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• What is a Gantt chart? A guide to mappi ...

What is a Gantt chart? A guide to mapping your project timelines

A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart used to illustrate a project’s schedule and related tasks or events during the project lifecycle. Find out how this type of chart can help you map tasks and keep deliverables on track.

While these charts can get quite complex, the basics aren’t hard to nail. In our guide, you’ll get a clear breakdown of what Gantt charts are, when to use them, tips for creating one, and more.

What is a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart used to illustrate the timeline of a project and its tasks. This gives your team a visual overview of project information like your project schedule, upcoming milestones, and overall project timeline.

Each horizontal bar within the chart represents a task, and the length of each bar represents the amount of time that step or task will take. When you zoom out to look at the full picture, these charts give project managers and project teams an overview of what work needs to get done, who’s doing it, and when.

Gantt charts typically include the following components:

Task start date

Task duration

Task end date

Most Gantt charts also offer additional context about how project tasks connect to each other, who they’re assigned to, and what important deadlines and milestones are coming up. With a dynamic timeline, team members have at-a-glance insight into what they’re responsible for and how their work impacts the project as a whole.

History of the Gantt chart

Polish engineer Karol Adamiecki created the first iteration of a Gantt chart in 1896, which he called the harmonogram. Adamiecki published his findings in Russian and Poli

sh, which made them difficult to access in English-speaking countries. In 1910, American mechanical engineer Henry Gantt independently popularized a similar chart in the United States, which he devised in order to represent how long factory workers spent on a given task. These two systems have since been merged to create what we know today as the modern-day Gantt chart.

After tracking factory employees’ tasks, these charts became a popular way to track project schedules . Originally, these charts were drawn on paper, which meant that whenever the schedule changed, the charts had to be redrawn. Later, project managers used pieces of paper or blocks to represent the task bars, so they could move them around as needed.

Gantt chart example

Studying this example of a Gantt chart is helpful for understanding how to map out a project lifecycle effectively. 

Initial steps: The project starts with the "Identify key stakeholders" activity, which lays the groundwork for all other tasks that follow.

Planning phase and project launch: Tasks like "Map out dependencies" are scheduled alongside "Define project goals," due by December 15 to indicate tasks that can occur simultaneously. While the "Kick off project" action establishes a key milestone and planning deadline.

Task management: Tasks such as "Measure performance against goals" and "Assign action items" suggest a cycle of continuous evaluation and task distribution.

Finalizing and reporting: Activities that help team members and stakeholders recognize the steps needed as the project culminates to a conclusion include "Prepare presentation" and "Present to leadership." While the final phases of the project are represented by tasks like "Communicate results" and "Complete project," which concentrate on project wrap-up and outcome communication.

While every chart will look different, this example will help you grasp the fundamentals of task sequencing and time management critical for any successful project.

What is a Gantt chart used for?

While you can use a timeline view for a variety of projects and programs, it’s helpful to understand what these charts are commonly used for and why:

Build and manage complex projects: The bigger the project, the more tasks there are to manage. Gantt charts can help project managers when scheduling projects by allowing them to easily visualize a project and break it down into smaller tasks.

Monitor task dependencies: Project delays happen. Visualizing work in a timeline helps project managers automate task dependencies, which ensures that the next phase or task doesn’t start until the previous one has finished.

Keep track of project progress: Track progress and milestones, so you can quickly adjust your project plan if needed.

1. Mapping out a marketing campaign

Larger marketing campaigns require a lot of team collaboration and coordination—and it’s easy to lose track of all the moving pieces. That's why it's so important to visualize all of your work as a sequence of tasks with assignees and details about how long each initiative will take. This way, teams don’t just know who’s responsible for what, but also how their work impacts others or the larger goal.

2. Outlining deliverables for a client

When you show clients a timeline of all of your deliverables , you can clearly set expectations around how long each will take. By outlining plans this way, you can give stakeholders and clients a clear idea of the scope of your deliverables, and how long each one will take to accomplish—so they won’t just know when you’re delivering an item, but also the timeframe in which you’ll be working on it.

3. Planning a product launch

For product launches, you might use a timeline to map out the entire plan, from ideation to launch and beyond. By visualizing this in a timeline, you’re then able to more easily spot conflicts before you begin, see dependencies between steps, and get a clear overview of everything that’s happening leading up to the launch and when.

Parts of a gantt chart

Have you ever wondered what makes up a Gantt chart and how each component contributes to effective project management? Understanding the anatomy of a Gantt chart can help you leverage its full potential in organizing and visualizing your project timelines. Here are the essential components of a Gantt chart, each with an example:

Task list: A vertical list of project tasks on the left side of the chart, serving as the foundation for plotting the project timeline. For example, a project to develop a new website might include tasks like "design homepage," "write content," and "code website."

Task bars: Horizontal bars that represent the duration of each task, showing the start and end dates. For instance, the task bar for "design homepage" might span two weeks in April, visually indicating its planned duration.

Milestones: Markers that signify key dates or achievements within the project timeline. An example is marking the completion of the website prototype as a milestone, which indicates a significant achievement in the project's progress.

Dependencies: Lines or arrows that connect tasks to indicate the sequence in which tasks must occur. If "write content" cannot start until "design homepage" is complete, a dependency arrow would connect these tasks.

Critical path: Highlights the longest sequence of dependent tasks that determine the project's duration. In our website project, the critical path might include tasks such as "code website," directly impacting the project's end date.

Resource allocation: Information on which resources are assigned to specific tasks is often included alongside the task bars. An example would be assigning a specific web designer to the "design homepage" task.

Dates and time scale: The top of the chart features a calendar or time scale that tasks and milestones are plotted against to provide a temporal context. For example, the entire project might be set against a six-month time scale from April to September. This helps stakeholders visualize the project timeline at a glance.

Each of these components plays an important role in providing a comprehensive overview of the project's scope, duration, and dependencies.

How to make a Gantt chart

While no two Gantt charts look exactly alike, there are some basic steps you’ll need to take to get you off the ground, no matter what project management software you use. 

1. Define the time range

Your Gantt chart should be a project with a start and end date. Think of this chart as a way to represent your project over a timeline—your timeline needs a beginning and end point.

Tip: While all projects should have a clear end point, it’s likely that you’ll have some additional follow-up tasks with your client after crossing the finish line, so you may need to add in some dates after the fact for these items.

2. Add tasks with start and end dates

In order to effectively visualize your to-dos, make sure each individual task has a specified beginning and end date—this way they can be easily visualized on a bar chart. If you don’t add task start dates, then your tasks will show up as moments in time, which might be harder to visualize within the bigger picture.

Tip: Clear start and end dates also make it easy for your team to understand when they should begin working on a task. By doing this, they won't be unprepared for a big project that is due tomorrow.

3. Clarify dependencies

With large projects, it’s natural to have some tasks that can’t get started until other tasks are complete. To keep the project running smoothly and every team on the same page, you can visualize dependencies between tasks in your Gantt chart.

In the example below, the ability to publish the product blog post is dependent on reviewing the blog post, which in itself is dependent on drafting the blog post. Similarly, the team can’t launch the email campaign until it’s been drafted. Drawing dependencies between these tasks will help the next team stay up-to-date on what they’re able to start working on in their phase of the project.

4. Pinpoint milestones

Unlike most tasks in a Gantt chart, milestones are fixed points in time. Think of them as checkpoints to signify that large pieces of work are complete. They help your team know what to prioritize and can be great moments of celebration when they’re completed.

Tip: Milestones often take place at the end of project phases, but there’s no one single way to create milestones for your team, especially since every team and project looks different. Examples of milestones might look like:

Project approvals

Task starting points

Mid-phase check ins

Phase completion points

5. Modify work as plans change

Plans will inevitably change, which is why your Gantt chart software should be able to adapt to your needs. Look for a tool that allows you to easily drag and drop tasks, and that automatically updates dependencies in real time. That way, you can always keep your project on track, even as plans shift.

Gantt chart best practices

When teams first start using Gantt charts, they often encounter a few common hurdles. These challenges can lead to miscommunication, resource misallocation, and ultimately, project delays.

However, with the right best practices in place, Gantt charts become powerful tools for improving project visibility and team coordination. The following Gantt chart best practices are designed not just as tips but as solutions to these common initial stumbling blocks.

Determine the critical path

Establishing the critical path of a project timeline is key to understanding the sequence of tasks that directly affect the project's completion date. This practice involves identifying which tasks are critical (i.e., any delay in these tasks will delay the project) and which tasks have float (i.e., can be delayed without affecting the project timeline).

By focusing on the critical path, project managers can allocate resources more effectively and prioritize tasks that are essential for on-time project completion.

In a software development project, tasks such as requirement gathering, design, coding, testing, and deployment are mapped on a Gantt chart to identify the critical path. It reveals that delays in the coding phase directly affect testing and deployment timelines. However, tasks like documentation might have some float and can be adjusted if coding needs more time. This insight enables project managers to prioritize coding and allocate extra resources if necessary, ensuring the project remains on schedule despite potential bottlenecks.

Use a work breakdown structure

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a fundamental step in project planning that involves dividing a project into manageable tasks and subtasks. When applied to a Gantt chart, a WBS helps organize tasks visually, making it easier to monitor progress and allocate resources efficiently.

Consider a project to develop a new website. By using a WBS, you would break down the project into smaller tasks such as design, content creation, and coding. Each task would then be represented on the Gantt chart timeline, giving team members a clear overview of the project scope that helps them understand their responsibilities and deadlines.

Identify task dependencies

Understanding task dependencies is crucial for creating an accurate Gantt chart. Task dependencies indicate the relationship between tasks and subtasks, showing which tasks must be completed before others can begin. This ensures that the project flows logically and resources are allocated appropriately.

For a construction project involving the building of a structure, it's essential to complete foundational subtasks before advancing to subsequent phases, such as erecting walls. The Gantt chart efficiently maps out these work dependencies to ensure contractors realize the importance of completing the foundation to avoid scheduling conflicts and inefficient resource use.

Allocate resources wisely

Resource allocation involves assigning the appropriate resources, including team members, equipment, and budget, to specific tasks. A Gantt chart with integrated resource allocation allows project managers to see not only when tasks are scheduled but also how resources are distributed across the project.

For an event planning project, a Gantt chart can show that while one team works on venue setup, another is arranging catering. Task visualization ensures that resources are not overstretched and that tasks are adequately staffed. This helps prevent burnout and ensures that all project aspects are covered.

Monitor progress regularly

A Gantt chart is not a set-and-forget tool; it requires regular updates to reflect the project's current status. Incorporating dashboards into this practice provides a centralized, real-time view of project progress, task completion, and resource allocation. Dashboards complement Gantt charts by offering an at-a-glance summary of key project metrics, enabling project managers and team members to quickly assess project health and make informed decisions.

During a software development sprint in an agile project , if a sprint is behind, a dashboard updated alongside the Gantt chart quickly highlights delays and resource issues. This allows for immediate adjustments to make certain the project stays on track without extensive meetings or email updates. This streamlined approach keeps everyone aligned and responsive to changes.

Pros and cons of Gantt charts

While these charts can be helpful, they aren’t always the best for every project. To better understand if this type of project chart is right for you and your project vs. a timeline, here are a few considerations before you leap into creating one.

Get a bird’s-eye view of your project timeline: A Gantt chart is a roadmap of your project . This tool helps you track when you should reach each milestone—and whether or not you’re on track to do so. This type of timeline view offers a bird’s-eye perspective on your work, making it a particularly useful tool to present to senior management or clients for a quick overview.

See how tasks relate to each other: By adding start and finish dates to each task and drawing dependencies, you can visualize how each piece of work affects another. This helps you identify problems and fix dependency conflicts before you start.

Improve team resource management : Adding an owner to each piece of work can help you see who’s doing what and when to better manage individual workloads. Since everything is plotted out sequentially, you’ll be able to see if an individual teammate or team has too much to do at one time, then reassign or reschedule tasks as needed.

More time consuming to set up: Setting up a Gantt chart can be time consuming, especially if you’re using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Even if you use a template, you might still have to make adjustments to customize it to your team’s specific needs.

Difficult to manage the project in the same place you planned it: Traditional Gantt charts are most useful in the planning phase of a project. Once you’ve mapped out your work, you’ll likely need to use a different tool or platform to manage day-to-day activities, making it hard to know where your team’s single source of truth is.

Adding more details gets messy: Adding context around deadlines and collaborators to your project plan on a Gantt chart can turn it from easy-to-view map to overwhelming sheet of chaos.

Alternatives to traditional Gantt charts

Fortunately, there are alternatives to clunky charts that still give you a bird’s-eye view of how all your work fits together—without the typical limitations of a traditional, spreadsheet-based chart.

A work project management tool like Asana can help you manage, coordinate, and add details to your work in the same place you plan it—while also spending less time setting everything up.

For example, you could set up your project plan using Asana’s Timeline , a view that lets you map out how all the pieces of your project fit together. Like a Gantt chart, Timeline shows you when each step will happen, how long it will take, and who’s responsible. Unlike a Gantt chart, Timeline is easy to set up and maintain and lets your team collaborate on work in the same place you planned it.

Other types of visual project management

Depending on the type of work you’re managing, a calendar or a Kanban board could work as a more lightweight and quicker-to-setup alternative to visualizing your project plan in a timeline . With Asana, you can also switch between project views. View any project in either Timeline, List, Boards, or Calendar View, so your team can see their work in the way they prefer. You can test out all of these views with a free Premium trial .

Plan projects like a pro with Asana

Whether you end up using a Gantt chart or a similar alternative, visualizing your project plan is a key step for every team—whether you’re a project manager or not. It allows you to show how all the pieces of your project fit together, share it with your team, and adapt your plan as work progresses to keep everything on track.

Map out your project plan and watch the pieces come together with Asana.

Gantt Chart FAQ

What types of teams commonly use Gantt charts? Any team that needs to keep track of task progress can use Gantt charts. Typically, Gantt charts are used by project managers and team leads, but they’re also useful for business owners and C-level executives. Common industries that employ Gantt charts include marketing, software engineering, construction, graphic design, and event planning.

What are the typical components of a Gantt chart? At its most basic, a simple Gantt chart is composed of a vertical axis, which contains a list of tasks, and a horizontal axis, which maps out the project’s timeline. By visually displaying your project plan in a constrained timeframe, Gantt charts help you see at a glance the step-by-step actions you need to take to ensure project success.

What should I look for in a Gantt chart tool? When setting up an online Gantt chart, you should look for a tool with a user-friendly interface and features that make planning and coordinating your work easy, like start and end dates, dependencies, and milestones. Additionally, tools that utilize integrations to connect the chart with apps, like Google Sheets and OneDrive , help streamline workflows.

Related resources

New site openings: How to reduce costs and delays

8 steps to write an effective project status report

Provider onboarding software: Simplify your hiring process

Inventory management software: How to control your stock

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Blog Graphic Design 11 Gantt Chart Examples For Project Management

11 Gantt Chart Examples For Project Management

Written by: Bronwyn Kienapple May 10, 2023

Slack pings, client emails, subcontractor texts… it’s enough to drive anyone crazy. Stop the communication madness and make a Gantt chart .

A Gantt chart lets you communicate your project timeline visually in an easy-to-understand way. Everyone’s in the loop, so you can get work done faster and easier.

Want to see Gantt chart examples, plus get tips on how to create professional Gantt charts that are professional, attractive and simple to understand?

Stick around or check out our Gantt chart templates to start customizing right away.

Click to jump ahead :

• What is a Gantt Chart?

6 Gantt chart examples 

Why is a gantt chart important, what is a gantt chart used for.

• How Gantt charts improve team communication, project tracking & time management ?

Benefits of using a Gantt chart

What are the parts of a gantt chart, how to make a gantt chart, what is a gantt chart.

A Gantt chart is a timeline of a project. The top of the chart shows the time frame and the left side of the chart lists the project activities.

Here’s a Gantt chart example:

Each activity listed on the left-hand side of a Gantt chart has a colored bar next to it.

The position and length of that bar depends on the activity’s timeline and duration: when it starts and when it ends.

• For example, in the daily project status Gantt chart above, Activity 1 (Task 1) will take place from March 3 to 7 and then from March 10 to 13. The due date is Thursday of that week. Each week is color coded.

Here’s another example:

In short, a Gantt chart shows:

• What tasks need to be done to complete the project
• When these tasks need to be done

Now that you know what a Gantt chart is, let’s look at a few examples to better understand its usability and versatility.

• Gantt charts for Project Management
• Gantt Charts for Construction
• Gantt Chart Example for Project Proposals
• Gantt Chart Example for Business Plans
• Gantt Chart Example for Consultants
• Gantt Chart Example for Manufacturing

1. Gantt charts for project management

Gantt charts can be a helpful visual to include in project management plans .

Like the previous example, this retro daily project Gantt chart example breaks down project activities day by day.

It also breaks down who’s responsible for what project activity.

• Sonya J. is responsible for it from September 3 to 14 (two weeks).
• Amir K. is responsible for it from September 17 to 21 (one week). Julia F. is in charge of Task 1/Activity 1 from September 17 to October 2. Her red bar shows that the due date is Wednesday.

The magic of a Gantt chart is that it lets you set the order in which tasks should be completed.

And since Gantt charts are in an easy-to-understand timeline format, the task order is crystal clear.

Your team and/or clients won’t need to ask you again and again when Mark is supposed to be working on link building. Phew .

Project management: simplified.

This template would work especially well for consultants , as the client can get a visual representation of the team working on their project.

Putting faces to the names creates confidence in the client and helps build your reputation.

Pro Tip : Use Venngage’s collaboration features to add team members (like your client) to your account and share your Gantt chart seamlessly. Or better yet, edit and customize your gantt charts with your team in real time with our new real-time collaboration feature!

Get feedback and approvals faster within one channel, without having to juggle Slack messages, emails, or G Suite comments.

This corporate weekly project Gantt chart example is more traditional than the previous example. The focus is on the activities and their types, not the individual people.

The types of activities, such as engineering or marketing, are color coded.

• For example, Task 3/Activity 1 is a marketing activity that will take place from the middle of week 3 to the middle of week 5. Julia K. is responsible for this activity.

This futuristic-looking Gantt chart example is perfect for teams who operate on the sprint system .

The template is divided into two-week sprints, but you can change this to a one week sprint (or longer) as needed.

The left hand side is divided by team and further divided by activity.

• For example, the engineering team will do planning from the beginning of week 3 to the end of week 5.

Pro Tip : When you’ve finished editing your Gantt chart in Venngage, click “Share” in the top right corner of the editor to email or get a link to your design.

Or click “Download” to download a PDF or PNG file to your hard drive (Premium and Business plans only).

Add your Gantt chart to your weekly team meeting presentation . Consultants can add them to their proposals or work plan templates  or integrate them into their project management tool .

2. Gantt Charts for Construction

Construction projects can suffer from “too many cooks in the kitchen” syndrome, making it really hard to meet deadlines.

Gantt charts are a great way to keep construction projects on schedule and make sure clients, crew members and subcontractors are in the loop.

This construction project Gantt chart example will make sure everyone’s on the same page. The chart’s simple format makes it easy to see what activity is due when .

You can edit the Gantt chart as the project progresses.

• For example, if an activity is taking longer than it should, extend the bar’s length and make that section red. That way, everyone is instantly aware of overtime and potential project delays.

This construction project Gantt chart example is almost the same format as the previous one, but the dots represent two day intervals.

• For example, demolition will run from Friday of week 1 to Friday of week 2 (six days).

Pro Tip : Venngage’s My Brand Kit tool lets you apply your brand colors to your Gantt chart template with one click. My Brand Kit also lets you include your logo and apply brand fonts.

For example, in the above template, using My Brand Kit would change the blue, yellow and green background color scheme to your brand’s color scheme. You can then click “shuffle” to cycle through the color combination options.

3. Gantt Chart Example for Project Proposals

New product in the works? Use this dark new product project Gantt chart example.

The far left hand column maps out the activities, while the far right column lists what department is responsible for each activity.

Product development typically involves multiple departments or teams of people. There may be no one project leader, or only multiple managers, on multiple teams.

A Gantt chart is the perfect way to manage tasks between multiple teams as all the information is in one place, in a crystal-clear format.

It eliminates confusion about dependencies i.e. who needs to finish what before another team can begin their task.

Pro Tip : You can also include the chart in your business report or presentation .  Download your finished Gantt chart as a PNG file (Premium and Business plans only). Choose a presentation template from our library. Once you’re in the editor, click the “Image Upload” tab to upload the Gantt chart and add it to your slides.

4. Gantt Chart Example for Business Plans

A business plan tends to contain a lot of information and can quickly become overwhelming to potential investors.

Visualizing schedules, research or data will help break up all the text and quickly communicate key deliverables.

Investors need to see that you have a concrete plan in place that will let you achieve your revenue goals. 

One strategy is to use a Gantt chart to visualize your business plan’s growth strategy or marketing plan .

Use the Gantt chart example above to plot your business strategy and major milestones. Edit the time frame on the bottom to plot out stages by quarter–over several years, if you like.

You can also include this Gantt chart in your project plan .

5. Gantt Chart Example for Consultants

Your client’s hired you to help them achieve their goals. But, let’s say they’re a new client and they need a little more reassurance that you, the consultant, is on top of things.

Show your client that you have a workable roadmap to success with a Gantt chart.

Edit the above Gantt chart example and divide tasks–between your team, any subcontractors and your client’s team.

Refer back to the chart during your weekly calls with the client to make sure you’re both on the same page.

If you’re overwhelmed by admin work, check out our job proposal templates , business proposal templates and consulting report templates and get important documents out the door a lot faster.

Find a hard time creating business proposals fast? Read our in-depth business proposal guide to whip up proposals quickly. 

They’ll also look plenty better than those Word documents you usually churn out!

Pro Tip : Love your Gantt chart’s layout and want to use it again for other consulting projects? Save it as a template in Venngage. That way, you can reuse it whenever you need to make a Gantt chart for another client.

6. Gantt Chart Example for Manufacturing

A Gantt chart template for manufacturing is useful for both employees and management. It clearly maps out the entire production process in a visual format, detailing each step from raw materials to the final product. This clarity allows your employees to see exactly what needs to be done and when, making it easier to coordinate efforts and maintain smooth operations.

Management teams benefit by being able to quickly identify potential delays and adjust plans accordingly to keep the project on track. A Gantt chart ensures everyone is on the same page, enhances productivity, and guarantees timely delivery of products.

Pro Tip: Customize your Gantt chart template to include color codes for different stages of the production process. This visual differentiation can help team members quickly understand the status of various tasks and prioritize their efforts more effectively.

Gantt charts are important because they make scheduling, planning and executing on projects easier. They also help a lot with general time management .

Projects often involve multiple stakeholders, activities and deadlines. Gantt charts visualize all these factors so that project managers and their teams can quickly understand who needs to do what and when .

This will help make sure each deliverable is completed on time.

Which in turn will prevent a snowball effect of missed deadlines, causing the  project price to go up and the completion date to be pushed back.

And no one wants that.

A Gantt chart is a handy visual tool that’s great for project management, helping to lay out a project schedule. Here’s how it helps:

• Plan and Schedule Projects : By outlining tasks, how long they’ll take, and how they depend on each other, Gantt charts make planning and scheduling projects of any size much easier.
• Track Progress : They give you a clear visual of project progress, showing which tasks are done, which are in progress, and which haven’t started yet.
• Visualize Dependencies : The chart highlights how tasks depend on each other, making it easy to see how a delay in one task might affect others.
• Identify Critical Path : Gantt charts help you figure out the critical path of a project—the sequence of tasks that must be completed on time for the project to stay on schedule.
• Facilitate Communication : They serve as a centralized communication tool, providing everyone with a clear overview of the project timeline and who’s responsible for what.

Gantt charts are super useful for keeping projects organized, on track, and ensuring everyone on the team is on the same page.

How Gantt charts improve team communication, project tracking & time management?

Gantt charts are useful tools that can boost team communication, project tracking, and time management. Here’s how:

Improved Team Communication:

• Clear Visualization: Gantt charts give you a visual overview of the entire project, showing the timeline, tasks, and milestones. This makes it easy for everyone to understand their responsibilities.
• Centralized Information: All the details about the project, like who is doing what and when it’s due, are in one place. This cuts down on unnecessary back-and-forth communication.
• Status Updates: Everyone can see the status of each task at a glance, which helps in identifying any delays and facilitates timely discussions.
• Collaborative Planning: These charts make it easy to plan tasks together and adjust them as needed, ensuring that everyone is aligned.

Enhanced Project Tracking:

• Real-Time Monitoring: You can track the progress of the project in real-time, making sure everything is on schedule.
• Milestones and Deadlines: Key dates are clearly marked, helping to keep the project on track.
• Dependency Management: Gantt charts show how tasks depend on each other, so you can see how delays in one task might affect the overall timeline.
• Progress Updates: Regular updates give you a clear picture of which tasks are completed and which are still pending.

Better Time Management:

• Task Allocation: These charts help in assigning tasks efficiently, making it clear who is responsible for what and when.
• Prioritization: They help in prioritizing tasks based on their importance and deadlines.
• Resource Management: Gantt charts highlight resource bottlenecks, ensuring optimal use of resources.
• Forecasting: Teams can predict future workload and adjust plans to prevent team members from being overburdened.

