Articles

Online Gantt Chart Software – What Are They? And Why Use Them?

by Vartika Kashyap CMO


Ensuring the success of a project is not easy, but you gotta do it anyway. As a project manager, you are tasked to ensure that every project runs smoothly and is delivered on time. Now, you know that the stakes are high. If a task is falling behind schedule and you don’t know how to bring it back on course, you put the entire project in jeopardy. So, the pressure is on and everything is up to you. Fortunately, there are online Gantt chart software solutions that can make your job effortless.


Let's start at the very beginning ...


The first Gantt chart was devised in the mid 1890s by a polish engineer named Karol Adamiecki, who called it a Harmonogram. Gantt charts were considered revolutionary when first introduced, but there were limitations to both its adoption and recognition. However, Henry Laurence Gantt (1861-1919), a mechanical engineer and management consultant, developed Gantt charts around the years 1910–1915 as a visual tool to show scheduled and actual progress of projects. The concept was primarily applied to major construction projects like Hoover Dam and is now being used by businesses from all over the world to optimize project and people performance.


So, what is a Gantt chart?


A Gantt chart is the type of bar chart used by teams to track project schedules. In simple words, a Gantt chart displays exactly what needs to be done and when. It uses vertical task list against horizontal time scale design to visualize the entire structure of the project. On the left of the chart is the list of activities involved and on the top is the desired timescale.


In general, a Gantt chart allows you to see:


  • The list of activities (tasks or events) involved in a project

  • The start date, duration, and end date of each activity

  • The dependency relationships between various activities

  • The start date, duration, and end date of the whole project


How do they work?  


Gantt charts simply create project timelines that are coherent and easy to interpret.


With online Gantt chart software, a manager can keep all the parts of a project working and moving forward. It helps to ensure that - the project schedule is workable, the right people are assigned to each task, and most importantly, all the potential problems are eliminated before the start. Finally, all this helps project managers to keep their team on track and get every task completed on time.


Why do you need an online Gantt chart software?


Thousands of companies and millions of users use Gantt charts to plan project schedule better and bet more productive at work. Now, if you are wondering why getting an online Gantt chart software is a sure thing for you and your team, here’s your answer:


Below listed are some of the key advantages or reasons for which teams would prefer an online Gantt chart software over any other traditional project planning or scheduling tool.


1. Gantt charts are highly visual


Gantt chart is a more understandable and memorable method for managing timescale-based tasks and deliverables. It provides a visual overview of tasks, dependencies, resources, milestones, and all the other vital aspects of a project.


2. Gantt charts keep your projects on track


With a good Gantt chart software, project managers can easily determine where every project stands. It helps to assess how long each task in a project should take, understand the resources needed, and plan the order in which tasks will be completed.


3. Gantt charts encourage efficient time management


Efficient time management is one of the biggest benefits of using Gantt chart software. With Gantt chart, everyone on the team understands the start date, the due date, and the dependency of the tasks assigned to them. This helps them to plan and schedule their time around work in a more productive manner.


4. Gantt charts improve communication


In order to deliver projects as planned, teams must coordinate with each other. Now, with a Gantt chart software by their side things can be a lot easier. A Gantt chart software allows teams to work together and share real-time updates effortlessly.


5. Gantt charts ensure better resource allocation


With Gantt chart, project managers are able to look ahead in the project and understand what resources need to be allocated for its successful completion. This helps them to keep project cost within budget while also ensuring on-time completion.


Final thought


An online Gantt chart software provides complete control over the project management project, making it easier for teams and project managers to stay on top of things. So, If you're still using conventional spreadsheet or emails to manage your projects, it is the right time to start using Gantt charts.


As you can see above, Gantt charts are quite simple and require very little knowledge to understand. Just try one of the free or paid Gantt chart software solutions available in the market and see how it goes. And If you think that we might have missed something, let us know in the comments section below.



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About Vartika Kashyap Innovator   CMO

21 connections, 0 recommendations, 62 honor points.
Joined APSense since, April 9th, 2018, From Chandigarh, India.

Created on Jun 19th 2018 03:00. Viewed 817 times.

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