Small projects can often be planned and executed using a simple to-do list. However, larger or more complex projects require a more robust project management process.
If you find yourself always replying to client questions on deadlines or explaining who’s responsible for which task, it’s time to use a Gantt chart for your projects.
Fortunately, we’ve created a Gantt chart tutorial for beginners, to help you better collaborate with and create detailed action plans for your team. We’ll cover the Gantt chart basics and explain why they can be an incredibly useful tool for managing, scheduling, and tracking your projects successfully.
What is a Gantt chart?
Created by the American management consultant and engineer Henry Gantt in 1910, Gantt charts are widely used in project and program management.
A Gantt chart diagram visualizes the project schedule and tasks to be completed over a certain period. It is a bar chart that represents project tasks on a vertical axis and task duration on a horizontal axis. Project managers can use Gantt charts to track different project elements, such as resources, tasks, team members, and dependencies.
Gantt charts can include the following details:
- The overall project schedule, along with start and end dates
- Tasks to be completed during the project
- Tasks assigned to specific team members
- A visual timeline of each project deliverable, from start to finish
- Task status — not started, in progress, or completed
- Task dependencies
- Project milestones, phases, and progress
- The critical path of the project
Why are Gantt charts used in project management?
Gantt charts have many uses in program and project management. However, project managers use them primarily for three reasons:
Organizing projects
Many projects face constantly changing deadlines, increasing client requests, and miscommunication.
Similar to a work breakdown structure, a Gantt chart can combat these issues by breaking down a project into smaller and more manageable tasks. Team members can view the Gantt chart timeline to quickly understand project milestones, individual and team workloads, resources, and dependencies.
Managing resources and task dependencies
Most organizations have multiple projects occurring simultaneously. Gantt charts can be an invaluable project management tool for assessing project logistics and resource availability.
You can also use them to pinpoint task dependencies — the relationships between tasks — and see clearly where tasks should begin or end in relation to other activities. If a task gets delayed, you can quickly reschedule the dependent activities and resources to account for the delay.
Tracking project success
Gantt chart project management helps managers visualize progress and keep the project on track by proactively accounting for issues or delays.
You can add critical project KPIs to your Gantt chart to ensure that the metric and its related activities are correctly measured. For example, teams can add release dates or project milestones to see if the project is proceeding according to plan.
Are Gantt charts and project schedules the same?
Though they may sound similar, Gantt charts and project schedules are not the same.
A Gantt chart is an important project management tool that helps project managers visualize the resources required, task dependencies, and team workload. You can monitor multiple projects on one Gantt chart and see how they overlap, which helps with workload and resource management.
A project schedule, meanwhile, is a simple plan of action that outlines the project’s key tasks, dates, and milestones. Project managers create a project schedule in the project planning phase to get a clear overview of the timeline.
What are the different types of Gantt chart dependencies?
Managing complex projects with multiple tasks happening simultaneously can be complicated. Gantt chart dependencies clearly display how the tasks are interrelated, which helps teams prioritize the completion of the most vital tasks.
There are four kinds of Gantt chart dependencies:
- Finish to start (FS): In the FS dependency, there is a natural flow of tasks. The preceding task needs to be completed before the succeeding one can start.
- Start to start (SS): The secondary task can be started once the preceding task has begun.
- Finish to finish (FF): The succeeding activity cannot be completed until the preceding task is finished. In short, both tasks finish at the same time.
- Start to finish (SF): This dependency is rarely found in project management. The subsequent activity can only be completed when an earlier activity has begun.
How to use Gantt charts for project management
Project managers use Gantt charts to plan, organize, schedule, and track their projects across diverse industries. Gantt chart project management can help:
- Simplify complex projects
- Track project progress in real time
- Ensure equal workload assignment to all team members
- Mitigate potential project risks
- Address possible task delays before they occur
- Manage multiple project teams and stakeholders
- Manage available resources for one or more projects
- Visualize actual and planned project timelines
How to create a Gantt chart
Whether you are building a Gantt chart in Excel, using a Gantt chart template, or utilizing Gantt chart software, here are the steps you need to follow:
- List all the tasks that need to be done.
- Note the planned start and end dates for every task.
- Outline the project timeline.
- Categorize task dependencies.
- Add the tasks to the Gantt chart timeline.
- Assign the project tasks to team members.
- Establish project milestones.
- Calculate the critical path for the project.
Essential Gantt chart software features
When evaluating a Gantt chart creator, you need to scout for the following essential features:
- Milestones: Mark significant tasks, deadlines, or meetings on the project schedule.
- Dependencies: Visualize the relationship between interdependent or interrelated tasks.
- Notifications: Automatically alert team members and stakeholders to changes and updates.
- File sharing: Attach files, images, documents, audio clips, or videos related to a specific task.
- Data import: Instead of manually copying files from spreadsheets and other applications, directly import data to update your workflow.
- Drag and drop functionality: Quickly make changes to the timeline in a few clicks.
- Statuses: See the current status of all tasks on the Gantt chart.
Kick-start project planning with Wrike’s Gantt chart software
Ready to execute your project plan with the help of some advanced Gantt chart features? Never miss a deadline with Wrike’s Gantt chart software.
Control all your projects from our intuitive interface, discover your project’s critical path, and visualize progress using Wrike’s Gantt chart creator. Spot a potential bottleneck? Reschedule tasks in an instant with the drag-and-drop interface, which adjusts dependent activities around your changes. Any adjustments to dates, times, or assignees will be automatically shared with your team, so no one misses a beat.
Get a free Wrike trial to see how our online Gantt chart software can help you visualize project milestones, monitor progress, and supercharge your project planning. You’ll also have access to other vital project management tools, such as Kanban boards and project dashboards.
