71 common questions about Gantt charts answered

Complex projects with tight deadlines, important milestones, and various dependencies are best visualized with a Gantt chart. To help you make the most of this time-tested project management tool, we’ve answered 71 of the biggest questions regarding Gantt chants. Have a look to see how you can build better project timelines.

We’ve sorted the questions by category so you can find what you need faster. If you’re already well-versed in Gantt charts, skip ahead to the “Best practices” section. If you’re still wondering what a Gantt chart is, you can start with the fundamentals.

Fundamentals of Gantt charts

Here we look at the basics of Gantt charts and when they’re used.

What is a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is a chart used in project management that uses horizontal bars to visualize a project and its plan, typically including activities, milestones, key dates, owners, and relevant comments.

Gantt charts have been a staple of project management for more than a century. They provide a big picture overview of a project that helps to align stakeholders.

What is a Gantt chart used for?

Gantt charts are used for initial project planning, where they can visualize all the tasks, timelines, and sequences in a project before the work begins.

A second use is scheduling, as the Gantt charts show the start and end dates for every task, as well as each task’s status and the order in which they must be completed.

Team alignment is also a critical aspect of a Gantt chart. In addition to showing who is responsible for which task, Gantt charts help communicate project status to stakeholders and clients.

Why is it called a Gantt chart?

Gantt charts are named after Henry Gantt, an American engineer and management consultant. While versions of what's today known as a Gantt chart existed before, he developed his version in the 1910s to plan production in factories and workshops.

What are some examples of Gantt charts?

Some example uses of Gantt charts include project timelines and scheduling.

As the following examples show, while there can be some design differences, the progress bars and milestones are standard in most Gantt charts.

A sample project timeline

An HR project timeline

Figure 3. A Gantt chart used for human resources at IRPC Public Company Limited, a petrochemical company. Read more about how this organization uses Gantt charts.

Who uses Gantt charts?

Gantt charts are widely used by project managers across nearly all industries when they need to deliver multi-step projects within a set time period.

Product managers plan roadmaps and schedule releases. Marketing teams build campaigns. Construction and engineering leads use Gantt charts for coordinating teams, permits, and the different building phases.

These charts are particularly useful for people working with external clients, as they are quick to understand and present a clear project overview.

While it’s project managers who make Gantt charts, everyone on the team all the way up to the C-suite will be updated on projects via Gantt charts, and can benefit from knowing how to read these charts

What are the advantages of Gantt charts?

One of the biggest advantages of Gantt charts is visual clarity. With the entire project schedule clearly shown in one overview, it’s easy to see task sequencing and dependencies.

A well-built Gantt chart makes it easy for everyone, even non-technical stakeholders, to quickly understand the project. These stakeholders can quickly grasp what’s being done, what’s in progress, or what might be behind schedule. Bottlenecks and other conflicts can be identified early.

How were Gantt charts first used?

Several of the earliest uses of Gantt charts included:

• Tracking production of military aircraft in World War I.
• Measuring machine utilization in factories.
• The construction of the Hoover Dam in the United States, which at the time was the largest dam in the world.

What industries benefit most from Gantt charts?

Any industry running time-sensitive projects with multiple steps benefits from using Gantt charts. Some, however, rely on this tool more than others. Some of the biggest industry beneficiaries of Gantt charts include:

• Construction and engineering, which involve large-scale projects with critical dependencies.
• Consulting and professional services that need to deliver client projects on time.
• Manufacturing, where Gantt charts help coordinate schedules and supply chains.
• Software development for planning longer-term projects

Are Gantt charts suitable for small projects?

Yes, Gantt charts are useful for both small and large projects. Some charts have a time frame of months or even years, while others can be as granular as days or hours. A Gantt chart can be useful for any project that can benefit from clear stakeholder communications.

When should I not use a Gantt chart?

As useful as Gantt charts are, there are some cases where they’re not the best project management option.

For short and simple projects without many dependencies or stakeholders, a simple to-do list can make more sense.

A Gantt chart also loses its value when it becomes overly complex and unreadable. Too many tasks and dependencies defeat the purpose of the chart, so keeping it clear and straightforward is essential.

Gantt charts are also less useful if nobody is using them outside of the creator. If you’ve made a Gantt chart and the project team isn’t looking at it, then the problem could be your choice of project management tool. It’s vital that your Gantt chart is easily accessible to everyone, be it via PowerPoint, web-based tools, or elsewhere.

