A Gantt chart is a visual project management tool that maps out tasks, durations and dependencies.
Gantt charts were invented over 100 years ago but are still widely used to plan and track projects.
Gantt charts can be easily created using software like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets or specialized tools.
Learn about how Tallyfy helps you create simple project plans and Gantt charts without any complexity here.
Who is this article for?
- Manufacturing, construction, software and engineering companies that manage projects
- Professional services firms like marketing agencies, accounting firms and law firms that deliver client projects
- Project managers, operations managers, and team leaders
- Anyone who needs to create project plans and track progress against a plan
Gantt charts are an essential tool for anyone involved in planning and delivering projects. They provide a clear visual overview of the tasks, timelines and dependencies in a project.
What exactly is a Gantt chart and why should you care?
A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. It maps out all the tasks involved in a project and their start and end dates. The Gantt format shows task dependencies – how one task is related to another. It’s a simple visual representation of what needs to get done and when.
Quote
Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.
Gantt charts were invented in the early 1900s by Henry Gantt, an American mechanical engineer and management consultant. He designed his charts to help manufacturing supervisors see whether production was on schedule, ahead or behind (Robles, 2018).
Over a century later, Gantt charts are still one of the most popular methods for showing project activities over time. While early Gantt charts were drawn by hand on paper, today they are created using software like Excel, Google Sheets or more specialized project management and Gantt applications.
Tip
Use a simple spreadsheet tool to create your first Gantt chart. As your projects get more complex, consider specialized Gantt software that makes scheduling and collaboration easier.
What are the key benefits of using Gantt charts?
There are several reasons why Gantt charts have stood the test of time and remain widely used in project management:
- Clarity – Gantt charts provide a clear and simple visual overview of a project. You can see all the key tasks and milestones at a glance.
- Communication – Gantt charts are an effective way to communicate project plans and progress to stakeholders. They make it easy for everyone to understand the schedule.
- Coordination – By mapping out task dependencies, Gantt charts help coordinate activities between team members and departments. Everyone can see how their work fits into the overall project.
- Monitoring – Gantt charts allow project managers to track progress against the plan and quickly spot issues or delays. They highlight what should have been achieved by a certain date.
Fact
A 2020 survey of over 400 project management professionals found that Gantt charts are the 2nd most widely used project management tool, just behind project management software. 65% of respondents use Gantt charts for their projects (Statista).
What are the core elements of a Gantt chart?
While formats can vary, every Gantt chart has some essential components:
- Tasks (also called activities) – These are the individual units of work that must be completed to finish the project. Each task is represented by a single bar on the chart.
- Dates – Each task has a start date and end date. These dates are plotted on a timeline or calendar on the horizontal (x) axis of the chart. The length of each bar corresponds to the amount of time the task is expected to take.
- Dependencies – Some tasks must be completed before others can start. Gantt charts show these relationships using lines that connect dependent tasks.
- Milestones – Major events or achievements in the project are indicated by diamond shapes on the chart. Milestones have zero duration, so they represent a point in time rather than a task that spans time.
Here’s a simple example of a Gantt chart for a website development project:
Tip
Color code your Gantt chart by phase, department or team member. This helps you see at a glance who is responsible for what and identify any potential bottlenecks or scheduling conflicts.
What types of Gantt charts can you create?
There are a few common variations of the Gantt chart format:
- Milestone chart – Only the major milestones or deliverables are shown, not the detailed tasks. This is a good high-level view for executives or clients.
- Progress Gantt chart – The bars are shaded to indicate percent complete for each task. This lets you easily see which tasks are on track and which are falling behind.
- Resource Gantt chart – Tasks are color coded by person or team to show the allocation of work. This helps balance workloads and spot potential overloads before they cause problems.
How do you actually create a Gantt chart?
These days, it’s rare to create Gantt charts by hand. Most are made using software, with varying levels of sophistication:
- Spreadsheets – The simplest option is to make a Gantt chart in Excel or Google Sheets. This can work well for small, uncomplicated projects. But it gets cumbersome to update manually as plans change.
- Gantt chart software – For more complex projects, dedicated Gantt tools like Microsoft Project, Smartsheet and GanttPro provide advanced scheduling and collaboration features. However, there is a learning curve and they can be overkill for many projects.
- Project and workflow management software – Platforms like Tallyfy combine task management with automated workflows and Gantt-style views. This gives you the big picture plus the power to assign and track work in detail.
Fact
Henry Gantt’s original charts were drawn by hand on paper. Each chart could be up to 8 feet long and would take a draftsman 1-2 days to update (Robles, 2018).
What are the risks and limitations of Gantt charts?
- Gantt charts are high-level and usually don’t capture all the details and subtasks involved in a project. Don’t rely on them alone to manage the day-to-day work.
- The upfront planning and scheduling of Gantt charts doesn’t always mesh well with agile methodologies. Agile teams may prefer sprint backlogs and burndown charts to track iterative work.
