visible and actionable alongside your main work. For personal organization, it’s great, but not so much as a team collaboration tool.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is essential for time blocking and tracking deadlines. Events that must occur at a specific time, such as client meetings, launch dates, and reviews, live there.

Example of task management with Google Calendar

Why use Google Calendar? 

It’s good for:

• Setting project milestones
• Scheduling team check-ins
• Blocking time for focused work on specific deliverables

What’s the Appeal of Google Calendar?

It provides a clear visual timeline for everyone. Its robust notification system ensures critical events are never missed, making it a reliable Google project management tool for meeting deadlines.

All this is great, but together they don’t form a cohesive project management platform. They’re still isolated tools that force project managers to constantly jump through hoops. This patchwork approach is a critical weakness that often forces SMEs into scaling up to products like Kanbanchi.

The Limitations of the “Google Sheets” Approach

Many teams start project management in Google Workspace with just spreadsheets. While intuitive at first, relying solely on Google Sheets quickly becomes risky as a project grows in complexity, size, or duration. Simply put, spreadsheets are not databases, nor are they designed to handle complex project workflows.

The friction point lies in the lack of automation and the fact that there’s little visualization. When using Sheets for project management, teams will find several critical shortcomings:

• No link-up between tasks: In complex projects, tasks are often linked. Task B cannot start until Task A is finished. If Task A is delayed, Task B’s start date must shift as well. In Sheets, this relationship requires manual adjustment, which is prone to human error (especially as timelines change). 
• Impossible to ‘version control’: When multiple team members are updating a master schedule, the risk of accidental deletion, incorrect formulas, or overwriting data goes through the roof. Without structured workflows, maintaining the single source of truth is a daily challenge.
• No Visual Project Flow: Sheets are great for viewing raw data lists, but they offer little for visual workflow management. It’s not easy to see progress stages, identify bottlenecks, or visualize resource allocation without lots of complex formulas that melt your head! Kanban and Gantt views, which are essential for professional project management in Google Workspace, aren’t there.
• Poor Resource Management: How do you know if a team member is overloaded? You have to manually calculate the number of assigned tasks and estimate their effort. A dedicated Google project manager software tool provides instant workload charts, whereas Sheets just offers bald data. 
• Notification and Communication Gaps: Sheets does not automatically send notifications when a task is overdue, when a status is changed, or when an assignee is added. Dedicated project management software will. 

So, you can see that hacking Google Sheets for professional project management is unsustainable in the long run. It spends too much time on manual input and too little on automating tasks. There’s a need for a better solution.

Read more articles related to Google Workspace here

Does the project management app in Google Workspace exist?

There’s no such solution from the Google team, though there aren’t many from other developers either. In case you are searching for a project management tool that is easily and consistently incorporated with Google Workspace, it’s reasonable to search on the Google Workspace Marketplace. Among the most mainstream applications, while looking for project/task management solutions or team collaboration, you will see Kanbanchi.

You may find Kanbanchi among the leading names in the project management category on Google Workspace Marketplace

Introducing Kanbanchi: A Google Workspace Project Management Tool

You really don’t need to abandon Google Workspace. Quite the opposite. The goal is to avoid the high cost and admin burden of switching to an external platform like Monday or Asana. The best solution is not to leave your ecosystem, but to power it up. You need a dedicated Google Workspace project management tool that acts as the missing layer over your existing infrastructure.

Kanbanchi’s Native Google Integration

Kanbanchi was made to solve problems like these! It’s a full project management app that lives in your Google Workspace. It looks and feels like a native Google app because it’s deeply integrated and runs within the same framework. Choose an integrated solution like Kanbanchi and you’ll immediately gain several key pros over external platforms:

• Excellent User Experience: Kanbanchi maintains the familiar, clean design that defines the Google interface. The upside is there’s virtually no learning curve for teams already accustomed to Google Workspace.
• Single Sign-In: No new passwords to remember or manage. Teams sign in with their Google account. It instantly enhances security and simplifies access for the IT department. 
• Data Security and Storage: External tools store your project data on separate servers, Kanbanchi stores it directly in your Google Drive. It maintains your organization’s existing security policies and data controls. It makes it a Google project management app designed for Google users. 
• One Ecosystem: Kanbanchi integrates directly with core Google apps. You can attach a Google Doc to a task card, sync deadlines with Google Calendar, and use the existing Drive folder structure as the ‘home’ for your project. 
• Easy Admin: For IT teams, installation and updates couldn’t be easier. Kanbanchi is available on the Google Workspace Marketplace, keeping it simple and centralized. This is critical for scaling an effective Google Workspace project management software solution across the entire enterprise.