In agile environments, which are built upon iterative workflows and rapid changes, Kanban boards are usually preferred to Gantt charts.

What are other names for a Gantt chart?

While ‘Gantt chart’ is the formal name, other common terms include project plan, timeline, or simply schedule.

How do you pronounce Gantt chart?

• Gantt, with a hard “G” sound, rhymes with pant or rant.

Understanding a Gantt chart

Here’s a close look at the different elements of a Gantt chart.

How do you read Gantt charts?

Read a Gantt chart from left to right, as time flows horizontally. The timescale along the top shows the total project duration, and each row represents a different task or phase. The length of the bar represents how long each task lasts, while the position of the bar shows when that task starts and ends.

Markers, such as diamonds or triangles, show key milestones for the project.

The area at the far right of the chart is normally used to show the owner of each task. The progress of that task can be represented by a Harvey ball, a checkbox, or a percentage.

What does the X-axis of a Gantt chart represent?

The X-axis represents the entire timeline for the project, running horizontally from left to right. This axis makes it easy to spot task duration, gaps, and potential bottlenecks.

The time can be scaled in days, weeks, months, quarters, or even years, depending on the length of the project. In some cases, specifically involving tight scheduling, an hourly time scale is used, such as for event planning.

What do the bars represent in Gantt charts?

Each bar on a Gantt chart shows a task or activity. The start of the bar represents the start date. The end of the bar is the expected completion date. Therefore, the length of the bar represents the total duration of the task.

Why are some bars different colors?

Color coding of the bars can be used to convey additional information, such as the team responsible, the task status, or the priority.

The fill or shading can be used to show the percentage completion of the project. Otherwise, there’s usually a status column at the far right that is used for this purpose.

What is a milestone in a Gantt chart?

A milestone is a key event or achievement in the timeline, such as a product launch. Milestones are typically represented as diamonds or triangles.

Since the milestone isn’t represented by a bar, it’s not a duration. Instead, it’s an important checkpoint that often dictates the prioritization and scheduling of project tasks.

What are the Gantt chart dependencies?

The strength of a Gantt chart is how clearly it shows dependencies between tasks, which usually means that one task must be completed before the other can begin. An awareness of dependencies helps to identify potential blockers and prevent scheduling conflicts.

Dependencies are represented visually by arrows connecting bars, and there are four main types.

• Finish-to-start: This is the most common. Task B can't start until Task A finishes.
• Start-to-start: Task B can't start until Task A starts.
• Finish-to-finish: Task B can't finish until Task A finishes.
• Start-to-finish: This is rare. Task B can't finish until Task A starts

What is a critical path in a Gantt chart?

A critical path is a project planning technique that shows the longest sequence of dependent tasks that determine the minimum project duration.

A delay to a task on a critical path means a delay to the whole project. Tasks not on the critical path can be moved without impacting the overall timeline.

Managing a Gantt chart

These answers will help you with some of the ins and outs of managing an effective Gantt chart.

Can a Gantt chart manage multiple projects at once?

Yes, more than one project can be displayed on a Gantt chart. However, it’s crucial to avoid making the chart overly complex and difficult to follow. Proper formatting, color coding, and being selective about the level of detail can all help.

In a multi-project Gantt chart, each project sits as its own group of rows. This is useful for stakeholders overseeing multiple concurrent projects and helps spot potential conflicts across projects.

A multi-project Gantt chart might be fine for a high-level overview, but you might want to give each project its own chart for a more detailed view.

How do I show responsibilities in Gantt charts?

Most Gantt chart tools make it possible to display names and/or images in a column next to each task. Here, you can assign the appropriate team members or departments as the owners of each task. While some Gantt charts use color coding and legends to show responsibility, it’s often best to clearly communicate task ownership.

Can I track budget or cost in a Gantt chart?

While not a core feature of Gantt charts, you can add a cost field with the hourly rates or fixed costs for each task. This isn’t overly useful for detailed budget management, but it can provide a convenient snapshot to stakeholders who don’t need a granular view.

What's the maximum project size for a Gantt chart?

There’s no hard limit to how big a project can be to be displayed in a Gantt chart. The only limit is what an average person can understand and act on. A Gantt chart with hundreds of tasks quickly becomes confusing and unusable.

