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11 Gantt Chart Examples For Project Management

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?

10 Gantt chart examples 

Why is a gantt chart important, 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.

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.

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.

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!

You might also enjoy:

20+ Stunning Consulting Proposal Templates That Will Convert Prospects to Clients

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What Is a Gantt Chart? (Examples & Templates)

Presented by projectmanager, the gantt chart software used to plan over 2 million projects. make a gantt chart in minutes.

What Is a Gantt Chart? Definition & History

What is the purpose of a gantt chart, what is included in a gantt chart, what is a gantt chart used for, how are gantt charts used in project management, gantt chart examples.

• Free Gantt Chart Templates

How to Use a Gantt Chart

Benefits and advantages of a gantt chart, disadvantages of using a gantt chart, gantt chart alternatives, what is gantt chart software.

• How to Make a Gantt Chart With Gantt Chart Software

Who Uses a Gantt Chart?

Gantt chart video for beginners, gantt chart faqs.

A Gantt chart is a project management tool that allows project managers to create a project schedule by mapping project tasks over a visual timeline which shows the order in which they’ll be completed, when they’re due, their duration and other details about them such as their percentage of completion. Every Gantt chart has two main parts, a grid or task list on the left side and a project timeline on the right.

The Gantt chart was created by Henry Gantt in the early 20th century to improve project planning, scheduling and tracking by illustrating completed work compared to planned work. Today, project managers and team members use Gantt charts to plan projects, create a project schedule, allocate resources and track progress with just one project management tool.

However, there’s so much more to know about Gantt charts beyond a simple Gantt chart definition. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the main aspects that you need to know about Gantt charts including what they’re used for and the different methods and tools you can use to make one, such as Gantt chart software .

This guide also has examples and free Gantt chart templates you can use to get started quickly. We’ve even created industry-specific Gantt chart templates so you can create project schedules for your business in minutes.

At a basic level, a Gantt chart allows project, program and portfolio managers to easily map out project plans by organizing project tasks on a visual timeline. However, Gantt charts are used for many other purposes in project planning, project scheduling, project tracking and resource management.

With ProjectManager’s Gantt chart, you can assign tasks to your team members, set due dates, estimate costs and monitor progress in real time. The best part is that it can be used along with other project management tools such as kanban boards, real-time project dashboards, timesheets and team collaboration tools.

There are two halves to most Gantt chart tools you see online today. On the left is a grid that lists project tasks and important information about them and on the right, there’s the Gantt chart timeline, a visual representation of the project schedule.

Gantt Chart Grid

The grid of a Gantt chart is where you list project tasks and project scheduling details about them. The Gantt chart grid is the most important component of your Gantt chart because the data you enter here will be used to populate the Gantt chart timeline.

The more details about your project tasks you can add to a Gantt chart grid, the more aspects of your project plan you’ll be able to track.

Basic Gantt chart software only allows you to assign tasks to your team members and create project timelines based on the due dates and duration of your project tasks. However, more advanced Gantt chart software like ProjectManager enables you to track other areas of your project.

Here are some of the key aspects of your project you can track with ProjectManager’s Gantt chart grid.

• Task name: Briefly describe your task. You can also add more task details using other project views such as kanban boards and task lists.
• Task owner: Assign tasks to team members.
• Task priority: Set a priority level for all your project tasks so you can better allocate your resources.
• Project phases: In most projects, there’s a set of well-defined phases that are made up of related tasks.
• Work breakdown structure level: The work breakdown structure level is a number that allows you to understand the order in which project tasks must be completed and what project phase they’re in.
• Project milestones: Track project milestones, which are major events, accomplishments or deliverables in your project timeline.
• Resource requirements: Indicate what resources are needed to complete each project task, including labor and non-labor resources such as raw materials, equipment or machinery.
• Estimated & actual costs: Estimate costs for each project task, create a project budget and then log the actual costs as tasks are executed so you can determine whether your project is on, over or under budget.

Now, let’s go over the other half of any Gantt diagram, the Gantt chart timeline.

Gantt Chart Timeline

The Gantt chart timeline is a stacked bar chart where each project task is represented by a bar that runs on the horizontal axis. The task bars start on the date that the work is scheduled to start and end on the date when it’s expected to finish. The longer the bar, the longer the task will take.

But that’s not everything a Gantt chart timeline shows. Based on the data from the Gantt chart grid, ProjectManager’s robust Gantt chart timeline lets you zoom in on the following details of your project schedule .

• Due dates & task duration: Add planned start and planned finish dates and adjust them at any time by dragging and dropping tasks on the Gantt timeline. You can also compare planned vs. actual task duration.
• Task dependencies: You can also show the task dependencies in number form. Choose the “Linked From” column in the column settings. Task dependencies are represented as arrows that link tasks in the Gantt chart timeline.
• Percent complete: A figure, mostly always based on an educated guess by the project team, of how much work they have done and how much is still to do.
• Critical path activities: ProjectManager’s Gantt chart maker automatically identifies the critical path based on your project task list, dependencies and due dates.

Free Gantt Chart Template

Need help building a Gantt chart? Try ProjectManager’s free Gantt chart template and practice adding tasks, dependencies, phases, milestones and more on a dynamic Gantt chart.

On the left-hand side is the data grid, where the various phases of the project are outlined. Under each color-coded phase are the tasks associated with it, including WBS, assignees, due dates and other resources needed to execute the scheduled tasks.

The visual timeline on the right is where things get interesting. You can see the entire project in one place, dependent tasks can be linked and milestones added to indicate important dates. Put your Gantt chart knowledge to the test and build one today. Get started for free.

Because the Gantt chart is such a diverse project management tool for identifying timelines and task dependencies, it can be used in any industry or field. Here are some examples.

• Gantt charts in project management : Gantt charts compile the information project managers need to create a visual timeline that shows all the elements of a project plan in one place. With Gantt charts, project managers can schedule projects, allocate resources, set cost and scope baselines, and identify the critical path.
• Gantt charts in construction: Construction Gantt charts are used by project owners, general contractors and construction project managers to plan the different phases of a construction project, such as initiation, pre-construction and procurement. However, Gantt charts can also be used on a smaller scale to manage everyday tasks.
• Gantt charts in software engineering: Software engineering teams use Gantt charts to create project roadmaps , which are essential for task management when developing new products. This is done by simply mapping software development tasks on a timeline, just as if it was a project plan.
• Gantt charts in manufacturing: Gantt charts can be used to plan, schedule and track multiple aspects of the manufacturing process. For example, you can use Gantt charts to create product roadmaps, production schedules and map the product development cycle.
• Gantt charts in project portfolio management: Gantt charts can be also used to create a portfolio roadmap, which is a timeline that allows project portfolio managers and project management offices (PMOs) to track the progress of multiple projects.

These are only some of the most common use cases for Gantt charts, but they can be used for managing projects across industries. Now, let’s take a closer look at how Gantt charts are used in project management.

Gantt charts can be used to plan, schedule and track projects of all sizes and industries, mainly because they’re compatible with most project management methodologies , such as waterfall and agile.

Gantt Charts in Waterfall Planning

Waterfall project management consists in planning a project in sequential phases. These project phases are planned in advance and then executed in order from beginning to end without making many changes to the original project plan. Gantt charts are ideal to map out such projects as they allow project managers to visualize task dependencies and establish task sequences on a project timeline.

Gantt Charts in Agile Planning

Unlike waterfall, agile planning consists in planning short iterations of work of one to two weeks known as agile sprints , where teams plan and execute their work. They then have short meetings where they review their performance and plan the next sprint. While Gantt charts aren’t commonly used to plan sprints, they help agile teams to map out their project plan or product development roadmap at large, which lets them see the bigger picture of their projects.

These two project management approaches are used to manage most projects, even though there are other methodologies that can be used for specific industries or scenarios. However, the best way to understand how Gantt charts are used in project management is to look at some Gantt chart examples.

We’ve created two Gantt chart examples using ProjectManager to see how Gantt charts can be used for managing different types of projects. These Gantt chart examples show a schedule for a construction and a manufacturing project, which are two of the industries where Gantt charts are used the most.

