Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is used for planning and scheduling the steps of projects. It is a horizontal bar chart that serves as a visual tool for project management. It illustrates dependent steps and where the project is at any given time.

It is a form of Visual Management that people can quickly see and understand the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project. A Gantt chart allows you to estimate project duration, sequence of events, coordination, and resource allocation.

The chart was developed by Henry Laurence Gantt, born in 1861. He began his career as a mechanical engineer later becoming a management consultant and social scientist. Gantt charts were likely used in the late 1800's but it was around 1917 that Gantt first applied his chart. The Gantt chart was used to manage projects like the Hoover Dam and the interstate highway system. The chart focuses on the the timing of the project and serve more effectively as a scheduling tool than a cost management or scope management tool.

It is a not as complex (nor detailed) as the Critical Path Method (CPM) or the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) that was invented by the United States Navy. The advantage the PERT chart has over the Gantt chart is the illustration of task dependencies. The added detail can make the PERT chart more difficult to interpret, especially on complex projects. Often project management involves a comobination of the tacking methods described above, rarely is only one used especially on complex projects.

Basic Gantt Charting Software

This project management software solution can accommodate up to 100 project tasks and team members. Simply input the project's start and end dates followed by tasks and their individual start and end dates. The project can be up to one year long and each task can have a duration of one week to one year. If desired, you may assign a person or team to each task.

Your Gantt chart is generated immediately. The entire process takes just a few minutes.