For large projects, a hierarchy of phases and individual tasks can help reduce complexity, and some tools offer collapsible rows or filters that can aid readability.

What's the minimum project duration for a Gantt chart?

Gantt charts can be used effectively for single-day projects. The question is whether they should be used for such short time frames. A simple checklist might often serve a short project better.

Gantt charts tend to be most useful for projects spanning weeks or month with multiple stakeholders and clear sequencing needs. If your project lacks this level of complexity, you might not need a Gantt chart.

How can I add milestones to Gantt charts?

This depends on the tool you’re using, but either create a task with zero duration or use the dedicated milestone option. For any milestone, it’s important that there is a clearly defined date, which you may also want to display on the Gantt chart for added emphasis.

Place the milestone at the correct position on the timescale and label it clearly. Ensure all milestones stand out from regular task bars so that anyone reading the chart can easily identify them as milestones.

How do I add lead and lag time to a Gantt chart?

Lag time is a delay between two dependent tasks, such as having to wait three days after task A finishes before starting Task B. Lead time is an overlap, where Task B can start before Task A is completed.

You can display lead or lag times directly via dependency connectors or by adding extra bars if you want to make them particularly visible. You can use outline styles, such as dashed lines, to differentiate between lead/lag times and actual task implementation.

Best practices

Regardless of what tool you use to create Gantt charts, try to follow these best practices.

What makes a good Gantt chart?

There are some golden rules for all charts such as clean formatting, total accuracy, and complete comprehensibility.

Since Gantt charts are used to support successful projects, there are some key considerations beyond a typical chart.

From a planning standpoint, the time estimates need to be grounded in reality and not unrealistic. That’s especially true for the timelines. Similarly, the task sequencing and dependencies need to be accurately mapped, or else the project can quickly go off the rails.

It’s critical that the project stakeholders, particularly the task owners, clearly understand everything on the chart. That means clear, useful task names and assigned owners for every task.

To help with that understanding and readability, there needs to be an appropriate level of detail. If the Gantt chart is too detailed, you’ll lose the big picture, while if you’re too high-level, you won’t be communicating much useful project information.

Lastly, the chart needs to be regularly updated to reflect the current realities of project status. Gantt charts are not meant to be historical documents.

What are the common mistakes when making a Gantt chart?

The cardinal sins of a Gantt chart are inaccuracy and unreadability. Too many details, unrealistic durations, and overloaded resources are all major issues.

Since Gantt charts are meant to be useful project plans, they need to be formatted accordingly. Tasks need to be clearly assigned to owners, and milestones need to be set.

Another mistake that sometimes pops up is that the first draft is used as the final version, even after the scope or priorities change. The Gantt chart is only useful if it communicates the real project status, not the hypothetical one you had initially hoped for.

How do I avoid overcomplicating a Gantt chart?

While too much detail might not sound like a bad thing, it defeats the purpose of a Gantt chart, which is to provide a clear visual representation of a project timeline and the status of tasks.

That means only specific tasks that need scheduling and tracking should be added. Save all those micro-actions, as important as they are, for elsewhere.

In some cases, related tasks can be grouped together under summary bars to cut down on the noise. Similarly, detailed notes and details belong in the task descriptions and not on the chart itself.

Depending on the situation, it might make sense to create alternative, more detailed charts for smaller, more specific audiences. This way, leadership gains a big-picture overview, and each team can see the full task list that’s relevant to them.

How can I present a Gantt chart?

Like any good presentation, the success of your Gantt chart comes down to knowing your audience. If you’re updating the project team every week, you don’t need to provide a detailed introduction they’ve heard before. If you’re presenting the project to leadership for the first time, they’ll need a summary of the overall timelines and milestones.

When presenting, focus on what your audience needs to know, and draw their attention to anything that has changed or any new dependencies. New milestones should be highlighted, as should any tasks that are at risk.

How often should a Gantt chart be updated?

An out-of-date Gantt chart quickly loses credibility.

How often it should be updated depends completely on the nature of the project and the expectations of the stakeholders. Many project teams update the chart during the weekly or bi-weekly status meeting. For fast-moving projects, daily updates may be necessary. As a rule of thumb, make sure you’re never standing in front of an audience presenting outdated information.

Should I break down all tasks into the Gantt chart or only major ones?

The appropriate level of task granularity depends on who’s using the Gantt chart. For upper management or external stakeholders, only the major tasks, phases, and milestones are needed.

