Gantt Chart in Project Management

History of Gantt Chart Project Management

Henry Gantt developed the Gantt chart for the first time in the early 20th century to design and enhance project scheduling, planning, and tracking by visualizing the comparison of completed tasks with the next planned task. Today, Gantt chart project management software are used by many project managers for planning projects, scheduling, allocating resources, and monitoring progress within a single project management tool.

2 Key Components of Gantt Chart Project Management

Gantt chart in project management is characteristically made for the project planning phase to design a comprehensive project schedule. The visual formats of the project management Gantt chart make them clear to reference during the complete project. Project managers and their teams apply the Gantt chart to control and monitor all the steps during the progress of the project. Typically, the Gantt chart in project management consists of two distinct parts: Grid and Timeline.

a. Gantt Chart Grid

The left side shows the Gantt chart grid, which lists details of project tasks and their scheduling. This component is important because all the data that enters a grid populates the timeline of the Gantt chart. As we add more information, the Gantt chart tracks more aspects of the project. Typically, the Gantt chart software generates task preps and timelines based on end dates and durations.

b. Gantt Chart Timeline

Gantt chart timeline represents each project task in a bar along the horizontal axis present on the right side. The bars start on start dates and end on end dates scheduled during the project plan. Therefore, the bar length represents the duration of the tasks, as the longer bar indicates the longer duration.

Strategic Features of Gantt Chart Project Management

The following are the key features of a good Gantt chart in project management:

1. Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

It is a two-axis bar chart that illustrates how work should be assigned and how specific elements can be correlated with specific task performers.

2. Schedule Estimating Worksheet

It is directly related to the basis of the estimate concept, which explains the assumptions, procedures, and all estimates received from the estimators. This worksheet consists of calculations, assumptions, and all other information required for estimating, such as labour hours and task duration.

How Does Project Management Gantt Chart Help Project Managers?

Project management Gantt chart collects all the necessary information desirable to generate a visual timeline that associates each aspect of a project plan. It allows project managers to;

• Schedule tasks.
• Assign resources.
• Set up project cost.
• Scope a baselines.
• Distinguish the critical path.

Project Management with Gantt Chart

Project management Gantt chart is a multipurpose tool designed to plan, schedule, and track projects of different sizes across different industries because it is versatile and well-matched with various project management methodologies, such as waterfall and agile.

1. Gantt Chart: Waterfall Planning

In waterfall planning, project planning occurs in sequence or phases, implemented from start to end, with negligible changes. Gantt chart is the best tool for this approach, as it allows project managers to visualize task dependencies and set up phases of tasks on a project timeline.

2. Gantt Chart: Agile Planning

In agile project management planning, project plans consist of small sprints, completed in one to two weeks, where teams plan and implement work, afterwards review and plan for the other sprint. Typically, Gantt charts cannot apply to sprint planning in project management, but they help map out the overall project plan or create a roadmap for a project to visualize a clear view of the project’s big picture.

7 Benefits of Gantt Chart in Project Management

The project management Gantt chart is a tool used to minimize the cause of project failure and promote the chances of attaining success. Following are the benefits of utilizing a Gantt chart in project management:

1. Breaking Down the Parent Task

WBS or breaking down a parent project task into smaller ones, to make it more manageable and achievable.

2. Task Dependencies

Easily recognized task dependencies and their relationships necessary for the success of the project.

3. Team Collaboration

Empowering all teams working on various tasks of a project to comprehend their work.

4. Visualizing & Tracking of the project

Helps to visualize and track different tasks in progress over time.

5. Resource Management

Identifying conflicts and constraints, including over-allocation of resources.

6. Finding the Critical Path

Determining the critical path of the project during its progress.

7. Ensuring the Success of the Project

Minimizing the possibility of project failure and enhancing the chance of success.

Project Management Gantt Chart Example

Suppose we are working on activities 1, 2, and 3 of a project, and we have timelines and labor hours for these activities:

• Activity 1: will take two weeks (will spend 60 person-hours)
• Activity 2: will take one week (will spend 40 person-hours)
• Activity 3: will take two weeks (will spend 30 person-hour)

Therefore, this project management Gantt chart provides our initial schedule for completing those activities. However, rather than work on those activities one at a time, this chart helps us to work on activities 1 and 2 in week one simultaneously and all three activities in week two. It makes it easy for team members how they can work on different activities by dividing their workload during the progress of the project.

Initially, we will spend our time equally throughout each activity. That means we will work on,

• Activity 1: 20 hours/week during weeks 1, 2, and 3
• Activity 2: 20 hours on activity 2 during weeks 2, 3
• Activity 3: 10 hours a week on activity 3 during 3, 4, 5.

Applications of Gantt Chart in Project Management

Following are the main applications of project management Gantt chart in project management;

• Help schedule tasks for parent projects over the timeline.
• Show the task dependencies to ensure proper sequencing and avoid delays.
• Provide a real-time overview of the completion of the task.
• Enable tracking of actual and estimated costs to succeed in the project budget.
• Identify all potential risks that cause delays and resource shortages and alter schedules to overcome the scenarios.
• Assist as a visual communication tool for teams, clients, and stakeholders.
• Highlight possible milestones and critical achievements in the task.
• Help to manage project modifications and their impacts on timelines.

7 Advantages of Gantt Chart in Project Management

Gantt chart project management is a major part of educational courses offered by AIMS’ institute of project management. These programs include the Certified Project Management certification, online diploma of project management, Masters degree in project management online. Following are the advantages of project management Gantt chart in various domains of project management:

1. Clear Visual Representation

It provides a visual timeline of the project, helping stakeholders quickly grasp the project’s schedule and task progression.

2. Task Organization

It helps to break down the project into manageable tasks.

3. Improved Coordination

It helps teams understand the dependencies between tasks, ensuring team members know their responsibilities.

4. Progress Tracking

It allows for real-time tracking of progress, enabling project managers to identify any delays.

5. Resource Management

It facilitates resource allocation efficiently across the project.

6. Milestone Visibility

It identifies project milestones and key deliverables.

7. Easy Adjustments

Updated or modified to accommodate changes in the project schedule or scope.

5 Disadvantages of Gantt Chart in Project Management

Here are some of the lacking of project management in the Gantt chart,

1. Complexity for Large Projects

It is difficult to manage as the project grows in size and complexity with a large number of tasks and dependencies.

2. Lack of Detail

They may lack detail on the specifics of task execution and resource allocation.

3. Time-Consuming to Update

For larger projects, it may need frequent updates to reflect changes, which can be time-consuming.

4. No Focus on Resource Utilization

It primarily focuses on timelines, not on the optimization of resource allocation, which may require supplementary tools.

5. Limited Collaboration Features

Traditional Gantt charts may not offer real-time collaboration capabilities, making it harder for team members to stay up-to-date on changes.