When planning a new calendar, it’s natural to focus on getting events onto the schedule. But as teams begin using a shared calendar, they often discover it becomes much more than a scheduling tool. It evolves into a central place for coordinating people, resources, projects, and the information needed to get work done.
Taking a few minutes to design a scalable calendar structure from the beginning makes it easier to stay organized as your calendar grows.
Keep these best practices in mind:
Use sub-calendars to organize information. Create sub-calendars for different teams, projects, resources, event types, or locations. This keeps the calendar easier to navigate and makes it possible to filter the view when needed.
Keep the structure organized. While sub-calendars are powerful, they work best when they’re thoughtfully organized. Use folders to group related sub-calendars together so users can quickly find what they need without scrolling through a long list.
Consider all scheduling factors. Scheduling is multi-dimensional. Organize the primary scheduling factors, such as team members or resources, with sub-calendars. Use custom fields to capture and track other details that affect scheduling.
Think about long-term scale. Some organizations operate best with a single master calendar that can keep separate locations, departments, or projects in one place for a combined overview. Other organizations may benefit from separate master calendars for different regions or business units. Consider how the calendar may grow over time and choose a structure that will continue to work as your organization expands.