Practical Example: Imagine you’re running a marketing campaign. A Gantt chart can help you:

• Schedule Tasks: Plan out content creation, design, social media posts, and ad placements.
• Assign Responsibilities: Clearly assign tasks and set deadlines for each team member.
• Track Progress: Visually update the status of each task to see what’s completed and what’s still in progress.
• Manage Dependencies: Make sure that content is ready before starting the design phase.
• Adjust Plans: Modify tasks as needed to stay on track for the campaign launch date.

Gantt charts provide a clear and visual way to manage projects. They improve team communication, project tracking, and time management, leading to more successful project outcomes.

The benefits of a Gantt chart include:

• Scheduling and planning projects and tasks
• Plan work in sprints
• Visualizing how projects and tasks evolve over time
• Collaborate with your team
• Comparing planned versus actual timelines

Gantt charts are incredibly versatile — they’re useful for multiple roles, such as:

• Project managers
• Marketing managers
• Team leaders
• Operations managers
• Consultants

Gantt charts aren’t industry-specific, either. They’re a critical tool for anyone managing a long-term project that has lots of tasks and a complex schedule and that requires collaboration.

• For example, the Gantt chart example below can be adapted for any project simply by changing the tasks and milestones:

Industries that can benefit from Gantt charts include:

• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Product development
• Engineering
• Infrastructure
• Oil and gas
• Telecommunications
• Professional services and consultants

Telecommuting has risen 140 percent since 2005, according to Globa l Workplace Analytics .

As this number continues to skyrocket, a Gantt chart becomes even more critical for team management and to effectively plan and track work as a team.

When you first look at a Gantt chart, it might seem overwhelming.

What do the bars or lines mean? How do they relate to the x and y axes?

But, on second glance you’ll see that the beauty of a Gantt chart is actually in its simplicity.

A Gantt chart only has three main parts:

• Activities and/or tasks (left axis)
• Milestones (top or bottom axis)
• Activity and/or task bars

Take a look at this simple Gantt chart example:

Not intimidating at all.

• Tasks on the left axis
• Milestones on the bottom axis
• And bars that show when each task should begin and end

Of course, more complex projects, such as the construction of large urban infrastructures or complex software engineering services, require more complex Gantt charts.

The Gantt chart example below takes things a step further by dividing activities into smaller tasks.

• For example, “Planning” is divided into: needs assessment, project agreement and site map.

This Gantt chart also lists (on the right) who’s responsible for each task.

The good news is that you can now create a Gantt chart with Venngage in five steps:

1. Choose a Template

Choices, choices. Open our Gantt chart templates gallery .

Then, select the template for you by:

• Ex. Dark Home Construction Project Gantt Chart Template
• Ex. Dark New Product Project Gantt Chart Template
• Corporate Weekly Project Gantt Chart
• Ex. Detailed Project Gantt Chart

Hover over the template you like and click “Create.”

2. Lay Out Your Timeline From Left to Right

Start by laying out the timeline of your from left to right, creating divisions by day, week, month, or quarter.

In this Gantt chart template, click the text box you want to edit and start typing.

Or delete the days of the week and add months or quarters, instead.

Made a mistake? You can click “undo” in the top toolbar at any time.

To add a new column to the right, click “Resize” and increase the width of the custom page size. Try adding 200 more pixels and readjust as needed.

Then, drag and select all the orange icons to move them to the right at the same time.

Drag to select the entire dates section and click “copy” and move into place. Edit the dates.

Now, drag to extend the beige bars. Use the “snap to guide” feature to help you align everything perfectly.

3. Add Tasks From Top to Bottom

Click the tasks and activities to edit the text. Use the top navigation bar to change the font style, size, color etc.

If you need to add a new row, follow the same steps for adding a new column as above. Just adjust the height of the page size instead of the width. Then, copy the last row by dragging to select and pressing “copy.”

4. Adjust Each Bar Accordingly

Adjust each bar so it begins at the task’s start date and extend it to the end of the expected task deadline.

Click each bar to move it or drag it. The snap-to-guide feature will help you align the bar with the specific day of the week above.

Copy other bars with the right color and move them into place to extend the timeline of a task.

You can also click the orange circles to assign each task to a different person–in the above Gantt chart template they’re indicated by initials.

5. Brand Your Gantt Chart

Brand your Gantt chart with one click by opening the My Brand Kit tab. Drag your logo into place.

Then, click a “My Brand Colors” palette to apply these colors to the entire template. Click “Shuffle” to scroll through different color combinations. Very cool.

Want a different type of design? Discover even more Gantt chart templates .

Pro Tip : Struggling to customize your Gantt chart just the way you want it? Venngage offers priority support via email, chat and phone and 1-on-1 consultations to Business plan members. Ask our designers for tips on how to present your idea visually — whether in a Gantt chart or a presentation, report, white paper etc.

What’s your number one struggle with managing projects right now? Let us know in the comments below!

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What Is a Gantt Chart? How to Use Gantt Charts in Project Management (with Examples)

Summary : A gantt chart is a visual project plan that lists tasks and milestones on the vertical axis with time plotted on the horizontal axis. Gantt charts are used in project management to schedule, track, and communicate deliverables, deadlines, dependencies, and resource assignments.

Whether you’re a project management rookie or veteran, you’ve probably heard of a gantt chart. While gantt charts might seem intimidating, they’re not as mystifying as you might think.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the gantt chart—from its definition and parts to how to create one quickly and easily. Find out how gantt charts work and why so many project teams use them in project management.

Watch this video for a quick breakdown of the basics.

What is a gantt chart?: Definition & overview

A gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart used in project management to visually represent a project plan over time. Gantt charts typically show you the timeline and status—as well as who’s responsible—for each task in the project.

Here’s a quick look at the details a gantt chart enables you to capture at a glance:

• How a project breaks down into tasks
• When each task will begin and end
• How long each task will take
• Who’s assigned to each task
• How tasks relate to and depend on each other
• When important meetings, approvals, or deadlines need to happen
• How work is progressing in a project
• The full project schedule from start to finish

In other words, a gantt chart is a super-simple way to communicate what it will take to deliver a project on time and budget. That means it’s a whole lot easier to keep your project team and stakeholders on the same page from the get-go.

Who invented the gantt chart?

The first project management chart was invented by Karol Adamiecki in 1896. So why isn’t it called an Adamiecki chart? Good question!

Although Adamiecki created his precursor to the gantt chart—called the harmonogram—in the late 19th century, he didn’t publish it until 1931. It got limited exposure at the time because it was only published in Polish.

Meanwhile, Henry Gantt published his own project management system in the 1910s to a much wider audience.

Here’s a quick history of gantt charts:

• 1896 : Karol Adamiecki creates the first project management chart: the Harmonogram, a precursor to the modern gantt chart.
• 1931 : Adamiecki publishes the harmonogram (but in Polish with limited exposure).
• 1910-1915 : Henry Gantt publishes his own project management system, the gantt chart.
• Today : Gantt charts are the preferred tool for managing projects of all sizes and types.

Basic components of a gantt chart

Gantt charts may seem complicated at first. But once you learn how to read them, you’ll be able to tell exactly where your projects are and what needs to happen to guide them to success.

Reading a gantt chart really comes down to understanding how the different elements come together to make a gantt chart work. Here’s a simple gantt chart example with explanations of the core components:

Let’s break down the basic parts of a gantt chart so you understand how they function in a project plan.

• Task list : Runs vertically down the left of the gantt chart to describe project work and may be organized into groups and subgroups
• Timeline : Runs horizontally across the top of the gantt chart and shows months, weeks, days, and years
• Dateline : A vertical line that highlights the current date on the gantt chart
• Bars : Horizontal markers on the right side of the gantt chart that represent tasks and show progress, duration, and start and end dates
• Milestones : Yellow diamonds that call out major events, dates, decisions, and deliverables
• Dependencies : Light gray lines that connect tasks that need to happen in a certain order
• Progress : Shows how far along work is and may be indicated by percent complete and/or bar shading
• Resource assigned : Indicates the person or team responsible for completing a task

What is a gantt chart used for in project management?

In project management, gantt charts are used for planning and scheduling projects. A gantt chart is incredibly useful because it allows you to simplify complex projects into an easy-to-follow plan and track the status of tasks as work progresses.

Gantt charts also help you keep track of project deadlines, milestones, and hours worked so you can spot and address delays or overages before they wreak havoc on your project.

Who uses gantt charts?

Gantt charts are used by project managers, business owners, team leaders, and executives in many different industries across various departments. Here are just a few types of companies and teams that use gantt charts to plan, schedule, and execute their projects:

• Construction
• Consulting agencies
• Engineering firms
• Event planning
• Human resources
• Marketing teams
• Manufacturing
• Software development

When should you use a gantt chart?

A gantt chart comes in handy when your project requires more planning than a basic to-do list. Here are a few sure signs you’re going to need a gantt chart to get the job done:

• Your project has a hard deadline.
• Multiple people or teams are involved in the project and need to be coordinated.
• A boss, client, or team member wants to see a visual timeline of the project from beginning to end.
• Your project involves even just a little complexity, such as tasks that need to be done in a specific order.
• Team members work on multiple projects at a time, and you need to manage their workloads.
• You have a good idea of roughly how long each task should or can take.

If ANY of the conditions above apply to your project, use a gantt chart!

Gantt chart examples

Now let’s look at 7 examples of gantt charts you could use for different project types. Use these ideas as an easy starting point for making a gantt chart for your projects.

Software project gantt chart

Taking a hybrid approach to an upcoming software project? This software development plan shows you how to use a gantt chart for an Agile project . Tasks have been organized into groups based on sprints, with milestones for sprint planning and deployment.

Try this template for free!

Design project gantt chart

This sample gantt chart is perfect for planning a website build or redesign. It breaks activities down into basic phases from discovery, content, and design to development, launch, and maintenance. Feel free to keep your website development plan simple or build it out to cover all your project bases.

Media production gantt chart

Want to get one step closer to lights, camera, action? We designed this video production schedule to help you hit your release dates right on time. In this gantt chart example, tasks are organized and color-coded by the 3 phases of a media project: pre-production, production, and post-production.

Marketing gantt charts

Writing your first marketing plan can feel daunting. This digital marketing plan makes it easy to outline key strategies for meeting your objectives. Use this gantt chart to track goal progress and keep your team and stakeholders informed. In this example, we grouped quarterly initiatives by project type.

Need to plan an integrated digital marketing campaign ? The gantt chart sample below shows you how to build a tactical plan across all your digital media. It’s got tasks for foundational planning, content, and design work, plus subgroups for different marketing channels so you can outline a strategy for each one.

Event planning gantt chart

This event plan checklist breaks your event plan down into all the granular details. You can group tasks by planning phase and even vendor. In this example, we’ve used milestones to track important meetings, decisions, and deadlines and added dependencies between tasks that must get done before the next one can start.

Construction gantt chart

Construction project managers rely on gantt charts to manage moving parts across large projects. In this sample construction schedule , each phase of the construction process has been broken down into its own group of tasks. Important contract sign-off and inspections are represented by milestones.

How to make a gantt chart

Now that you’ve got the gantt chart basics down, you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and create a gantt chart of your own! Let’s walk through the process of how to build a gantt chart for your next project.

In this section, we’ll go over:

What you need to create a gantt chart

How to build a basic gantt chart in minutes, best practices for creating an effective gantt chart.

You can’t build a gantt chart without knowing some basic project information. That’s why it’s important to answer a few simple questions first.

These questions can help you gather all the right details so you can sketch out a project plan before you sit down to create your gantt chart. Get a more detailed look at how to write a good project plan.

What to consider when making a gantt chart

• What are the major deliverables?
• How will we get to those deliverables and the deadline ?
• What are the milestones we need to hit?
• Are there dependencies that could impact the timeline ?
• Who is on the project team, and what role will they play in those deliverables?

There are lots of different ways to make a gantt chart. Some people use traditional desktop apps to create a gantt chart, while others use collaborative project management software .

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how it’s done in TeamGantt. If you’d rather use a spreadsheet to build your gantt chart, we’ve got guides for that too.

• How to make a gantt chart in Excel
• How to make a gantt chart in Google Sheets

Just be sure to choose a gantt chart builder that gives you the features you need.

Follow the steps and examples below to learn how to build a gantt chart in TeamGantt in minutes. Sign up for a free account to follow along and create a gantt chart of your own.

Step 1: Set up your project details

Before you start mapping out tasks on a timeline, you need to gather a few basic project details.

To create a new gantt chart in TeamGantt, click the New Project button in the upper right corner of the My Projects screen.

Give your project a name and start date, and select the days of the week you want to include in your project.

Tip : You have 2 options for fast-tracking your build if you don’t want to create a gantt chart from scratch: create a project from a template or import a project via CSV. ‍

Once you’ve completed these basics, click Create New Project to move on to adding tasks.

Step 2: Add tasks to your project

Adding tasks to your gantt chart is the first step in creating your project timeline. To create tasks, click on the Add Task link ( +Task ), and type the name of your first task.

Hit enter to add another task. Repeat this process until you have all (or most) of your tasks added to the task list.

Step 3: Schedule your tasks

Now that you’ve got a full list of work to be done, it’s time to schedule all those tasks. TeamGantt makes scheduling tasks super-simple because you can drag and drop each task on your timeline.

To place the taskbar on your gantt chart, simply click on the timeline below the date you'd like to schedule your task. Then drag either side of the taskbar to shorten or extend the task's duration.

Step 4: Add important project milestones

Adding milestones to your gantt chart makes it easy to track project deadlines, approvals, meetings, and other key deliverables or events. In TeamGantt, a milestone appears as a yellow diamond on your gantt chart.

To add a milestone to your gantt chart, simply click on the Milestone link, give your new milestone a name, and drag the milestone icon across the gantt chart to schedule it on the timeline.

Repeat this process until you have all your milestones added to the list.

Step 5: Add dependencies to the tasks that need them

Now that your tasks and milestones are entered and scheduled, hover over a task, and click the gray dot that appears.

Click and drag the dependency line to the task you want to link it to.

Step 6: Invite people to your project and assign tasks to those responsible

Click the Invite People button at the upper right corner of your project to go to your project’s People page. From there, click the blue Invite People link, located just below the list of people who are already part of your project.

If the user already exists in your account:

Simply select the checkbox next to the person you want to add to your project, then click the blue Add to Project button that appears. This person will automatically receive an invitation to log into TeamGantt and access the project.

If the user does not exist in your account yet:

Click the Add New Person link. Then enter the person’s name and email address, select their company-level permission , and click the Add User to Company button. (Note: Guest users and Basic users are automatically added with View Only project permission, while Advanced users are added with Edit Chart project permission.)

Feel free to add your own custom notification message, then click Add to Project to finalize the invite. This person will automatically receive an invitation to get set up in TeamGantt and access the project.

Learn more about inviting people to your project in TeamGantt.

Step 7: Apply task colors to enhance visualization on your gantt chart

Color is a great way to make your gantt chart easy to understand at a quick glance.

Hover over a taskbar, and click on the colored square. Choose a new color, and you’re all done!

Tip : You can set a default color for each person on your team in TeamGantt. Simply select the People tab at the top of your project, then click none next to each user to assign a default task color. Now, each task you assign to that person will automatically be the color you selected.

If you want to build a gantt chart everyone can use and navigate, there are a few simple rules you should keep in mind. Follow these simple tips and best practices to make a good gantt chart that’s easy to update and manage.

Do get granular with tasks.

The more detail you can spell out when it comes to tasks, the better you’ll be able to track progress and steps leading up to a deliverable. Refer back to your work breakdown structure , and list the steps you used to create that.

Do organize tasks into groups or phases.

Creating groups of tasks will make your plan easier to scan and understand. It’ll also allow your team and stakeholders to see what tasks are part of a deliverable or a phase.

Here’s a quick look at how subgroups work in TeamGantt.

Do add important details and documents to tasks.

Sometimes your team and clients may forget what they committed to. Or maybe they don’t fully understand the intent of a task or group.

Use the notes section of your plan (most gantt chart software should provide this) to spell things out. While you’re at it, be sure to upload key files directly to the task so everything’s ready and waiting for work to begin.

In the project sample below, we added notes about the scope of the task and uploaded a copy of the creative brief for more detail.

Do label tasks by responsible party.

This tip comes in handy for any project, but it’s especially useful for client projects. Identifying which team or company is responsible for each task makes your gantt chart super-easy to scan.

When creating a task, you can assign labels you've set up on the People tab or simply put the company name (or an acronym) in front of the task. Here’s how we tagged tasks in the following gantt chart example:

• PT = Product Team
• GM = Gantt Museum

Of course, you’ll also want to take that a step further and assign each task to the person responsible. This will help you with resource allocation and accountability.

Do display start and end dates for each task

Seems like a silly tip, but it’s easy to hide this info in some apps! If you’re using TeamGantt, you’ll see the dates in the gantt view.

Regardless of what tool you’re using, you want to make it clear not only when a task ends, but when it starts. Again, this will help to keep your team and clients accountable.

Don’t skip dependencies.

If you’re not going to move forward on the project without an approval—or one task must be done before another—now’s your chance to note it.

Not every planning tool offers dependency functionality, and it can be a huge help. As your plan shifts, the flow of the work will stay intact.

Don't assign work without checking team availability.

If you’re lucky enough to use a product that shows you overall team availability, use it! Knowing how booked your team is and what projects they’re part of will play a huge role in delivering work on time and maintaining team morale.

Having an overall view of your team’s availability and conflicting work will help you adjust your plan to either meet the needs of existing project work or shift the milestones you’ve put in your plan.

Here's how to view team availability directly from your gantt chart in TeamGantt.

Don’t overlook holidays and time off.

Now is your chance to block time off in your plan. This is important now because as soon as your timeline shifts (you know it will, don’t fight it), you’ll open yourself up to making an error and dropping a deadline on a date that should be blocked. If you note them in your plan, that won’t happen.

Don’t forget to ask for feedback.

If you deliver a plan that has a mistake, misinterprets a task, or even misses a date, it can create confusion and delays. So grab a teammate and ask them to review your gantt chart before you post it for review.

Of course, you’ll also want to be ready to get some feedback on your plan. Formalizing a plan means you’re taking a set of ideas and expanding on them. That also means you might interpret something differently than a teammate. That’s okay!

Don’t set it and forget it.

A gantt chart is a living, breathing document that should keep up with project changes—not a fixed plan that’s set in stone. Invite your team to collaborate on work and track progress in real time so your gantt chart’s always up-to-date.

How to use gantt charts to manage projects

Now you know how to make a gantt chart to plan and schedule project tasks. But that’s not all they’re designed to do! 

Let’s explore some easy ways you can use a gantt chart to manage and track your projects in TeamGantt.

Collaborate with your team and stakeholders

Successful projects run on communication and collaboration. When project files and updates are scattered across different email threads and other platforms, it’s hard to get a good sense of what needs to get done and how close you are to the finish line.

With an online gantt chart , you can streamline communication through a single channel that centers around your project plan.

Here’s how to use a gantt chart to boost collaboration with your team and stakeholders.

Use comments to discuss tasks and share project files

Got a mockup that’s ready for design review? Or need more info to get started on your task? Add a comment to the task, and be sure to tag the person you’re updating so they’ll get automatically notified.

You can also upload documents directly to a task, group, or project. TeamGantt supports version control, so it's easy to find the latest version of any document.

And if you need to share important details up front, that’s what sticky notes are for. For instance, you might want to document how many hours have been scoped for a task or outline specs for a design project.

Watch this video to see team collaboration in action in TeamGantt.

Share your gantt chart with external stakeholders

Need to share project updates with contractors, clients, or other stakeholders? In TeamGantt, you have several options for sharing your gantt chart with external users :

• Invite someone as a guest to your project : Inviting someone as a guest enables them to see and comment on tasks in a single project without making edits to the gantt chart itself.
• Send a view-only link to your gantt chart : This option is great if you want to enable a client or stakeholder to monitor project progress without inviting them to become a user on your account.
• ‍ Export your gantt chart as a PDF : This option enables you to filter a gantt chart down to only the information you want to share so clients and stakeholders can get a quick snapshot of the project.

Integrate your gantt chart with other collaboration apps

If your team uses multiple apps to collaborate on projects, why not integrate them with your gantt chart so everything connects back to the plan? Here are a few popular integrations you can use to keep your people and projects in sync:

• Trello : See your cards in a project timeline, create dependencies between cards, and view workloads—all without ever leaving Trello.
• Slack : Create tasks from chats, check your daily task list, and get notified about new comments and assignments right from Slack.
• Dropbox : Share important documents more easily by uploading Dropbox files directly to your tasks and projects.
• Zapier : Automate work and streamline collaboration by connecting TeamGantt to your other favorite apps.
• ‍ TeamGantt API : Got a developer on hand? Build custom integrations with your TeamGantt data using our public API!

Manage resources and team workloads

It’s hard to finish any project on time and budget when your team is overloaded and overwhelmed. A gantt chart plots everyone’s work on a visual timeline so you can see how tasks stack up across your projects.

In TeamGantt, you can check and adjust workloads right from your gantt chart to avoid overbooking your team as you schedule new tasks.

Take a closer look at how to use gantt charts for project resource management.

Estimate project time and effort

Assigning hourly estimates to tasks in your gantt chart makes it easier to assess project scope , balance team workloads, and monitor project budget once work gets underway.

TeamGantt’s Advanced plan comes with hourly estimation and time tracking. You can use these features to track and compare estimated vs. actual hours directly from your gantt chart. With that kind of visibility, you can keep a close eye on potential overages and get ahead of issues before they throw your whole project off course.

Estimating hours at the task level also gives you a more granular view of availability when assigning and scheduling work for your team. That way you can feel more confident your team can get the work done without missing deadlines.

Learn more about hourly estimation in TeamGantt.

Track progress against deadlines and estimates

One of the best things about using a gantt chart is the ability to see where a project stands at any given moment. After all, clients, bosses and other project stakeholders expect you to stick to your promises (aka: budgets and deadlines).

That’s why it’s important to monitor tasks to ensure you’re on track to deliver work on time and budget. If things start to go sideways, you can adjust the gantt chart to get things back on track and reset expectations along the way.

Here’s how to track progress and spot issues early in TeamGantt.

Update and monitor progress

Checking things off a list is a pretty satisfying thing to do. What’s even more satisfying is updating the % Complete of a big task and watching the taskbar fill in until it’s 100% done.

Seeing the status of your teammates’ and coworkers’ tasks can be a healthy motivating force too. When you know the up-to-the-minute status of other tasks—especially those tasks that may rely on your tasks—it keeps everyone moving in the right direction.

How to request a progress update in TeamGantt

Need to know where someone stands on a particular task? TeamGantt makes it easy to do a quick status check and remind team members to update their progress.

Here's how it works:

• Click the chat bubble to the left of the task to open the comment window.
• Click Request a progress update at the top of the comment window.
• TeamGantt will send anyone who's assigned to that task an email asking them to update their progress.

Hourly estimate vs. actual progress

TeamGantt’s Advanced plan enables you to compare hourly estimates with actual progress so you can easily spot tasks that are taking longer than expected. Simply look for the thin striped line in the middle of each taskbar on your gantt chart, and pay attention to its color and length.

These indicators signal task trouble:

• The striped line is red : This task (or group) is over-budget. More hours have been tracked than were originally estimated for the task.
• ‍ The striped line is longer than the progress indicated for a task : The hours tracked are outpacing actual progress. That means this task (or group) is at risk for going over budget or missing a deadline.

Remember how I said no matter how much planning you do, it’s likely something will come up that requires you to move your timeline? It’s handy to know how much you’ve had to move things over the course of a project. Enter: baselines.

What is a baseline in a gantt chart?

A baseline is a “snapshot” of your project in time. When you create a baseline set, you’re grabbing a picture of your whole project so you have something to compare to when things inevitably shift for one reason or another.

Baselines are extremely important because they give you the “real” picture of shifts that have occurred. It’s easy to think things are looking pretty good, when in reality you’re 3 weeks behind and $10,000 over budget. Things can creep slowly, and without a set of baselines to compare to, it can be easy to get behind and not even fully realize it.

Learn how baselines work in TeamGantt.

Using multiple baseline sets in your gantt chart

A single baseline is great, but a single point doesn’t show trends. Stringing multiple baseline sets together will give you a much clearer picture of when and why your project slipped. Was it due to consistently dragging manufacturing estimates? Or was it that the client was consistently slow in approving designs and signing contracts? Baselines can tell you exactly what you need to know so you can improve your estimating practices.

Baselines aren’t just for showing you the negatives of your project. They’re equally useful for seeing where things have gone better than expected. Just like you have to shift things around when tasks are delayed, you may have to make adjustments when things run ahead of schedule.

As you get better at tracking your project’s slippage, you’ll get better at making realistic estimates on timelines. Once you’ve mastered that skill, you’ll have customers lining up because they know that when you plan a project, they have a timeline they can count on.

How does a gantt chart compare to other alternatives?

Project managers use a variety of tools—from gantt charts and kanban boards to spreadsheets and task lists—to keep up with project details, deadlines, and to-dos.

So what separates gantt charts from the rest of the pack when it comes to time-sensitive or complex projects? Spreadsheets, kanban boards, and task lists fall short when it comes to important project management tasks, like building a timeline, outlining dependencies, and managing workloads.

