If you’re running onboarding or implementation projects for a SaaS company, you know the pain: deadlines slip, tasks get lost, and nobody can remember what “done” actually means. Rocketlane promises to untangle that mess, but only if you set it up right. This is for SaaS teams who want to track project milestones in a way that’s actually useful, not just a box-checking exercise.
Let’s break down what works, what’s a waste of time, and how to set up milestone tracking in Rocketlane so you don’t lose your mind (or your customers).
Why Bother With Milestones?
Before we get tactical, let’s be honest: Not every “milestone” is worth tracking. If you make everything a milestone, nothing is a milestone. The point is to clearly flag the big steps that actually move the project forward. For SaaS onboarding and implementations, that usually means:
- Internal kickoff
- Customer kickoff
- Data migration complete
- Integration live
- Training delivered
- Go-live
Skip the fluff. Focus on milestones that everyone (your team, your customer, your boss) cares about. If you’re tracking things like “sent welcome email” as a milestone, you’re adding noise, not clarity.
Step 1: Define What “Milestone” Actually Means for Your Team
Before you even open Rocketlane, get specific about what milestones look like for your projects. This isn’t just about picking dates—think about the outcomes.
Ask yourself: - What are the real “moments of truth” in our process? - Does everyone agree on what “done” means at each stage? - Can we explain each milestone in one sentence, without jargon?
Pro tip: Get buy-in from both your team and your customers. If customers don’t care about a milestone, maybe it’s not a milestone.
What to skip: Don’t try to make every checklist item a milestone. That’s what tasks are for.
Step 2: Map Out Your Typical Project Flow
Most SaaS teams run similar projects again and again. Instead of reinventing the wheel, map out your standard flow first.
How to do it: - Whiteboard or list out your usual phases (kickoff, setup, integration, etc.). - Under each phase, list the major milestones (see above). - Note which milestones depend on customer action (these are usually your trouble spots).
You’ll use this to build templates in Rocketlane later, so be as clear as possible.
Don’t overcomplicate: Aim for 4-7 milestones per project. Any more and people start ignoring them. Fewer, and you’re probably missing critical points.
Step 3: Set Up Milestone Templates in Rocketlane
Now the real work starts. Rocketlane lets you create templates for repeatable project types. Use this—don’t manually create milestones for every project.
How to set up milestone templates: 1. In Rocketlane, go to your project templates. 2. For each template, define your milestones. Use clear, action-oriented names (“Integration Complete,” not “Integration Phase”). 3. Attach the right tasks to each milestone, so you can track progress without micromanaging. 4. Set dependencies if needed (e.g., “Go-live” can’t start until “Data migration” is done).
Tips: - Use descriptions to spell out what “done” actually means for each milestone. - If you work with different customer segments, create separate templates. Don’t try to shoehorn every project into one template.
What not to do: Don’t use generic milestones like “Phase 1 Complete.” Be specific, or nobody will remember what it means.
Step 4: Make Milestone Tracking Transparent (for Your Team and Customers)
One of Rocketlane’s better features is that you can share milestone status with customers without showing them all your messy internal tasks.
How to do it: - Use Rocketlane’s customer portal to share a milestone view. - Show only high-level milestones, not every single task (nobody outside your team cares about your admin work). - Update milestone status regularly—if something’s stuck, mark it as at risk.
Pro tip: Set up automated notifications when milestones are reached or overdue. But don’t spam people; only notify when something meaningful happens.
What to ignore: Avoid over-sharing. Your customers don’t need to see every missed internal deadline or every tiny delay.
Step 5: Assign Clear Owners for Each Milestone
Milestones with no owner become milestones that never get done. Assign a single person (not a team) to each milestone, even if a group is working on the related tasks.
How to do it: - In Rocketlane, assign milestone ownership during project setup. - Make sure the owner knows what “done” looks like and what they’re responsible for. - For customer-dependent milestones, assign a customer-side owner (and make this explicit).
What works: Use milestone check-ins in your project meetings—ask owners to give quick updates and flag blockers.
What doesn’t: Vague “shared ownership.” If everyone owns it, no one owns it.
Step 6: Review and Adjust Milestones as You Go
No plan survives first contact with reality. SaaS implementations are messy, and your milestones will change.
How to handle changes: - If a milestone becomes irrelevant mid-project, archive it—don’t just let it linger. - If you keep hitting the same delays at the same milestone, update your template for next time. - Review completed projects and ask, “Did these milestones actually help us? Or were they just noise?”
Pro tip: Use Rocketlane’s reporting to see where projects usually stall. That’s where you may need to add or tweak milestones.
Don’t get hung up: Tracking isn’t an end in itself. If a milestone never matters, cut it.
What Works (and What Doesn’t) in the Real World
What works: - Keeping milestones simple, clear, and tied to real progress - Using templates for repeatable projects - Regular check-ins and visible ownership - Sharing just enough info with customers to keep them confident, not overwhelmed
What doesn’t: - Overloading projects with too many milestones - Treating every checklist item as a milestone - Letting milestones go stale without updating status - Relying on automated reminders without actual human follow-up
Ignore the hype: Rocketlane is a solid tool, but it won’t make your projects run themselves. The best tracking in the world can’t fix broken processes or unclear expectations.
Quick FAQ
Q: Should I use Rocketlane’s native milestones, or just track tasks?
A: Use milestones for true project checkpoints. Tasks are for the minutiae. Mixing them up just creates confusion.
Q: How granular should milestones be?
A: If you can’t explain a milestone’s value in one sentence, it’s probably too granular.
Q: What if my projects are all different?
A: Build a few “base” templates and tweak as needed. Don’t start from scratch every time.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Tracking project milestones in Rocketlane isn’t about making pretty charts—it’s about making sure your SaaS projects actually ship, customers stay happy, and your team avoids chaos. Start with clear, meaningful milestones. Use templates, assign real owners, and adjust as you learn what works (and what doesn’t). The simpler and more honest you keep your milestone tracking, the more likely your projects will finish on time—and your team will thank you for it.