In these Gantt chart examples, you can easily see:

• The Gantt chart timeline
• What the project tasks are
• Which team member is working on each task
• When project activities start and finish
• The percent complete for each activity and work package
• How tasks group together, overlap and link with each other
• Task dependencies such as finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish and start-to-finish
• Milestones and project phases on the schedule

Construction Gantt Chart Example

This Gantt chart example shows a construction schedule that’s divided into six project phases: contracts, design, procurement, construction, post-construction and closing.

Defining project phases is the first step when using a Gantt chart for planning a project. It helps break down the project plan into smaller steps that are easier to manage. Once you’ve defined project phases, you can proceed to identify the individual tasks for each of them, as shown in the image.

Once you’ve identified your project tasks, you’ll need to add as much information as possible about them, such as their planned due dates, duration, dependencies, resource requirements, estimated costs and other relevant details.

Once you’ve added all these details to each project task column, the Gantt chart timeline will show your project tasks, their dependencies, assignee and percent complete.

The best part of using ProjectManager’s Gantt charts to create a project schedule is that you can simply drag and drop these bars in the Gantt chart timeline to adjust the project tasks’ due dates or their duration. You can easily add or remove dependencies and identify project milestones.

Our construction schedule Gantt chart template also allows you to use other advanced Gantt chart features such as creating project baselines, finding the critical path and tracking the resource utilization and costs for each of your tasks.

Manufacturing Gantt Chart Example

While managing the production process is completely different from managing a construction project , the steps for creating a schedule using a Gantt chart are the same. You’ll also need to define project phases, break down your project scope into tasks, identify dependencies and add project task details to the Gantt chart.

This Gantt chart example shows a manufacturing project that consists of creating a product from scratch and then creating a production schedule for manufacturing it. The phases for this manufacturing project are product ideation, design, prototyping, pre-production and production.

Our Gantt chart production schedule template allows you to track each step in the product development process, such as ideating your product, establishing its feasibility, creating a proof of concept, making a prototype, testing its quality and more.

Then, once you have a working prototype that’s ready to be launched into the market, you can use the Gantt chart to schedule the production process and estimate the time it’ll take to manufacture it, the needed resources and your production costs.

Using Gantt chart software for tracking the production process is ideal for manufacturing businesses that execute multiple projects simultaneously .

However, creating a Gantt chart from scratch can be an overwhelming process, especially for those who are just getting started with this project management tool. If you’re not ready to use Gantt chart software yet, you can try using a Gantt chart template for Excel, PowerPoint, Google Sheets or Word.

Free Gantt Chart Templates for Excel, PowerPoint & More

We’ve created several Gantt chart templates that can facilitate the process of creating and using a Gantt chart to manage your projects. Simply enter your project information and follow the instructions to create a Gantt chart for projects in minutes.

Free Gantt Chart Template for Excel

This free Gantt chart Excel template helps you build a Gantt chart and a project timeline in minutes. It gives you a visual overview of your entire project from start to finish.

Simply add all of the tasks needed to reach your final deliverable and manually update any changes during the execution of the project. It’s a great example of a Gantt chart in Microsoft Excel .

Free Gantt Chart Template for Google Sheets

This free Gantt chart template for Google Sheets is similar to an Excel Gantt chart, but it can be accessed by your team members online, instead of having to download a file and store it in their computers. This also means you can collaborate with your team online so any file changes can be seen by anyone with access to it.

Free Gantt Chart Template for PowerPoint

This free Gantt chart template for PowerPoint allows you to create a simple Gantt chart based on your project task names, duration and due dates. You can attach them to any PowerPoint presentation, which helps communicate the progress of your project in a visual format that can be easily understood by most people.

Free Gantt Chart Template for Word

While Microsoft Word might not be the first software you think of when looking for a tool to make a Gantt chart, it can be used to make Gantt charts. In fact, this free Gantt chart template for Word is as good as the Excel or PowerPoint Gantt chart. The key difference is that this Gantt chart template for Word is designed for adding a Gantt chart to project documents.

However, these free Gantt chart templates are best suited for creating simple Gantt charts , as they lack advanced project management features that are needed for larger projects such as resource management and cost tracking.

Now that we have more context about Gantt charts, let’s explore how to use a Gantt chart for planning, scheduling and tracking your projects . Below, we’ll explain some of the most common uses for Gantt charts in project management.

Create a Work Breakdown Structure

Before you can use a Gantt chart to create a project schedule , you’ll need to first identify all the individual tasks that make up the total amount of work that’s needed for your project. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a tool that can help you with this process. It’s important that you do this during the project planning phase so you don’t miss any project tasks.

Create a Task List and a Gantt Chart Timeline

Now create a Gantt table by listing down your project tasks, their due dates, duration and any other details you’d like to track about them such has resource requirements or costs. Then Use this information to create Gantt chart timeline, which at a basic level should show the dates and duration of project tasks.

Identify Task Dependencies

One of the key aspects that differentiate Gantt charts from other project planning tools is that they allow project managers to identify and visualize task dependencies . A task dependency is simply the relationship project tasks have among each other that dictates the order in which they must be completed. While Gantt charts let you represent task dependencies, these can’t be automatically determined. It’s your responsibility as a project manager to define them, otherwise, the project schedule won’t be accurate.

Find the Critical Path of Your Project

The critical path of a project is the longest sequence of tasks that need to be executed. It’s important to determine what your critical path is because if those tasks are delayed the whole project completion will be delayed. Luckily some Gantt chart software alternatives will automatically do this for you.

Track Gantt Chart Milestones

Gantt charts allow you to track project milestones, which are important events that occur at some point in your project timeline. Project milestones can be used to create a milestone chart, which is a simplified version of your project timeline that summarizes major activities, project deliverables and accomplishments so that you can track how a project is progressing from a high-level view.

Allocate, Schedule and Track Resources

Gantt charts can be more than just a project scheduling tool, they can also be used to estimate what resources are needed to complete your project, allocate resources for the execution of work and track resource utilization throughout the project life cycle. ProjectManager’s Gantt chart, for example, syncs with real-time dashboards that allow you to monitor the utilization of project resources in real time and workload charts that let you balance your team’s workload.

Create Project Baselines and Compare Planned vs. Actual Results

Gantt charts should be used to map your project plan, but also record the actual results of your project. ProjectManager’s Gantt chart allows you to compare the estimated costs and due dates of your tasks against the actual values so you can determine whether your project is being executed within the boundaries of your project budget or schedule.

The Gantt chart is one, if not the most important project management tool to plan, schedule and track projects. Here are some of the main pros and cons of using Gantt charts to manage projects from any industry.

• Gantt charts allow project managers to turn complex project plans into a visual project timeline that’s easy to understand.
• Gantt charts are the perfect tool to compare the actual performance of your project team against the original project plan, schedule and cost baselines to determine whether a project is being completed on time and under budget .
• Gantt charts allow project managers to understand both the scope of a project and its schedule from start to end, including task dependencies.
• Gantt charts are also considered a resource management tool because they allow project managers to understand how they’re allocating their resources .

Even though Gantt charts are one of the most important project management tools, there are some cases in which they might not be the ideal solution.

• Gantt charts can be hard to understand for some team members and stakeholders who aren’t used to them.
• Not all Gantt chart software available in the market offers the same features, which is something to look out for as some lack important features.
• Other project tools such as task lists or kanban boards can be an easier method to keep track of tasks, such as when managing small teams, or short-term projects.
• Gantt charts operate in a linear fashion and aren’t very dynamic for agile projects.

Gantt charts are not the only project management chart you can use to create a project schedule or manage project tasks. There are other tools you can use such as PERT charts, kanban boards or network diagrams . Here’s how Gantt charts compare to these tools.

Gantt Chart vs. Network Diagram

Network diagrams are a project planning chart that can help you visualize the order in which tasks must be completed, so everyone on your team has a clear idea of how work will be executed. Additionally, project network diagrams can help identify task dependencies that might be in your project plan, which is an important factor to consider when creating a project schedule.

In project management, network diagrams are used as part of the program evaluation and review technique (PERT) and the critical path method (CPM), which are two important project scheduling methods.

However, network diagrams can only help you during the project scheduling process, but can’t be used for tracking the progress of your project, as they lack task, resource or cost-tracking features.

Gantt Chart vs. PERT Chart

PERT charts are a network diagram that allows you to map the task sequences that make up your project, estimate its total duration and identify critical path activities.

To do so, you’ll need to use the PERT chart formula, which factors in the start and finish dates of your project tasks, dependencies between them and estimated duration.