Without these 3 gantt chart features , you’ll have a tough time communicating the plan to your team, clients, and stakeholders. Here are just a few examples of questions a gantt chart can help you answer:

• Can we take on more work?
• How will we get from point A to point B?
• What needs to happen first?
• Can we meet a requested deadline?
• Who has the bandwidth to tackle these tasks?
• Are we on track to finish on time?
• How are we performing?

The good news is, you can use a gantt chart without foregoing other alternatives. Your team may prefer kanban boards for managing daily tasks or using a spreadsheet to create a RACI chart , and that’s okay.

With TeamGantt, you’ve got choices. View and manage projects as a gantt chart, task list, calendar, or kanban board, and upload important spreadsheets to the project documents. No matter how you look at things, everything ties back to your plan.

Let’s take a closer look at how a gantt chart can help you manage projects better.

Gantt chart pros and cons

What’s to love about gantt charts? And what should you be aware of before diving in? Here’s a quick snapshot of the pros and cons so you can decide if a gantt chart is right for your projects.

What are the pros of using a gantt chart?

A gantt chart is like a front-row seat to the project action. All the tiny details you never noticed from the nosebleed section suddenly come to life in full color right before your very eyes. It’s nearly impossible to miss a game-changing move!

Let’s explore some of the biggest gantt chart pros in project management .

Visualize your entire project

A project plan is one thing. How it plays out is another. A gantt chart gives you a start-to-finish view of your entire project timeline so you can see how tasks are progressing in real time. That means you can provide up-to-the-minute status reports to managers and stakeholders in a flash.

See how tasks are connected

Let’s face it: Things change. Lucky for you, modern gantt charts make it easy to shift tasks around without breaking your stride. With dependencies —a star feature of any gantt chart—you can keep tasks connected even when your timeline gives you the ol’ switcheroo.

Keep everyone on the same page and on time

Clear communication is a must-have in any project. Without it, you risk project delays and cost overruns. Web-based gantt charts, like TeamGantt, ensure no one’s left in the dark. That’s because all your project info and discussion threads live in one central hub that everyone can access, making team collaboration a breeze.

Know who’s busy and who isn’t

If you want to make smart business decisions, you’ve got to have a good grasp on your resources. With gantt charts, resource management is no longer a guessing game. You can see who’s got bandwidth to take on new tasks at a glance.

See a full list of gantt chart benefits.

Do gantt charts have limitations?

Some folks think gantt charts are too complicated to build, read, and update. While traditional desktop apps have their limitations, most of the cons people associate with gantt charts don’t apply to the online gantt chart software you’ll find today.

That’s because modern gantt charts ushered in a whole new era of project management. Now gantt charts offer clean and simple design with drag and drop scheduling so you can build and adjust project plans in an instant. And because everything happens online, it’s easy to share plans, collaborate on work, update tasks, and track progress in real time.

Let's look at how modern gantt charts compare to traditional desktop apps.

Modern gantt charts vs. desktop apps

Gantt charts come in many forms—from good old-fashioned paper to desktop apps and even web-based software.

Bringing gantt charts online transforms them from a static document that quickly becomes obsolete to a living, collaborative representation of a project’s current state. Team members can update their progress in real time, and stakeholders can check in on project status without having to go through you. Plus, it's easy to stay in sync and push projects across the finish line more quickly.

See how TeamGantt’s modern gantt chart tool compares to 2 popular desktop apps:

• TeamGantt vs. Microsoft Excel
• TeamGantt vs. Microsoft Project

Advanced features to look for in a modern gantt chart

A good modern gantt chart should be a part of a complete project management solution. Look for these advanced gantt chart software features to ensure your team and projects stay on track:

• Team collaboration
• Multiple project views, including kanban boards, task lists, and calendar views
• Time tracking and hourly estimation
• Workload management
• Mobile access
• Integrations

TeamGantt has all of this! Try it for free.

Continue learning about gantt charts

Now that you know how to make a gantt chart, you’re ready to move on to the next step! Keep reading to learn how to use your gantt chart to manage your team's time and availability more easily.

NEXT CHAPTER: Managing Resources with Your Gantt Chart

Plan your next project in minutes

When you’re a project manager, every minute counts. So why waste time building out a bunch of complicated spreadsheets just to keep tabs on a project?

At TeamGantt, you don’t have to. Our free online gantt chart software enables you to stay focused on the tasks that move the needle. Whip up a project plan in minutes, and watch your team cross the finish line faster. It really is that simple.

What Is A Gantt Chart? The Ultimate Guide

Updated: Aug 23, 2024, 9:46pm

A Gantt chart is a project management tool that helps in planning, scheduling and monitoring a project. Using a Gantt chart can improve your planning and scheduling, remote work collaboration, resource allocation and task delegation.

A Gantt chart represents all information visually through a horizontal bar graph. Project managers and team members can view the task schedules, dependencies and progress by just glancing at the chart. Planning for all tasks in advance and making them visible in one place empowers teams to deliver on time.

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What Is a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart used to display the start date and duration of each task that makes up a project. It is one of the most popular project management tools, allowing project managers to view the progress of a project at a glance.

Although the Gantt chart is named after Henry Gantt, an American engineer and project management consultant, he was not the first one to devise it. It was devised first by Karol Adamiecki, a Polish engineer, in the 1890s. He created it for his steelworks unit but Henry Gantt customized it for his clients. Today, Gantt charts are used most popularly for project scheduling and control.

Gantt Chart Example

The tasks in a project are represented on the Y axis of the Gantt Chart, with its duration on the X-axis. Each task is represented by a bar. The length of the bar represents its duration. If you see two bars overlapping on the X-axis, know that they occur simultaneously.

As you can see in this example, a Gantt chart enables project managers to have a quick view of project information like:

• List of tasks that comprise a project
• Start and end dates for each task
• Dependencies between tasks
• Progress of each task
• Task owners

A Gantt chart proves useful in keeping a project on track, especially when you have multiple dependencies and many tasks happen simultaneously.

How Gantt Charts Can Be Used

Gantt charts make it easy for project managers to identify the critical path to project completion and ensure that there is no delay in those tasks. Project managers should use Gantt charts for project planning and scheduling, allocating resources, tracking the progress of each task at all times and ensuring the smooth and timely execution of critical tasks.

How To Make a Gantt Chart

Gantt Charts can be made using project management software or a spreadsheet like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. But before you draw up the Gantt chart, you need to bring your team together and plan.

Planning To Create a Gantt Chart

Before you create a Gantt chart, gather the following information:

• List of tasks
• Task dependencies
• Team members allocated to each task

When you sit down with your team, the first thing to create is a list of tasks that will make up the project. After that, you must estimate the duration, resources required, dependencies, and more for each task. This will help you in allocating the resources properly. However, you must be prepared to replan and reallocate your resources as the project progresses.

Remember that the basic information needed to create a Gantt chart is a list of tasks with their start and end dates. Depending upon the complexity allowed by your Gantt chart tool, you can add in more details like task dependencies, critical tasks, resource allocated, etc.

Create a Gantt Chart in Excel

Let’s create a very basic Gantt chart in Excel so that you can see how easy it is to work with them. If you’d like a more in-depth explanation, check out our article on creating a Gantt chart in Excel :

1. List all the tasks in column A.

2. Write down the start and end dates in columns B and C for each task.

3. In column D, use the formula =C2-B2 to calculate the duration for each task.

4. On the Insert tab , click on the Insert Column or Bar Chart option in the Charts group. Choose the 3-D horizontal layout and you get your Gantt chart area.

5. Populate with data and format the Gantt chart the way you want.

Gantt Chart Template

If you prefer not to start from scratch, you can download templates for creating Gantt charts off the internet. These templates come set up with headers and formulas so all you need to do is insert your information to get a chart quickly. Forbes Advisor has created free Gantt chart templates for both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, with and without task dependencies.

If you are using a project management tool, it will likely also have some Gantt chart templates for you to choose from.

Gantt Chart Software

Gantt charts are a project scheduling tool and thus included in almost all project management software. You can use Gantt chart software as a stand-alone desktop tool or an online version that can be easily shared with other stakeholders. If you are using a desktop Gantt chart software, you can only have one local version that can be updated just by you. Also, when you make changes you need to share a copy with others.

On the other hand, if you use online software, it can be easily updated and shared. You can even set it up to be updated automatically as the resources and allocated team members work on each task.

When researching Gantt chart software for your project management needs, be sure that it has these capabilities:

• Defining and updating milestones in your project
• Linking tasks according to predefined or customizable dependencies
• Collaborating on a dynamic project plan
• Share files in the form of text, images videos or notes summarizing tasks
• Monitor progress of each task against the planned one

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do i need a gantt chart.

If you have a large project, a Gantt chart can be useful in helping you achieve your goal. It helps to identify the resources needed, identify timelines for completion and helps to develop a plan to get it all done. Once you have the Gantt chart completed, it serves as a way to monitor progress and get a high-level overview of how the project is going.

Who should use a Gantt chart?

If you are managing a project and need a visual way of tracking its progress, you can use a Gantt chart. Gantt charts can be used for projects of any size, irrespective of the industry you work in. They work well for everything from manufacturing, software development and designing to content marketing.

Can I print a Gantt chart?

Theoretically, yes, you can print a Gantt chart, but you should check the print preview before actually printing it out. Usually, these charts take up multiple pages, so consider not including the finished tasks or printing just a part of the chart.

What are the benefits of using a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is a visual project management tool, so you can know the progress of a project and tasks associated with it at a glance. This further empowers you to tweak your plan if the critical tasks are getting delayed.

What is the disadvantage of a Gantt chart?

Because Gantt charts are very complex in design, breaking projects into very small bite-sized chunks, they may not be practical to create. Many companies are moving toward an Agile project management system where small sprints are used to complete certain tasks and then the next set of tasks are evaluated when the sprint is done. Using a Gantt chart in this system would not always be practical.

What are some things to look for in Gantt chart software?

The best Gantt Chart software systems will be easy to learn, offer numerous integrations and templates that you can use right away, make it possible for members of your team to collaborate easily and have some form of security protection for your work.

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A seasoned small business and technology writer and educator with more than 20 years of experience, Shweta excels in demystifying complex tech tools and concepts for small businesses. Her work has been featured in NewsWeek, Huffington Post and more. Her postgraduate degree in computer management fuels her comprehensive analysis and exploration of tech topics.

Cassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of directors of two non-profit organizations seeking to revitalize her former railroad town. Prior to joining the team at Forbes Advisor, Cassie was a content operations manager and copywriting manager.

Gantt Chart Examples, Templates, and Styles

By Diana Ramos | October 31, 2022

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Gantt charts are the bread and butter of project scheduling. We’ve assembled dozens of example images and templates to help you make the best Gantt charts possible. 

Included on this page, you’ll find 30 downloadable Gantt charts, with helpful examples for marketing , software development , project management , product development , and human resources . Plus, read expert tips on making Gantt charts for various formats , including Google Sheets, Excel, Microsoft Word, and more.

What Does a Gantt Chart Look Like?

A Gantt chart is a simple bar chart that shows all the tasks, events, and milestones in a project. The x-axis depicts the project timeline, and the y-axis depicts project phases. Each horizontal bar represents a project task. 

In most Gantt charts, the current date is represented by a vertical line, which looks like a progress bar. 

Other common symbols are diamonds or stars, which represent milestones. 

Many Gantt charts use color-coding to separate project phases.

“When creating a Gantt chart, each task is represented by a bar that extends over the duration of the task,” says Danny Trichter, Co-Founder of AccessibilityChecker.org . “The length of the bar indicates the duration of the task, and the placement of the bar indicates when the task will begin and end. In addition, Gantt charts often include information such as task dependencies, milestones, and resources.” 

For some projects, especially those with tight deadlines, it can be helpful to include project dependencies in your chart. These are typically represented with arrows. You can use arrows to distinguish between the four types of dependencies: finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish, and start-to-finish.

You can also use Gantt charts to represent lead time, lag time, predecessor tasks, and successor tasks when necessary. 

“Gantt charts should be created in a way that is easy to read and understand. I believe if it's not simple, people won't use it,” says Chad Sibila , Sales Manager at VT Industries. “I really like to see a left-to-right, start-to-finish for one project, with the steps to complete along the way.”

For more detailed information about making and using Gantt charts for your upcoming projects, see this basic Gantt chart guide with how-to videos.

Gantt Chart Examples by Format

The format you choose for your Gantt chart depends on the type of project, accessibility needs, and preference. For example, if your team conducts most of their work in Microsoft Suite, then PowerPoint, Excel, and Microsoft Word are better options.

Gantt charts are popular because they are easy to use and adaptable. You can create them in any spreadsheet, word processing, or presentation software. For projects where collaboration and access are key, Google formats such as Google Docs and Google Sheets are the most useful.

Jan Schiller, Partner and Chief Project Officer at Berkshire Consulting, LLC , recommends that you select a tool that can create a Gantt chart from source data, such as Excel or Google Sheets. “The Gantt chart can be lifted into any format that is meaningful to stakeholders,” she explains. “I recommend using one format consistently. Why? For information integrity and transparency that supports informed decision-making. Seamlessly switching between source data and the Gantt chart improves trust and credibility while greatly reducing the effort of maintaining an accurate Gantt chart.”

Gantt Chart Example Template for Excel

Download the Sample Construction Project Gantt Chart Template for Excel Download the Blank Construction Project Gantt Chart Template for Excel

Microsoft Excel is a popular software for creating and designing Gantt charts. For example, streamlined formulas allow you to keep all of your data in a centralized location, while generating Gantt charts automatically. Download the sample or blank template to see an example Gantt chart in Excel for a new home construction project.  

“I prefer using Excel for creating Gantt charts because it is easy to use and provides a lot of flexibility,” says Trichter. “I can easily add more information, such as task dependencies, milestones, and resources. Also, I can easily format the chart to make it look more professional.”

Find a how-to video, a step-by-step guide, and helpful tips for creating your own Gantt chart with this comprehensive guide to creating Gantt charts in Excel .

Gantt Chart Example Template for PowerPoint

Download the Sample Architecture Project Gantt Chart Template for PowerPoint Download the Blank Architecture Project Gantt Chart Template for PowerPoint

Download a detailed example of a Gantt chart or a blank version in PowerPoint for an architecture project. This easy-to-use Gantt chart PowerPoint is the perfect solution for anyone looking to create or present a dynamic project schedule in a presentation format. 

“If I were creating a Gantt chart to share with a large group of people, I might choose to use PowerPoint so that I could include more visuals and make the chart easier to understand,” explains Trichter.

To learn how to create, import, and customize your own Gantt chart for a presentation, see this comprehensive guide to creating Gantt charts in PowerPoint .

Gantt Chart Example Template for Microsoft Word

Download the Sample Clinical Trial Project Gantt Chart Template for Microsoft Word Download the Blank Clinical Trial Project Gantt Chart Template for Microsoft Word

Get started with a blank Microsoft Word template, or download the sample template for a prepared version that shows real data for a research project. In this case, the example is for a clinical trial of a new product. Microsoft Word is a great format option if you need a simple, printable Gantt chart. Use this template to track daily project tasks in a single document. Assign start and end dates, responsible team members, and statuses for each task in the chart. 

“Microsoft Word and Google Docs are formats that I typically use for more static content, such as reports or articles,” says Tricther.

To learn how to make and customize a Gantt chart, use this step-by-step guide to creating Gantt charts in Microsoft Word .

Gantt Chart Example Template for Google Sheets

Download the Sample Business Plan Gantt Chart Template

Excel | Google Sheets

Download the Blank Business Plan Gantt Chart Template

Download the sample template in Google Sheets to see how a project manager might use a Gantt chart to make a business plan. Google Sheets is hard to beat for a collaborative, accessible option with lots of helpful formulas and features. Use this template to track every task in your project in one shareable, web-based document. 

For additional templates, guides, and helpful tips, see this comprehensive article on creating a Gantt chart for Google Sheets .

Gantt Chart Example Template for Google Docs

Download the Sample Sales Plan Gantt Chart Template

Microsoft Word | Google Docs

Download the Blank Sales Plan Gantt Chart Template

Google Docs is another easily shareable and printable format option for making a Gantt chart. Try this Gantt chart template to track the phases and milestones of any project. Download the sample template for a version of a Gantt chart for a sales plan.

Gantt Chart Examples for Marketing

Whether it’s a social media, print, email, or other type of marketing campaign, Gantt charts can help you account for every step along the way. We’ve gathered a helpful list of example images and templates for your next marketing project.

“I started using Gantt charts for mobile project development, as they were taking over two to three months and involving dozens of people,” says Benjamin Poirrier, Founder and CEO of the marketing agency Prodima . “Nowadays, I use them to manage smaller digital marketing campaigns with various stakeholders (developers, designers, content writers, account managers), so I can follow up on the progress of their tasks.”

Marketing Campaign Gantt Chart Example Template

Download a Sample Marketing Campaign Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Microsoft Word

Download a Blank Marketing Campaign Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Microsoft Word

This downloadable example template provides a roadmap for a basic marketing project. From project conception and initiation to launch and measurement, this template has you covered. Assign task owners, set deadlines, and track statuses of every step in the project.

Gantt Chart Example for Market Research

Download the Sample Market Research Gantt Chart Template for Excel Download the Blank Market Research Gantt Chart Template for Excel

Use this straightforward Gantt chart template to map all the phases of your market research project, from planning and developing a mission statement to conducting client surveys, focus groups, environmental studies, and more.

Gantt Chart Example for Video Production

Download a Sample Video Production Gantt Chart Template for  Excel | Microsoft Word

Download a Blank Video Production Gantt Chart Template for Excel for Excel | Microsoft Word

Use a Gantt chart for your next video production project to ensure that you account for all important tasks, from pre- to post-production. Download the blank template to begin mapping your project. For more guidance, try the completed template with sample text to see how someone might use a Gantt chart to schedule a video production project.

Digital Marketing Campaign Gantt Chart Example

Download a Sample Digital Marketing Campaign Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Download a Blank Digital Marketing Campaign Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

A successful digital marketing campaign can significantly expand the reach and impact of your brand or product. Use this template to monitor the various components of a digital marketing campaign. Track the timelines of your local marketing, content marketing, social media, web, and sales campaigns all in one convenient Gantt chart.

Example Gantt Chart for an Email Marketing Campaign

Download a Sample Email Marketing Campaign Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Download a Blank Email Marketing Campaign Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Email marketing campaigns are an effective way to inform existing and potential customers of upcoming sales, events, initiatives, and more. Follow the steps and phases in the customizable sample Gantt chart template for an example of how to effectively design, write, review, and release an email marketing campaign. Download the blank Gantt chart template to start from scratch.

Social Media Campaign Gantt Chart Example

Download a Sample Social Media Campaign Gantt Chart Template for  Excel | Google Sheets

Download a Blank Social Media Campaign Gantt Chart Template for  Excel | Google Sheets

Use a Gantt chart to streamline your multiplatform social media campaign to ensure that posts are consistently on-brand, timely, and polished. In this example, the chart separates tasks by platform making it easy for your team to give the appropriate amount of attention to each advertisement, whether it’s on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, or another platform.

Virtual Event Planning Gantt Chart Example

Download the Sample Virtual Event Planning Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Download the Blank Virtual Event Planning Gantt Chart Template for Excel for Excel | Google Sheets

Event planning can be stressful and complicated. Use a Gantt chart to keep hiring staff, planning music and activities, and booking locations simple and organized. This Gantt chart demonstrates a timeline for planning a successful virtual event.

Gantt Chart Example for Event Marketing for Excel

Download the Sample Event Marketing Gantt Chart Template for Excel Download the Blank Event Marketing Gantt Chart Template for Excel

For an event to be successful, teams need to devote resources to promoting it, reaching out to donors or potential guests, and ensuring there is media in place so that the event will be adequately covered. Track every part of your event marketing campaign simultaneously with this comprehensive color-coded Gantt chart.

Examples of Gantt Chart for Software Projects

For software projects, opt for Gantt charts that support Agile methodology. These charts break down projects into sprints, allowing you to track requests from stakeholders and clearly depict key dependencies. 

“Gantt charts are used in both the Waterfall and Agile project management approaches,” says Rafał Gatkowski, Senior Python Developer at STX Next . “They perform especially well with Waterfall since a linear plan is developed to match customer expectations after gathering them at the beginning of a project. At STX Next, we mostly use the Agile approach to set our goals and use continuous customer feedback to update our plan in real time.”

Agile Gantt charts are a popular option for project managers leading software development projects. Assign various development teams to tackle different features, and trace dependencies using arrows. 

For projects with only one development team, you can use a simpler Gantt chart that tracks the status and dependencies of each individual task.

Gantt Chart Example for a Software Development Project for PowerPoint

Download the Sample Software Development Project Gantt Chart Template for PowerPoint Download the Blank Software Development Project Gantt Chart Template for PowerPoint

This presentation-ready, Agile Gantt chart will help you map out, schedule, and share your software development project roadmap. Diamond symbols represent key milestones, while arrows indicate the dependencies among tasks.

Gantt Chart Example for Website Development

Download a Sample Website Development Gantt Chart Template for  Excel | Google Sheets

Download a Blank Website Development Gantt Chart Template for  Excel | Google Sheets  

A user-friendly, functional website is key to the health of any company or brand. Account for every detail in the website development process by downloading a Gantt chart template for Excel or Google Sheets. Track due dates for design, features, development, and launch.

Gantt Chart Example in Software Engineering for Excel

Download the Sample Agile Software Engineering Gantt Chart Template for Excel Download the Blank Agile Software Engineering Gantt Chart Template for Excel

Track each phase in a software engineering project with an Agile Gantt chart. This Gantt chart tracks the development of each feature, separating each into sprints. Download and customize the blank Gantt chart template to create a dynamic timeline for any Agile project.

External IT Project Gantt Chart Template for Excel

Download the Sample IT Project Gantt Chart Template for Excel Download the Blank IT Project Gantt Chart Template for Excel

Use this sample template as a comprehensive tool to help you plan and schedule an external IT project. Customize the project name, task names, and start and end dates in the left-hand column to populate the Gantt chart on the right. Select and move the milestone markers to indicate the various stages or milestones of your IT project. 

Download the blank version to get started mapping your project timeline, or download the version with sample data to see how an IT project progresses from planning graphics to testing, rollout, and documentation.

Mobile App Development Agile Gantt Chart Example Template

Download the Sample Mobile App Development Agile Gantt Chart Template for Excel Download the Blank Mobile App Development Agile Gantt Chart Template for Excel

Gantt charts that incorporate Agile methodology are perfect for software projects such as mobile app development. In this sample template, you can see how to use an Agile Gantt chart to map the sprints in a mobile app development project, from research and analysis to launch.

See this comprehensive guide on using Gantt charts for Agile with a template and examples to learn more.

Project Management Gantt Chart Examples

Gantt charts are a fundamental tool in project management. These blank and example Gantt chart templates cover various areas of project management. Find samples that you can use as a guide for creating a proposal, planning, consulting on a roadmap, and more. 

“Once properly created and maintained, a Gantt chart brings clarity to a lot of information, which improves the success of the project manager and, therefore, of the organization,” says Schiller. “Gantt charts help to improve project performance by improving coordination, decision making, and communication.”

Whether you’re consulting, drafting a project proposal, or leading a construction project, Gantt charts will help you stay on schedule. Try Gantt charts that incorporate the critical path method.

Gantt Chart Example for a Project Proposal for PowerPoint

Download the Gantt Chart Project Plan Timeline for PowerPoint

Incorporate a Gantt chart into your project proposal presentation with this Gantt chart project plan timeline. This presentation-ready format is a great option for project managers who want to give a broad visual overview of the project timeline to stakeholders or company executives. Simply add this slide to your project proposal presentation to get the most out of this straightforward Gantt chart. 

For more resources and information on project proposals, see this article on writing a winning project proposal .

Project Plan Gantt Chart Example with Template

Download the Sample Gantt Chart Project Plan With Dependencies for Excel Download the Blank Gantt Chart Project Plan With Dependencies for Excel

A project plan is a more detailed version of a project proposal. Use a Gantt chart to allot your team enough time to research and write every section, including overview, scope, schedule, budget, and more. By doing so, you can rest assured that your project plan will be successful. Download the blank version to get started identifying your project plan phases, or download the version with sample data to see how much time to allow for each phase.

To learn best practices and find expert tips on creating project plans, see this guide to writing a winning project plan .

Gantt Chart Example for a Consulting Project Roadmap

Download a Sample Consulting Project Gantt Chart Roadmap Template for  Microsoft Word | PowerPoint | Google Slides  

Download a Blank Consulting Project Gantt Chart Roadmap Template for Microsoft Word | PowerPoint | Google Slides  

Create a consulting project roadmap as a Gantt chart to produce a clear and visually dynamic graphic of your timeline. In this example, every part of a consulting project, from developing partner strategy to reviewing the partnership development process, has a phase with individual tasks to which you can assign an owner, deadline, and status.

Construction Project Gantt Chart Example with a Critical Path

Download the Sample Construction Project Gantt Chart Critical Path Template for Excel Download the Blank Construction Project Gantt Chart Critical Path Template for Excel

By combining Gantt charts with the critical path method (CPM), project managers can optimize their schedules and minimize unexpected delays. Although CPM is appropriate for any project, it is particularly useful for those with many strict dependencies, such as construction projects. 

