Gantt Charts for project management and how to use them

If you happen to know anything about project management tools, then chances are you have heard about Gantt Charts. Although it may sound like something too complex, there’s really nothing so complicated about them. In fact, once you get the hang of how online Gantt Charts are used and how they can be useful for you as a project manager you’ll see it’s nothing but really a cakewalk.

But, what is a Gantt Chart to begin with? What is it used for? And, how can it make your life as a project manager easier. I’m sure a lot of people out there have this question in their head.

So, without further ado, let’s get into discussing how Gantt Chart can speed things up in a project, what all purposes it can solve. Other than that, you will also get to see how to use one ideally to better plan a project.

Here’s how -

1. Let’s you draw the project outline in a more visual way
   The most crucial aspect that makes Gantt Charts such a powerful tool is that it allows you to visualize how things are planned and actually see them. All the details are right in front of your eyes, leaving no scope for accidentally missing out on something crucial that might set the entire project back. Everything becomes much clearer and intuitive. Everybody can better comprehend the entire flow of project in one good look. You get to know when to start and finish off a job until you could move to the next step. It also creates a sense of urgency to finish things on time as you see the deadline approaching right in front of your eyes.
2. Promotes detailed planning
   Gantt charts are only as useful as your clarity about what activities make the project. Any blurred lines or ambiguity in terms of defining the tasks and subtasks won’t allow you to use this chart to its full potential. That’s why when you decide to use one, you have to be very mindful of figuring out each and every single tiniest task and detail. You also need to figure out which task would have to be assigned to whom. You are forced to think through each and every single detail because of which you become very detail-oriented. This naturally ensures better planning as you are forced to think about those things that you otherwise would have skipped or simply would not have bothered to pay attention to.
3. Helps in discerning the critical path
   The word critical itself makes the whole thing self-explanatory as to what a critical path is. In every project, there are some sequential processes that must be carried out. Those tasks are like the very backbone of the project, without which the project simply won’t finish on time, and everything will just come to a halt. Gantt Charts help in discerning what that critical path is so you can pay special attention to those tasks.
4. Tracks project progress in a quantifiable manner
   Simply assigning tasks is not enough. You have to know what the progress is looking like across various verticals. That’s where Gantt charts come handy. They let you know how much progress has been made and how much more efforts need to be put it until the project is successfully complete. As you set tasks against a particular time according to the dates, you can keep checking them off as finished upon completion. The tool will then calculate and tell you how far along you have come in the form of percentage of completed and pending work.
5. Helps you set task dependencies
   In most projects, tasks are sequential; with some tasks as precursors to others. For example, in a typical online promotion work, you would first have to start off by designing a website, followed by its development and then promotion. You cannot just jump directly to third step unless you have had the first two completed. With Gantt Charts, it gets clearer which tasks are dependent on the completion of which ones. As you set dependencies between tasks and assign them to various departments, you can see whose fault was it, in case the project gets derailed or delayed. It will promote a ‘no more excuses’ approach as transparency and clarity across multiple departments is preserved. Everybody can see what caused the delay in project completion and at what point.
6. Keeps everybody on the same page
   With access to how the project is heading and how the progress is being made, everybody stays informed and on the same page. The whole thing paints a clearer picture and adds a nice visual framework to entire work distribution. You can create a mind map with utmost clarity as to how the tasks are interconnected and which ones should be on priority. You get to know which set of tasks are sequential and which ones are parallel. So, you know better which unrelated tasks can be carried out simultaneously. The scope for confusion regarding who was supposed to do what, is minimized to several notches. The points above tell you how Gantt Charts boost better planning. But, simply knowing its benefits is not enough. You have to know how to use them in the most ideal manner.

Here’s a guide on how to use Gantt Charts for better planning of projects -

Step 1: Identify and define all the tasks

The very first thing you need to do to make the most out of a Gantt Chart in Project management is to set the flow of project straight. You simply cannot use this chart to its full advantage if you yourself aren’t clear on how the things should be moving in a flow. A Gantt Chart will only give complete information if you figure out and think through all the activities in project. This is the phase where you would have to break down big processes into smaller chunks of sub-tasks.

You will have to put in a lot of thinking to clearly identify each and every task and activity that comprise the project.

Step 2: Set dependencies

The next thing you need to do is identify sequential and parallel relationships between tasks and activities. May be two tasks A and B are sequential. Meaning, you cannot start B until A is finished. For example, if you need to print a brochure for an upcoming event, then you would first need to finalize the content, decide the placement of text, color scheme, etc. Only then you can move to the printing part.

Once you have figured out which tasks are sequential, you need to figure out which ones are parallel to each other. Parallel tasks are those that are not dependent on each other for completion, so you can carry them out simultaneously.

Step 3: Feed the information

You can draw a Gantt Chart on paper or even use Excel Sheets as they come with the feature of Gantt Charts preparation. But, now markets are flooded with several useful project management software, many of which allow you to create Gantt Charts. It is best advised to get a good tool for creating a Gantt chart as they allow you to make alterations in the project as soon as any changes occur in the project. The changes will instantly get reflected in the tool putting you in a place to better scrutinize how the changes are going to affect the whole project.

Step 4. Track progress

Once you have fed-in all the important pieces of information into the software, you will have a Gantt Chart prepared in front of you. You can then share it with all the relevant people involved in the project. After that you can see the project evolve with the time. Any change that occurs in the project can be better mapped visually. You can monitor the progress and be in a better position to predict the future of project.

At the face of it, Gantt Charts may seem like some highly twisted and complicated thing designed only for brainiacs; something beyond comprehension for a layman. But, once you get to know how to use them, there’s nothing to it. It does not even take very long to prepare them and will go a long way in helping you better manage projects.

If you’re an advocate of smart work approach, then you should surely learn how to use these Gantt Charts.

What are your thoughts on using Gantt charts? Have any experience of using these charts? Do share it with us in the comments section below.

And, if you are looking for a project management tool that comes with Gantt Chart, then ProofHub is just the right option for you.