- In large organizations, gathering all the information to build an accurate Gantt chart can be time consuming. The chart is only as good as the inputs.
- Gantt charts are not ideal for projects with a lot of uncertainty or that are likely to change significantly over time. The linear format doesn’t easily adapt to big shifts in scope or priorities.
How Tallyfy makes Gantt charts simple and actionable
Tallyfy is a modern workflow app that helps you plan projects and processes in a Gantt-style view, then execute and track the work in a user-friendly interface.
With Tallyfy, you can structure intake of tasks and requests from a form into trackable workflows. Then use simple if-this-then-that rules to automate assignments, notifications and deadlines based on form inputs.
As work progresses, you get a real-time view of the status of each task and the project as a whole. Drill down to see who’s responsible for what and identify any blockers.
Tallyfy also makes it easy to fill in the blanks of document templates and generate consistent project artifacts. And with customer-facing forms and portals, you can seamlessly collaborate with clients and vendors at specific steps in the process.
By combining the best of Gantt charts with the power of automated workflows, Tallyfy helps you plan and manage projects from start to finish in one intuitive platform. See how it works.
How Is AI Transforming Gantt Charts?
Gantt charts have been a staple of project management for over a century. Invented by Henry Gantt in the early 1900s, these simple bar charts visually represent a project schedule, with tasks on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis. They provide a clear, intuitive way to plan and track projects.
However, in today’s fast-paced, complex business environment, traditional Gantt charts are starting to show their limitations. They can be time-consuming to create and update. They don’t easily accommodate changes or show task dependencies. And they provide a fairly simplistic, linear view of projects.
This is where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in. By leveraging the power of AI and machine learning, a new generation of “smart” Gantt charts is emerging that promise to revolutionize project management.
What Can AI-Powered Gantt Charts Do?
Some of the key benefits and capabilities of AI-enhanced Gantt charts include:
- Automatic scheduling: AI can analyze task durations, dependencies, and constraints to automatically generate an optimal schedule, saving significant time and effort.
- Real-time updates: As team members update their progress, AI can instantly recalculate the schedule and identify any impacts or delays. No more manual updates required.
- Risk prediction: By analyzing historical data and real-time inputs, AI can predict potential risks and bottlenecks before they occur, allowing proactive mitigation.
- Resource optimization: AI can ensure the right people are assigned to the right tasks at the right time by factoring in skills, availability, workload, and more.
- Intelligent suggestions: AI can provide smart recommendations on things like task sequencing, resource allocation, and deadline adjustments to keep projects on track.
Fact
According to a 2019 report by MarketsandMarkets, the AI in construction market is projected to grow from $408 million in 2018 to $1.83 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 35%.
In essence, AI takes much of the manual effort, guesswork, and risk out of creating and managing Gantt charts. It enables a more dynamic, adaptive, and intelligent approach to project planning and execution.
The Future of Gantt Charts
Looking ahead, we can expect AI to further transform how Gantt charts are used. Visual Gantt charts may be replaced by more immersive and interactive formats enabled by technologies like virtual reality and natural language interfaces (Robles, 2018). AI-powered Gantt charts may expand beyond individual projects to provide a real-time, big picture view of an organization’s entire project portfolio.
However, it’s important to recognize that while AI can augment and enhance Gantt charts, it is unlikely to fully replace the role of human project managers. Interpreting nuanced project goals, managing stakeholder expectations, and providing leadership will remain essential human skills.
In the end, the combination of AI-driven efficiency and human expertise promises a bright future for Gantt charts and the field of project management as a whole. By leveraging AI technologies, organizations can plan and execute projects with greater speed, adaptability, and success than ever before.
Tallyfy Tango – A cheerful and alternative take
Two project managers, Gigi and Garrett, bump into each other at the water cooler. Gigi is looking frazzled, her hair askew and eyes wild.
Garrett: Whoa, Gigi! You look like you’ve been through the wringer. What’s got you so stressed?
Gigi: (sighs heavily) It’s this project timeline. I’m trying to juggle all these tasks and dependencies, but it’s like herding cats! I can’t make heads or tails of it.
Garrett: (chuckles) Ah, the joys of project management. Let me guess – you’re not using a Gantt chart, are you?
Gigi: (puzzled) A Gantt-what-now? Is that some kind of fancy coffee?
Garrett: (laughs) No, no. A Gantt chart! It’s like a magical roadmap for your project. Picture this – a beautiful, color-coded timeline that lays out all your tasks, dependencies, and milestones in one easy-to-read view.
Gigi: (eyes widening) Wait, really? That sounds too good to be true.
Garrett: Trust me, it’s a game-changer. With a Gantt chart, you can see exactly what needs to be done, when, and by whom. No more guesswork or confusion. It’s like having a GPS for your project!
Gigi: (clapping hands excitedly) Where has this been all my life? I need a Gantt chart, STAT!
Garrett: (smiling) Welcome to the wonderful world of visual project management, my friend. Once you go Gantt, you never go back!