Try this free, customizable template that combines Gantt charts with critical path methodology. Download the blank version, and enter your tasks, start and finish dates, assignees, and statuses. The template will populate the Gantt chart at the bottom of the spreadsheet as you enter your data. You can also download the version with sample data for a construction project Gantt chart example. 

Learn about Gantt charts and the critical path method in this CPM guide with templates and examples .

Product Development Management Gantt Chart Examples

A Gantt chart can help simplify even the most ambitious product development project. From ideation and research to costing and commercialization, these Gantt chart examples can help set you and your team up for success.

“Gantt charts outline the proper order for completing tasks, as well as the amount of time required,” says Gatkowski. “Having this knowledge is useful while managing projects, as you can monitor the progress, plan the whole project, and manage resources. Project managers can check to see if specific activities are finished on time and modify the project plan accordingly.”

New Product Development Gantt Chart Example for Microsoft Word

Download the Sample New Product Development Gantt Chart Template for Microsoft Word Download the Blank New Product Development Gantt Chart Template for Microsoft Word

A new product development project requires careful planning. Try this simple Gantt chart to break down your project into manageable segments, such as developing a prototype, setting up materials acquisition, and creating a marketing plan.

Gantt Chart Example for Product Roadmap

Download a Sample Product Roadmap Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Download a Blank Product Roadmap Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Create a product roadmap using this comprehensive Gantt chart tool. Track every product feature as you move through the development process, from grouping management controls and notifications to drafting product segment reports.

Product Launch Gantt Chart Example for Excel

Download the Sample Product Launch Gantt Chart Template for Excel Download the Blank Product Launch Gantt Chart Template for Excel

This Gantt chart design for Excel allows you to track tasks and phases of a product launch. Copy and paste statuses from the color-coded key on the right-hand side of the template to ensure that anyone can take a quick look at your Gantt chart and understand the status of your product launch. Download the version with sample text to use as a guide to get started or the blank version to enter your own details.

Gantt Chart Example for the Manufacturing Process

Download a Sample Manufacturing Process Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Download a Blank Manufacturing Process Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Try this simple Gantt chart template to keep track of every phase in the manufacturing process. In this example, see how the manufacturing process moves from planning and product development to inspection, shipment, and delivery. Enter start and end dates for each task, and watch the Gantt chart populate with color-coded bars.

Gantt Chart Examples for Human Resources 

Human resources (HR) departments can use Gantt charts for varying projects. Download a sample template to help get you started on your HR Gantt chart, or use a basic Gantt chart template to plan your project schedule from scratch. 

“Gantt charts can be used for a variety of HR-related projects, such as onboarding new employees, planning company-wide training events, and tracking employee performance goals,” says Linda Shaffer, Chief People and Operations Officer at Checkr . “They are particularly useful for projects that involve multiple teams or individuals, as they provide a clear way to track progress and identify potential risks and issues.

“For example,” Shaffer continues, “if you're planning a company-wide training event, you can use a Gantt chart to track the progress of each team as they complete their training. This way, you can see at a glance which teams are on track and which ones are behind schedule.”

Gantt Chart Example for Interview Process

Download a Sample Interview Process Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Download a Blank Interview Process Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Hiring a new employee takes time, resources, and careful consideration. Stay organized throughout the process, from pre-interviewing to hiring, with a comprehensive and visually dynamic Gantt chart. Complete each section of the pre- and candidate-interview phases, candidate selection, and hiring. This interview process Gantt chart example sets a timeline that ensures everyone who needs to talk to a potential new hire does before you send the offer.

Employee Onboarding Gantt Chart Example

Download a Sample Employee Onboarding Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Download a Blank Employee Onboarding Gantt Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Well-organized employee onboarding processes help improve an employee’s long-term experience at a company and decrease overall employee turnover. This Gantt chart illustrates the path to preparing for a perfect first day on the job. 

Download these onboarding templates and checklists for more HR tools and advice.

Gantt Chart Example for Human Resources Planning

Download the Sample Human Resources Planning Template for Excel Download the Blank Human Resources Planning Template for Excel

Use this Gantt chart to ensure that your organization has all the required team members available to complete your next project. Follow the sample template for an Agile software development projec t, or enter your own data to manage human resources for any upcoming project or initiative.

Easily Track and Manage Your Projects with Gantt Charts in Smartsheet

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Gantt Charts

20 gantt chart examples for project management.

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March 31, 2024

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As a project manager, understanding the overall layout and timescale of your projects is key to your success. This is where Gantt charts come into play. These valuable visual tools provide you with a comprehensive overview of a project timeline, allowing you to effectively plan workflows, allocate resources, and track progress. However, crafting the perfect Gantt chart may feel like a hurdle if you’re new to this game.

To help guide you through, we’ve curated a list of 20 Gantt chart examples covering various projects and industries. To make things even more interesting, we’ve woven in priceless insights to help you harness the power of Gantt charts for their project management needs. So, buckle up as we navigate the fascinating world of Gantt charts and unlock the doors to a more streamlined, transparent, and organized project management strategy.

What Is a Gantt Chart?

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A traditional Gantt chart , at a glance, can be intimidating.

Is it a horizontal bar chart with lines? A stacked bar chart with time?

Basically, a Gantt chart is a simple project timeline in the form of a bar chart. The top part displays the time frame, and the left side of the chart lists the project tasks and activities.

Check out our article on Gantt charts vs timelines if you want to know the differences.

The purpose of a Gantt chart is to help you:

• With project planning and task scheduling
• Plan work in sprints
• Visualize how multiple projects and tasks evolve over time
• Collaborate with your team and assign tasks
• Compare planned vs. actual timeline
• Track and manage resources, milestones , and dependencies

You can plot every individual task, event, outcome, and progress in your project on this horizontal bar chart. 

Who can benefit most from Gantt charts?

Gantt charts are effective tools for project managers , HRs, team leaders, CEOs, CTOs, consultants, general managers, marketing teams, and so on. 

Honestly, anyone who wants an instant picture of a project timeline can benefit from a Gantt chart.

20 Gantt Chart Examples

Here are 20 ways you can use Gantt charts to manage projects for various use cases.

Gantt charts are a must for all types of project management . It can be a helpful visual that lets you break down your project plan and activities day by day.

• Plan the order of tasks
• Plan project management timelines
• Set a project schedule
• Assign multiple tasks and manage resources
• Graph task dependencies  

And since everything is plotted right on the chart, neither your team nor clients need to ask you for project updates .

ClickUp’s Simple Project Management Gantt Chart Template is a visual tool that helps project managers and teams track project timelines, tasks, and dependencies.

This template offers an easy-to-use interface that allows users to create tasks, assign them to team members, set priorities, and add dependencies. Users can also adjust timelines and resources as necessary, providing real-time updates and alerts to keep everyone on the same page.

“The bathroom will be ready in a week.” “Construction will begin in 3 weeks.”

We’ve all heard the site manager or engineer say that.

And as a construction project manager, if these responses make you scoff, you know construction projects often don’t meet deadlines .

Fortunately, a simple Gantt chart is perfect for keeping construction projects on schedule and ensuring crew members, clients, and subcontractors are in the loop.

Just ask Jennifer Vollbrecht, PMP certified Project Manager and Principal Consultant at JVC.

“We use Gantt charts to highlight critical tasks and use a three-week-lookahead to communicate upcoming milestones on our construction projects . Gantt Charts are a great way to visualize many moving parts and pieces during construction.

I send the Gantt chart out to all project stakeholders a few days prior to a status meeting so that it can be reviewed, and everyone comes to the meeting prepare to discuss their upcoming activities.”

Check out ClickUp’s Construction Gantt Chart Template for your next construction project.

Going through piles of resumes, handling onboarding, updating policies, streamlining interview processes … being in HR is no easy task. 

However, with Gantt charts at your disposal, you’ll be able to tackle most human resource tasks with ease.

• Track how far applicants progress in the hiring process
• Track HR KPIs
• Schedule interviews
• Track current employee updates and issues
• Manage onboarding processes
• Ignore HR jokes ( because we know you’re thinking more of them as you read this article )

Make your own human resource management Gantt chart on ClickUp! Start with our templates for human resources .

Bonus: Resource leveling templates !

Effective business management needs a very, VERY elaborate plan.

There’s company description, market analysis, competitive analysis , financial projections, and so much more.

It clearly involves loads of information that can quickly become overwhelming to you and your potential investors.

Let’s not panic. Let’s visualize.

With a Gantt chart, you can strategically:

• Schedule projects and tasks
• Manage resources
• Set milestones to define key deliverables 

This way, you can create a proper business roadmap. One that makes you feel confident about your project’s growth and helps your investors visualize every detail.

Use the ClickUp Business Account Planning Gantt Chart Template to track projects and set up tasks with deadlines. This template allows you to identify bottlenecks and make sure that your project is on track.

Are you a marketer who keeps finishing tasks only to find more things on your to-do list?  

You need Gantt charts.

Use it to plan marketing campaigns , visualize your strategy, set marketing goals and milestones, etc., and observe how much time you can save on planning.

You also end up saving time on communication by sharing a Gantt chart for your team and stakeholders to track the goal’s progress.

The best part?

You and your team can plan continuously since marketing project management tools like ClickUp offer interactive Gantt charts that update in real-time.

Here’s an example:

Product roadmaps and Gantt charts are like Sundays and brunch. A perfect fit, minus the Mimosas. (That’s for the launch party!)

And with a Gantt chart, there’s no better place to plan your product development, launches, and manufacturing . 

You can track:

• Project budgets
• Agile product development progress
• Product backlogs  
• Release dates

A Gantt chart is a real blessing for a complex project that relies on multiple teams and departments.

Here’s an example of a product launch roadmap:

The Product Launch Checklist Template made by ClickUp keeps all your activities and milestones on track for an effective product launch plan. Use this Gantt Chart to monitor each stage of your product’s development process.

Lights, camera, Gantt!  

Yes, even media teams can benefit from Gantt charts.

You can easily:

• Schedule your video content brainstorming sessions
• Assign pre-production, production, and post-production tasks
• Plan and set release dates
• Create a timeline for all the content you need to publish in a week or month
• Track progress made by departments such as music, casting, writing, video editing , etc.

Whether it’s a YouTube video or a motion picture, a simple Gantt chart can help you deliver blockbuster content. 

Here’s a simple video production Gantt chart example:

Social media is… modern-day oxygen?

A lot of us live and breathe it. 

And some of us even have built a career around it. This involves tracking social media posts, content, engagement , and so much more.

But how can you do all that without succumbing to a scrolling frenzy?

Create a social media planner in a Gantt chart to plan campaigns, collaborate with the social media team, and ensure you’re posting on schedule.

You can even collaborate with your team to create the entire social media timeline with details of:

• What to post
• When to post
• Where to post
• Who’s in charge of the post, etc.

Got to be on your toes if you want to break the internet, right?

Event planners have tons of details to juggle to ensure events go smoothly. 

And once the ticket sales pick up?  

You need all the help you can get.

That’s where Gantt charts come in. Use it to break down your event plan into all the granular details. You can even group tasks by planning phase or vendor.

Fun fact: You can even promote your event with a Gantt chart.

Create a promotional strategy and schedule tasks on the timeline to create all the hype you need for your launch event.  

Make people show up for the venue you fought for!

Let’s take an example: your client has appointed you to help them achieve their goals. 

However, they’re new clients and need a little more reassurance from you (the consultant) regarding progress. 

No worries. 

You can show your client that you have a practical roadmap to success with a Gantt chart.

Divide all the tasks between your team and the client’s team. You can also refer back to the chart during weekly huddles with the client to ensure you’re both singing the same song.

Bonus: Time tracking software for consultants

Surprised to see this on the Gantt chart example list?  

Well, designers and teams can use Gantt charts too. 

From design planning and drawing to approving final designs and showing them to the world, Gantt charts can be helpful throughout the design workflow. You can also easily plan your design launch and track bookings.

And who knows, the Gantt way might just land you on the Milan runway.

Here’s a general design project Gantt chart example:

Check out these SmartDraw alternatives !

Whether you’re a business that creates mobiles or a company that develops apps for others, a Gantt chart can be your go-to.

Use it to layout and visualize the steps in the development process. It can include everything from designing the app’s looks to its features such as:

Since you’ll have to work with different people, departments, and more, Gantt charts can improve your chances of getting it done correctly and more quickly.

Successful launch, here we come!

Marcos Isaias , PMP certified Project Manager at Claro has this to say about using Gantt charts in mobile app development:

“By having a collaborative exercise over the Gantt chart with the team, we often discover unseen tasks and validations missing to have a successful and quality application.

It has helped us identify hidden tasks that would have caused delays if not mapped correctly. For example, we often plan QA for the software but maybe [forget to do the same] for the servers that would hold it. “

Why did the ghost’s email marketing campaign fail?

You could see right through it.

Don’t ghost your email campaigns. Plan and execute them with Gantt charts. 

Track things like dates, times, contacts, subjects, etc.

You can manage everything related to your emails, contacts, and leads on a single chart, so you don’t miss sales opportunities nor waste time.

When it comes to software development , a Gantt chart is like a cake cutter. It can help you visualize your project by cutting it into smaller working stages that you easily eat manage. 

• Project management activities
• Initiation or planning
• Design brainstorming
• Development
• Quality analysis 
• Operations & maintenance

And that’s not it. 

Gantt charts are also perfect for software bug tracking . 🐛

A Gantt chart lets your team submit bug reports and track issues while developers quickly get to the bottom of the problems. You can even set priorities so everyone knows which bugs to exterminate first.

Here’s a sample example of software development Gantt chart:

With newly hired employees, it can be difficult to keep track of what they need to know and what training they’ve already completed.

Fortunately, a Gantt chart can help.

Create sections and tasks for each new employee and ensure that you go through each task with them. This way, you can ensure each new employee fits in with the team easily.

If you want people—especially the right ones—to find you, digital marketing must be your top priority. It can be advertising through social media, SEO, email marketing, etc. 

With a Gantt chart, you can plot the start date, end date, budgets, tasks, and subtasks for all of your digital marketing strategies. 

Here’s a sample Gantt chart:

Bonus: Check out this guide on marketing project management !

Remember when education was all about classrooms, libraries, whiteboards, and last-minute exams preps?

Well, most of that remains, except digitization has taken over.

Whiteboards are digital, libraries are a Google search away, and semester planning happens on Gantt charts.

Teachers and students can track their semesters, programs, and exam dates on them.

Pro-tip for history teachers: Gantt charts are perfect for a visual representation of the timeline of historical events.

Learn the science of Gantt charts and prepare to make history this academic year!

Make your own education Gantt chart on ClickUp and check out our templates for students !

If you’re on the sales team , you must know:

• What’s selling
• What’s not selling
• Who’s making great sales
• Who’s not meeting sales targets

And a whole lot more.

If you don’t keep track of these aspects, you risk missing out on major profits.

‍Don’t worry; a Gantt chart ensures you don’t miss such money-making opportunities. You can track all your sales, contacts, leads, customer onboarding, deal progress, etc.

Nothing slips through the cracks because the chart holds everything you need to know.

Now all you have to worry about is waiting for a prospect to call you back.

(Sorry, even Gantt charts can’t help you there)

Bonus: RACI Chart Examples !

Sure, money might make the world go round. But it shouldn’t spin your head.

And that’s why many financial institutions and banks use Gantt charts.

A bank manager is a good example of someone who can track their tasks, plans, customer service, team performance, etc., on a Gantt chart.

It can also help prepare new banking products such as loans, deposits, and credit cards. It’s also a great tool to manage marketing campaigns in banks.

If you’re on a team that publishes a steady stream of content, deadlines are always on to you. Like a puppy, when they hear you open a bag of chips. But less adorable. 😞 

With Gantt charts, you’re always prepared for deadlines. Use it as an editorial calendar to see what’s coming up next on the schedule.

You can organize specific task groups by month and article and set milestones to track final approvals and “go-live” dates.

1. Get a complete overview of your project

You know that nagging feeling when you sit down to work but think you’ve forgotten something?

You can avoid feelings like this with a Gantt chart in hand. It shows you everything in your project plan in one glance, so you never feel like you’ve missed anything. 

Kinda like a to-do list for multiple projects that just updates itself.

2. Track project progress in real-time 

Today, you can track your cab ride and fast food delivery in real-time. 

So why not do the same for your project schedule?

Gantt chart is like a geo-tracking device for your project. 

Feed it with information on project activities, update it a few times, and off it goes on its own. 

In fact, a Gantt chart takes it one step further by telling you the critical path for your project schedule. This is the minimum set of tasks you’ll need to complete to meet your project deadline. 

3. Maintain project transparency 

The Gantt chart was originally a project management tool used by managers to make high-level decisions. 

However, modern Gantt charts are an essential tool for all members of a project team. 

Project managers can routinely update and share a Gantt chart with the project team. This lets every member see how they’re working together to achieve the same results. 

In other words, it’s the most reliable way of showing everyone the big picture and helping everyone feel on board. 

To sum it up, having a Gantt chart for your project management is as important as carrying a map on your road trip. 

You can create Gantt charts in Microsoft Word , Excel , PowerPoint, Google Sheets , and more.

But if you don’t want to be “wifi down-level” frustrated, you should do what smart people do.

Create Gantt charts using a project management tool !

Usually, with such tools, all you have to do is create a task list, add the start date and end date. The tool then works its magic to display your project tasks over time as intuitive Gantt charts.

But which tool should you use? Explore the 13 best online Gantt chart software to find the right one.

To save you time, we’ll give you the answer right here. 

The only online Gantt chart tool you require is ClickUp . It’s one of the world’s highest-rated productivity tools used by teams in several companies worldwide.

And you can create a simple (and pretty!) Gantt chart with ClickUp’s Gantt Chart view in three easy steps:

• Click on the + sign in any List, Folder, or Space
• Select Gantt  

Modify what you see in your Gantt charts using the expandable and collapsible side menu.

You can use the chart to:

• Plan time and schedule tasks
• Visualize every task dependency
• Calculate the critical path and slack time

Check out these Gantt chart template options !

Now, are you convinced that a Gantt chart is pretty much like the internet?  

It can take any project, industry, or team to the next level.

You can create one in PowerPoint, use an Excel Gantt chart or even download a chart template.

But nothing beats ClickUp’s three-step Gantt chart maker. 

With ClickUp, you can customize it to fit your needs, manage resources, dependencies, and so much more with ease. Additionally, this Gantt chart software can do more than just Gantt charts , it can be your time tracker, task manager, flowchart maker, proofing tool… just name it.

Join ClickUp for free to create awesome Gantt charts for any project, any industry.

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• Gantt Chart

Gantt Charts - Definitions, Examples and Tools

A comprehensive introduction to the concept of Gantt charts, including definitions, examples, tools and guidelines on how to effectively create one.

• What Is a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart commonly used in project management to visually represent a project schedule. The tasks to be performed are typically displayed on the vertical axis of the Gantt chart, along with their time intervals on the horizontal axis. The position and width of the horizontal bars on a Gantt chart reflect the start date, duration and end date of each planned activity.

Due to its dynamic layout, a Gantt chart allows you to see at a glance:

All the activities/events that make up the work-breakdown structure of a project;

When each task begins and ends;

How long each activity is scheduled to last;

Where and by how much some activities overlap with others;

How tasks are grouped or linked with one another (dependencies);

The critical path of the overall project.

To recap, a Gantt chart is a planning tool applicable to projects of all sizes that indicates what work is scheduled to be done and when, making it easier to visualize plans, coordinate efforts and track progress.

• Gantt Chart History

Although they are frequently used in project planning nowadays, Gantts charts were revolutionary when introduced. The invention of the Gantt chart is generally attributed to American engineer and management consultant Henry Gantt because he was the one to popularize this type of visual in western countries around the years 1910 - 1915. However, what he did was to simply refine a previous version called harmonogram , which was originally devised by Polish engineer Karol Adamiecki in 1896.

The earliest Gantt charts were drawn on paper and didn’t include interdependencies, which meant they had to be redone from scratch whenever a schedule change occurred. Given that continuous change is a feature of most projects, the usefulness of the first Gantt charts was limited. However, the development of computers and project management software in the 1980s led to Gantt charts being created, updated and printed more and more easily.

As of the late 1990s, with the advent of the Internet and increased communication over networks, Gantt charts became part of web-based collaborative groupware and one of the most widely used tools for project scheduling and control. Today, with the ongoing refinement of project management systems, modern Gantt charts give a more dynamic representation of project plans because they also show:

interdependencies;

what resources are being used for each task;

who is responsible for which task;

current schedule status and project progress through percent-complete shadings and a vertical “today” line.

• Creating Gantt Charts

When it comes to creating a Gantt chart to effectively visualize and communicate project schedules, professionals have a varied array of options to choose from to achieve this goal. These are:

Gantt chart templates – these help project managers get started faster, offering a pre-built model that can be customized to fit the specifics of their project.

Traditional office tools commonly used in a business environment such as Microsoft Project or Microsoft Excel – as these “standard-issue” productivity platforms are already familiar and include features to produce such visuals, many users opt for them. Check out these tutorials to discover the steps you should follow to create Gantt charts manually :

• How to make a Gantt chart in Microsoft Excel
• How to make a Gantt chart in Microsoft PowerPoint
• How to make a Gantt chart in Microsoft Word
• How to make a Gantt chart in Microsoft Project
• How to make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets
• How to make a Gantt chart in Numbers for Mac
• How to make a Gantt chart in Keynote for Mac

How to make a Gantt chart in Pages for Mac

Dedicated Gantt chart software - whether we are talking about desktop or online Gantt chart makers, such tools come with a host of functions that allow you to automate the process of creating, customizing and updating your Gantt chart.

Regardless of the type of solution chosen, there are a few important steps project managers need to take before creating the actual Gantt chart to reflect their project schedule:

Create activities - the overall work package needs to be broken down into several units.

Sequence activities - this involves placing the project tasks in the right order using the right relationship among them; every task, except the initial and final one, has a predecessor and successor. Based on this, there are four types of relationships that can be set between tasks:

Finish to Start – the successor cannot begin until its predecessor is finished.

Start to Start – the successor cannot begin until its predecessor has started.

Start to Finish – the successor cannot be finished until its predecessor has started.

Finish to Finish – the successor cannot be finished until its predecessor has finished.

Estimate resources – in order to properly establish the duration of each activity, you need to identify all the available resources (e.g. labour, material, equipment).

Estimate durations – once the task sequencing and resources have been reviewed, project managers have to estimate how much time is needed between the start and end of an activity.

Easy Gantt chart maker

Transform your complicated project data into stunning Gantt charts with the Office Timeline add-in for PowerPoint.

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• Gantt Chart Examples

With such a diverse range of projects that can be undertaken, the layout of Gantt charts has come to vary depending on their specifics. However, no matter what the nature of your project is, a Gantt chart should typically include:

List of tasks and milestones involved;

Task descriptions;

Start date;

Task duration;

Percent complete;

Task owner(s).

To illustrate the various structures a Gantt chart can take from one case to another, we have gathered a few examples below.

SEE MORE EXAMPLES

• Gantt Chart Templates

What Is a Gantt Chart Template?

A Gantt chart template is a generic pre-made model of a bar chart that you can use to build your own graphic by simply adding your specific data to the existing frame. It provides users with a predefined structure that can be customized with their own input.

Why Use Gantt Chart Templates?

Using a Gantt chart template helps you get started faster with Gantt chart creation and saves you considerable time when organizing your project plan as it tackles the tedious work for you. Lending a predefined, clear format to your data, a Gantt chart template simplifies the processing part and turns complex information into a straightforward output.

Set up your first Gantt chart fast and easily with our free Gantt chart template collection . Apart from the Gantt chart PowerPoint templates available, we also offer Excel templates . All you need to do is download the template, plug in your project tasks and dates and you will have a presentation-ready Gantt chart.

Ready-made Gantt chart templates

Dozens of professionally designed templates that are easy to customize with your project data and company branding.

EXPLORE TEMPLATES

• Gantt Chart Software

What Is Gantt Chart Software?

Gantt chart software, also called project management or project scheduling software, encompasses any type of tool which automates the process of creating Gantt charts, and which supports more advanced features and requirements such as:

customizable templates;

data import/export functions;

refined formatting options;

adding milestones;

creating task dependencies;

task assignment;

tracking progress in real time;

updating the project schedule with drag & drop functionality;

identifying the critical path of a project.

Desktop vs. Online Gantt Chart Software

Desktop Gantt chart software usually refers to tools with a single local version per user license, and is suitable for professionals who prefer to create project schedules individually and with no pressing need to easily share them.

Online Gantt chart software, on the other hand, places a strong focus on easy sharing and collaborative Gantt project planning. Being stored in the cloud, it allows you to invite team members with no associated license to access, view and update an online Gantt chart.

Benefits of Using Gantt Chart Software

Dedicated Gantt chart tools come with many benefits as they enable you to:

Plan, schedule and better visualize the critical path of any project plan;

Plan and schedule tasks within a single project or across multiple ones;

View tasks over time and efficiently schedule your team’s assignments;

Plan in sprints and optimize workload;

Improve team collaboration and productivity;

Determine planned versus actual timeline of a project and track progress in real time.

What Is the Best (Free) Gantt Chart Software?

Many project managers use traditional programs such as Microsoft Project or Excel as their Gantt project planners because these systems are familiar and part of the regular office productivity tool package. However, they often prove limited in meeting the requirements of the modern management of Gantt projects. The need for shareable, presentation-ready project plans, enhanced collaboration, and real-time status updates calls for more sophisticated yet agile solutions.