When you adopt an integrated tool, you’re eliminating the constant context switching and data fragmentation that plagues the “Google Sheets” approach. You’ll transition smoothly from a bunch of unlinked tools to a unified project management hub, all within the familiar boundaries of Google.

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Key Features to Look for in Google Project Software

To move beyond the limitations of Sheets and Tasks, your chosen Google project software must introduce some advanced visualization and control capabilities that professional project management demands. These are the essential upgrades that transform a simple list of tasks into a dynamic, manageable project workflow. Already considering a system like Kanbanchi? Great! Then look for these non-negotiable features:

1. Kanban boards

So much more than ‘just’ a list. Kanban boards provide a powerful visual representation of the workflows. What is the Function of Kanban Boards? Task cards move logically through customizable columns. See this example: 

• Backlog
• To Do
• In Progress
• QA
• Done

Tell us the Value of Kanban Boards? Teams get instant clarity on the status of every task, and it immediately highlights bottlenecks. Kanban boards eliminate the need for status meetings just to understand what’s moving and what’s stuck.

2. Gantt Charts

Arguably, the most crucial feature missing from native Google Workspace. Gantt charts are essential for complex projects with interwoven timelines. What’s the Function of Gantt Charts? They offer a timeline view that displays:

• Task duration
• Sequencing
• Dependencies

Tell us the Value of Gantt Charts? It’s easier to link Task A to Task B. If Task A is delayed by 2 days, the entire subsequent schedule shifts automatically. This is vital for mitigating risks and ensuring accurate scheduling, making it a powerful component of Google project tracking software.

3. Resource and Workload Management

Simply assigning tasks is not enough; you must be able to see your team’s capacity and prevent burnout or underutilization. What’s the Function of Resource Management? You’ll get dedicated views that show all assigned tasks and their estimated effort/time, providing a quick visual of who is overloaded and who has bandwidth.

Tell us the Value of Resource Management? It allows project managers to balance workloads effectively, ensuring efficient resource utilization across the entire portfolio.

4. Enhanced Google Workspace Integration

Think about this as a bridging tool and not a silo. It should go beyond simple Google Sign-in.

• Google Drive: The ability to attach files directly from Drive to a task card without uploading anything new. Files remain in their original secure location.
• Google Calendar Sync: Add card deadlines and milestones to Google Calendar, ensuring individuals and teams see their project commitments alongside their meetings.
• Reporting: The ability to export project data directly into a Google Sheet for advanced analysis or stakeholder presentations.

5. Time Tracking

Accurate time tracking is essential for billing clients, evaluating project scope, and improving future estimations. What’s the Function of Time Tracking? It’s a brilliant built-in feature that lets team members log time spent directly on a task card.

What’s the Value of Time Tracking? Provides objective data to measure efficiency, ensure accountability, and accurately calculate the cost of project delivery. These features collectively turn a standard Google Workspace into an SME ready environment.

Kanbanchi provides all these capabilities, acting as the intuitive, secure, and integrated platform that leverages your existing Google tools. We’ve shown you the pros, so next, let’s take a look at a step-by-step guide to set up a project workflow using our brilliant software.

Kanbanchi Step-by-Step Guide: How to Set Up A Project Workflow

Transitioning to a cohesive project management tool is easier than you think when using an integrated approach like the one Kanbanchi offers. Since Kanbanchi already operates within Google Drive, the setup feels intuitive and familiar. These next steps help establish an efficient Google project management program workflow for your team.

Kanbanchi interface showcasing a Kanban board

Step 1: Centralize Your Google Drive

The best foundation for a successful Google Workspace project workflow is a clean, organized Drive.

First Core Action

Create a master folder for your project. Here’s an example:

A Software Product Website Launch would need you to establish subfolders for key assets. For instance, Drafts, Assets, Client Comms.

What’s the Value of this Core Action?

It centralizes all related documents, sheets, and presentations, making it easy to find and link them later.

Step 2: Create a Kanbanchi Board Inside Drive

Instead of switching applications, you create your project board right where your files reside.

First Core Action

1. Go to your master project folder.
2. Click “New” 
3. Select Kanbanchi from the list (just as you would select a Google Doc). 
4. Name your board (e.g., Software Product Website Launch)

What’s the Value of this Core Action?

The board file is now given the same priority as your other documents, simplifying sharing and security permissions.

Step 3: Define Your Workflow Columns

The columns on your Kanban board represent the phases of your project lifecycle. Standard workflows are a great starting point.

First Core Action

Define columns such as:

1. 1. Backlog (ideas/future tasks)
   2. In Progress (active work)
   3. Needs Review
   4. Done

Customize these to reflect your team’s process, for instance, by adding a Design or Testing column.

What’s the Value of this Core Action?

This establishes a “visual assembly line”. By dragging and dropping tasks between columns, the entire team instantly understands the current status.

