Gantt Chart Scheduling

Abstract

Gantt Charts are the foundation of planning and scheduling, thus perhaps being the most important element in project, portfolio and program management. The Gantt Chart is tool that allows managers to boil project parts and phases down to simple visual blocks based on the planned and expected duration, which can then be arranged according to interdependencies. Furthermore, as a visualisation tool, it provides overview of planned processes, in order for managers or stakeholders to keep track of what progress should be obtained at certain point in a process.

This article sheds light on the overall concept of Gantt Charts and the story behind, hence how and why it was developed. Furthermore, it will clarify why Gantt Charts are relevant both as a concept which is applied in several settings and as scheduling tool within Project, Program and Portfolio Management.

With an established reasoning on why to apply Gantt Charts to Project, Program and Portfolio scheduling, the article will continue by addressing how they are created. The creation is however not sufficient as the tool must be utilised and maintained actively and continuously within the timeframe projects, programs and/or portfolios, in order to provide the expected value.

Though, Gantt Charts are somewhat limitless with regards to the sizing and extent of the application, they themselves do not solve scheduling issues. The article therefore addresses the limitations of Gantt Charts and challenges that may occur when applying them, as well as opportunities that stems from them.

History

The history of Gantt Charts date back to the 1910s where Henry Gantt introduced a new method of scheduling to ???????

However, a version of the method was already introduced earlier by ???? for the ????.

Henry Gantt developed the chart, as tool for production scheduling, which proved highly effective in the production of military material for World War I.

Overall Concept

The overall concept of Gantt Charts is to provide a visual overview of time, tasks and progress within a process or project. Furthermore, the Gantt Chart is a tool to manage the tasks in relation to each other, in order to achieve a certain goal within a given timeframe. Thereby the tool is a way of structuring projects and manage complexity.

Why use Gantt Charts?

Within Project Management scheduling tasks is a vital procedure in the project managers planning.

Gantt Chart as a tool

The following section describes how you as a project, program or portfolio manager can create, use and maintain a Gantt Chart. The tool comes in various variations and is often incorporated in management software. However, if a specific software is not available or if the scheduling is carried out by a group of planners, the Chart can be made as simple poster or spreadsheet diagram.

Elements of the Gantt Chart

In order to create a Gantt chart for a specific project, program or portfolio, there are several perspectives to be taken into consideration such as the following:

- Usage - Timeframe - Tasks/Assignments/Parts - Estimation - Milestones - Recipient

Timeframe

First of all, time; are you scheduling a project with a specific timeframe? A programme covering several projects which might be extended further when introducing new projects or perhaps a portfolio linked to a long term strategy or vision of an organisation?

Projects are usually time boxed early in the scoping phase, as the steering committee matches expectations of project completion and demands from project sponsors. The Gantt Chart is then time bound to the start date and end date of the project. When considering the programmes, the timeframe can be fluid as the content of the programme can be extended with additional projects, hence often pushing the programme end date. Thereby the Gantt Chart does not end until the programme is considered to be closed. The same is applicable to Portfolios, which with regards to scheduling, has a more undefinable end date.

For practical reasons, the user or planner must consider whether the Gantt Chart should be Time bound or fluid at time of creation, in order to

How to use

Work Breakdown Structure

Opportunities

- Software