As a consequence, an increasingly diverse range of purpose-built and even free Gantt chart software has been developed to help professionals save time in the scheduling phase of a project and maximize their efficiency in delivering the actual work. One such free Gantt chart maker is Office Timeline. Available as both a desktop and online Gantt chart tool, it allows users to automatically turn their project data into clear, presentation-ready Gantt chart PowerPoint slides that can be easily shared and updated in real time.

You can use the tool’s rich gallery of templates, import function, drag & drop interface and powerful features to generate stylish visuals with a few clicks. Enjoy the familiarity of PowerPoint and the flexibility of a collaborative web tool to build professional-looking Gantt charts and other project visuals.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Gantt Charts

Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions in relation to Gantt charts.

What Is a Gantt Chart and Do You Have a Sample?

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule by displaying the underlying activities (tasks) and events (milestones) against a certain timeframe. To better understand what a Gantt chart looks like, check out our website section dedicated entirely to a variety of Gantt diagram examples .

How Does a Gantt Chart Work?

A Gantt chart works as a diagram with two axes – a vertical and a horizontal one. The vertical axis of the Gantt chart displays all the activities (tasks) to be completed, whereas the horizontal axis represents the time scale set for your project. Each activity is represented on the Gantt chart through a task bar, the position and width of which reflect the start date, duration and end date of the activity. Due to this layout, a Gantt chart lets you know what work needs to be done and when at a glance.

What Is a Gantt Chart Used for?

• Show project tasks and their corresponding timeframes in a simple visual format;
• Communicate work schedules in a dynamic yet structured way;
• Easily share and manage tasks;
• Effectively coordinate efforts;
• Track project progress.

How Do You Create a Gantt Chart?

• Break the project workload down into a series of main activities;
• Order these activities in a logical sequence to ensure the delivery of the project;
• Estimate and allocate resources for each of the tasks involved;
• Create task descriptions and estimate their duration, by giving them a start and an end date.

How Do You Create a Gantt Chart in Excel?

• List your project schedule in an Excel table with four columns: Start Date; End Date; Task Description; Duration (expressed in days).
• Add a Stacked Bar chart to your Excel spreadsheet from the Insert menu.
• Add your worksheet data (the start dates, durations and descriptions of your tasks) to the chart using the Select Data function.
• Format your stacked bar chart to look like a Gantt one using the Format Data Series function.

Why Is It Called a Gantt Chart?

The Gantt chart takes its name after the American management consultant Henry Gantt who introduced this type of graphic in western countries around 1910 – 1915. However, he only refined the original model which was devised by Polish engineer Karol Adamiecki in 1896.

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Gantt Chart: The Ultimate Guide (with Examples)

If you’ve been involved in a couple of projects, there is a high chance that you’ve come across the term Gantt chart. Most project managers swear by Gantt charts as one of the most intuitive ways of planning projects and visualizing their progress.

But what exactly is a Gantt chart? What is it used for?

In this guide, we’ll explain what Gantt charts are, what they are used for, and how to make them.

We’ll also take you through what Gantt chart software is and the key features to look for when choosing the right Gantt chart software for your needs.

What Is A Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart is a chart made up of horizontal bars that are used to give a visual illustration of project tasks and their timelines .

In other words, a Gantt chart shows the tasks or activities that need to be completed, the start and end dates for each task, as well as the person responsible for each task.

Each horizontal bar in the chart represents a specific task, while the length of the bar corresponds to the length of time required to complete the task . Lines connecting one bar to another are used to identify and define dependencies between the tasks.

Gantt charts provide an easy way to keep your eye on the full picture of a project, monitor project progress, and keep track of project milestones.

Gantt Chart Example

If it’s your first time interacting with Gantt charts, they can look quite complicated. To make it easier for you to understand them, here is an example of a Gantt chart…

On the left side of the Gantt chart is a list of all the tasks that need to be completed . On the right side pane are the Gantt bars showing when the tasks start and end, as well as their duration .

For instance, you can tell that the ‘photo story’ task starts before the other tasks, while the studio shoot and the location shoot start at the same time. The longer the bar, the more time that specific task is expected to take.

The bars also show the percentage of the task that has been completed. For instance, you can tell that the ‘photo story’ task has been completed, while the ‘review shots’ task is yet to be started.

Finally, the bars also have names next to them showing the team members assigned to each task.

What Is Gantt Chart Software?

When they were first introduced by Henry Gantt in the early 1900s, Gantt charts used to be drawn on paper. With the advent of computers, Gantt chart software was designed to bring Gantt charts into the digital world.

Gantt chart software is a type of project management software that automates the process of building Gantt charts .

Gantt chart software allows you to build advanced Gantt charts that support functions like milestone tracking, task dependencies, calculating the critical path, auto-scheduling, and so on.

Gantt chart software also enhances collaboration on projects by allowing team members to communicate and share files.

With Gantt chart software, you can do all the following…

• Design visually appealing Gantt charts
• Assign tasks to team members
• Automatically pass work from one team member to another
• Estimate how long a project will take
• View the availability and workloads of your team members

In addition to building advanced Gantt charts, Gantt chart software also gives alerts and notifications on assigned tasks and approaching deadlines , thereby reducing the likelihood of missing deadlines.

There are two types of Gantt chart software – desktop Gantt chart software and online Gantt chart software .

Desktop Gantt chart software comes as an application that you have to install on your computer , and can only be used on your computer.

Online Gantt chart software, on the other hand, is cloud based, which means you can access your Gantt charts from any internet connected device from anywhere in the world.

What Is A Gantt Chart Used For In Project Management?

Gantt charts are widely popular in project management because of the multiple ways in which they can be used. Some of the things you can do using a Gantt chart include…

• Planning, scheduling and managing projects
• Presenting your project schedule in an easy to read visual format
• Breaking down the project tasks that need to be completed and managing these tasks
• Enabling team collaboration and ensuring all team members are on the same page
• Estimating the amount of time required to complete the project
• Tracking project progress
• Comparing actual project timelines against planned timelines
• Planning and managing sprints in projects that are executed using the agile framework
• Resource management, including assigning tasks to team members and managing your team’s workloads
• Keeping track of important project milestones
• Sharing files and documents related to the project
• Managing time in a more effective and more efficient manner
• Identifying your project critical path and identifying tasks that require the highest priority
• Identifying overlapping tasks and task dependencies

Top Gantt Chart Software Features

Most of the Gantt chart software in the market today are quite advanced and come with lots of bells and whistles, which can make choosing the right Gantt chart software a bit of a challenge.

While all sorts of extra features are nice-to-have, there are some key features that every Gantt chart software needs to have. Below are 8 of these key features…

1. Milestones

Milestones denote key dates or events within a project that mark the completion of a key project phase or a major deliverable.

A reliable Gantt chart software will allow you to set and keep track of project milestones. In most cases, the milestones are represented using a diamond shape .

2. Project And Task Progress

The core function of Gantt chart software is to help you visualize how your project is progressing. This means that Gantt chart software needs to have the capability to show project progress. In most cases, Gantt chart software uses different color shades to show completion percentage .

Aside from showing completion percentage, your Gantt chart software of choice should also allow you to compare actual progress against planned progress. This way, you can tell whether your project is moving within schedule or lagging behind.

3. Task Dependencies

In every project, there are tasks and activities whose completion relies on other tasks.

For instance, if you’re working on a project to create an online course , you have to choose a course topic before you start creating the course topic.

Similarly, you have to create the lesson content before you can start filming. Such relationships are referred to as task dependencies.

Always make sure that your Gantt chart software of choice allows you to show the dependencies between tasks . This way, both you and your team members will have a clear picture of how their tasks affect the completion of other tasks.

Aside from showing dependencies, a reliable Gantt chart software will also allow you to define the kind of dependency between the tasks . The different types of dependencies include start to start (SS), finish to start (FS), start to finish (SF), and finish to finish (FF).

4. Auto-Scheduling

Once a project is underway, things will not always go as planned. Some tasks might start late, others might take longer than you expected, and so on.

Since these tasks are related, changes in the starting and completion dates of one task will definitely have an effect on the other tasks .

Instead of having to manually make adjustments to various project dates, a reliable Gantt chart software provides auto-scheduling capabilities.

This way, when you make changes to the start and completion dates of one task, the software automatically makes adjustments to the other dates to reflect the changes.

5. Critical Path

In project management, the term critical path refers to the longest sequence of tasks and activities that have to be completed in order for the project to be delivered successfully .

With a good Gantt chart tool, you can easily calculate and visualize the critical path for your project . This, in turn, makes it easier to identify the tasks that need to be prioritized, and to calculate the minimum amount of time you need to complete the project.

6. Collaboration Features

While different team members are assigned to different tasks, they often need to work together and collaborate in order for everyone to successfully deliver their tasks.

When choosing a Gantt chart software, go for one that provides features that make it easy for team members to collaborate on tasks .

Look out for collaboration features like commenting on tasks, chat, real-time alerts and notifications, team member tagging, file sharing and so on.

7. Export Option

Sometimes, you might want to share project timelines with people who are not directly involved in the project, such as clients and other stakeholders.

In such situations, it is highly beneficial to have Gantt chart software that allows you to export your Gantt charts as images or PDF files .

8. Third Party Integrations

Most businesses already use a handful of software tools and applications to automate various business aspects. When choosing a Gantt chart software, you should ensure that it supports integration with such third party tools that you routinely use in your business .

An effective Gantt chart software will allow integration with common marketing automation tools , email marketing tools , CRM tools , document management tools , workflow management tools , and other popular business tools.

How To Make A Gantt Chart

On the face of it, Gantt charts look complex and complicated, but they are actually very easy to make. Below, let’s look at two different ways of making a Gantt chart.

How To Make A Gantt Chart Online

• Gather all the information you need to create your Gantt chart. This includes information about all projects tasks, and the resources available for the project.
• Choose your preferred online Gantt chart maker, such as Monday.com or ClickUp .
• Pick your preferred Gantt chart template. Most online Gantt chart makers will have a couple of templates to choose from.
• Customize the template by adding the tasks you listed in step one to the Gantt chart.
• Enter the start and completion dates for each task.
• Define any dependencies between tasks.
• Set the milestones that you’ll use to track project progress.
• Assign the project tasks to the available team members.
• Find the critical path for your project.

Creating a Gantt chart online is that simple. Once you’re done with the above steps, you can now share a link to the Gantt chart with your team members and other project stakeholders and start using it to monitor and track project progress.

How To Make A Gantt Chart In Excel

Creating a Gantt chart in Microsoft Excel is a bit more complicated compared to creating one online, since Excel doesn’t come with an inbuilt Gantt chart template.

It’s also good to note that your Excel Gantt chart will not be responsive, and you’ll have to share the newer version of the Gantt chart with your team members and stakeholders whenever you make changes to your Gantt chart .

If you still prefer using Excel, however, here are the steps to follow…

• Create an Excel file and fill in your project tasks, with different columns for start date, end date, and duration.

• Select the data range on the “Start Date” column, then go to insert and select “stacked bar.”

• To add duration data to your graph, right click on the graph and click on “Select Data.”

• Click on “Add” to add a new data range to your graph

• In the new box that pops up, choose a name for the new data range (in our case, the name is Duration), and then move down to Series value and click on the range selection icon to choose your data range.

• Select the data in the Duration column to add it to the graph, then hit the icon at the right of the range selection box to close to minimize the box.

• Click On “Okay” to add the new data range to your chart. The chart will now look like the image below.

• To transform your chart into a Gantt chart, the next thing you need to do is to make the blue bars invisible. To do this, right click on the blue bar, and click on “Format Data Series.”

• In the new pane that pops up to your right, select “Fill and Line,” and then click on “No Fill” and “No Line.” Next click on “Series Options” and adjust the “Gap Width” to zero. Your chart will now look like this…

• You now have a Gantt chart, but at this point, it is in reverse order. To correct this, right click on the list of tasks and click on “Format Axis.”

• In the “Format Axis” dialog pane on the right of your screen, click on the “Categories in reverse order” checkbox. Your Gantt chart will now look like this…

That’s it. If you correctly follow the above steps, you’ll have created a simple Gantt chart using Excel. If the process seems too long and complicated, however, you can build Gantt charts faster by using a Gantt chart template for Excel .

Gantt Chart Templates For Project Managers

It is possible to build your own Gantt charts from scratch. However, this can be a bit complicated, depending on the Gantt chart maker you’re using.

For instance, with Excel, the process of building a Gantt chart from scratch is quite lengthy. An easier way to quickly build beautiful Gantt charts is to use a Gantt chart template.

There are tons of Gantt chart templates available on the internet. However, most of these Gantt chart templates are designed for specific Gantt chart makers.

For instance, an Excel Gantt chart template can only be used on Microsoft Excel, while an Instagantt template can only be used on Instagantt.

Below are links to some Gantt chart templates that you can use on specific platforms…

• Office Timeline Gantt chart templates
• Simple Microsoft Excel Gantt chart template
• Aha.io Gantt chart templates
• Free Instagantt Gantt chart templates
• Simple ClickUp Gantt chart template

Gantt Chart FAQ

Gantt charts can be used by anyone looking for an effective way to plan, schedule and manage a project.  You can use Gantt charts for all kinds of projects, from small personal projects, to large projects that involve multiple teams. Some of the types of projects where you can use a Gantt chart include… – Product development projects – Marketing campaigns – Engineering process revamp – Website design projects – Construction projects – Event planning projects – Manufacturing projects

Using a Gantt chart in project management offers several benefits. Some of these include… Gantt charts give you a bird’s eye view of your project. With a single glance, you can tell how a project is going, and whether you’re on schedule to hit each milestone. With Gantt charts, it’s a lot easier to identify the relationships between project tasks and each task affects the others . This can help you identify potential conflicts and fix them early on. Better resource management. With a Gantt chart, you can see who is assigned to what, which makes it easier to identify team members who are overloaded with work, and those being underutilized. Gantt charts allow everyone within the team to track project progress, view the work assigned to other team members, and how this work is coming along . This leads to better accountability and transparency.

Best Gantt Chart Builders To Try

Gantt charts are an easy and effective way to plan your project and monitor project progress. They make your team more productive, improve transparency and accountability, and allow you to identify and fix potential issues before they derail your project.

If you are looking for a great Gantt chart maker, here is a list of the best Gantt chart builders to try.

• Monday.com : The best overall Gantt chart builder that offers high quality visualizations.
• ClickUp : Best solution for those looking for an affordable Gantt chart builder.
• Wrike : A simple and user-friendly Gantt chart tool that’s great for those looking to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Teamwork : Powerful Gantt chart tool that offers great collaboration features.

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Anastasia belyh.

Anastasia has been a professional blogger and researcher since 2014. She loves to perform in-depth software reviews to help software buyers make informed decisions when choosing project management software, CRM tools, website builders, and everything around growing a startup business.

Anastasia worked in management consulting and tech startups, so she has lots of experience in helping professionals choosing the right business software.

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How to Make a Gantt Chart in 5 Steps

What Is a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is a stacked bar chart that organizes the work activities of a project on a timeline that shows their duration, dependencies and allows project managers to assign them to their team members. Gantt charts are an important project planning and scheduling tool.

On the left of a Gantt diagram is a list of the tasks, and to the right is the bar chart timeline in which those tasks are placed according to when they occur in the project. Each task is laid out with a start date and an end date. That’s the duration of the task. It is graphically a line between two points.

This layout makes it simple for project managers to see what the tasks are, when each of them begins and ends and how long the task should take to complete. The Gantt chart also shows where tasks overlap, by how much, as well as the duration of the entire project. Gantt charts have been around for a long time, but since they migrated from analog to digital, their ease of use has made them a staple of project management.

What Is a Gantt Chart Used For?

Gantt charts are versatile project management tools that have various purposes. They are used to plan, schedule and monitor projects. During the planning stage, Gantt charts help project managers visualize the project timeline so that they can define what resources are needed when, how to assign workload, and also understand what are the critical path activities of a project.

Then, once all the project activities are included in the Gantt chart, it’s easier to create an accurate project schedule to execute the project plan on time. So, a Gantt chart shows you what tasks are needed to complete the project, and how long they are going to take. But how do you make one to plan and schedule a successful project? The following are the five steps to make a Gantt chart.

Steps to Make a Gantt Chart

There are a few ways to make a Gantt chart. If you want to be a traditional project manager, you can get out a paper and pencil. That might be a good way to start putting your plan together, but it’s not feasible for managing a project, with all its issues and changes.

To make things easier, we offer a free Gantt chart template , which gives you an Excel spreadsheet to fill in the fields. But if you keep your schedule on a spreadsheet, it’s going to be a problem. Excel was created to make easy and visual timelines, but it’s not a project management tool. What you really need is a project management software with a Gantt chart maker feature. We recommend uploading the spreadsheet to our online Gantt chart software . The benefits of that are detailed below.

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Gantt Chart Template

Use this free Gantt Chart Template for Excel to manage your projects better.

That said, you still have to go through the steps of collecting all the planning data you’ll need to make a Gantt chart whether you choose an Excel Gantt chart template or a Gantt chart software. Once you go through the following five steps, take a moment to read on. We’ll explain how putting your Gantt chart online into our software makes it a living document that can not only plan your schedule, but help you execute it.

1. Make a Task List

Before you can map out the work you have to have a list of it. This list of tasks must be thorough and complete to be effective. Therefore, it’s advised that you use a work breakdown structure (WBS) .

This tool, like it’s name, breaks down larger, complex (or small, simpler) projects down to divide the work into individual activities. It starts with the final deliverable and goes step by step backwards to get the essential steps necessary to get to the project’s end.

As you’re gathering up tasks it doesn’t hurt to look back at historical data of related projects to get an idea of their duration. Also, talking to people who have gone through similar projects, be they inside or outside your team, can help as you move to the next step.

Related: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Template

2. What Are the Tasks’ Start and End Dates?

This is when you take the tasks and sequence them over your project timeline. It is possible and even likely that some tasks will be performed at the same time but by different team members.

As you determine what the start date is, your tasks will show up on the bar chart timeline at that date. Then with the knowledge you’ve acquired in the last step, make a time estimation as to when the task will be completed. This creates the two points and the bar between them, marking the time it will take to do the task over the course of the entire project.

This is the first step towards creating a schedule for the project . The duration of your tasks is the time between the start date and the end date. Now you’re cooking with gas. You no longer have merely a task list, but a visual representation of your project laid out over a timeline. This provides an at-a-glance aid to your progress once you execute the project.

3. Add Milestones

Add milestones to your Gantt chart to mark the completion of your project deliverables or work phases. While you want to collect every task, no matter how tiny, you don’t want to neglect the big picture. Gantt charts allow you to break the project up into phases or mark when a large unique section of the project is complete.

Having milestones in a project is helpful. It not only boosts morale to see that you’ve finished a large chunk of the project, but it delineates key events, acting like signposts on the route to your final destination.

4. Identify Task Dependencies

While some tasks can be executed at the same time, others can’t be started until another has finished. These are called task dependencies. If they’re not identified, they can create bottlenecks in your team’s workflow.

There are four types of task dependencies.

• Finish to Start: Task can’t start until the one before it is finished.
• Start to Start: Task can’t start until the one before it starts.
• Finish to Finish: Task can’t end before the one before it ends.
• Start to Finish: Task can’t end before the one before it starts.

Once these task dependencies are identified, create them on your Gantt chart by linking the related tasks. That way you’ll be able to readily see which tasks are dependent on one another.

5. Start Assigning

Once you have your tasks, milestones, durations and dependencies on your Gantt chart, you can start assigning tasks. This is where you give team members work. They are now responsible for meeting the due date of the tasks to which they are assigned.

Project managers can use the Gantt chart to create a project schedule and as a visual guide to track the team’s progress as it works through their assignments. But there’s much more a Gantt chart can do if you’re working with superior project management software.

If you’re not ready to get started with Gantt chart software such as ProjectManager, you can use this free Gantt chart template for Excel . The best part is, then you can export the data from the Excel template into ProjectManager and use its robust Gantt chart features.

How ProjectManager Supersizes Your Gantt Chart

Whether you’ve used our Gantt chart template or merely collected a task list in an Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheet, you can take it to the next level by importing the document into the ProjectManager Gantt chart maker. You can import MS Project, CSV or Excel files and your tasks are spread out over a bar chart timeline automatically.

You can then pick and choose which columns you want on the left side of the Gantt chart tool. There, you can add start and end dates, identify subtasks and estimate the duration of each activity. Milestones are added by diamond symbols and task dependencies can be linked.

When it comes time to assign tasks to your team members, you can do so directly from our Gantt chart tool. Then team members can use the Gantt chart view as a collaborative platform when they’re executing the tasks. Because ProjectManager is a cloud-based project management software, they can access it anywhere and at any time, which is great for distributed teams.

Team members can also comment at the task level, adding documents as needed. We have unlimited file storage, so they can attach whatever images or handoffs are necessary. If a team member has a question for the project manager or another project member not assigned the task, they can @ them and that person will be notified by email, so they can join the discussion.

Easy Editing & Automations

One complaint about Gantt charts is that they’re difficult to edit. But ProjectManager makes changing task durations, adding task dependencies and updating the Gantt chart as easy as drag-and-drop. Just grab your start date and end date and move it to where you want. It’s that easy.

The online Gantt chart also can be automated, so if a task is delayed, the dates of the task dependent on it will be adjusted to avoid any scheduling mistakes. Email notifications can be automated as well to keep project managers and team members updated when tasks are completed. ProjectManager fulfills the promise of Gantt charts in project management.

What Other Software Is Used to Make a Gantt Chart?

Today, project managers have access to different Gantt chart templates, Gantt chart tools and project management software. These are the most common choices.

Microsoft Excel

You can create a basic Gantt chart with Excel spreadsheets and bar charts. Here are some pros and cons of using Excel to create a Gantt chart:

• It is an inexpensive solution if you have a Microsoft Office license.
• Your team members are likely to be familiar with Microsoft Excel.
• There are Gantt chart Excel templates that you can use throughout the web.
• Microsoft Excel is not a project management software, so it doesn’t have other complementary features such as time tracking, workload management, task management, etc.
• It is a static document that needs to be updated manually and lacks important features such as identifying the critical path, assigning tasks to team members, identifying task dependencies, among others.
• Every team member that wants to see the Gantt chart needs to download an Excel file, one for each update.

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project, or MS project, is a project management tool that allows you to create better Gantt charts than Excel spreadsheets. However it has limitations as well.

• It has other project management features besides the Gantt chart maker.
• Microsoft project Gantt charts are easier to update than Excel Gantt charts.
• MS project Gantt charts have more features than Excel Gantt charts.
• It’s an expensive and hard-to-use project management software.
• It’s not a cloud-based Gantt chart tool, so it requires you to install it on every team member’s computer.
• Doesn’t work on Mac computers.

Google Sheets

Google Sheets Gantt charts share some of the pros and cons that we’ve discussed above.

• It is an online tool that facilitates team collaboration and file sharing.
• It has a friendly user interface, and it’s simple to use.
• Allows you to create basic Gantt charts with its spreadsheet and bar charts.
• Google sheets is not a project management tool so it doesn’t have other complementary features such as time tracking, workload management, task management, etc.
• Just as Excel, it only allows you to create a simple Gantt chart that lacks important features such as identifying the critical path, assigning tasks to team members, identifying task dependencies, among others.

As you can see, even though these are the most common ways to create a Gantt chart, they’re not the ideal solution project managers need. ProjectManager has the right project management features that not only allow you to create Gantt charts, but also manage your projects from start to finish.

ProjectManager is cloud-based project management software. Our online Gantt chart maker gives project managers the tools to control schedule, link task dependencies and track progress with integrated reporting. Team members get a collaborative platform to work more productively. That’s just one aspect of our software, which also has kanban, calendar and list views. See how we can help you manage your next project by taking advantage of our free 30-day trial.

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3 Gantt chart examples

At work, reinventing the wheel isn’t always necessary and this also rings true with Gantt charts — it’s sometimes helpful to take inspiration from existing Gantt chart examples, weaving all of those ideas into one perfect creation.

Sometimes, all we need is a little inspiration to get going. In the next few minutes, we’ll go over some Gantt chart basics and highlight some of our favorites. Up first, defining Gantt charts.

What do we mean when we use the term Gantt chart?

Gantt charts are a type of bar chart that allow project managers to visualize a project timeline, resource allocations, and how individual tasks within a project are interrelated. Gantt charts might be the oldest tool in your project management tool chest, dated right back to  1896  when they were first created by Henry Gantt. Now, fast forward to today. What are some of the ways modern professionals use Gantt charts? Let’s get into the specifics.

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What is the purpose of Gantt charts?

At the fundamental level, Gantt charts are used for planning and managing projects, though they are definitely stronger on the planning side of things (more on this later).

More specifically, Gantt charts are used by project managers to:

• Plan and allocate resources
• Determine task dependencies
• Understand project timelines
• Determine the  critical path
• Set project priorities

Fun fact: the  Hoover Dam ‘s builders used a Gantt chart to manage the construction.

What are some essential parts of a Gantt chart?