However, PERT charts aren’t as versatile as Gantt charts as they won’t allow you to assign tasks to your team members, create a project timeline or monitor the percentage of completion of tasks.

Gantt Chart vs. Kanban Board

Kanban boards are a popular task management tool that can be used for managing projects across industries. A kanban board consists of a set of columns and cards. The columns indicate the status of a project task, such as “to do” or “completed” while kanban cards represent project tasks.

Kanban boards are a great task management tool for managing the everyday tasks and workflows of your team but they won’t allow you to create a project timeline or get a high-level view of your project plan like a Gantt chart would. This makes Gantt charts a better tool than kanban boards for project planning and scheduling.

This doesn’t mean you can’t use Gantt charts and kanban boards for managing your projects. In fact, this is greatly advised, as each of these project management tools can help you manage your projects from different perspectives.

Once computers introduced new ways of working, project managers found they could save time in creating and updating their Gantt charts. Gantt chart software, also called project planning, project management, or even project scheduling software, was created to automate the process to support more advanced Gantt requirements like creating task dependencies, adding milestones or identifying the critical path of a project plan.

Watch the video below for a quick introduction to ProjectManager’s online Gantt chart maker and its benefits.

Many project managers traditionally used local desktop programs like Microsoft Project —and many still do. But today, most Gantt chart makers and project management software have moved online, enabling anyone to create shareable and collaborative Gantt charts and project plans.

Choosing the right project management tool for your team is an essential task, so we’ve reviewed the best free and paid Gantt chart software and ranked them based on their key features, pros and cons. It’ll help you better understand what to look for when comparing Gantt chart software.

Must-Have Gantt Chart Software Features

While no two Gantt chart tools are the same, there are key features that you'll need to get the most out of your Gantt chart tool:

Milestones are represented by a diamond symbol on the Gantt diagram and have no duration. A milestone marks the end of a piece of work, task sequence or project management phase. They’re often fixed dates or important dates on your project schedule that you need to be aware of. Read more: Learn how to use milestones in your scheduling.

Task Dependencies

These show which tasks are linked together. Links are shown with lines on the Gantt chart, and the arrow points to the task that comes next. Task dependencies can be set up as start-to-finish, start-to-start, finish-to-finish or finish-to-start. Read more: Learn how to manage task dependencies.

Summary Tasks

A summary task is a skinny ‘umbrella’ task above various individual tasks. It’s a good way of using a Gantt diagram to group activities together, especially as part of a project stage or phase. You can ‘roll up’ your tasks (in other words, hide them from view) so that only the summary task is shown. The summary task also displays the task progress with shading, so you can view the progress of all tasks underneath in that one bar.

Collaboration

A Gantt chart without collaboration is just a static plan. It’s nice to have, but it isn’t helping you advance the work your team is doing. Be sure that you can chat or comment around tasks to keep the workflow documented. Your team will then get alerts every time a task has been updated, so they know when new activity has occurred.

File Sharing

It’s important as you collaborate to also be able to attach files, images, videos or other notes to document the task progress and keep all the task information together. That way, you always know where to look to find the files related to the tasks you’re scheduling on your Gantt diagram.

Planned vs. Actual Progress

This is represented in a couple different ways on the Gantt diagram. Shading on the bar indicates how complete the planned work is. When the bar is shaded, the task is finished. You can also see just a view of the actual progress anytime in the settings. Don’t forget to set a baseline for the best tracking experience.

How to Make a Gantt Chart Online With Gantt Chart Software

Onboarding your team members with ProjectManager’s Gantt chart maker allows you to better plan, schedule and track all types of projects . Once you’ve invited your team members to the new Gantt chart tool, you can start improving the way you manage tasks, resources and timelines. But before we get to the benefits of using online Gantt chart software, let’s go through a step-by-step guide to making a Gantt chart in ProjectManager.

It’s easy for anyone to create a Gantt chart online in ProjectManager. You can import a task list from a CSV file, an Excel Gantt chart template, or a Microsoft Project file or create one from scratch. Unlike Gantt chart Excel templates, our Gantt chart maker does the heavy lifting so you can focus on what’s important.

Simply add project tasks to the tool, fill in the information and a fully-fledged Gantt chart will generate automatically. Our Gantt chart has advanced project management features that’ll let you set task dependencies, identify the critical path and use timesheets for resource tracking, just to name a few.

Also, since it’s an online Gantt chart maker, you and your team members can build the Gantt chart together in real time while you share files and documents with unlimited storage.

Now, without further ado, here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a Gantt chart with ProjectManager , one of the best Gantt chart software available in the market.

1. Create a New Project

When you first log in, you simply enter a project name and select “Create.” You’ll be directed to the Gantt chart view.

2. Add Project Tasks to Your Gantt Chart

As you add tasks, the default date will be today. Since you haven’t added a longer due date than today, the tasks appear in the Gantt chart tool to the right as circles, representing that they start and end today. The dotted line represents today’s date.

3. Assign Tasks to Team Members

You can easily assign or re-assign tasks to team members based on their availability in real time, which is ideal for workload management . When people are assigned tasks, their name appears above the taskbar on the Gantt chart. The Gantt chart maker lets you know whether your team members are available, or if they’re already scheduled for other tasks.

4. Add Due Dates to Your Gantt Chart

As you extend the start and end dates, the task bars on the Gantt chart view extend too, showing you how long each task will take. Add those dates under the planned start and planned finish columns.

5. Prioritize Your Project Tasks

The Gantt chart maker has a task prioritization feature that allows you to establish a priority level for each task so you and your team can focus your efforts on the most important activities. Best of all, this priority tag can also be used in other project views, like task lists and kanban boards for better task tracking.

6. Estimate Task Costs

Add the estimated costs for each task. Our Gantt chart maker helps you estimate labor costs for each project task based on how many team members are working on it and their hourly rate. On top of that, these labor costs are also updated on timesheets you can easily share with your team members.

7. Link Task Dependencies Using the Gantt Chart Timeline

Linking task dependencies is an advanced project planning feature that lets you create a realistic project schedule. There are four types of task dependencies that allow you to understand how your projects’ task sequences are interrelated. In the picture below, you can see how Gantt chart bars are connected by arrows, which indicates there’s a dependency between tasks.

8. Identify Critical Path Activities & Project Milestones

The Gantt chart maker automatically identifies the critical path of your project, which helps you focus on the critical tasks or the tasks that must be completed on time so that your project is completed on time. In addition, you can mark any project task as a milestone, which lets you pinpoint an important achievement, deliverable or the end of a project stage for detailed project tracking .

9. Customize Your Gantt Chart

You can customize your Gantt charts in whatever way suits your team. Here, you can see that different people are represented by different colors on the Gantt taskbars so it’s easy to see at a glance who is responsible for which tasks. Others might use colors on the stacked bar chart to represent different phases of a project or different teams responsible for a group of tasks.

10. Attach Files, Comments or Notes

When your team works collaboratively on an online Gantt chart maker, you can do so much more than just plan tasks. You can add images, videos, links, notes or comments right at the task level, so all the relevant task work is captured and easily accessible in one place.

11. Track Your Team’s Progress

All the updates on the Gantt diagram can be seen in one view. You can see what the team is working on and when tasks have been updated. Team collaboration is easy with online Gantt charts.

It used to be that Gantt charts were the exclusive tool of formally trained project managers. These were people planning complex projects of all different types: construction , engineering, military, manufacturing, infrastructure, IT and more. Creating long task lists and complex project schedules with lots of moving parts, required training in the art and science of task management, critical path analysis, baselining and so on.

Today, nearly everyone can use a Gantt chart to help them visualize their tasks. Because all the difficult work is now done by project management software, anyone can just create a simple task list , add start and end dates, and the software does the work instantly by displaying your tasks over a project timeline.

Gantt charts can be used by all kinds of teams, such as:

• IT & software development teams
• Project management teams
• Marketing teams
• Professional services teams
• Engineering & architectural teams
• Construction teams
• Manufacturing teams
• Product development teams

Here are some examples of potential users of Gantt charts:

• Project managers
• General managers
• Team leaders
• Operations managers
• Scheduling managers
• Marketing managers
• Executives such as CEOs & CTOs
• Anyone who wants an instant view of a project timeline

If you still need help setting up and understanding your Gantt chart, watch this video by Jennifer Bridges, PMP.