For project management, the tasks need to be broken down to a level where individual ownership is clear. If the task is too small to meaningfully track, it probably shouldn’t be on the chart, or it should be grouped with another task.

How detailed should Gantt chart task durations be in terms of days, weeks or months?

The timescale should match the project length. A multi-year project doesn’t need to be broken down to the day. A month-long project doesn’t need a quarterly duration. Typical task durations include:

• Short-term projects (days to weeks): Schedule in days or half-days.
• Medium-term projects (one to six months): Schedule in days or weeks.
• Long-term projects (6+ months): Schedule in weeks (if necessary), months, and, if relevant, quarters.

It’s good practice to review and adjust granularity as the project progresses. Also, use ranges where uncertainty exists.

Don’t forget that you can still add milestones tied to specific dates even if your overall timescale is broken down by weeks or months.

How do I reflect external dependencies when working with vendors or clients?

In your Gantt chart, you should add external parties as named resources or label tasks and milestones clearly e.g., Awaiting client approval. You can also use a distinctive color so externally dependent tasks are immediately recognizable as such.

From a project planning standpoint, it’s a good idea to build in buffer time after external dependencies.

How do I handle overlapping tasks in a Gantt chart?

First, check if the overlap is intentional, as some tasks may run in parallel, but in other cases one task may only begin when another is finished.

If the overlap is intentional, you can use simply use separate rows for the different tasks. If you want to highlight the overlap period because it’s of critical importance, you can color the chart background for that time period.

How do I track percentage completion of tasks in a Gantt chart?

Simply using percentages (e.g., 50% complete) is one method. Other methods include traffic lights or Harvey balls, where the shaded area of the circle represents the project completion. You can choose how precise to be with your Harvey Balls, with four segments for 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% a common option.

Of course, showing the progress in the Gantt chart is one thing. Ensuring that the progress is accurate is another. Check in with task owners before updating the Gantt chart to ensure that task statuses are up-to-date.

How do I manage project resources with a Gantt chart?

When creating the Gantt chart, assign team members to each task to show who owns what. Even at this stage, the Gantt chart can help identify potential resource conflicts, where the same person is assigned to overlapping tasks.

For larger projects, it might be worthwhile to integrate a dedicated resource management tool to coordinate ownership, while the Gantt chart can still help with clear stakeholder communication.

How do I update a Gantt chart when a dependent task is delayed?

Any task that depends on delayed tasks cannot start. If the delayed task is on the critical path, the entire project end date moves, unless you are able to compensate for the delay elsewhere.

When sharing the updated Gantt chart to reflect this new reality, you should add clear annotations to visually show the shift, making the effects of the delay clear.

After any significant delay, the project manager should reassess the timeline and resource allocation.

Creating Gantt charts with different tools

There are many ways to create Gantt charts. Here are some of the most common tools.

How do I make a Gantt chart?

Choosing and using the right tool, whether it's Excel, PowerPoint, or dedicated Gantt chart software, is just part of the process.

What’s important is getting a full understanding of the project. That means listing all the project tasks, defining the dates and milestones, mapping out the dependencies, and assigning the owners.

Once all that is clear, it’s time to build the chart with the tool of your choice.

What is the best software for making a Gantt chart?

The best software for Gantt charts depends on the needs of your project. There are dedicated tools just for Gantt charts or there are full project management programs, such as Asana and Monday.com, that include Gantt chart features.

While it’s not straightforward, it is possible to create Gantt charts with tools like Excel, PowerPoint, or even Word. For serious project management, you should look to a solution like think-cell, the leading add-in for PowerPoint, which makes it easy to create a Gantt chart in minutes.

Can I make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint?

It is possible to create a stacked horizontal bar chart in PowerPoint that’s formatted to look like a Gantt chart.

While working in PowerPoint is a good idea if you need to share and present the Gantt chart regularly, the necessary workarounds are awkward and updating is very time-consuming, unless you use an add-in such as think-cell.

To get you started, you can download this project planning template, which includes a think-cell Gantt chart and several other useful project management slides.

Can I do a Gantt chart in Excel?

Yes, Excel is a popular tool for creating Gantt charts because it’s possible to use formulas and conditional formatting to tie tasks to dates. Microsoft offers free Excel templates that show task categories, dates, risk levels, and more. However, making Gantt charts with Excel can take some getting used to and can be unintuitive.