Step 4: Populate the Board and Attach Drive Files

Add tasks and ensure they are connected to the necessary assets.

First Core Action

Create a card for each key deliverable. Assign an owner and a due date. Use the attachment feature to link directly to the relevant Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides stored in your Drive folder.

What’s the Value of this Core Action?

Eliminates the “Where is that file?” question! All context and resources are consolidated on the task card itself.

Step 5: Master the Timeline with Gantt View

Once your tasks are defined, switch to the timeline view to establish critical relationships.

First Core Action

Toggle to the Gantt chart view. Adjust timelines graphically by stretching the task bars. Add dependencies between cards for visualisation and tracking.

What’s the Value of this Core Action?

Instantly calculate the project’s path and understand the ripple effect of any delay, ensuring proactive risk management.

Step 6: Sync Milestones to Google Calendar

Ensure that project deadlines appear automatically alongside daily meetings and appointments.

First Core Action

Connect your Kanbanchi board to your team’s Google Calendar. All cards with due dates can appear as all-day events or scheduled tasks.

What’s the Value of this Core Action?

It eliminates manual data entry, providing team members with a single, reliable calendar view of all their commitments, like meetings and project deliverables. This process keeps everything streamlined and easy to follow.

Automating Workflows with Gmail

For many project teams, the project management process starts (and often gets stuck!) in the inbox. Client requests, feature ideas, and reports arrive as emails, which then must be manually transcribed into task cards. This process is inefficient and leads to missed communications.

With integrated Google project management software, teams can close the loop between email and the task board. Kanbanchi provides a powerful solution to automate this email process. 

1. Email-to-Card Functionality: Every Kanbanchi board is assigned a unique email address.
2. Action: When a relevant email arrives in Gmail (e.g., a client approval or a support request), you can forward that email directly to the board’s dedicated address.
3. Automation: The email subject line automatically becomes the task card title, and the email body is saved in the card description. Any attachments are typically preserved as well.

This simple automation achieves two critical goals:

• Clearing the Inbox: The request is immediately pulled out of the messy, actionable inbox and placed onto a structured board where it can be prioritized and assigned.
• Efficiency: It saves valuable time by eliminating manual data entry and ensures that the original request and communication are always linked to the resulting task, providing a complete audit trail.

By integrating Gmail directly into your workflow, you ensure that every incoming request, regardless of its source, is instantly channeled into your defined project process. This prevents information silos and keeps your team focused solely on the board for action items. Want to know more about our app for all your Google Workspace Project requirements? Get in touch, and let’s get a meaningful conversation started!

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FAQ About Google Workspace Project Management

Anything we’ve missed in our guide? You’ll find the answers below in our FAQ section.

Does Google have a project management tool?

No, Google does not offer a single, unified, enterprise-grade project management tool. Google Workspace offers powerful tools like Google Tasks for personal to-do lists and Google Sheets for simple tracking. However, it lacks critical features for professional management, such as built-in Gantt charts, advanced dependency tracking, and visual resource management. Kanbanchi fills this gap, providing the full Google project management software functionality while remaining seamlessly integrated with the Google Workspace environment.

Is Google Project Management free?

The core applications like Sheets, Tasks, Calendar, and Docs are included with your Google Workspace subscription (which requires a paid subscription). However, pro solutions like Kanbanchi operate on a paid subscription model. These tiers unlock crucial features, including Gantt charts, time tracking, and advanced reporting.

Can I use Google Sheets for project management?

Yes, you can use Google Sheets for project management, particularly for very small, simple projects or personal task lists. It’s highly flexible and collaborative. However, relying on Sheets for complex, large-scale projects carries risk as we’ve outlined above. A dedicated project management in Google Workspace solution eliminates these manual pain points.

What is the best way to do project tracking in Google Workspace?

The best way to achieve comprehensive Google project-tracking software functionality is to integrate a specialized app like Kanbanchi, which works natively within the suite. This approach combines the security and familiarity of Google Drive (where your files and data reside) with the professional features of a PM tool (Kanban, Gantt, time tracking). It provides accurate, real-time tracking that fragmented native apps cannot deliver.

Why choose Kanbanchi?

• It’s simple to deploy Kanbanchi from the Google Admin Panel for your company.
• Everyone will actually want to start using the application in a moment, since all you need is to sign in with a Google account.
• The application’s interface is highly natural and recognizable to Google users.
• Real-time changes support collaboration and make the workflow smoother and more straightforward.
• All your files are securely stored in your Google Drive, so you don’t have to worry about security.
• Friendly support is available to assist with any inquiries.
• Video tutorials and webinars will be an extraordinary assistance at the start.

You can start with the free trial right now. Let us know how it goes! We are glad to offer any help.

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