If you still have questions about Gantt charts, they should be answered in the following frequently asked questions.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart Online?

Yes, there are online Gantt chart tools such as ProjectManager that allow you to create a Gantt chart online without having to install any software on your Mac or PC.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in Excel?

Microsoft Excel doesn’t have a Gantt chart feature but you can create one by customizing the stacked bar chart or using one of the free Gantt chart templates available online.

We’ve created a how-to guide with detailed instructions on how to make a Gantt chart in Excel from scratch. Learning to do so allows you to better understand how an Excel Gantt chart works as well as its key features and limitations.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart In Word?

Making a Gantt chart in Word can be very useful as most project teams use Word for creating their project documents. You can create a Gantt chart in Word by inserting a stacked bar chart into a document, adding your project schedule information (such as start, end dates and duration) and customizing the Gantt diagram for greater readability.

Then, once you’ve created your Gantt diagram in Word , you can copy and paste it into any project document you’d like such as a project plan or project proposal.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in PowerPoint?

Like Word or Excel, PowerPoint allows you to insert stacked bar charts which can be transformed into a Gantt chart. We’ve created a how-to guide with detailed instructions you can follow along if you’d like to make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint.

The best part is that once you create a PowerPoint Gantt chart , you can use it for all your project presentations. Simply copy and paste the PowerPoint Gantt chart into a new presentation and edit its data.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in Microsoft Project?

Yes, Microsoft Project is project management software equipped with a Gantt chart tool. Some of the key features of Microsoft Project’s Gantt chart are its cost and resource monitoring, critical path analysis, task dependency mapping and milestone tracking.

If you’d like to try Microsoft Project’s Gantt diagram, but need help to get started with this tool, check out our blog on how to make a Gantt chart in Microsoft Project . This blog also goes over the key features, pros and cons of a Microsoft Project Gantt chart.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in Google Sheets?

To make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets, open a new blank spreadsheet, add the tasks data for your project (including duration, start and end dates), insert a stacked bar graph and then transform the bar graph into a Gantt chart. There are Gantt chart templates for Google Sheets too.

We also have a blog that explains how to make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets , with easy-to-understand steps and images, which makes it ideal for sharing with your team members.

What Does Gantt Stand For?

The Gantt chart was named after Henry Gantt , and many think he was the one who first had the idea of project planning on bar charts. This isn’t entirely true.

Left: Henry Gantt | Right: Karol Adamiecki

Karol Adamiecki devised the first Gantt diagram back in 1896. He was a Polish engineer turned management professor who came up with the idea of displaying processes visually so that he could make it easier to see production schedules. (He did most of his work in the steel industry.) He called it the harmonogram (a much better word) but Adamiecki published his articles on it in Polish and Russian, so the English-speaking world didn’t know much about it.

Henry Gantt had the same idea as Karol Adamiecki, but about 15 years later. In 1910, Gantt started planning visually with bar charts to allow supervisors in the steelworks to see if production was on track or behind schedule. It was Gantt’s name that got attached to this way of project planning, but today it’s generally recognized that Adamiecki had the idea first.

Gantt Chart Resources

• Gantt Chart Software
• Project Scheduling Software
• Project Planning Software
• Project Management Templates
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Template
• Gantt Chart Template for Excel
• Gantt Chart Template for PowerPoint
• Project Plan Template
• Best Gantt Chart Software: Paid & Free Options Ranked
• Gantt Chart Task Dependencies
• Easy Ways to Make a Gantt Chart with Google Sheets
• How to Make a Gantt Chart on Mac
• How to Make a Gantt Chart In PowerPoint
• How to Make a Project Schedule
• How to Make a Project Plan
• The Ultimate Guide to the Critical Path Method
• The Ultimate Guide to Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

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5 Gantt chart examples for better project management

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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 Software

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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What Is a Gantt Chart? A How-to Guide with Examples for Project Management

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 project 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.

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.

Try TeamGantt for Free

Capstone Project for IT Student (Complete Guide 2024)

To help our dear students in creating Capstone Projects , the ITSOURCECODE team has made this definitive guide.

It is a complete guide and steps in creating a capstone project from scratch.

It contains the essential parts on how to create or write a Capstone Project and the full discussion to make it.

The program requirements for the student to complete a capstone project in a long term.

A capstone project is designed to require students for their final year.  

The senior project and the culminating project capstone experience is the knowledge and skills we’ve learned in the real world of liberal arts.

What is a Capstone Project?

A capstone project is an academic paper that serves as a summary of a student’s experience.

This type of paper is typically produced during the senior year of high school or as part of a college or university course.

It can be used in nursing, engineering, information technology, business, and other product-based project courses.

How to Create a Capstone Project Step-by-Step?

Capstone Project Ideas

Before you achieve a project to develop, you must have first a proposal.

This proposal serves as the first step before you make a capstone project example and here’s how to write it.

Time needed:  10 minutes

Here are the complete steps on how to create a Capstone Project Proposal. These methods will help you create a flawless capstone projects document. Following the appropriate processes while preparing a capstone project proposal will save time.

First, choose a capstone topic. It will help you choose suitable themes. This boosts critical thinking and decision-making. Consider your skills, talents, and intelligence when choosing a topic. You and your organization must take responsibility for your decisions to foster cooperation. Consider what you wish to develop while choosing a topic. Consider your environment’s demands. Choose a focused topic to develop as a group. You chose Sports, then you ask how to make it more productive. From there, you may create a subject or title.

In order for you to become knowledgeable on the topic that you choose, you need to do a lot of research. This will help you to have deeper understanding about your topic. You will know then the common issues and difficulties that your topic has.

Now that you’re confident in your topic, create a proposal. You merely need to finalize the topic’s title and concerns you identified throughout research. Problem Statement identifies issues. Capstone Project Proposal needs a topic introduction. Then identify the concerns and solutions your team determines. After that, you must create solutions.

Title Defense will tell you if the topic you choose meets your skills and team’s needs. This will show if you studied well. At your Title Defense, you’ll be asked about the topic, its problem, and its solutions. These must be defended well and with solid proof. Review all the relevant material to support your topic.

How to write Capstone Project Chapter 1? Please enable JavaScript Human Resource Management System in LARAVEL with Source Code 2021 | Laravel Projects Free Download Share Watch on

Here’s how to start writing your Capstone Project Chapter 1( Introduction ).

• Know the structure of a Capstone Project Chapter 1 : Its structure would based in your school or mentors. The chapter 1 conveys and discuss all the information about the project. It has also the specific details of the project and what should be the expected outcome.
• Formulate an Introduction of your project . It must contain issues and the reason why you pursue the project. Its like introducing the project title that you made. You have to present what your project is all about.
• Provide a document for your Capstone Project Chapter 1. You should document all the steps and information about your project development. It is because you will be needing these information as a proof and bases o how did you come up with that capstone project.

The Capstone Project Chapter 1 has its parts and are very important in developing your project. It is a continuation from your capstone project proposal but more specific. Its structure is composed of:

• Introduction :
• Project Context:
• Objective: General and Specific:
• Scope and Limitations:
• Significance of the study:
• Definition of Terms:

The composition of your capstone project chapter 1 will always vary from your school or instructors. But the given details here are all essential to create a Capstone Project Chapter 1.

How to write Capstone Project Chapter 2 ?

Chapter 2 RRL (Review of Related Literature) is the third step in writing a Capstone project document (Review of Related Literature). It includes project-related articles and systems. These concepts can be used in your planned study. You must only reproduce valuable ideas from an article, book, or topic.

How to write Capstone Project Chapter 3 ?

The third step in creating a capstone is completing its Methodology . It must contain all the methods and procedures used for project development. You will also present the illustrations, diagrams and figures to explain the process of creating the project.

• Choose your SDLC: System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) plays a big role for the Project Development. It will guide you through the development journey and will also provide you the steps on how would you finish your project.
• Create a Gantt Chart: Create a Gantt Chart to finish your project on schedule. This helps estimate project development time. You can also monitor development and mitigate mistakes. Gantt Charting helps manage time and deadlines.
• Provide all the Illustrations, Diagrams and Figures: Methodology requires several illustrations. By methods, you must explain your project to readers and panels. It helps you determine your project’s needs.
• Apply the Illustrations to your Project: After finishing the instruction (Methodology), you can create the project. You can use your thoughts and Illustrations to complete your project.