The two laugh and high-five, as Gigi skips off to create her first Gantt chart, her project worries melting away.
Related Questions
Can I do a Gantt chart in Excel?
Yes, you can create a Gantt chart in Excel! While Excel doesn’t have a built-in Gantt chart feature, you can use the stacked bar chart functionality to make a simple Gantt chart. Just enter your project data, create a stacked bar chart, and format it to look like a Gantt chart. It takes a few extra steps compared to dedicated Gantt chart software, but it’s a great option if you’re already comfortable working in Excel.
What is a Gantt chart used for?
A Gantt chart is a super useful tool for planning and scheduling projects. It gives you a visual timeline of all the tasks involved and shows you things like task durations, dependencies between tasks, and milestones. With a Gantt chart, you can easily see the start and end dates for the whole project and each task, understand how tasks relate to each other, and track progress once the project is underway. It’s a great way to communicate the project schedule to team members and stakeholders too.
How do you create a Gantt chart?
Creating a Gantt chart is pretty straightforward. First, break your project down into individual tasks and estimate how long each one will take. Then, figure out the dependencies between tasks – which ones can’t start until others are finished. Next, choose a tool to build your Gantt chart in, like Excel, Google Sheets, or a specialized Gantt chart app. Enter your task names, durations, and dependencies, and the tool will generate a timeline for you. Finally, format it to your liking and share it with your team. The key is to keep it updated as the project progresses!
Is there a Microsoft Gantt chart?
Microsoft offers a couple different ways to make Gantt charts. If you have Microsoft Project, that’s a powerful tool designed specifically for project management, and it can generate Gantt charts easily. If you don’t have Project, you can also create Gantt charts in Excel using the stacked bar chart method. It takes a bit more work than Project, but it’s a good option if Excel is what you have available. Microsoft also has some handy Gantt chart templates for Excel that can give you a head start.
How to make a Gantt chart?
Making a Gantt chart is all about following a step-by-step process. Start by listing out all the tasks in your project and estimating how long each one will take. Then, identify any dependencies between tasks. Once you have that info, choose a tool to create your chart in – Excel or a dedicated Gantt chart app. Input your data, and let the tool create the timeline for you. After that, it’s just a matter of formatting, tweaking, and sharing the chart with your team. Remember to keep the chart updated as you make progress and the project evolves!
What are the four components of a Gantt chart?
A basic Gantt chart has four key components: a list of tasks, a timeline, bars showing the duration of each task, and dependencies between tasks. The task list usually goes on the left side of the chart, with one row per task. The timeline runs along the top, broken down into increments like days or weeks. The bars are lined up with their corresponding tasks and timeline increments to show start and end dates and task durations. Finally, dependencies are usually shown with arrows connecting related tasks. With these four elements, you can visualize your whole project schedule in one handy chart.
References and Editorial Perspectives
Robles, V., D. (2018). Visualizing Certainty: What the Cultural History of the Gantt Chart Teaches Technical and Professional Communicators About Management. Technical Communication Quarterly, 27, 300 – 321. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572252.2018.1520025
Summary of this study
This study provides a cultural-historical analysis of the Gantt chart, a popular project management visualization tool. It examines how Gantt charts evoke managerial values of certainty and simplicity when considering a project’s progress and scope. These values, rooted in early 20th-century scientific management philosophy, are visually manifested in Henry L. Gantt’s charts. The study highlights the importance for technical and professional communicators to consider the rhetorical implications of using Gantt charts when providing their expertise in communicating project management.
Editor perspectives
As a workflow automation platform, we at Tallyfy find this study fascinating as it sheds light on the cultural and historical context behind a tool that is still widely used in project management today. Understanding the values and philosophy embedded in Gantt charts can help us critically evaluate their effectiveness and limitations in modern workflow management. This study prompts us to consider how we can design and communicate about workflow tools in a way that aligns with our values and goals.
Glossary of terms
Gantt chart
A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule, named after its inventor, Henry Gantt. It shows the start and finish dates of the various tasks or elements of a project, as well as their dependencies and relationships. Gantt charts are a widely used tool in project management for planning, scheduling, and tracking progress.
Project management
Project management is the practice of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria at the specified time. It involves applying knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements and objectives.
Workflow
A workflow is the sequence of industrial, administrative, or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion. In the context of project management, workflows define the series of tasks, steps and decisions that need to be executed to complete a project or process. Workflows help streamline and automate repeatable business tasks.
Visualization
Visualization refers to the technique of creating images, diagrams, or animations to communicate a message or information. In project management, visualization tools like Gantt charts are used to graphically represent project schedules, tasks, resources and their relationships. Visualizations make complex project data easier to understand and analyze.
Dependency
In project management, a dependency refers to the relationship between two or more tasks or activities, where the completion or the initiation of one is reliant on the completion or initiation of the other. Dependencies are a key aspect of project planning and are often visualized in Gantt charts to identify the critical path and avoid bottlenecks. Managing dependencies is crucial for keeping projects on track.