A simple Gantt chart is comprised of:

• Timeline:  the timeline spans left to right, is usually measured in days, and depicting the dates the project will take place.
• Tasks:  each rectangle on the Gantt chart represents an individual task that contributes toward the project.
• Duration:  the length of each task determines how long it is going to take. These are often marked by a start date and end date.
• Assignees : most Gantt chart software platforms allow you to assign tasks to different team members, which may be displayed in real time as names or images.
• Milestones : milestones are tasks with no duration, which are ticked off when a major section of the project is completed or major events occur. Often, larger projects will be split up into multiple phases, represented as milestones on a Gantt chart.
• Dependencies:  one of the most important features of a Gantt chart is its ability to show task dependencies, which are when a task can’t begin or end until another task has started or finished. Poorly planned projects (and unaccounted for dependencies) is a major reason why projects fail  12%  of the time, so a strong understanding of task order and duration is a major key to project success.

What is Gantt chart software?

You can imagine that some 120 years ago, when Gantt charts were first invented, creating and updating them was a bit of a nightmare. You’d have to draw up a completely new one every single time the project schedule changed.

Luckily for us, today we have an easier and faster way to create a Gantt chart.

Using a comprehensive Gantt chart software platform, project managers can simply punch in the project data, assign and notify team members responsible for specific tasks, and adjust as required.

Online Gantt charts can help you effectively manage everything from marketing campaigns to construction projects to social media strategies, but of course, this project planning technique looks different for everyone.

3 different Gantt chart examples 

So, what do Gantt charts look like? Do they vary from use to use, or can you copy and paste each one? Let’s take a look at three simple Gantt chart examples ranging in functionality.

1. Gantt Chart for Project Management

Of course, the number one use for Gantt charts is project management.

We’ll start with an example built for teams company-wide. You’ll notice in this sample Gantt chart, the tasks are color coded and divided into several sections, such as Planning and Execution. The UX is clean, sleek, and intuitive.

Gantt charts like the above allow project managers to separate project schedule into phases for the sake of simplification. This also makes it easy for a team leader to quickly see where the project stands.

Some advanced Gantt chart tools even allow you to filter out data to really narrow down on a specific part of your project plan .

2. Gantt Chart for Business Plans 

If you’re thinking of starting up a new business, Gantt charts can be a great way to determine the steps you’ll need to take before going to market.

In the below project Gantt chart example, you’ll see that the stage ‘identify needed resources’ depends on the previous stage: ‘Interview owners of similar businesses.’

( Image Source )

Though this follows the standard organizational methods of a Gantt chart, this example is packed with text and information making it slightly harder to understand with a single glance.

3. Gantt Chart for Marketing Campaigns 

You can plan and manage all kinds of marketing campaigns with Gantt charts.

The below example, shows how a company might plan their communications around email campaigns, events and social media campaigns.

We’ve seen a few Gantt chart samples, but let’s get to the bottom line. Next, we’ll identify which platforms provide you with the tools you need to create your ideal Gantt chart.

Which Gantt chart tool is right for you?

Creating Gantt charts has never been easier. We have access to all kinds of online Gantt chart tools that allow project managers to have their project in a chart within minutes.

Even many of the software programs you use on a daily basis can be used to create Gantt charts (although it’s not always ideal). Take the following popular tool for instance:

Gantt Chart in Excel

It’s possible to create an Excel Gantt chart , but it’s not always easy to identify all the information you need to stay organized.

As you can see, it’s not the most detailed of Gantt charts. There’s no room for assigning people to tasks or to group items within a task. On Excel, creating dependencies and task updates takes more effort.

Pro tip: Look for tools that have time and date customization, a way to assign tasks to teammates, a status column to to update stakeholders, and a view that makes it easy for anyone to understand project progress straightaway.

Gantt Chart in PowerPoint 

As PowerPoint is a more visual medium than Excel, there are slightly more customization options. In the example below, you see the addition of color coded months and teams, along with a clearer way to mark milestones.

Though more colorful, Gantt chart in Microsoft Powerpoint might not be the best option for ongoing project management, as they still lack the full picture more robust solutions provide.

Gantt Chart in Word 

Microsoft Word is one of the most widely used software product in the world, so it’s unsurprising that project managers have figured out a way to use it to create Gantt charts.

Here’s an example of a Gantt chart for a business plan.

Though much more detailed than the Excel version, it’s still lacking an interactive element that helps teams adapt to project challenges or updates on the fly.

We may have gone over some big names, but there’s one software we haven’t mentioned yet.

A truly interactive Gantt chart example that raises the bar

On monday.com, you can fully customize your Gantt chart and easily share it with your team! You can also assign tasks and notify team members of roadblocks or status updates, attach documents and comments, access the information in several different views, easily access your data, and much more.

Let’s take a look at some of these capabilities more in depth:

Assign and notify team members

With monday.com, you can assign tasks to new team members, tag them in comments, and send them reminders when tasks are overdue.

These reminders can even be integrated with other tools you might already be using, like Zoom. Once you assign a team member, they’ll receive a notification and be able to see all updates in real-time and follow up right from the chart.

Want to share your Gantt chart with external stakeholders but don’t want them having access to every aspect of your plan? Just jump into the settings window and set their individual viewing permissions.

Attach documents and comments to tasks for in-chart context

No need to scour your email trying to look for messages and important documents. On monday.com, users can attach documents and add comments to individual project tasks, ensuring one point of truth for smooth flowing projects.

All communications are within the context of that specific task or project so you and your team save time and increase efficiency.

See the same project in different views

Feel like a Kanban board might suit you better for day-to-day workflows? There’s no need to create an entirely new project in that view. With monday.com, you can simply choose a new view with all the same data.

You can even view your project in two views at once, using split-screen mode. In the image below, we see that this team member prefers to use a Gantt chart as well as board view to check the project status.

Create smart workflow automations that  work for you

Repetitive admin tasks like updating timelines and notifying your teammates take up time. Precious time that, is better used elsewhere.

With a monday.com Gantt chart, you can set up automation actions to automatically complete these simple tasks for you. We can in the below image the automations in progress, but you could create your own in the automations center using a variety of prebuilt recipes. Just choose your triggers, actions, and conditions and you’re all set!

Drag and drop tasks for easy updates to your chart

Projects are rarely linear; it will likely take a few twists and turns as it progresses. Being able to simply click, drag, and reorder tasks makes editing Gantt charts simple; exactly what you need when the project scope constantly changes.

Analyze intuitive reports

Visibility into completed work is easy with monday.com. Our software offers a host of reports and dashboard for quick project analysis.

You can view progress whichever way you prefer, including handy bar charts that break projects down by task, status, person responsible, or any other way you want to slice and dice it.

Start creating your personalized Gantt chart!

We hope by now you’re feeling inspired to create your very own Gantt chart.

It might feel a bit daunting at first, especially if you haven’t built one before, but softwares like monday.com take Gantt charts to the next level, make getting started a breeze, and support customization options to specifically fit your needs, even as the project scope changes. So if you’re looking to get started quickly, check out our example Gantt charts template below.

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How Do You Create A Gantt Chart? A Step-By-Step Guide

Liz is an agilist and digital project manager with a passion for people, process, and technology and more than 15 years of experience leading people and teams across education, consulting, and technology firms. In her day-to-day, Liz works as the Chief of Staff at Performica, an HR software company revolutionizing how people give and receive feedback at work. Liz holds a Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from The University of Southern California and teaches Leadership and Operations courses in the MBA program at the University of Portland. Liz holds numerous project management-related certifications including: PMP, PMI-ACP, CSP-SM, and a SPHR from HRCI to round out the people-focused side of her work.

Building a Gantt chart is not difficult, and it's made even easier by the abundance of Gantt chart software out there. Here's a step by step guide.

A Gantt chart is a stacked bar chart that displays a timeline of events and the associated tasks, milestones, or activities. Gantt charts are often used in project management to visually identify task and project start dates, durations, end dates, and more. 

Gantt charts can be used on any size of project, whether big or small, or simple or complex. The size of your screen, printer, or patience will be the limiting factor in the usefulness of your chart. 

Gantt charts are not at all new. In fact, charts of this type have been common practices among project leaders and people just “trying to get things done in an orderly way” since well before the Gantt chart. 

Before the widespread use of the chart we know today, bar charts (very similar to Gantt charts, just not named) and scheduling practices have been used by project leaders since the beginning of time, dating back 3000+ years . 

Bar charts can be used for multiple purposes, including those beyond project management. Any application that intends to show what has happened over time can be visualized using a bar chart, which is effectively what we consider in project management to be a Gantt chart. 

Consider this early example of a bar chart where Joseph Priestly charted the lifetimes of famous people on a bar chart. Just flip the lifetimes of famous people to tasks or activities in a project, and you’re well on your way to seeing the origin of what we now call the Gantt chart. 

You are probably reading this article because you’ve been asked to create a Gantt chart, or you are looking for a way to visualize your project. Don’t worry; you are in the right place. 

As a project manager myself, I have often used Gantt charts to quell the nerves of key stakeholders and help project teams visually see where we are now and where we need to go.

Gantt charts are a helpful visual, but they are not the project plan in itself. A Gantt chart is a visual representation of a project plan—it is not the whole plan. 

Now that our history lesson is over, let’s get into it! This article covers the basics of creating a Gantt chart, provides some helpful tips, links to some of my favorite tools to use when creating a Gantt chart.

How To Create A Gantt Chart

It’s no secret that using an online software program makes creating a simple Gantt chart quick and painless (for the most part). Even if you’re hand drawing your chart (which I often recommend for new PMs), the steps to creating an effective Gantt chart are essentially the same.

First: Determine the Scope

The first step to creating a visual Gantt chart is to determine the scope of what you wish to display visually.

What I mean by this is:

• Are you looking to show a project portfolio where each project is one Gantt bar over time? 
• Is your scope small, but you need to show all of the tasks? 
• Maybe you wish to show one huge project with many workstreams, with each workstream containing multiple tasks. 

Before you can expect to visualize the scope effectively, you must determine what it is you actually want to show. 

For example, you might show an entire project portfolio in a Gantt chart, with each project containing a few different phases (each which would then contain many tasks):

Alternatively, you could show a more detailed view, such as the example scope for this project , which involves creating a new base image, or the basic installation of OS and software within a company’s IT department:

Once your scope is determined, you need to identify the tasks and activities that fall within the scope of your desired Gantt chart.

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Second: Identify Tasks and Activities in the Project

You need a list of all the tasks involved in your project and how much time each project task will take (at least an estimate). You might want to add the resources needed for that task and information about why a specific amount of time is required.

Some tasks are made up of smaller tasks or activities. That's ok! Capture as much information as you can about what needs to be done.

If multiple tasks can roll up to a larger task, consider if other tasks can also be combined, or whether it makes sense to change the “zoom level” of your Gantt chart into your project plan . There is no one right answer here, so just make sure that what you’re listing makes sense together. 

For example, you wouldn’t show “plug-in the keyboard” and “open new data center” as tasks next to each other. Instead, you might roll up “plug-in the keyboard” into a larger task such as “install user interface hardware,” which would contain many sub-tasks or contributing tasks, including “plug-in the keyboard.” 

You might end up fiddling with what I call the “zoom level” of your plan. Again, there is no one correct way, so choose whatever method will make the most sense for you, your project stakeholders , and the project team. 

Learn more about what to include in your Gantt chart here .

Third: Sequence Tasks and Activities

Once you have a list of all the things that need to be done in your given project or Gantt chart scope, you need to sequence these activities and tasks into a thoughtful order and note any dependencies to identify the critical path . 

Each task or activity must include an estimated start date, duration, and/or end date. With this information you can begin to thoughtfully order the tasks and see what comes next throughout the life of the initiative.

As you go along, be sure the schedule makes sense and isn’t jumping around too much. Items that are dependent on other items should be scheduled later than their predecessors. 

Beware the Critical Path

A critical path is a component of the project schedule. It is the sequence of activities that must be completed on time to prevent the project from being delayed or even canceled .

The critical path represents the longest duration of time that a project can be delayed without losing the ability to achieve an overall targeted completion date for the project.

Critical path awareness is essential to developing a successful project management schedule and for successfully managing projects in general.

Critical path charts are commonly used in software development, accounting, engineering, construction, architecture, and many other industries that require keeping track of tasks with start deadlines or due dates. 

Critical path analysis is not only used in project management. It can be used to manage workflows in organizations and for personal tasks.

It would be difficult to submit a term paper without reading the textbook and doing the research, which means that reading the textbook, research, and writing would be on the critical path to submitting the term paper. 

You can’t skip the critical path items and expect to be successful in the end. First things first, and required things always! 

Resource Constraints Influencing Timing

People and resources contributing to your initiative often have skills and experience you need to consider. Stay vigilant in identifying conflicts or times when you have a specialized resource over-committed!

A good way of working out what skills you need is by using a skill matrix. One way of doing this is to make a table and place all the skills that are required for the project in the top row. Then in the left-hand column, add all of those people or resources who have that skill.

Finally: Make It Visual

Once you have identified your scope, tasks and activities, dependencies, and general timing, it's time to make it visual!

If you’ve read my articles before, you know that I like to have folks start on paper and then make their way to software  once the plan can be coherently described on paper—that advice stands true here as well! 

On paper : Start creating your Gantt chart on paper by listing all the tasks and activities you have in your scope on the left side of a piece of paper (landscape orientation). Next, draw a line across the top of the paper, not overlapping the task list denoting the beginning and end of the scoped project timeline. Then, for each task, draw a box or line at the appropriate spot in the timeline relating to each task. 

If you try this method, you might uncover some unknown dependencies or tasks that are a little out of schedule alignment—that’s ok! That’s one of the reasons I recommend this method to start. Just make the change (hopefully, you used a pencil).

Finding these items earlier will help you be most successful when you finally digitize your Gantt chart. 

On A Whiteboard : Create a sticky note for each task or activity in your Gantt chart scope. Next, on the whiteboard, draw a timeline across the top or middle of the board. Next, start to drop in your sticky notes where they make the most sense. 

When I use this method, I often simplify my timescale by month or week at first, as many tasks need to be completed during that time. Once I drill down further, I can start sequencing the activities at a lower level of detail. 

You might  uncover some unknown dependencies or tasks with this method as well. Just make the change by moving the sticky notes around! 

Once you have either drawn your Gantt chart out on paper or built a draft on a whiteboard, you now have my permission to use software to create the chart and revise it from here on out. If you’ve skipped this step, I understand. It's tempting to get going quickly. 

What I would encourage you to do (since you’ve already ignored my primary guidance) is to go through each element of the chart and explain it to your colleague/cat/dog/house plants as if they have no idea what you’re talking about, but you need them to understand. 

Start at the beginning and be detailed about what is to happen, what has to happen next, and why the items are sequenced the way that they are. 

This practice will not only help you understand your project better, but it will also help you uncover hidden dependencies, opportunities to speed up, and risks to be aware of. 

You may now proceed to use Gantt chart software.😊

What Is Gantt Chart Software?

Gantt charts can be created in many different software tools, all with pretty similar outputs but with varying planning features.

In essence, a Gantt chart tool or Gantt chart software takes your list of inputs for tasks or activities with start and end dates and builds a visually pleasing stacked bar chart just like the one you (hopefully) built on paper or on a whiteboard before attempting this step. 

Learn more about Gantt chart software is here .

Benefits of Gantt Chart Software

While free programs like Excel can do the trick, using project management software is usually the right choice. Gantt charts are not difficult to create when you have a tool that is intended to create them. For example, in many online tools, task lists with dates can quickly switch between a variety of views (one of which is often a Gantt chart). 

The use of online tools also typically helps with sharing your Gantt chart with interested parties—consider how you will share your plan as it is created and look for opportunities for stakeholders and team members to be able to self-serve or access the plan without having to ask you for it each time. 

The software also typically includes plenty of Gantt chart templates , so starting a project is quick and easy. 

Key Features of Gantt Chart Software

What are the most important features of Gantt chart software? Here’s what to look for:

• Customizability: The chart should be fully editable and customizable. It must include color-coding capabilities, as well as the ability to add, edit, and customize task names, descriptions, and milestones. The ability to add notes to tasks and dependencies is also a plus.
• Shareability: It should have an export function and other sharing capabilities, as well as collaboration features that enable simultaneous editing by multiple people. Sometimes, an executive wants to see the Gantt chart on a slide. Be ready to make that happen.
• Tracking: It should allow you to track tasks across milestones, statuses, durations, and projects.
• Formatting: It should provide conditional formatting, including highlighted rows and columns and formatting based on dates (highlighting late or almost-late tasks).
• Integrations: It should allow the Gantt chart tool to integrate with other software your company uses to accomplish projects (ex., Microsoft Project, Jira, SmartSheet , Trello, Asana , monday.com , ClickUp, etc). Compatibility with Microsoft Office and Google Docs is also a plus. 
• Mobile Accessibility: The Gantt chart tool must have a way to access the tool from a mobile device so you can feel confident that the critical information about your project is readily available, even if you’re asked for a copy of the chart during a “working lunch.”

Pro Tip : Most project management and Gantt chart software includes a free trial or freemium that is free for some features or team sizes. Take a look at what’s available and what offers the features that meet your needs. As always, if you’re new to an organization, ask what tools have been used there historically to see if there’s an existing tool that meets your needs before looking to introduce something new. 

Check out our guides on using tools like Asana for project management and tips and tricks for using monday.com to learn more about creating Gantt Charts in your PM software.

How to Build a Gantt Chart in Excel or Google Sheets

While it's great to use project management software to create a Gantt chart, sometimes we don’t have the tools we need to do what we want to do (approvals, budgets , etc.). When those moments come, I typically look to the tools I already have to make it work. That leads me to Excel and Google Sheets. 

Both Excel and Google Sheets can be used to make simple Gantt charts. The goal of creating a Gantt chart in Excel or Google Sheets is simply to visualize a data table.

In most cases, fancy features, such as identifying bottlenecks, periods of wasted time, or task dependency complications, are not present. If you need those advanced features, you’ll want to invest in a project management tool. 

To get started in Excel or Google Sheets, you will need to first create a table with 3 columns, one each for task name (or activity name), start date, and end date. If you don’t already have a start and end date, you could use start date and duration as an estimate where start date + duration = end date.

You can also add a column for dependencies if you like. Dependencies are really where project management tools add more value than Excel or Google Sheets because there is logic built in to determine how changes in schedule impact other things. In Excel and Google sheets, we can only visualize the timeline as defined. 

Once you have your tasks outlined, it's time to make your chart. A Gantt chart is effectively a stacked bar chart. Next, it's time to make it visual with the help of our friends at TeamGantt:

• Learn how to make a simple Excel Gantt Chart
• Learn how to make a simple Gantt Chart in Google Sheets

PS: Want to make a Gantt chart in Jira? Read our tips and workarounds for Jira Gantt charts here .

Get Started Creating Gantt Charts

So why is a Gantt chart tool useful ? Mainly because it is visual! Gantt chart tools and software also make it easy to see which tasks have other task dependencies. No matter what you’re using to make your simple Gantt chart, the Gantt chart is only as good as the information in it. 

If your plan is to go online and research Gantt chart software options, make sure to find a project management tool that offers the flexibility your company needs.

There’s a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, a Gantt chart is an excellent way to keep your projects organized.

Start with our lists of Gantt chart software here:

• Best Gantt chart software
• Free Gantt chart software
• Gantt chart makers

Next, when you’ve picked a tool, or you’re looking to learn more, be sure to subscribe to The Digital Project Manager to stay up-to-date on all emerging trends in project management. 

How To Plan Resources For Multiple Projects: 6 Expert Tips

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• Agile project management
• Gantt chart examples

5 Gantt chart examples for better project management

Browse topics.

Gantt charts are indispensable tools in project management that visually represent project timelines, tasks, and dependencies. Gantt charts simplify task management, foster team collaboration, and enhance project visibility.  We'll explore several Gantt chart examples and their diverse applications across various project types, from dependency mapping to date shifting and resource allocation. You'll discover how Gantt charts streamline every project phase, from project planning to execution, and adaptation, making them invaluable for both simple and complex projects. 

Whether you're a project manager, team lead, or collaborator, understanding how to leverage Gantt charts effectively can elevate your project management capabilities.

What is a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is a visual project management tool that illustrates tasks and their timelines within a project workflow . It has three parts: a list of tasks on the left and a timeline on the right, with schedule bars representing the duration of each task. 

A Gantt chart example can include additional details, such as task start and end dates, milestones, task dependencies, and the individuals or teams responsible for each task. It offers a comprehensive view of a project's tasks and their sequencing, making it a valuable resource for effective project management.

5 examples of Gantt charts for project management

Gantt charts aid in planning, scheduling, and tracking projects. While versatile, their core purpose is consistent: enhancing project visibility and aiding decision-making. 

Let's explore several Gantt chart examples and how they aid in managing simple and complex projects.

1. Dependency mapping

Dependency mapping is a cornerstone in project management, not only for identifying, analyzing, and documenting task interdependencies but also for prioritizing them effectively. 

Gantt charts are often the go-to visual tool for this purpose, with horizontal bars indicating the duration of each task and connecting lines specifying the dependencies among them. They offer dynamic benefits like enhancing sequencing and scheduling, particularly in projects with multifaceted dependencies.

Modern Gantt chart software further elevates the practice by providing real-time updates, allowing for Agile adaptability. These charts foster team collaboration by presenting a centralized, coherent view of the project, thereby minimizing misunderstandings and closing knowledge gaps.

Example : Imagine orchestrating a large-scale cybersecurity update across multiple teams. You need to complete some tasks, such as coding the software before rolling out the update. But other tasks, like employee training, can occur in parallel. Gantt charts illustrate these complex interdependencies, empowering project managers to allocate resources optimally and proceed with a well-timed execution.

2. Task management

Gantt charts offer a structured and visual approach to planning, scheduling, and resource allocation, making them invaluable in project management. 

Here are some reasons why Gantt charts excel in task management:

• Task planning provides a clear project task overview regardless of complexity.
• Task allocation allows effortless assignment to team members, promoting collaboration.
• Timelines offer precise scheduling with defined start and end dates, preventing overwork.
• Task dependencies highlight interdependencies for correct task sequencing.

Progress tracking helps every stakeholder keep a tab on a project’s lifecycle through a chart.

Gantt charts streamline complex task information, facilitating decision-making, promoting organization, clarifying roles, and ensuring smoother project execution.

Example : A software development sprint includes coding, testing, and debugging. Gantt charts allow developers to assign tasks precisely, setting clear timelines for each sprint. Maintaining alignment, reducing overwork risks, and tracking progress visually helps teams meet release deadlines.

3. Project planning

Gantt charts provide an all-encompassing perspective on project scope, going beyond task enumeration to deliver strategic insight. These charts act as strategic roadmaps, meticulously aligning with overarching objectives. 

They serve the dual purpose of guiding immediate action and facilitating long-term planning. Their high-level timelines are tailored for diverse project scales, from short-term bursts of activity to long-term strategic initiatives, offering stakeholders a robust framework for decision-making and resource allocation.

Beyond this, Gantt charts break down tasks into manageable steps, assigning ownership and establishing logical sequences. This task breakdown enhances resource optimization and accountability, while identifying dependencies ensures smooth project progress. 

Gantt charts empower project planners to plan, visualize, and execute projects, making them invaluable for comprehensive project views, roadmap creation, and efficient task management.

Example : Marketing campaigns require the project team to juggle multiple tasks, such as market research, content creation, and campaign execution. Gantt charts serve as a visual roadmap for breaking down these tasks, assigning them to team members, and setting clear deadlines.

4. Date shifting

Gantt charts are versatile tools for managing project timelines and adapting to dynamic situations. They excel in date shifting, allowing you to add specific due dates for task alignment and clarity. 

When adjustments are necessary, Gantt charts simplify the process with a user-friendly drag-and-drop feature, ensuring task flexibility. They also help manage scheduling delays by visualizing their impacts and enabling resource reallocation and schedule modifications. 

During resource conflicts or unexpected emergencies, Gantt charts facilitate swift responses, providing the tools for task reassignment or deadline extensions. These capabilities make Gantt charts a reliable compass for navigating unexpected changes while keeping your project on course.

Example : Supply chain issues may delay a product launch. Using a Gantt chart, project managers can easily adjust the dates for dependent tasks, such as marketing and distribution. Adaptability minimizes the impact of delays and keeps the project on schedule.

5. Resource allocation

Resource allocation is a cornerstone of effective project management, and Gantt charts are instrumental in this process. Here's how to use Gantt charts for resource allocation:

• Identifying resource needs : Gantt charts document resource requirements, associating them with tasks or milestones for clarity.
• Checking availability : Gantt charts align resource timelines with project schedules, identifying conflicts and enabling adjustments.
• Managing constraints : Gantt charts accommodate limitations, such as working hours, allowing parameter definition for adherence.
• Optimizing usage : The visual representation of Gantt charts helps identify underutilization or overallocation, enabling task adjustments.

Example : Academic research projects use various resources, such as research assistants, lab equipment, and computing power. Gantt charts can determine when a project needs each resource, identify their availability, and optimize resource usage by avoiding bottlenecks.

A good Gantt chart example serves as a professional framework for resource allocation, ensuring judicious resource deployment, reducing bottlenecks, enhancing productivity, and achieving project goals within set timelines and budgets. Try out our Gantt Chart Template and get started managing your next project today!

Jira for software teams

Trusted by millions of high-performing agile teams, Jira is the leading project management tool for software development. It serves as a central hub throughout the development cycle, enabling effective planning, tracking, and release management. 