Here’s the structure on how to write your Capstone Project Chapter 3:

• Brief Methodology Introduction
• Gantt Chart
• Database Design
• Data Dictionaries
• Screen Design
• Architectural Framework
• Hardware and Software Specification

How to create a Capstone Project Chapter 4 ?

After completing Project Evaluation, you’ll test its usefulness. For project testing, utilize a survey. This questionnaire will show if the project fits consumers’ needs. The comments or ratings will justify project performance.

You must add the project evaluation to Chapter 4 to notify readers and panels. It’ll show if the project was enough. It must include the evaluation’s discussion and result.

• Make sure that the Project was fully-functional: Before you do your survey for evaluation, you must secure first that the project is error-free and fully-functional. This is to refrain the users from difficulties during the survey.
• Prepare your Questionnaire: You may use a questionnaire provided online or you may create your own. But you have to validate the questionnaire if you’ll use your own. This is to make sure that the evaluation and the result is valid.
• Project Testing and Evaluation: After preparing all the needed materials for project evaluation, your project can now be evaluated. The project must be evaluated by its targeted users to know its usability, functionality and efficiency. Their evaluation will be recorded and should be discussed in this chapter.
• Calculate and Discuss the Result: Now this is the main part of creating capstone project chapter 4. You must perform the former steps to obtain and come up with the presentations and discussion of results. The results must be interpreted into words to deliver the right information to the panel and readers.

Structure of the Capstone Chapter 4 to write and complete:

• Short Introduction
• Evaluation Result
• Discuss the Result and Interpretation

How to write a Capstone Project Chapter 5?

Capstone Project Chapter 5 includes a summary, conclusions, and recommendations. You must summarize and explain your outputs. This chapter informs readers and panels of the Project’s result and assessors’ opinions.

To start creating your Capstone Project Chapter 5, you must save all the collected information from the former chapter.

• Project Summary: Summarize the project evaluation’s findings. This section must briefly summarize project evaluation findings. Short, clear, and precise.
• Provide you Conclusion: As the developer, you must inform the reader and panels about your product. Include the evaluators’ conclusion. Conclusions must justify outcomes and output. This tells you if you’ve met requirements.
• List and Explain all the Recommendations: List and explain all project recommendations. These suggestions could help improve your project. It may help you improve your project.

Capstone Chapter Structure Here are the important parts that your should consider before you write a Capstone Project Chapter 5.

• Summary of findings
• Recommendation

That completes our discussion about How to make Capstone Project: A Definitive Guide Itsourcecoders.

I hope that this article about List Python Courses Outline with Certificate help you a lot.

With the Capstone discussion presented above, you can get the ideas on how to create and write it for your own documentation or paper.

If you have questions concerning the Capstone chapters, contact us or leave a comment below.

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Dnp Project Gantt Chart Template

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Subcategory
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As a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student, managing your capstone project is no easy feat. But with ClickUp's DNP Project Gantt Chart Template, you can streamline your planning, tracking, and monitoring process to ensure a successful project outcome.

With this template, you'll be able to:

• Visualize your project tasks and timelines in a clear and organized manner
• Set dependencies and milestones to keep your project on track
• Assign tasks to team members and collaborate seamlessly
• Track progress and make adjustments as needed to meet your project goals

Don't let the stress of project management hinder your success. Get started with ClickUp's DNP Project Gantt Chart Template today and take control of your capstone project like a pro!

Benefits of Dnp Project Gantt Chart Template

The DNP Project Gantt Chart Template is an essential tool for DNP students to stay organized and on track with their capstone projects. Here are the benefits of using this template:

• Visualize project tasks and timelines in a clear and easy-to-understand format
• Easily identify dependencies and critical path to ensure efficient project management
• Track progress and make necessary adjustments to meet project milestones
• Collaborate with team members and stakeholders by sharing the Gantt chart
• Improve time management and prioritize tasks for successful project implementation

Main Elements of Dnp Project Gantt Chart Template

ClickUp's DNP Project Gantt Chart template is perfect for managing your project timelines and dependencies in a visual way. Here are the main elements of this template:

• Custom Statuses: Keep track of your project tasks with statuses like Complete, In Progress, and To Do, ensuring that every task is accounted for and easily visible on the Gantt chart.
• Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields such as Project Phase, Project Progress, and Attachment to add additional details to your tasks and keep everything organized.
• Custom Views: Access three different views including Project Gantt, Project Plan, and Template Guide to visualize your project timeline, plan resources, and refer to a guide for using the template effectively.

With ClickUp's DNP Project Gantt Chart template, you can streamline your project management process and ensure efficient execution of your projects.

How to Use Gantt Chart for Dnp Project

Creating a project timeline can be a daunting task, but with the help of the Project Timeline Template in ClickUp, you can easily stay organized and keep track of important milestones. Follow the steps below to effectively use the template and ensure a successful project.

1. Define your project scope and objectives

Before diving into the project timeline, it's crucial to clearly define the scope and objectives of your project. What are you trying to achieve? What specific tasks and deliverables need to be completed? Take the time to outline all the necessary details to ensure that your project timeline accurately reflects your project goals.

Use the Goals feature in ClickUp to set clear objectives and track your progress.

2. Identify key milestones

Once you have a clear understanding of your project's scope, identify the key milestones that need to be achieved. These are significant events or deliverables that mark important progress points in your project. Break down your project into smaller tasks and determine the milestones that represent the completion of these tasks.

Utilize the Milestones feature in ClickUp to set and track your project milestones.

3. Determine task dependencies and durations

Next, identify the dependencies between different tasks. Some tasks may need to be completed before others can begin. Understanding these dependencies will help you create a realistic and efficient project timeline. Additionally, estimate the duration of each task to allocate appropriate time for its completion.

Use the Gantt chart view in ClickUp to visualize task dependencies and durations.

4. Assign resources and set deadlines

Allocate resources to each task and assign team members responsible for completing them. Ensure that each team member has a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Set realistic deadlines for each task based on their dependencies and durations.

Utilize the Workload view in ClickUp to manage resource allocation and track team member workloads.

5. Track progress and make adjustments

As your project progresses, regularly track the completion of tasks and milestones. Update the project timeline accordingly and make adjustments as needed. If any changes or delays occur, communicate them to the team and adjust the timeline accordingly to ensure that the project stays on track.

Use the Calendar view in ClickUp to visualize project deadlines and track progress.

By following these steps and leveraging the features of ClickUp, you can effectively use the Project Timeline Template to stay organized, manage resources, and ensure the successful completion of your project.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Dnp Project Gantt Chart Template

DNP students can use the DNP Project Gantt Chart Template to effectively plan, manage, and monitor their capstone projects and ensure timely completion of their research findings.

First, hit "Add Template" to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create and manage your project timeline:

• Use the Project Gantt View to visualize your project tasks and their dependencies
• The Project Plan View will help you outline and schedule all the tasks required for your project
• Use the Template Guide View to refer to a step-by-step guide on how to use the template effectively
• Organize tasks into three different statuses: Complete, In Progress, To Do, to keep track of progress
• Update statuses as you complete tasks to track the overall progress of your project
• Monitor and analyze tasks to ensure timely completion and successful implementation of your research findings

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4 Gantt Chart Examples for Effective Project Management

Get the most out of your project execution with these four powerful Gantt chart examples. Save time and become more efficient with help from Motion.

Are you tired of sifting through countless spreadsheets, sticky notes, and project management tools while trying to manage your projects? Then check out our  Gantt chart examples !

A Gantt chart is a way to show project tasks on a timeline. It visually depicts each task's start and end date, how long it'll take, and when it's due.

Gantt charts are valuable to a variety of industries, from construction to agency management. They also help consultants map out their work schedules, while businesses use them to manage the creation of project proposals and business plans.

If you're not using a Gantt chart yet, maybe it's time to consider one.

In this post, we'll provide Gantt chart examples for different use cases and explain how to create a Gantt chart using Excel or project management tools. We'll also explore the limitations of Excel Gantt charts and the advantages of using Motion for effective time management.

What is a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is a project management tool used to plan and visualize tasks over a specified timeline. It shows each task's start dates, duration, and end dates in a project schedule. A bar stretching across the timeline represents each task, showing how long it'll take. This makes it easy to track progress, as you can easily gauge whether each task is on time or overdue.

