Gantt Chart

The Gantt Chart is a Tool that helps Organize and Plan the Tasks that make up a Project.

• It was invented by Henry Laurence Gantt in the early XX Century.

 

This Method lists all the Tasks Vertically with a Horizontal Bar Chart representing the period during which these Tasks must be Completed.

1. Identify the Main Activities that Comprise a Project.

• How can all the Tasks be Organized and Sorted.

 

2. Define and List all the Tasks that make up these Activities.

• All the Tasks that will be listed and Tracked.

 

3. Estimate the amount of Time that will be needed to complete each Task.

• In days, Weeks, Months… Or even Years (for Long-Term Strategic Plans).

 

4. Create the Chart, Prioritizing the Tasks that have to be completed First.

• Organize the Activities according to when they should be carried out.

 

Gantt Chart Template.

 

Let’s now explain Why this Tool is Important with one example:

 

Imagine that you want to build a Website for a Company

• Or for yourself, it doesn’t matter.

 

One of the best ways you would have to Organize your Tasks would be to use a Gantt Chart.

Let’s see How you can use it:

 

Gantt Chart example – Website Creation.

 

According to this Approach, you can’t Start to Design the Site until you have not finished the Basic Tasks.

• Having a Domain, a Hosting (where the Site is placed), etc.

 

That is why you placed the most Basic Activities, first.

• It makes things a lot easier when it comes to getting a big Picture.

 

But, if you were a professional Website Designer, you could actually Design the Site First, offline.

• There are multiple ways in which this Chart could be developed.

 

* As you can see, we have only defined 6 Tasks.

• This in just an example for you to Understand this Tool.

As we usually say, this Tool seems so Simple that some people even question its Usefulness.

• But, believe us: it is extremely Useful

 

But… What is the Gantt Chart Used for?

To Organize Projects that imply lots of Tasks.

• And Define the Activities and the Tasks that have to be carried out.

 

To Track the Progress of Complex Projects.

• By looking at the Chart, you immediately know the Status of the Project.

 

To Correctly Manage the Resources of a Project.

• And decide Who has to work in parallel, and on what Tasks.

Now, we’ll see more examples:

We have created 2 simple Examples of 2 situations where the Gantt chart can be of great help.

 

These examples could be much longer, of course.

• But, we have synthesized them so that you Focus on How this Tool works.

 

Let’s begin:

 

Let’s imagine that you work for a Construction Company.

 

Construction Projects imply lots of Professionals, Tasks, Activities…

That is why you decided to use a Gantt Chart to Track the Progress of your Projects:

 

Gantt Chart example – Construction Project.

 

Again, this Gantt Chart could be 10 pages long but, you get the Idea:

• You organize Tasks by their Priority.
• You estimate How long they will take.
• You Create the Chart.

Then, you Allocate the Resources where they are truly needed.

 

Once it is done, you have a guideline to Maximize your efforts.

• You don’t worry about the First Floor until it is time to do it.
• You know that you have 2 weeks to finish the Foundations not one more.
• etc.

And, you can check at any time if you are meeting the Schedule.

 

* It seems very obvious but, trust us, you can’t imagine How common is to waste Efforts, Time and Resources in things that are not important at the right moment.

• We have Restructured lots of Companies; This is a very common mistake.

 

Now, we’ll imagine that you want to create a Business Plan for your Company.

• You want to get Financing and you need to present a Business Plan.

 

As you want to develop a very good Document, you decide to develop a Gantt Chart:

 

Gantt Chart example – Business Plan.

 

As you can see, in the First day, you can analyze the Current Status of the Company, in parallel:

• Revenue.
• Costs.
• Assets.
• Debt.

 

Then on the second day, when you prepare your forecasts, you worry about future growth.

 

And, the last thing you’ll prepare are:

• Investments Needed.
• Additional Debts.

 

Why?

Because only when you are sure about your Future Income, you’ll be able to define them.

• You can’t know what to Invest in, if you don’t know How much you’ll manufacture.
  • And you can’t know How big your Debt will be, if you don’t know What Investments you will need.

 

* Again, this example could be much longer.

• We have synthesized it to highlight How the Gantt Chart can be used.

The Gantt Chart is a Tool that helps Organize and Plan the Tasks that make up a Project.

 

To do this, it lists all Tasks Vertically with a Horizontal Bar Chart that represents the period during which these Tasks must be Completed.

 

How to Create a Gantt Chart:

1. Identify all the Main Activities that Comprise a Project.
2. Define and lists all the Tasks that make up these Activities.
3. Estimate the amount of time that will be needed to complete each Task.
4. Create the Chart, Prioritizing the Tasks that need to be completed First.

 

What is the Gantt Chart used for?

• To Organize Projects that imply lots of Tasks.
• To Track the Progress of Complex Projects.
• To Correctly Manage the Resources of a Project.