Jira emphasizes the product backlog , prioritizing tasks from the project roadmap. This ensures high-priority items are at the forefront, enhancing development efficiency. 

As an alternative to Gantt charts, teams can select tasks based on capacity using continuous flow ( Kanban ) or structured iterations ( Scrum ), aligning work with capabilities and improving responsiveness. While Gantt charts provide a visual representation of a project timeline with dependencies, Jira’s backlogs and timelines offer dynamic adaptability, accommodating change swiftly.

Jira for business teams

Jira is a valuable solution for diverse business teams, promoting seamless collaboration and efficient project delivery. Tailored for business teams such as marketing, operations, sales, and HR, Jira offers a user-friendly interface. For project planning, Jira uses dynamic calendars instead of traditional Gantt charts. Gantt charts show tasks in a fixed line, making it difficult to change plans. Dynamic calendars make it easy to move tasks around, so teams can adapt more quickly.

With integrations such as Slack, HubSpot, and Google Workspace, Jira is highly customizable, giving business teams flexibility and control in managing their work efficiently.

Plans, available in the Premium edition of Jira , is a powerful tool for planning, tracking, and gaining insights into complex projects, especially for distributed teams. 

Unlike traditional Gantt charts, it handles intricate scenarios with multiple teams, projects, and dependencies, offering a high-level view of work across teams. 

Custom fields and labels categorize work, enhancing visibility and tracking. It simplifies dynamic planning, adapting to reorganizations or shifting priorities without manual adjustments. Integration with multiple Jira boards, projects, and filters allows customized planning. 

It's a versatile and more robust alternative to Gantt charts, providing teams with efficient project management tools and clear progress visibility.

Create Gantt charts with Jira

Jira has a robust selection of agile project management features that support the needs of any team, such as dealing with complex timelines. More dynamic and robust than a Gantt chart, Jira makes it easy for teams to organize work, stay aligned, and build better products.  Jira Plans , available in the Premium edition of Jira, enhances your planning with data-driven outcome forecasts. For teams seeking further diversification, Jira offers tailored solutions to meet specialized project management needs of business and product teams.

Gantt chart examples: Frequently asked questions

What types of projects are suitable for gantt charts.

Gantt charts are well-suited for various projects, including business plans, product management, and design projects. They offer a visual and organized way to outline tasks, allocate resources, and establish timelines, making them valuable tools for managing various project types effectively. 

Can you use Gantt charts for team collaboration?

Yes, Gantt charts are a valuable tool for team collaboration. They provide a clear visual representation of project timelines, tasks, and dependencies, making it easier for team members and stakeholders to coordinate efforts, track progress, and communicate effectively throughout the project's lifecycle.

What software can I use to create Gantt charts?

If you're aiming to create Gantt charts, consider using Jira as your go-to platform. Jira excels in offering features for dependency mapping, team collaboration, and real-time project tracking, making it ideal for handling complex projects.  Get started for free with Jira and explore Gantt chart functionalities as well as other planning tools.

Gantt Charts

A Gantt chart is a project management tool that illustrates a project plan. Learn how they can help and see an example of Gantt charts

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Gantt Chart

What is a gantt chart.

A Gantt chart, or harmonogram, is a bar chart that graphically illustrates a schedule for planning, coordinating, and tracking specific tasks related to a single project.

Henry Gantt, an American mechanical engineer, and social scientist, designed the Gantt chart in the 1910s. Since then, it has been used on major infrastructure projects like the Hoover Dam and the U.S. Interstate Highway System.

What are the Use Cases of a Gantt Chart?

Even a century after its introduction, the Gantt chart continues to be an important tool in project and program management. Described in 1999 as “one of the most widely used management tools for project scheduling and control.”

The anatomy is straightforward: Tasks appear on the vertical axis, and time intervals, or activity duration, appear along the horizontal axis.

These charts are commonly used by teams in construction, consulting, marketing, manufacturing, HR, software development, and event planning.

What are the Pros and Cons of a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart excels at illustrating a “big picture” view for projects of any size. It also enables project stakeholders to identify milestones and monitor progress by showing which tasks need to be completed by a specific date. In addition, you can easily identify any functions that fall behind schedule and take the appropriate action.

While a Gantt chart provides a simple visual into the progress of a project, preparing and managing one often grows increasingly complex due to the sheer number of tasks and resources required for larger projects. Other disadvantages include:

• The need for constant updating
• Bar size doesn’t indicate the amount of work
• Difficulty in seeing the entire chart on a single page

How are Gantt Charts Useful for Product Managers?

Why is it not good as a product roadmap?

A product roadmap , a high-level strategic document created and maintained to communicate the strategic vision and objectives of a product, is used by managers in many, such as product, IT, and marketing. Styles include roadmap timeline, roadmap without dates, and kanban.

While the  chart provides a project overview and a good deal of insight into the progress of a project, it doesn’t have the inherent flexibility of a product roadmap. Another key differentiator between the two is that a traditional Gantt chart doesn’t indicate task dependencies. Thus, if a task falls behind schedule, you can’t see how that will impact other tasks. Ultimately, what sets the two apart is that roadmaps enable product teams to have greater control over whether to include a roadmap timeline, how granular that timeline should be, and which audiences should be allowed to see date-related details.

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What Is a Gantt Chart? How It Can Help Plan Your Next Project

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Why use a Gantt chart?

History of gantt charts, what is a gantt chart used for, components of a gantt chart, gantt chart example, how to make a gantt chart, how to use a gantt chart, benefits of gantt charts, limitations of gantt charts, best practices.

Whether your business is about software or skydiving, charting your tasks can be exciting and challenging. 

There's only so much time in a day. You have to spend those valuable hours as efficiently and productively as possible. One of the easiest ways you can do this is by using Gantt charts . Gantt charts make managing projects and processes much easier. They can help you and your team eliminate wasted effort and be as productive as possible.

Many businesses use mind mapping software to create Gantt charts to manage projects and processes.

What is a Gantt chart?

Gantt charts are bar charts that show a project schedule's start and end dates. It breaks down the project’s individual tasks, along with each task’s deadline. These colorful charts are a popular project management tool because they make scheduling and completing project tasks easy to visualize. They also help communicate with non-project team members and check against the logical order of work.

Gantt charts are used in business and project management to illustrate scheduled events in the form of bars. They are named after their inventor, Henry Gantt, and were widely used during World War I for coordination between government, military, industrial enterprises, and defense contractors.

Gantt charts visually depict project data as stacked horizontal bars. One bar shows when each task or project begins in relation to the others. This means that you can easily see what tasks have been accomplished or when there's not enough time to complete any unrelated projects and tasks. It's easier to see how progress happens daily, weekly, and monthly. This makes it easy to eliminate wasted time and effort.

Gantt charts can be created using software or a marker on a whiteboard. Project managers and team members alike utilize them to view a project schedule's start dates, end dates, and milestones in a visual format.

Key terms for understanding Gantt charts

• Milestones: A milestone is an important date or event in a project; for example, a milestone could be the completion date of the project's first phase.
• Work breakdown structure (WBS): A WBS splits project tasks into manageable pieces based on the workforce required. Determining this is a critical part of a project because a proper breakdown structure makes the job easier to handle.
• Critical path: The critical path technique involves several actions in a project plan that team members must complete, so the project meets its final deadline. If one vital task is skipped, the entire project could be delayed. With c ritical path management software , you  can determine which actions to focus on to complete a project on time.

A Gantt chart is effective because it introduces visual task management, an approach to organizing tasks. You can monitor your task using a simple graphical interface rather than depending on hundreds of to-do lists or managing due dates across worksheets, file folders, and inboxes.

Gantt charts are straightforward because they are graphical – they enable users to see everything clearly in one place, serving as a touchstone for the team.

Gantt charts can help save time since they are so simple. They lessen the amount of hours employees spend looking for answers or following up with teammates to inquire about the progress of a job and whether they require anything to continue working. When done correctly, a Gantt chart can streamline even the most complex project.

Here's a quick breakdown of the details a Gantt chart offers you:

• The ways a project is divided into tasks
• The start and end times for each task
• Time duration for each task
• Owner of each task
• How activities relate to each other
• Deadlines for critical meetings and approvals
• A project's progress
• The whole project timeline from beginning to end

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In 1896, Karol Adamiecki, a Polish mechanical engineer and teacher, designed what would become the first Gantt chart. To improve productivity, he created the law of harmony in administration, highlighting the necessity of effective teams, scheduling, and suitable production. He invented the harmonogram , which was a forerunner to the Gantt chart. It wasn't released until 1931 and was only available in Polish.

By 1917, American engineer Henry L. Gantt drew inspiration for his own chart from Adamiecki's harmonogram. The Gantt chart became a method of describing resource loading and production management in industries. It was also crucial in assessing staff productivity.

Gantt charts were first built using tangible items such as paper and blocks. Some of the first were employed at arms manufacturing facilities during World War I to oversee the extraordinary production goals to aid war efforts effectively.

Gantt charts were simply hand-drawn until the 1980s. The introduction of computing technology opened the door to more complicated Gantt charts. They also became easier to adapt and alter as needed. Nowadays, Gantt charts are frequently used with mind mapping tools or project management software .

Gantt charts aid in visualizing the progress of numerous activities and projects that occur concurrently within a company. Modern teams use them to plan and organize projects to optimize the deployment of resources and complete priority initiatives before starting less significant tasks. This is vital information to have while managing projects for several reasons:

• Progress tracking: Project managers can monitor each task completion and adjust the project timeline accordingly. The charts also highlight which targets are fulfilled on time, which helps identify strengths and weaknesses in staff productivity.
• Project planning: Managers can assign deadlines, milestones, and timetables to different project sections.
• Resource administration: Project managers can synchronize resource allocation with the project timetable. They can observe how much time each procedure requires and allocate resources accordingly.

Gantt charts work on their own, but they can also play well with others. They’re a great teammate to the waterfall project management methodology , where customer expectations are collected at the start of a project. A linear plan is constructed to satisfy them as they linearly depict project information and each step is dependent on the previous task. This can be clearly shown in Gantt charts.

Agile project teams create their own objectives and use constant customer input to revise their plans in real time. In agile project management , Gantt charts can help compare an old plan to a new amendment and determine the impact of the change on the overarching strategy.

When is a Gantt chart appropriate?

How can you tell whether a Gantt chart is appropriate for managing projects? A Gantt chart is helpful for any project that has a plan! However, there are a few telltale signals that you'll require a Gantt chart to finish the work.

Use a Gantt chart if:

• There's a tight deadline for your project.
• The project involves several individuals or teams who must work together.
• A manager, customer, or team member requires a visual roadmap of the project's progress from start to finish.
• Your project has some sophistication to it, such as activities that employees must complete in a defined sequence.
• You have to manage your team's workloads as they work on several projects simultaneously.
• You've got a fair concept of how long each activity should or could take.

Interpreting a Gantt chart boils down to understanding how the various components come together to make it function. To be deemed a Gantt chart, it must feature a task list with bars representing each task's start and finish dates. However, most successful project managers expand on the capability of a Gantt chart by integrating additional components.

Here are the main components of a Gantt chart and how they work in a project plan:

The dates are one of the essential components of a Gantt chart since they indicate to project teams when the project begins and concludes, as well as when each task needs to occur. The dates are clearly visible on most Gantt charts, and most stakeholders' eyes soon drift to the top of the chart, where the deadlines live.

The first step in project management is to break down a project into individual tasks. Large projects almost always have a multitude of subtasks. The task list is known as a WBS in project management jargon. A Gantt chart supports project managers by keeping track of all subtasks in a plan so that nothing is overlooked. The tasks are displayed on the left side of the page.

Project managers have to be careful because if the tasks are tiny, ineffective micromanagement is a risk. If the tasks are too large, teams lose the benefit of project control. Each task should preferably take between 8 and 80 hours to complete.

Bars represent the time period allotted to accomplish each task. This ensures that each subtask is finished on time, which allows the overall project to finish on time. These are horizontally displayed on the right side of the Gantt chart and indicate progress, duration, and start and finish dates.

Milestones are activities that are critical to the completion and success of a project. Unlike simple details that must be fulfilled, reaching a milestone provides a sense of accomplishment and forward momentum.

Milestones are represented on a Gantt chart as diamonds (or other shapes) at the end of a certain taskbar. Milestones can also mean major events, deadlines, decisions, and deliverables.

Dependencies

In an ideal world, all project tasks are interdependent. While some activities can be accomplished at any time, others must be executed before or after the start or completion of another subtask. For example, you don’t begin a wedding reception before the wedding vows.

Indeed, this exemplifies the most prevalent sort of task reliance: one task cannot start until the previous task is completed. This is known as dependency.

Dependencies are of four types:

• Finish to Start (FS): Task B cannot begin until Task A is completed. This is the most typical.
• Finish to Finish (FF): Task B cannot be completed until Task A is completed.
• Start to Start (SS): Task B cannot begin until Task A has begun.
• Start to Finish (SF): Task B cannot be completed until Task A begins. This one is very rare.

Task dependencies are depicted as an arrow from one task to the next on the Gantt chart.

Vertical line marker

A vertical line marker describes the current date on the chart, which is another approach to tracking the project's progress. It allows you to efficiently manage your time since you can see at a glance how much work remains and whether you are on schedule to deliver the project on time.

In today's highly competitive business environment, you're undoubtedly tackling multiple roles at once. Including the task ID on the Gantt chart allows everyone involved to readily identify the most relevant task.

Not every Gantt chart includes the name of task owners. But if your project involves a group of individuals, including their names and their responsibilities can be highly beneficial. Identifying and allocating resources allows supervisors to manage employees, tools, and talents more efficiently. 

A Gantt chart supports you in developing, executing, and controlling your business strategies. This is an example of how Gantt charts could help you make a winning search engine optimization (SEO) campaign.

An SEO campaign is a well-planned attempt to increase the SEO rankings of a page or website. A simple Gantt chart can help SEO teams:

• Assign work and establish deadlines
• Set dependencies and milestones
• Track progress
• Engage in team activities

An SEO campaign involves a lot of variables. A business must allocate resources effectively to meet the needs of its SEO strategy. Gantt charts support users by breaking down large projects into smaller parts to delegate tasks and share responsibilities.

An SEO project plan can also be used as a benchmark for evaluating results. The plan's milestones and goals will show you whether you're on track and what areas require additional attention. The tools that Gantt charts use provide you with everything you need to plan like an expert.

With Gantt chart software, you can easily create timelines for your SEO efforts, track task progress, manage dependencies, and execute campaigns.

Tip: There are plenty of great resources out there to help you get started. Template Lab provides 36 Free Gantt Chart Templates in Word, Microsoft, and Excel.

One of the most significant advantages of Gantt charts is that they can break down a big project into small chunks of work known as tasks. This allows those working on a campaign to gain a more precise visual understanding of timelines.

This helps collaborators comprehend dependent tasks and how any change affects overall development. For example, teams can break down the entire SEO research into tasks such as competitor analysis, keyword research, and audience analysis to attract the correct audience.

 Since Gantt charts show the percentage completion of each activity, team members understand how to arrange their strategy and focus. Both managers and team members can use this to measure progress and highlight both missteps and achievements. High-performing team members can leverage this information to demonstrate accountability or offer help to colleagues who are struggling.

Auditing, on-page optimization, and content generation are critical components of any SEO effort. These significant moments can be thought of as milestones that allow others to quickly identify important dates and cross them off as they are completed.

Project management systems that integrate Gantt charts offer leaders better insight into team workloads and potential availability, enabling more precise scheduling. While no two Gantt charts are identical, there are certain basic procedures you need to execute regardless of the technology you select.

• Examine the project's scope. Gather your team to decide on the project scope. Discuss the objectives you want to achieve now and the goals you want to save for the future. How will the work be divided among team members? What are the major dependencies?  Which resources will you need to reach your objectives?
• Establish a time range. Consider your Gantt chart to be a representation of your project on a timeline. While all tasks have a clear endpoint, you may have some follow-up responsibilities with your client after finishing the project. You might need to include some post-facto deadlines for these activities.
• Add tasks with deadlines. To correctly display your task list, make sure each task has a defined start and finish date so they can be clearly seen on a bar chart. If you don't provide task start and end dates, your tasks will appear as points in time, which is difficult to see in the context of the overall vision. Clearly defined start and finish dates help your team understand when they should start working on a task. That way, they won't be caught off guard by a major assignment due the next day.
• Identify dependencies. It's natural in big projects to have certain activities that can't begin until other tasks have been completed. Display dependencies among tasks in your Gantt chart to keep the project operating smoothly.
• Set milestones. Milestones are fixed points in time. Consider them as checkpoints to indicate the completion of major portions of the project. Milestones are frequently near the conclusion of project phases, but there is no one method to set milestones for your team, especially because every team and project is unique.
• Update tasks as plans change. Plans undoubtedly shift, which is why your Gantt chart should be able to adapt to your demands. Look for a system that allows you to drag and drop tasks and dynamically alter dependencies in real time. This way, you can always keep your projects on track, even when the unexpected happens.

Making a Gantt chart in Excel

The bar chart function in Microsoft Excel helps create a Gantt chart.

• Step 1: Create an Excel table with your project schedule. Enter each task as a unique row in your project plan. Provide the start, end, and duration deadlines.
• Step 2: Create a standard bar chart with start dates.
• Step 3: Include the duration of your tasks.
• Step 4: Fill in the task descriptions in the Gantt chart.
• Step 5: Use formatting to convert the bar graph into an Excel Gantt chart.

You can also accomplish this with Microsoft PowerPoint, which is great for presentations. A Gantt chart template for Excel is available for download from Microsoft.

Getting started with Gantt charts is easy. The three most typical uses for this type of chart are:

• Developing a marketing strategy: Larger marketing efforts need excellent coordination and collaboration, but keeping track of all the moving components is challenging. Therefore, it's critical to visualize your work as a series of tasks with assignees and time estimates for each effort. This way, teams recognize who is accountable for what and how their action affects others and the overall goal.
• Outlining client deliverables: When you provide clients with a schedule of all your deliverables, you set clear expectations for how long each task will take. By establishing these parameters, you can provide customers and stakeholders with a clear understanding of the breadth and duration of your deliverables.
• Organizing a product launch: You can use a roadmap to lay out the whole strategy for a product launch, from ideation through launch and beyond. Teams can more readily see challenges before they start, understand dependencies between phases, and understand all that's happening by visualizing everything on a timeline.

A fundamental advantage of a Gantt chart is its capacity to provide a top-line view of a project. It gives managers and workers a high-level overview of the essential project tasks and their deadlines. The chart allows you to track the project's progress by displaying how tasks are related.

Here are some of the primary advantages of using Gantt charts:

• Boost efficiency and aid in resource management. Gantt charts support project managers in determining achievable project deadlines and setting targets based on available resources. Both of these benefits boost productivity.
• Promote teamwork and productivity. Teammates have access to the same information, which keeps everyone up to date on the project's status. As a result, all team members, including remote employees, can be held responsible for their tasks. Team members can use the chart to define roles and responsibilities.
• Support better tracking. Project leaders and team members can use Gantt charts to assess workflows for limitations and modify their efforts accordingly. Gantt charts help project managers keep track of milestones and tasks throughout the project. Team members can quickly see which elements of the Gantt chart are missing.
• Manage several projects. Gantt charts empower teams that are trying to juggle. It’s easier for supervisors to evaluate which resources are essential at what times and to make appropriate adjustments.

Gantt charts aren't without flaws. One of the biggest issues with employing Gantt charts in large projects is their complexity. The charts could also fail to accurately portray the intricacies of some tasks and the time your team needs to complete them.

Here are some of the most common problems with Gantt charts:

• Not much info on task dependencies. Gantt charts make room for dependencies, but only on a superficial level inside specific project tasks. To make up for this, a project team might employ a program evaluation review technique (PERT) chart alongside a Gantt chart. A PERT chart includes arrows highlighting the order in which team members must finish specific tasks before moving on to the next.
• Lack of specificity. Gantt charts help present a high-level overview of ongoing projects. They can, however, leave certain things open to interpretation. This is especially true regarding large-scale IT projects like DevOps. Specific information concerning objectives, dates, and expectations is often overlooked.
• Taskbars don't display the volume of labor for each task. The length of a Gantt chart task bar indicates how long it can take to complete a work, but the duration doesn’t represent the exact resources necessary for such a task. Some tasks with small bars may need substantial resources while some tasks with long bars may use few resources. The Gantt chart is deceptive when it comes to expressing the quantity of labor and resources necessary. As a result, various tools along with the Gantt chart are needed to allocate and manage resources accurately.

There are a few easy principles to follow if you want to create a Gantt chart that everyone can use and explore. Follow these tips and best practices to create a nice Gantt chart that is simple to update and manage.

• Get granular with your tasks. The more thorough you can be with tasks, the easier it is to track progress and processes leading up to deliverables. Review your work breakdown structure and identify your actions to develop it.
• Sort tasks into groups or stages. Forming task groups makes your plan simpler to review and comprehend. It also enables your team and stakeholders to identify tasks related to a deliverable or a phase.
• Never allocate tasks without first confirming team availability. If you're lucky enough to have a solution that displays complete team availability, make use of it! Knowing how busy your team is and what projects they're involved in helps you deliver work on time and boost team spirit. Knowing your team's general availability allows you to adapt your strategy to match the demands of current project work or change the milestones you've set.

Visualize your success

Visualizing your project plan is a crucial step for every team. Gantt charts are beneficial because they provide teams with a visual depiction of where their work may overlap, assisting your team in planning projects and prioritizing tasks.

Unable to manage your tasks? Use task management software to supervise individual tasks and organize your team’s daily workflow.

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Keerthi Rangan is an SEO specialist and a former content marketing specialist at G2 focused on the IT management software market. Her content helps organizations understand the different IT concepts and corresponding software available to transform their businesses, data, and people. Keerthi leverages her background in Python development to build subject matter expertise in the software and IT management space. Her coverage areas include: network automation, software-defined networking (SDN), blockchain, databases, asset management, disaster recovery, intent-based networks, infrastructure as code (IaC), SaaS, and more.

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What Is a Gantt Chart?

Understanding a gantt chart, the bottom line.

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Gantt Chart: Definition, Benefits, and How It’s Used

Yarilet Perez is an experienced multimedia journalist and fact-checker with a Master of Science in Journalism. She has worked in multiple cities covering breaking news, politics, education, and more. Her expertise is in personal finance and investing, and real estate.

Theresa Chiechi / Investopedia

A Gantt chart is a commonly used graphical depiction of a project schedule. It’s a type of bar chart showing the start and finish dates of a project’s elements, such as resources, planning, and dependencies.

Henry Gantt (1861–1919), an American mechanical engineer, designed the Gantt chart.

Key Takeaways

• A Gantt chart is a visualization that helps in scheduling, managing, and monitoring specific tasks and resources in a project.
• It consists of a list of tasks and bars depicting each task’s progress.
• The horizontal bars of different lengths represent the project timeline, which can include task sequences, duration, and the start and end dates for each task.
• It’s the most widely used chart in project management.
• Gantt charts are used in heavy industries for projects like building dams, bridges, and highways, as well as software development and building out of other goods and services.

The Gantt chart is the most widely used chart in project management . These charts are useful in planning a project and defining the sequence of tasks that require completion. In most instances, the chart is displayed as a horizontal bar chart.

Horizontal bars of different lengths represent the project timeline, which can include task sequences, duration, and the start and end dates for each task. The horizontal bar also shows how much of a task requires completion.

The length of the bar is proportional to the time necessary for a task’s completion. The project tasks are represented on the vertical axis.

A Gantt chart helps in scheduling, managing, and monitoring specific tasks and resources in a project. The chart shows the project timeline, which includes scheduled and completed work over a period of time. The Gantt chart aids  project managers  in communicating project status and completion rate of specific tasks within a project, and helps ensure the project remains on track. By convention, it is a standard tool that makes communication unified among the engineering and project management communities.

Benefits of a Gantt Chart

The Gantt chart identifies tasks that may be executed in parallel and those that can’t be started or finished until others are complete. It can help detect potential bottlenecks and identify tasks that may have been excluded from the project timeline .

The chart depicts things like task slack time or additional time for completion of a task that shouldn’t delay the project; noncritical activities that may be delayed; and critical activities that must be executed on time.

Gantt charts can be used in managing projects of all sizes and types. These may include building infrastructures like dams, bridges, and highways. They may also include software development and other technologies. Project management tools, such as Microsoft Visio, Project, SharePoint, and  Excel , or specialized software, such as Gantto or Matchware, can help in designing Gantt charts.

Sabrina Jiang / Investopedia

Example of a Gantt Chart

Company A is taking on a project to install new software on the servers of a large investment bank . Company A decides to create a Gantt chart to help manage the project and its different components.

The project’s tasks that require completion include conducting research, selecting a software product, testing the software, and installing it. These tasks appear as vertical lines on the Gantt chart. A milestone of the project is selecting the software.

The project’s duration is 40 days, as agreed upon between Company A and the investment bank. Each task takes 10 days to complete, and each task is dependent on the previous task. A critical activity is testing the software in the development and test environments.

The task start and end dates, duration, and milestones appear as horizontal bars on the Gantt chart. The percentage of work completed for each task is also displayed on the horizontal bars. Using the Gantt chart will help Company A map out the tasks along a timeline to reach full completion in 40 days.