‎In addition to the basic information about tasks and timelines,  Gantt charts  show dependencies between project tasks. For instance, if one task needs to be completed before another one can begin (e.g., buying materials before construction starts), this is indicated with an arrow connecting the two tasks in the chart.

Why is a Gantt chart important?

Gantt charts are essential for project planning, as they provide a concise visual overview of the project timeline and enable you to monitor progress. Here are some advantages of using Gantt charts for project management:

1. Visually track project progress

With Gantt charts, it's easy to see how much work has been done and how much is left to do in a project. You can also easily spot tasks running behind schedule or identify potential problems before they become major issues.

2. Plan dependencies between tasks

A Gantt chart makes it easier to plan dependencies between tasks, ensuring that activities happen in the correct order according to your schedule. This ensures efficient use of resources and helps to keep the timeline on track.

3. Streamline communication

A Gantt chart is a concise way to communicate the project schedule and project updates with everyone involved, from team members to stakeholders. This clearly lays out what needs to be done and makes it easier for everyone to understand how their tasks fit into the bigger picture.

Who uses Gantt charts?

Gantt charts are used by a variety of professionals, including project managers, event planners, consultants, designers, and business owners. They're an essential tool for anyone who needs to keep track of projects or plan events on a timeline.

Whether planning a large-scale construction project or designing a marketing campaign, Gantt charts will help you stay organized and on track. And with the right project management tools or Excel template, creating a Gantt chart is easier than ever.

Gantt chart examples

To get a better understanding of Gantt charts, let's take a look at some examples. Here are four different scenarios:

Gantt charts for construction

Construction projects involve a wide range of tasks, from obtaining permits and building materials to the workforce. Gantt charts help project owners, contractors, and project managers plan different phases of a construction project. It's essential for tracking progress, resource management, and meeting deadlines. It also ensures that tasks are completed in the correct order, so there aren't any delays due to missing pieces or incorrect sequences.

‎Gantt chart example for consultants

Gantt charts are used by consultants to create timelines for their projects. It helps them plan out the different stages of a project and track progress in an organized way. Consultants can also use Gantt charts to plan their workflow and ensure that tasks are completed on time, minimizing risk and ensuring maximum efficiency. Besides that, Gantt charts can easily be shared with stakeholders so that everyone is on the same page regarding the project's progress.

‎Gantt chart example for project proposals

Gantt charts are also used by project managers and a range of other professionals to create project proposals. In this case, the Gantt chart serves as a visual representation of the timeline and goals for each stage of the project. It helps convince clients that their projects can be completed in a timely manner with minimal risk. For example, once the due dates for your project proposal are clear, you can plan backward from it to ensure you get started at the right time. This provides a clear understanding between the client and the project manager or consultant on when tasks need to be completed and how much time is allocated for each phase.

‎Gantt chart example for business plans

Business plans involve a lot of planning, and Gantt charts are essential for this purpose. You can use them to plan out the different components of your business plan, such as research and development, marketing strategy, customer acquisition, etc. With Gantt charts, you can track progress against these tasks to know precisely where you stand in achieving your goals.

‎These example Gantt charts showed that from construction projects to business plans, Gantt charts are an invaluable tool for project management. They enable you to plan out tasks accurately and keep track of progress throughout the project. Whether working on a large-scale construction project or creating a business plan from scratch, Gantt charts can help you stay organized and ensure that tasks are completed on time.

How do I create a Gantt chart?

Now that you've seen some Gantt chart examples let's look at how you can create one for your projects. Two main ways to make a Gantt chart are in Excel or in project management software.

Create a simple Gantt chart using Excel

Excel is a popular spreadsheet software from Microsoft that everyone is familiar with. Hence, the most straightforward way to create a Gantt chart is by using Excel.

To do this, you'll need to:

• Set up and format your data in an Excel spreadsheet. This should include tasks, start and end dates, duration, and the task owner.
• Then insert a bar chart into the spreadsheet and customize it with your data. You can add different colors or patterns to differentiate between tasks.
• Adjust the format to look like a Gantt chart (i.e., adding task labels and changing scales and structures).
• Your chart is ready and can be shared with stakeholders and the project team.

With Microsoft Excel, you can create a simple but effective Gantt chart to help you stay organized and on track with your project.

Excel Gantt charts are limited

However, it takes quite a bit of time to create a Gantt chart in Excel, and Excel Gantt charts are limited in features and customization options. For example, it can be clunky to depict dependencies between tasks or display these task dependencies.

Furthermore, using Excel Gantt charts for larger projects isn't recommended, as the chart size will become too large to handle. And it's tedious to keep them updated and to share them with stakeholders.

Project management software with a Gantt chart feature

You can use  project management software  with a Gantt chart feature to make your life easier. This software enables you to plan, manage and monitor the progress of your entire project with ease.

It also allows you to:

• Create detailed timelines for tasks and sub-tasks
• Add task dependencies and milestones
• Assign resources to tasks
• Add a task status
• Set up notifications for upcoming deadlines
• Track progress and deadlines in real time

These features make staying organized, on track, and in control of your projects easier. Microsoft Project, Trello, Asana, Basecamp, and Wrike are key players in this field. All these have powerful Gantt chart capabilities that'll help you create professional-looking Gantt charts quickly and easily.

For professional project management, Gantt charts are an excellent tool for scheduling projects. Whether creating them in Excel or using project management software with a Gantt chart feature, they'll help you stay organized and ensure your project progresses according to plan.

Downsides of traditional project management tools

Project management software can be a great tool for managing projects, but there are some downsides to consider.

First, they require constant manual updates and prioritization, which can drain valuable time and resources. Additionally, progress update meetings are often still necessary, making the tool feel like an added hassle rather than a helpful resource.

Using these tools can also lead to micromanagement of your team, which can be detrimental to productivity and morale. Furthermore, teams may not regularly use or update these tools, rendering them less useful. Lastly, the need for multiple organizational tools can create staff confusion and frustration.

Let's ditch the traditional tools and explore better options for seamless project management!

Why Motion does a better job

 Motion stands apart from the other project management software because it uses artificial intelligence to prioritize work and build schedules for your team. Commonly used project management platforms just store projects and tasks, so employees have to prioritize everything.

‎Motion's machine learning algorithms prioritize these tasks and projects for employees based on factors like due date, start date, priority, and scheduled meetings so that teams always know which task they should work on next. It also automatically builds team members' schedules and shifts work when priorities change. When a meeting is scheduled over a task, Motion will also automatically reschedule it.

Finally, Motion gives everyone on your team one central place to manage their time and work - their calendar. This makes it easy to form new habits or update yet another tool, as nearly everyone already uses a digital calendar.

Motion does a better job than project management tools  by providing a custom meeting booking page, automatically moving non-urgent meetings when more urgent tasks arise, and showing when project team members are over-committed or stuck in too many meetings.

Additionally, Motion applies productivity strategies such as time blocking and deep work to help teams maximize their productivity. Time blocking reserves time on the calendar for focused work, while deep work reserves chunks of time for difficult focus work. This way, teams can finish tasks faster and more efficiently.

Use Motion to super-charge your time management

Project management can often feel like a Sisyphean effort, but with Gantt charts, project management doesn't have to feel like a daunting task. Visualizing the workflow with a Gannt chart can help you create an action plan with manageable tasks and milestones. And no more endless spreadsheets and post-it notes!

And with Motion, no more endless spreadsheets and post-it notes: Motion makes organizing your calendar and tasks effortless.

Whether you're managing a group project or personal planning, let Motion help make it manageable. Motion makes organizing your calendar and tasks effortless.

So what are you waiting for?  Try Motion today  to see how our elegant and AI-driven solution can enhance productivity.

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Project Initiation and Planning

Initiation is generally handled by the program. The program coordinators will select the projects and decide if they are feasible for a Capstone Project Team, and if there are mutual benefit opportunities.

•  Business Problem/Opportunity Defined
•  Potential Solution Defined
•  Project Team Formed

Planning is the most important part so that you then have a way to execute and monitor. Start by understanding the goal of the project – this is the “why” the project is being taken on. Having a clear vision on this will help with the ‘What’ of the project – what is the result wanted? (i.e., to increase revenue, drive traffic to the site, provide analysis of data, train individuals, etc.). In this, it is also important to understand who we are doing this for.

