gantt chart usage – Creately Blog

As there are many uses of Gantt charts, thousands of companies use Gantt charts to become more productive, enhance their communications, forecast over the long term and track results. While some naysayers believe they limit the size of the project that can be tracked, those using Gantt charts note an array of key benefits, including the five listed here.

Gantt Chart Advantages

While there are a number of reasons to use Gantt charts below are five key reasons they are often advantageous:

Avoid Completion Confusion: Gantt charts were created to keep users on track, providing a visual timeline for starting and finishing specific tasks. By providing a visual overview of milestones and other key dates, these charts are thought to offer a more understandable and memorable method of maintaining timescale-based tasks and deliverables whether tracked on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. Below diagram shows the power of visualization found in Gantt charts. In a glance you can see that the interviews are done, there 50% more to do in training etc.
A Gantt chart template available at Creately ( click to use as a template )
Keep Everyone on the Same Page: Where there is a visual framework for the work to be done, there are fewer chances for misunderstanding, especially when it comes to highly complex tasks. Using Gantt charts allow all types of stakeholders to have the same information, set mutually understood expectations, and conduct their efforts according to the desired protocol.
Understand Task Relationships: These charts can make clear how various tasks are interrelated and perhaps rely on the completion of another to meet specific objectives. These task relationships revolve around understanding the timing of each task, which then impacts other tasks listed. This can better assure the optimum work flow, maximized productivity and overall project success.
A Gantt charts makes it very easy to visualize related tasks
Effectively Allocate Resources: By being able to look ahead on the Gantt chart, users can clearly discern where resources need to be anticipated, allocated or shared to maximize the use of those resources. The more closely the chart is followed, the better chance there is of keeping project costs within budget while also better assuring on-time completion.
Get a Handle on the Future: While it is often easy to get caught up in day-to-day tasks as detailed on a chart, Gantt chart advantages include helping decision-makers look farther ahead to ensure each given project is working toward the achievement the organization’s long-term strategic objectives.

Create a Gantt Chart now !! We’ve made it easy for you >>

What about Gantt Chart Limitations?

For those Gantt chart cynics mentioned earlier, this method is not designed to be the cure-all for an organization’s project management ills. There are some situations where other tools may indeed be more effective – particularly in scenarios when a particular milestone or critical task is missing because the project manager didn’t include. Other limitations include the inability to include certain constraints like time, scope, and costs. Overall, however, Gantt chart advantages have been realized by all types of organizations for applicable applications.

Use Gantt Charts More Effectively Using Creately

One reason people are reluctant to use Gantt charts is that of the lack of drawing tools. They usually come packaged with expensive project management tools which are not suitable for simple Gantt charts. Creately makes it very easy to draw Gantt charts by providing you Gantt chart templates and simple drag and drop interface to draw Gantt charts.Detailing a project schedule or a sequence of events timeline is made easier than ever before with this intuitive and feature-rich Web-based software that facilitates chart creation, collaboration and completion in short order. Check out Creately Gantt charts.

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Project management is not an easy job. In general, 37% of projects fail while that number reaches around 60% for IT projects. There are so many contributing factors which need to be carefully monitored. The article will discuss how to use Gantt charts to plan projects, why they are useful and how to effectively use them in a project.

One of the biggest advantages of Gantt charts is the ability to easily visualize the state of your project. Even for a large project with thousands of tasks, a Gantt chart can be used to visualize the overall status of that project. It can also be used to

To produce an accurate timescale for the project
Breaking down the structure of the project
Showing team members how their work relates to others
Schedule of work on a day to day basis throughout the entire duration
Able to be used in the critical path software

You can do all this and more using our Gantt chart software.

Use Gantt charts to keep track of tasks and key dates

You can plan almost anything using a Gantt chart

Since you know the benefits lets look at how to use a Gantt chart for project development.

Identifying the Processes for Project Planning

In order to produce a Gantt chart, it is essential that you know all of the processes involved. This means that you will need to use a flowchart or arrow chart to go through each of the steps which are required to make sure the project is completed. Once you have these basic processes it is then necessary to work out how long each of the tasks will last, and how many resources are needed to complete the task.

Once you have a list of all these processes and their relevant information it is then time to identify the sequence of events. You will have to know which of the processes can only begin after certain tasks have already carried out and which ones have to be completed at certain milestones throughout the project.

Mapping the Processes to the Gantt Chart

Once you have all this information it is then a great idea to get it down on paper in the form of a chart. By doing so it allows you to see the whole of the project from start to finish and share your plan with others.
Creating the chart itself can be a little tricky if you are doing it from scratch. You will need a horizontal axis which indicates the time. The time can be broken down into days or weeks depending on which scale is the most appropriate for your plan. On the left of the page is where you need to add each of the tasks as well as the milestones.

Make sure you add the length each step will take and highlight vital dates such as specific milestones if and when they relate to the set task. For each of the tasks create a bar which spans the right length of time for easy viewing and make sure you have included all of the processes.

Alternatively, it can be a lot easier to use Creately which has ready-made Gantt chart templates for project management processes. All you need to do then is add your relevant information to the chart by typing in the text and adding extra processes if you need to. Creately is especially useful for sharing with all the team even if some of the work is to be carried out by companies or departments overseas.

Easy to use Gantt chart template

More Gantt Chart Templates

Sharing and Working Together for the Success of the Project

You can quickly share your Gantt chart via email and add each of the team members to the chart so they are able to add their comments and documents with the rest of the team and discuss the project together. You can even add charts like this to websites with ease and share the information with your clients so they are able to track the progress of the project. This can reduce the need for constant feedback to be provided to worried clients and allow you to continue working without as many interruptions or logistical issues getting in the way.

A Gantt chart that can be used to collaborate on the project plan

Visually collaborate on the project plan using easy to use Gantt chart templates

Using the Information to Your Advantage

Once you have your completed chart you can use it to determine to time that you require in order to complete the project. You can pass on information regarding the completion date to your client and also allow the team members to see when their part in the project needs to be completed.

The information can be broken down into days so that a project manager is able to see how many people or working on the project on any one day, which teams are currently involved and what steps may need to be taken if a problem halts the progression of the finalized plan. In short, a simple chart of this nature provides all the information required for project planning and scheduling to be used by multiple people including the client to help everyone stay on track and informed from the start to finish.

Do You Use Gantt Charts to Plan Projects?

People take different approaches to planning. If you’re planning a project a Gantt chart is a good way to visualize the overall structure and the timeline of the project. If you’re using them in project development I would love to hear about how you use them.

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