What Is a Gantt Chart Used for?

Gantt charts help visualize various tasks and projects that occur simultaneously within an organization, and how far along they have progressed. They are used by management to plan and schedule such projects so that resources can be allocated in an optimal way and that projects that are prioritized can finish before less important ones begin.

Who Was Henry Gantt?

Henry Gantt was a social scientist and management consultant who also held a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked in the field of scientific management, developing methods to streamline and increase the productivity of corporations and their workforce. He created the Gantt chart in the 1910s to help supervisors understand the progress of their labor force and to ensure tasks were on schedule.

What Are the Components of a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart can vary in complexity and depth, but will always have three key components: activities or tasks that are to be done, running along the y axis; milestones or progress stages indicated along the x axis (either on the top or bottom of the chart); and progress bars, denoted as horizontal bars, denoting how far along each task is at any given point.

A Gantt chart is a visual description of a project’s timeline. The chart shows the start and end dates of a project’s components, such as resources and planning. If you are involved in a project, it is recommended to use a Gantt chart to help organize the various tasks within the project.

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Gantt Chart Examples in Project Management

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It is not a surprise that project management has become an irreplaceable part of the work of companies, organizations, and businesses in various professional spheres. 

The main idea of project management is a successful project delivery on time. To achieve this objective, the team applies appropriate methodologies, skills, different techniques, and knowledge.

While working on projects, businesses often use project management software to facilitate project delivery and make this process more transparent and efficient. These apps help in project planning, time tracking, reporting, estimating, and many more. 

One of the most popular features in project management is a Gantt chart. According to SaasList (an independent software discovery and comparison resource), 45% of reviewers claim Gantt charts are their most used project management tool. From our article, you will learn about a Gantt chart and its examples in different spheres and apps. 

What is a Gantt chart?

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So what is a Gantt chart? It is a tool that allows you to plan and visualize projects, their structure, and see the big picture of tasks, both personal and assigned to your colleagues.

A Gantt chart consists of two axes and horizontal bars located between them.

• A vertical axis is a task list.
• A horizontal axis is a timeline for the project.
• A bar represents a project, task, or subtask that must be completed within a specific time frame.

The timeline is made in chronological order to help track deadlines and the task order. 

The time from the beginning of the first task to completing the last one is the entire project’s duration. Each task is assigned to one or more people. Everyone who has access to the project can check the status of every visible task on a timeline.

So a Gantt chart is an essential tool for project management. It provides a visual display of the work plan. Also, a Gantt chart is convenient for tracking the progress and monitoring of tasks implementation.

Finally, let’s have a closer look at this feature and its usage in different professional areas and tools.

There are many different tools for working with Gantt charts. Online or on-premise, they allow you to make your workflow smoother, and the management process is more robust. One of them, GanttPRO, is cloud-based PM software. 

Project management with GanttPRO is easy as pie. The software lets you create plans, customize the timeline, set dependencies, control workload and deadlines, effectively allocate resources, and collaborate with the team.

On the timeline, you can find the basic and necessary information about the needed project:

• The project’s name and duration.
• List of tasks and subtasks.
• Every task’s name, priority, assignee(s), progress.
• Deadlines, dependencies, and milestones.

All templates are easy to customize. Moreover, you can save your plans and use them as templates in the future.

Free software development templates will facilitate project creation in GanttPRO. To start using a ready-made template, choose “Create new project,” name it, and select “Software development” among templates. That’s it!

In a couple of seconds, you can see your project that is divided into working stages, such as:

• Project management activities.
• Initiation/planning.
• Requirements analysis.
• Development.
• Implementation.
• Operations & maintenance.
• Disposition.

Sure, it is possible to customize the template and make it more convenient for you and your team. You can add or delete columns, change a zoom, and set colors to tasks, subtasks, and project bars.

Moreover, you can even save your project as a template and use it in the future.

The plan provides subcategories, where you can find different types of construction templates , for example:

• Residential construction budget.
• Hotel construction budget.
• Construction project report.
• Home building budget.
• Restaurant construction budget,

Here’s how the default construction template looks like. Again, all working stages are already on the timeline:

• Pre-construction.
• Procurement.
• Construction.
• Progress payment schedule.
• Owner occupancy.

Also, GanttPRO has for you marketing templates . The software provides a lot of options that suit both offline and online marketing. It could be content marketing, social media publication schedule, SEO campaign, online ads, or anything else.

GanttPRO provides such marketing templates as:

• Real estate marketing plan.
• Marketing budget template.
• Nonprofit marketing plan.
• B2b marketing plan template.
• Startup marketing plan,
• and many others.

The default web design template consists of several working phases:

• Research for main layout.
• Concept generation.
• Color & graphics.
• Content presentation.
• Multimedia.
• Functionality.
• Prototype 1.
• Prototype 2.
• Browser compatibility.
• Accessibility.
• Finalizing & bug reports.

Here’s how it looks. The predefined template structure allows you to start working on your projects right away.

GanttPRO’s event planning templates will be the key to your successful project implementation, whether it be a conference, seminar, trade show, workshop, corporate meeting, or private party. For every event, you can use a ready-made template and start planning in seconds.

The plan provides lots of subcategories:

• Event schedule.
• Event marketing timeline.
• Exhibition planning.
• Workshop agenda.
• Event planning worksheet,

The default event planning template looks like that:

Here you can plan and control everything that happens before the event, several days prior, on the day of the event, and after it. Nobody will forget about budgets, decorations, catering, and other things. Each step will be under control.

Wedding templates will help you plan and manage one of the main events in your life. With its help, you can be sure that everything is ready on time, guests are happy and not hungry, and all the details are taken into account.

Probably, the one thing you can’t control in that case is the weather. But you are surely able to plan all the ways out instead.

It is easy to start your business realization using Gantt charts. You can outline all planning steps on the timeline, track the progress, control deadlines, and create dependencies and milestones. GanttPRO product launch template will help you to plan and start your business.

Creating Gantt charts in Excel is possible but not so convenient and easy. Unfortunately, Microsoft Excel does not provide a built-in Gantt chart template as an option. So the execution process is getting more complicated.

To create a project, you need to manually enter the names of columns, tasks, and assignees. Also, it is not possible to create dependencies. For medium-sized and large projects, running the project in Excel is obviously not the best option.

Anyway, there are detailed tutorials that will explain to you how to make a Gantt chart in Excel .

MS Project is still one of the most popular PM tools. Anyway, working with it is not simple, especially for new users. Our Microsoft project tutorial will facilitate the learning process. Particularly, you can learn about how to make a Gantt chart in MS Project.

It is essential for enterprises to adopt software without a steep learning curve that will let teammates start building plans quickly and efficiently. If the software seems challenging to adopt by your company, check our MS Project alternatives article. We are sure you’ll find the tool that fits your team.

Microsoft PowerPoint is often used for presenting plans, reports, or proposals to big audiences. Unfortunately, the tool doesn’t provide a Gantt feature. If you want to add a Gantt chart to your presentation, you can use a ready-made template or create and edit it right in the program.

Also, you can create a Gantt chart in MS Word. However, the software’s primary purpose is document editing, and it doesn’t have a Gantt feature. That’s why the timeline can’t be flexible, and all the updates you will have to make manually.

There is no problem working with Gantt charts in a spreadsheet with the help of ready-made templates available on the Internet.

Using GanttPRO, you can always export the plan in PDF format in a couple of clicks. Just click on the three dots on the upper right and choose “Export.” Customize documents to your needs and enjoy the project as a PDF file on your device.

As you already know, there are many tools for working with Gantt charts. If you need a robust PM tool based on Gantt charts, try GanttPRO. This software combines all the features necessary for creating and managing projects and is suitable for most spheres. With its help, you will complete projects on time, effectively allocate resources, control workload, and collaborate with the team.

The tool’s intuitive interface and a short learning curve let you create your first plan in minutes. GanttPRO offers a bunch of Gantt chart templates that fit most professional areas and teams to make this process easier.

Apart from working in GanttPRO, you can download every template in Excel format or open it in a spreadsheet. 

With the Export feature, it is easy to save your charts in popular formats: PNG and PDF. You will be able to add them in online presentations or print them to always have plans at hand. 

What tools do you use to work with Gantt charts? Let us know in the comments below!

GanttPRO Team

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How To Make A Gantt Chart In PowerPoint Using Shapes & Charts [+Templates]

Gantt charts are powerful visual project management tools used in presentations to showcase project timelines, tasks, and overall progress. Gantt charts are used by professionals across industries to organize and monitor projects effectively. However, creating one from scratch can be difficult if you don’t know the steps. This blog post will teach you how to make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint from scratch using shapes and charts! So, what is the wait? Let’s dive right in.

How To Make A Gantt Chart Using Tables

One of the best ways to create a Gantt chart in PowerPoint is through the use of tables! The table function allows you to show data and information through columns and cells, and enables you to effortlessly list and modify tasks, alongside start and end dates.. Follow these steps to make a Gantt chart in PPT using tables:

Adding And Editing A Table To Your Presentation

Step 1: On a blank presentation, click the “Insert” menu in the navigation bar and select ” Table.”

Step 2: Create the table by choosing “Insert Table” and add the number of rows (tasks that your project has) and columns (how long will the task take in weeks), and click on “Create” once done. 

Step 3: Highlight the first column, click on the “Layout” tab, and adjust the width, as it will house the name of your projects.  

Step 4: Highlight the entire table, click on the “Table Design,” click the “Borders” menu and select “All Borders.” Adjust the size of the table according to your needs.A

Adding Labels To The Table Columns And Merging Cells

Step 6: To add labels to your columns, in the second column and second row, type in “Week 1”. Repeat the same process for each adjacent cell.

Step 7: Once you have done that, select the rows above Week 1 to Week 4 and merge them using the “Merge Cells” option.

Step 8: In the merged cell, you can add “Month 1” and repeat the steps for the next four cells, naming them “Month 2”, “Month 3”, and so on. Once done, you can center align and bold them to make them stand out.

Coloring Coding Each Month And Adding Projects

Step 9: To color code each month separately, highlight each cell, click on the “Table Design” tab, and select the “Shading” menu to choose a color. Repeat the steps for all the months.

Step 10: In the third cell in the first column, start listing your projects in each cell. Once you have added all the projects, you can highlight the column and change its color using the “Shading” menu to differentiate it from the rest of the Gantt chart in PowerPoint.

Adding Task Bars Using Shapes And Editing Them

Step 11: Click on the “Insert” tab and select the second cell in the second row. Then click on the “Shapes” option to open a dropdown menu to choose a shape you like.

Step 12: The shape indicates the start and end week of the project, and it is adjusted accordingly to match the timeline. (For example, Project 1 starts in Week 1 and ends in Week 2, so the shape extends from Week 1 to Week 2). Repeat the process for each project.

Step 12: Change the color of each shape to match your needs by selecting each shape and in the “Shape Format” tab using the “Shape Fill” option. Click “Shape Outline” and choose no outline to make it look polished.

Adding Dates And Milestones To The Task Bars

Step 13: Double-click on any task bar to open a text box where you can add the start and end date of the project. Repeat the process for each task bar.

Step 14: Click on the “Insert” tab and choose the “Icons” button. 

Step 15: Insert your icon of choice, adjust its size, and move it on the Gantt chart to signify a milestone.

There you go! You now know how to make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint using shapes and tables in just a few steps! Remember that you can choose any shape of your liking and play around with various thickness options for the table and shapes to match your requirements. While creating a Gantt chart, take a look at how to make an Org chart in PowerPoint !

How To Make A Gantt Chart In PowerPoint

To create a PowerPoint Gantt chart, you can even use charts like the stacked bar chart (which we will use). Creating a Gantt chart in PowerPoint using the stacked bar chart is a lot more fun than creating one using a table, and it is also more professional. Here is how to create a Gantt chart in PowerPoint using charts!

Adding The Stacked Bar Chart And Entering Data

Step 1: In a blank slide in your presentation, select the “Insert” tab and choose “Chart” from the “Illustrations” section.

Step 2: Choose the “Bar” category from “All Charts” and select the “Stacked Bar” type.

Step 3: Once you select the chart, it will be added to your slide, and an Excel window will open up with a table and placeholder data that you can edit.

Step 4: In the Excel table, list down your projects in Column A, which will be reflected on the chart in the slide. As you change each placeholder text, you will see it change on the chart!

Step 5: Rename the columns titled Series 1 to “Start Date,” Series 2 to “End Date,” and the last column to “Duration” (this will be in days)  

Step 6: Format the cells under Start Date and End Date by selecting both columns, right-click on them, and choose “Format Cells” from the menu.

Step 7: This will open a dialogue box. Select “Date” from the “Category” list on the left, and choose the date format according to your needs from the “Type” menu.

Step 8: After formatting the columns, add each project’s start and end dates. (If your chart starts looking broken, don’t worry it will happen, we will fix this)

Step 9: To calculate your projects’ duration, type the formula =$C2-$B2 in the cell next to the “End Date” in the “Duration” column. Select the cell and drag it down using the small green square to apply the formula to the remaining cells. This will then fill the “Duration” column with the correct number of days.

Step 10: Now, you can remove the “End Date” from the chart in your slide to make space for “Duration” to be visible. Select the chart, click “Chart Filters” in the Series group, and uncheck the box next to “End Date.”

Formatting And Customizing The Graphic To Look Like A Gantt Chart

Step 11: Click on any of the blue bars; doing this will select all of them automatically. Right-click to open the mini toolbar.

Step 12: Select the “Fill” icon in the mini toolbar and select “No Fill.”

Step 13: Now your graphic will look a lot like a Gantt chart, and to change the color of all tasks simultaneously, click any one to select all tasks and right-click to open the mini toolbar.

Step 14: Head to the “Fill” section in the toolbar and choose a color of your preference. If you want to color each task differently, click twice on the task and use the “Fill” in the mini toolbar. You can even

Step 15: To change the title of the chart, double-click on the textbox to select it, and type the title of your choice.

Step 16 (Optional) : To apply styles and effects to the chart, you can select “ Chart Tools Format ,” where you will be able to play with various effects such as “Shadows,” “Format Axis,” and a lot more!  

That is how you make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint using charts. While you can add effects and style, we recommend keeping effects to a bare minimum to maintain balance and engagement.

PowerPoint Gantt Chart Examples & Templates

To help you gain inspiration on creating the perfect Gantt chart, we have provided a few of our templates as examples! If you like them, you can download our Gantt chart PowerPoint templates and make them into your personal slides, as our PowerPoint templates are 100% customizable!

Simple Gantt Chart Example

Work Status Gantt Chart Example

IT Gantt Chart Example

Now that you know how to create a Gantt chart in PPT, it is time for you to get out there and create stunning Gantt charts and blow everyone’s minds out of the water! If you need help creating a good-looking slide, then you can contact us here, give us all the things you want on the slide, and watch us create your masterpiece!

Does PowerPoint provide pre-built templates for Gantt charts?

Yes, there are numerous Gantt chart templates readily available in PPT that you can utilize or craft your own using shapes or charts.

Can you create a Gantt chart in PPT using shapes?

Absolutely, you can create Gantt charts using shapes in PPT; follow these steps: 1. Create a basic table with rows for tasks and columns for periods. 2. Adjust column widths and grid line thickness. 3. Remove shading from cells. 4. Merge cells for month headers, center align, and bold. 5. Apply different colors to each month’s cells. 6. List project names in the first column. 7. Use shapes to represent task durations. 8. Adjust shape, size, and position to match the timeline. 9. Change the shape color and remove the outline. 10. Double-click task bars to add dates. 11. Insert icons to mark milestones.

Table Of Content

Related presentations.

Animated Monthly Timeline PowerPoint Template

Project Roadmap PowerPoint Template

IT Roadmap PowerPoint Template

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What is a Gantt chart?

• 27. August, 2024

A Gantt chart is a widely used tool in project management that displays tasks in terms of time and is used to visualize project plans and monitor progress.

Gantt charts are particularly suitable for projects with fixed deadlines and several tasks running in parallel. Their structure allows teams to plan, monitor and successfully complete their work efficiently. The origins of the Gantt chart go back to the harmonogram developed by Polish engineer Karol Adamiecki in 1890, which led to significant performance improvements in various industries. Around 20 years later, the American engineer Henry Gantt took up this concept and developed it further. He created diagrams that recorded the progress of workers in the execution of tasks so that supervisors could quickly recognize whether production plans were behind, ahead or on schedule. These charts were primarily used to plan machine assignments and order sequences. Since then, the Gantt chart has become an indispensable tool for project managers worldwide.

Structure of a Gantt chart

A Gantt chart graphically represents the timeline of a project and links it to the individual tasks. It consists of two main components:

• Timeline (horizontal) : This axis shows the entire project period, divided into days, weeks or months – depending on the complexity and length of the project.
• Task list (vertical) : This axis lists all project tasks or milestones in a structured manner that must be fulfilled in order to complete the project.

A Gantt chart also includes other key components that enable clear and effective project planning:

• Dates: The dates mark the start and end time of the entire project. They provide a clear overview of when the project starts and when it should be completed.
• Tasks: A project is made up of several subtasks. Each task is displayed as a bar, the length of which indicates the duration of the task. The start and end of the bar show the start and end time of the respective task.
• Estimated time frame: This shows how much time is scheduled for each task and helps to ensure that all tasks are completed on time. This also allows the scheduled completion of the entire project to be monitored.
• Dependencies: Some tasks can only begin after other tasks have been completed. These dependencies are shown in the Gantt chart to facilitate the control flow and ensure that the project progresses efficiently.

There are a total of four different relationships for task dependencies:

• End-to-start : This is the classic relationship in the critical path, where a task can only begin once the previous one has been completed.
• End-to-end : A task can only be completed when another task has also been completed.
• Start-to-start : A task can only start when another task has already been started.
• Start-to-finish : A task can only be completed once another task has started. This relationship is the opposite of the end-to-start connection and rarely occurs.
• Progress: The progress of the tasks can be visualized by colouring the bars. This makes it possible to see at a glance how far the project has progressed and which tasks have already been completed.
• Current date: A vertical line marking the current date runs across the entire diagram. It gives a clear overview of where the project is in the schedule and helps to monitor progress.

Advantages of Gantt charts

Gantt charts offer several decisive advantages for project management: Visual clarity: Gantt charts provide a clear, graphical representation of tasks, schedules and dependencies that can be understood at a glance. The visual structure makes it immediately clear which tasks need to be completed when and how they are connected. This makes it easier for all team members to understand and ensures transparency in the project process. Effective time management: Project managers and teams keep track of the schedule. It is clear which tasks are due, how long they will take and when they need to be completed. This helps to continuously monitor progress and ensure that the project is completed on time. Delays can be identified at an early stage and countermeasures can be initiated. Targeted communication: Gantt charts improve communication within the team and with external stakeholders. Thanks to the clear presentation of the entire project, everyone involved can see the current status at any time and understand which dependencies exist. This promotes targeted and efficient communication, as misunderstandings and ambiguities are avoided. Resource planning: By clearly showing the duration and sequence of tasks, a Gantt chart makes it easier to plan and allocate resources efficiently. This allows personnel, budget or materials to be planned in a targeted manner, which helps to avoid overloads and ensure that all required resources are available at the right time. Planning flexibility: Gantt charts offer planners the flexibility to adjust the course of the project if necessary. If framework conditions change or unexpected problems arise, tasks can be reprioritized, postponed or restructured. These adjustments are immediately visible in the diagram, allowing the entire team to stay up to date and adapt to new requirements. Identification of bottlenecks: A key benefit is the early identification of critical tasks and potential bottlenecks. Tasks that could delay the entire course of the project are highlighted so that measures can be taken at an early stage to avoid delays. This helps to minimize the risk of project overruns and ensure the success of the project.

Gantt charts in the waterfall and agile approach

Waterfall method and Gantt charts: In the waterfall model of project planning, a linear approach is followed in which stakeholder and customer requirements are collected at the start of the project. On this basis, project managers create a sequential project plan with clearly defined milestones and deadlines. Each stage of the project builds on the completion of previous tasks. This model is particularly suitable for teams focusing on fixed processes, such as in construction or manufacturing, as the individual steps need to be planned in detail in advance. Gantt charts are a preferred tool in this method as they clearly show the sequential progress and dependencies between tasks. Agile method and Gantt charts: In contrast, the Agile method focuses on flexibility and adaptability. Instead of creating a complete timeline with fixed deadlines, agile teams break projects down into smaller, manageable iterations, known as sprints. At the beginning of a sprint, the team focuses on specific project goals for the coming weeks. At the end of a sprint, the results are evaluated and incorporated into the planning of the next sprint. A Gantt chart can help to visualize how changes to a task could affect the overall plan or the product roadmap. This is particularly important for agile teams, as continuous feedback from stakeholders is a central component of the methodology.

How do you create a Gantt chart?

• Identify the tasks: The first step in creating a Gantt chart is to identify all the tasks or milestones required to complete the project. The entire project should be broken down into manageable subtasks. This level of detail ensures that no important work steps are overlooked and that each task is clearly defined. It is important to consider smaller tasks as well, as they are often crucial to the overall progress. Thorough task identification lays the foundation for successful project planning.
• Determining the duration: Once the tasks have been identified, the expected duration is estimated for each task. This estimate is based on empirical values, historical data or expert estimates and should be as realistic as possible. It is also advisable to allow for buffer times to compensate for unforeseen delays. Specifying the exact duration of each task helps to determine the overall timeframe of the project and ensure that all activities can be completed on time.
• Definition of dependencies: A key aspect of project planning is determining dependencies between tasks. Some tasks can only be started once others have been completed, while some can run in parallel. It is important to identify these dependencies precisely and determine the order in which the tasks must be carried out. By defining dependencies, the control flow of the project is clearly structured, avoiding bottlenecks and increasing efficiency.
• Creation of the diagram: The next step is to create the Gantt chart. To do this, the previously identified tasks are listed on the vertical axis of the diagram. Each task is drawn as a bar, the length of which reflects the duration of the task. The position of the bar on the time axis shows the start and end of the respective task. Dependencies between the tasks are illustrated by arrows or lines. The result is a visual representation of the entire project plan that shows at a glance the sequence and time frame of the project.
• Monitoring and adjustment: A Gantt chart is not only a planning instrument, but also a tool for monitoring the progress of the project. As the project progresses, the chart should be updated regularly to track the actual progress of tasks. In the event of delays or changes to the framework conditions, adjustments should be made to keep the project plan on track. This continuous monitoring and adjustment makes it possible to identify problems at an early stage and manage the project flexibly. By updating the Gantt chart, the entire team is always kept up to date and can react effectively to changes.

Create Gantt charts with project management tools

Gantt charts were originally created on paper, but with the introduction of computers in the 1980s, they became increasingly complex and sophisticated. Today, specialized project management tools make it much easier to create, update and monitor these diagrams. Tools such as Atlassian Jira or Trello offer user-friendly interfaces that enable teams to plan and manage their projects in real time. These software solutions allow tasks to be moved flexibly, dependencies to be calculated automatically and progress to be tracked visually.

Create a Gantt chart with Atlassian Jira

To meet the requirements of modern software development, roadmap tools such as Jira offer functions such as a hideable task structure and views for resource management. These features help teams maintain a consistent project strategy despite the iterative nature of software development processes. Jira includes two roadmap tools that can be used to create Gantt charts for projects: The Timeline view allows you to create plans for Jira tasks assigned to a specific team, while the Plans view provides the same functionality for all teams and organizations.

• Project-specific diagrams – Jira timelines: The screenshot shown here from the “Timelines” view illustrates a project-specific Gantt chart that is often used at team level or within individual departments. This chart shows how the team is working towards its goals, while a hideable work breakdown structure helps project managers keep track of important project stories. Jira offers a free project management template that already integrates Gantt charts.
• High-level organization chart – Plans: The timeline view allows for quick and easy planning, helping teams to efficiently manage dependencies and track progress in real time. These roadmaps, used at the project or team level, are particularly useful for planning large-scale tasks. Plans are recommended for planning, managing and tracking tasks that need to be coordinated across teams or organizations. Programs with cross-team workflows offer advanced tools such as capacity management and automatic scheduling features that enable the creation of more complex plans. They also offer flexible view settings that allow you to customize your Gantt chart to highlight certain aspects of your plan during presentations.

Create a Gantt chart with Atlassian Trello

Trello, known for its flexible Kanban boards, can be extended with power-ups to integrate Gantt charts and optimize project planning. Here are some of the best options for using Gantt charts in Trello:

• Planyway: With the Planyway Power-Up, you can view your project in different views, whether by team members or lists, using the Team Timeline feature. Planyway seamlessly synchronizes your Trello cards and lists so that all project updates and due dates are immediately mirrored in the Planyway interface.
• TeamGantt: The TeamGantt Power-Up offers a user-friendly way to create Gantt charts for your projects. With TeamGantt, you can choose which project you want to display in Gantt format and decide whether you want to combine multiple cards into one chart or combine multiple boards into one Gantt chart.
• Placker: The Projects by Placker Power-Up is a comprehensive project management solution that includes a flexible Gantt chart. Placker allows you to plan cards and checklists across one or more boards, create dependencies between cards and checklists to visualize the critical path, set baselines and control resources. Placker is seamlessly integrated with Trello so that updates to Trello cards are automatically reflected in the Gantt chart and vice versa.

(lb/jodocus)

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