Project planning is where the students begin to engage and should be completed with the stakeholders. A project may look different depending on the group of students assigned and their specialty. The main questions to be addressed by students in this phase.

Accountability comes through assigning specific people to tasks, so it is clear to everyone who is responsible for completing them.

Courses and Guided Projects

​​OpenLearn University Course: Planning A Project

Gantt charts, critical path analysis, SMART objectives and estimation skills are just some of the topics covered in this course, planning a project, to help you understand how to plan for a project. You will gain an appreciation of the range of planning techniques available and the situations in which it is appropriate to use them. (Planning a Project Course, 2019)

Planning can be approached by asking a series of questions:

Tools and Templates

Project North Star Template (Facebook, 2004)

• What is the end deliverable the client is expecting?
• How can we break this into manageable tasks?
• What is the dependency of the activities?
• Will you need primary research? This includes additional time and planning and may require additional timing if results are not achieved.
• Do you have alternatives for risk mitigation if something cannot happen?
• Is there an event or milestone that must be met for the client?
• What other competing responsibilities do the students have that must be managed?
• Is there any equipment required, or lab time? When is this available? Must it be booked in advance?
• What is the skillset of the team?
• Can anyone do the necessary tasks, or must it be someone specific?
• What is required from the client?
• Are labs and/or equipment necessary?
• Is there anything that needs to be purchased or accessed?
• What other work is not going to be done?
• What metrics can we track?
• What are the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’S)? What are the factors that show the project’s success?
• How can we keep everyone updated?

Tools and Resources for Capstone (v. 1.2 Jan 2024) Copyright © by eCampus Ontario is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Capstone Documents: DNP Capstone Resources NURS 8702 and NURS 8703

• Supplemental Resources for the PhD Social Work
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Doctor of Nursing Program Capstone Resources NURS 8702 and NURS 8703

Welcome to the DNP Project Website for students enrolled in NURS 8702 or NURS 8703. This site is for students using the updated DNP project management process to complete their DNP Project. You must be enrolled in NURS 8702 or NURS 8703 to use the processes described on this site.

Step-by-Step Process to Completing Your DNP Project

1. review dnp project process guide and dnp practicum manual.

• DNP Project Process Guide

2. During NURS 8302: Leading Organizations for Quality Improvement Initiatives

Preparation for project planning will begin during the clinical component of NURS 8302. Using the project management process outlined in the Project Process Guide and in the steps below, you will use a variety of checklist and forms to complete the project. Review the checklists below to identify the best approach for the project site’s gap in practice or practice change. You may also review the appendices in  Dang, D., Dearholt, S., Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., &Whalen, M.  (2022).  Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice: Model and guidelines  (4th ed.). Sigma.

Staff Education Program

• Staff Education Program Checklist
• Staff Education Program Executive Summary Checklist

Clinical Practice Guideline Development

• Clinical Practice Guideline Checklist
• Clinical Practice Guideline Executive Summary Checklist

Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Initiative

• Quality Improvement Checklist
• Quality Improvement Executive Summary Checklist

3. DNP Committee Request and Enrollment in DNP Project Classroom – NURS 8702/8703.

In NURS 8302, you will complete the Doctoral Committee Request form. After successful completion of NURS 8302, you will be notified about your faculty advisor and committee member and registered in your NURS 8702, DNP Project Mentoring classroom or NURS 8703, Project Completion classroom.

• When enrolled in NURS 8702, start working with your faculty advisor on your DNP project
• Use the  Walden Library Resources  (Doctoral research appointments, webinars, subscription databases, Ask a Librarian service)
• For questions about the Doctoral Committee Matching form, contact [email protected]
• For questions about enrollment in NURS 8702 8703, contact Student Success Advising [email protected]
• All documents that will be used during implementation must be submitted and approved by your committee. You should zip all the files together and submit as one zip file.

4. Phase 1 Design

• Step 1: Faculty Advisor: during week 1 of NURS 8702, meet with the faculty advisor to review the requirements for the project.
• Complete Appendix A  and submit to project course classroom by day 7 of week 1 of the course​​​​​​​

Set up a meeting with the organization representative, and faculty advisor to clearly identify the practice problem and goal(s) to be achieved. Identify project mentor and any additional stakeholders. Discuss strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to the project. Present site approval for signatures. Complete minutes of the meeting using the site approval minutes template.

• Site Approval Minutes Template
• Appendix A PET Process
• Submit the completed forms to assess organization and stakeholders to the classroom
• Organizational Readiness
• Appendix C Stakeholder Analysis
• SWOT Analysis
• Tutorial: Virtual Strategist. (2016). How to Perform a SWOT Analysis.

Have the site approval signed by the organization leader, project mentor, and faculty advisor:

• Walden DNP Project Letter
• Staff Education Site Approval Form
• Clinical Practice Guideline Site Approval Form
• Quality Improvement Site Approval Form
• MY DR: Upload and submit the completed site approval for committee and program director review once the faculty advisor confirms in the classroom that the site approval is ready for a formal rubric review.
• DNP Site Approval Rubric
• Complete Question Development Tool   a nd submit to classroom
• Appendix B Question Development

Complete a rigorous review of evidence. Review Appendix D, Evidence Level and Quality Guide, which will be used to grade the evidence. Your faculty advisor may request that you utilize the appraisal tools (Appendix E and Appendix F) below as you review the evidence for your project.

• Appendix D: Evidence Level and Quality Guide
• Appendix E Research Evidence Appraisal Tool
• Appendix F Non-Research Evidence Appraisal Tool
• Upon completion of the evidence review submit the following documents into the classroom for faculty advisor approval.
• Appendix G Individual Evidence Summary Tool
• Appendix H Synthesis and Recommendations
• Tutorial: Evidence synthesis directions

5. Phase 2: Plan

• Develop the core documents and submit to classroom for faculty advisor review
• Appendix I Translation and Action Planning
• Develop a GANTT Chart
• Tutorials: Develop SMART Objectives
• Review approved action plan with project mentor. Submit minutes of the meeting to the classroom.
• MYDR:  Review approved action plan and other documents with your project mentor. When satisfied that the project planning documents (question development tool, individual evidence summary, synthesis process and recommendations tool, action plan, and GANTT chart) meet university criteria outlined in the Action plan checklist and DNP minimum standards rubric , the faculty advisor will authorize the student to submit the documents  to the committee for review. This review will document the faculty advisor and committee member’s endorsement of the documents. Instructions on how to place documents in a zip file are found in the DNP Project Process Guide.
• DNP Minimum Standards Rubric Project Plan
• Work with the faculty advisor and project mentor to schedule a final action plan review meeting with all stakeholders. The goal of this meeting is to ensure that everyone is on the same page before the DNP Project moves forward to implementation. You may present at the site or virtually and must include the faculty advisor via a teleconference scheduled on Teams using the conference call request form. Requests should be made one (1) week in advance of your meeting with your committee.
• Conference Call Request Form (Faculty Only)
• Action Plan Review Meeting Template
• Following approval of the Final Action Plan Review in MyDR by your faculty advisor, complete the online ethics pledge  https://walden.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6KKMk5znRdjBuqq  

​​​​​​​ When confirmation of your completion of the online ethics pledge has been received from  [email protected] , you may begin Phase 3. Meet with the faculty advisor to review your final action plan prior to implementation at the partner site.

5. Phase 3: Implement

• Meet with project mentor to review your action planning tool and make any adjustments. Submit minutes of this meeting to project course Confirm with faculty advisor. Implementation plans must follow the guidelines set forth in the appropriate DNP Project Checklist.

6. Phase 4: Monitor/Measure

• Review the work plan on a regular basis to determine how the DNP Project is progressing in terms of timeline. Submit minutes of any meetings with project mentor to the project course. Revise Gantt chart as needed. 

7. Phase 5: Close/Project Evaluation

• Complete project evaluation using the metrics identified during the planning process. The student will set up a meeting with the faculty advisor and project mentor to debrief and discuss results. The team will discuss the format for the final dissemination of results. 
• The student will complete any materials needed for the final presentation to the stakeholders and submit into the project course for faculty advisor review. Upon faculty advisor approval, the student will share materials with the project mentor.
• Select the template below that aligns with your DNP project. Complete the draft of the executive summary in the appropriate template and submit the executive summary draft and checklist into the project course for faculty review.
• Template for Close Out Review Presentation
• DNP Executive Summary Template: CPG
• DNP Executive Summary Template: ED
• DNP Executive Summary Template: QI
• MYDR: When satisfied that the executive summary meets university criteria outlined in the DNP executive summary checklist, the faculty advisor authorizes the student to submit the executive summary and checklist to the committee for the monitor committee review.
• DNP Project Minimum Standards Rubric Executive Summary
• Upon approval from the committee, the executive summary will be forwarded to Form & Style Editors for review. Upon completion of Form & Style Review, the student may schedule the final presentation to stakeholders. 
• F&S resources:  https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/formandstyle/process
• Remember to check for any feedback and revisions from Form & Style.
• Complete all recommended editing changes and provide clean edited copy to the faculty advisor to review before uploading to the final committee rubric analysis.

Questions?  [email protected] .

8. Phase 6: Disseminate

• Work with the faculty advisor and project mentor to schedule the close out review and  presentation with all stakeholders.  Confirm the most appropriate method(s) of presenting the close out review and project presentation. All materials must be approved by the faculty advisor and project mentor. You may present at the site or virtually and must include the faculty advisor via a teleconference scheduled on Teams using the conference call request form. Requests should be made one (1) week in advance of your meeting with your committee.
• DNP Project Close Out Review Checklist
• Once the project advisor has approved your final dissemination you will receive an e-mail to upload your final executive summary into Taskstream.  Submit the final executive summary to Taskstream for committee review.
• DNP Project Final Quality Rubric Committee
• Once approved by the committee, the faculty advisor will upload the final executive summary for CAO approval.
• CAO provides feedback and requests for revision or approves. Student completes revisions and resubmits as needed. CAO approval must be obtained in order for student to complete all program requirements.
• Submit final executive summary with endorsement page and form and style updates to [email protected]

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• Product management |

Gantt chart template

Every aspect of your project is interconnected—and your Gantt chart shows how. Build a custom Gantt chart template to map tasks, roles, and deadlines on a timeline for every project.

Sign up to create your own template.

• A library of 70+ ready-made templates
• Hundreds of app integrations
• AI features to get more done—faster

What is a Gantt chart template?

In short, Gantt chart templates are a visual display of your project plan with a clearly defined timeline, as opposed to a more detailed, text-heavy project plan with no confirmed start or end dates. Because of their accessible format, Gantt charts give stakeholders at-a-glance insight into project status and details. Creating your Gantt chart template means you can have new project information for them whenever they need it.

How to create a Gantt chart template

To create your own Gantt chart template, consider the use case and complexity of your typical projects. Is this going to serve as your project schedule , or will this template be your real-time project information source once the work begins? Depending on what you need the chart for, you might include more or less detail. For example, if you’re using this as a project schedule, focus on building out ways to assign tasks and delegate work. If it’s a project information source, templatize the way your team will attach documents and track processes. Often, you’ll use it for both. 

Once you decide how you’ll use your template, begin the process of building it:

Brainstorm the elements you need to map and track in a project. These will be your inputs, and you’ll want to include space for each category in your templates. For complex projects, you need more inputs than others. Possible inputs include:start dates, end dates, independent and dependent tasks, milestones, roles, subtasks, and descriptions.

Gather information and relevant resources. Attach recurring worksheets, relevant roadmaps , documents, analysis results, reporting dashboards, goals, assigned roles and processes.

Input your information into one central source of truth , such as a project management software . Be sure to include recurring dependencies and roles. For example, if the same team member always manages the budget, you can keep them assigned to the budget deliverables in your template. The more thought you put into constructing your template, the less work you’ll have when it comes time to launch your next project.

Add integrations and apps to support your work. If you’re in a project management tool, you can directly attach your Google sheets, Kanban boards , and references (like tutorial PowerPoints) directly to your project timeline.

For more complex projects, a simple spreadsheet likely won’t offer enough customization options. Instead, you might want to consider project management software with more functionality—for example, a tool that lets you manipulate data and input information in a space that’s accessible by all stakeholders .

How to use your Gantt chart template for project planning

Building your template is the more time-consuming part. But once it’s done, all you need to do is duplicate the template and fill in the blanks. Like any project management resource, your Gantt chart template will have best case scenarios and limitations. Some of this will depend on the tool you use.  If you’ve ever seen or used Gantt chart templates in a spreadsheet before, you’ve seen how manual and time consuming it can be to change them. But if you create your template in a dynamic tool, you can make updates and see changes in real time. For example:

Your Gantt chart template can…

Give all stakeholders a quick, bird’s-eye view of your project.

Keep your project on track with easy-to-reference, clearly defined deadlines.

Reduce confusion and miscommunication.

Automate processes through dependencies and robust customization, especially when it’s made with supporting software .

Your Gantt chart template can’t…

If your Gantt chart template is made in a non-dynamic format, you won’t be able to adjust it as easily once you create it. Note: you can prevent this by creating your Gantt chart template with project management software .

Take the place of project management once the project goes live. Gantt chart templates are most useful during the project planning stage. 

Integrated features

Timeline View . Timeline View is a Gantt-style project view that displays all of your tasks in a horizontal bar chart. Not only can you see each task’s start and end date, but you can also see dependencies between tasks. With Timeline View, you can easily track how the pieces of your plan fit together. Plus, when you can see all of your work in one place, it’s easy to identify and address dependency conflicts before they start, so you can hit all of your goals on schedule.

Subtasks . Sometimes a to-do is too big to capture in one task. If a task has more than one contributor, a broad due date, or stakeholders that need to review and approve before it can go live, subtasks can help. Subtasks are a powerful way to distribute work and split tasks into individual components—while keeping the small to-dos connected to the overarching context of the parent task. Break tasks into smaller components or capture the individual components of a multi-step process with subtasks.

Milestones . Milestones represent important project checkpoints. By setting milestones throughout your project, you can let your team members and project stakeholders know how you’re pacing towards your goal. Use milestones as a chance to celebrate the little wins on the path towards the big project goal. 

Dependencies . Mark a task as waiting on another task with task dependencies. Know when your work is blocking someone else’s work, so you can prioritize accordingly. Teams with collaborative workflows can easily see what tasks they’re waiting on from others, and know when to get started on their portion of work. When the first task is completed, the assignee will be notified that they can get started on their dependent task. Or, if the task your work is dependent on is rescheduled, Asana will notify you—letting you know if you need to adjust your dependent due date as well. 

Recommended apps

Google Workplace . Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Google Workplace file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.

OneDrive . Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Microsoft OneDrive file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach files from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.

Clockwise . With the Clockwise + Asana integration, you can add Asana tasks as time blocks in your Google Calendar. The Clockwise + Asana integration allows you to specify the duration of tasks, when they happen, and whether Clockwise can automatically reschedule them. Add tasks to your calendar and make time to get work done.

Vimeo . Text may get the point across, but written words lack tone, emotion, and expression. With video messaging in Asana, powered by Vimeo, you can give your team all the context they need, without having to schedule another meeting. Record short video messages of yourself, your screen—or both—then embed the videos in tasks, projects, messages, and comments to provide additional clarity and context. A transcript of the recording is automatically created by Asana, making it readable and searchable. Give feedback, ask questions, and assign tasks—all without leaving Asana.

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Gantt chart templates are project timelines used in project management . They show all project details, including tasks, assigned roles, and dependencies, placed on a timeline. Gantt chart templates use different colors to illustrate the tasks that make up a project. You can use these templates to show a visual display of your project plan with a clearly defined timeline, as opposed to a more detailed, text-heavy project plan with no secure start or end dates. 

Is there a Gantt chart template in Asana?

While there isn’t a free Gantt chart template premade in Asana, you can make your own Gantt chart template by creating your project in Timeline View . From there, add project tasks, dates, dependencies, and assigned roles. Share your project with stakeholders and use it to coordinate work across your team and organization.

Who should use a Gantt chart template?

Project managers who prefer a visual display for project planning should use a Gantt chart template. They’re best for projects that don’t require subtasks or finer details to be on display at all times. Instead, they’re used by managers to show the big-picture project tasks and timeline.

How do I create a Gantt chart template?

Create a Gantt chart template in a dynamic tool like project management software , so you can update and make changes as needed. Start by brainstorming the use case, gathering all necessary information, inputting all details, and using relevant integrations and apps to connect your project tech-stack.

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Learn how to create a customizable template in Asana. Get started today.

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