What is the formula for a Gantt chart in Excel?

We suggest Microsoft’s recommended Excel templates or a guide, such as this one, to make the chart.

Can I create a Gantt chart in Google Sheets?

There’s no native Gantt chart functionality in Google Sheets, but you can build one using conditional formatting or a stacked bar chart. There are some third-party tools and templates that make it easier to create Gantt charts in Google Sheets.

Can AI tools create a Gantt chart?

With the right inputs and prompts, LLM tools like Claude can generate Gantt charts in different formats. However, as accuracy is a non-negotiable aspect of Gantt charts for them to be valuable, human review is essential.

How can I create a Gantt chart in Word?

Word certainly isn’t designed for Gantt charts, but it’s possible to make a rudimentary chart if you’re feeling ambitious and just need to quickly include a high-level project overview in an existing document.

You can insert a basic stacked bar chart via Insert – Chart – Bar and adjust the rows and columns from there. Alternatively, it might be easier to build a table and shade the cells to represent task durations.

This is a very limited option with no meaningful dependencies and dynamic scheduling, but it could be useful for simple visual presentations.

How to create a Gantt chart in Jira?

Jira's native timeline view functions as a built-in Gantt chart, showing tasks across a timeline with the option to add dependencies.

What are the limitations of free Gantt chart tools?

The limitations of free Gantt chart tools depend on exactly which tool you use, but some of the common shortcomings include:

• Task or project limits that require paid upgrades.
• Limited dependency types.
• Restricted export options for sharing.
• Few collaboration features.

Can I connect a Gantt chart to my calendar?

Yes, many project management tools that include Gantt charts let you sync with Outlook and other calendars. With this function, task due dates and milestones appear as calendar events. This is useful for personal visibility, as you can see project tasks alongside your daily meetings.

Where can I learn to build Gantt charts?

Most companies offer tool-specific tutorials with free courses (e.g., the think-cell Academy).

YouTube has a wide range of beginner to advanced walkthroughs for Excel, PowerPoint, and other tools. Learning platforms such as Udemy also offer plenty of training options.

And of course, practice is the best teacher. Starting with a small project to learn the basics and then getting more ambitious is invaluable experience.

Gantt charts in PowerPoint

Discover how to use PowerPoint to create a Gantt chart.

Why use PowerPoint for a Gantt chart?

PowerPoint is a familiar tool that many people know how to use. It’s easy to share and useful for stakeholder presentations. There’s also the benefit of having full design control when it comes to branding elements, such as fonts and colors.

However, as PowerPoint doesn’t support native Gantt chart functionality, creating and then maintaining a Gantt chart requires cumbersome workarounds, unless you use an add-in like think-cell.

How do I make a Gantt chart look professional in PowerPoint?

The same general rules about making a PowerPoint slide look professional can be applied to Gantt charts.

The most important thing is clarity. The chart should be completely readable. That means less is more, and any element that doesn’t add information should be removed.

It’s also best practice to remove gridlines when presenting. Also, be wary of dark backgrounds, as they can obscure bar labels and other important elements.

Like any business slide, the branding (e.g., colors and fonts) should be consistent with the rest of the presentation and the organization’s corporate identity.

Is there a free Gantt chart template for PowerPoint?

Yes, there are many free templates available online. Microsoft offers this collection of free PowerPoint templates, which includes a Gantt chart. Or you can start a free trial with the think-cell Library to access more than 250 slide templates, including Gantt charts.

What is the best slide layout for a Gantt chart?

The default widescreen 16:9 landscape is ideal for a Gantt chart, as it maximizes the horizontal space needed to show the project duration.

Keep a simple, clear title at the top with the chart underneath. Avoid busy template backgrounds, as blank is best.

If you’re using Gantt charts regularly, it’s worthwhile making a template you use every time, as this will help build recognition among your stakeholders. You can start with one of these free templates from think-cell.

How can I fit a Gantt chart on a single slide?

You can adjust the size of the Gantt chart to ensure it remains readable on a single slide. If there are still issues reading or understanding the chart after adjusting, it might be worth considering simplifying the chart by removing some rows/tasks.

How do I copy a Gantt chart from Excel to PowerPoint?

If you’ve made your Gantt chart in Excel, you can copy (Ctrl+C) from Excel and paste (Ctrl+V) into PowerPoint.

Choose the best pasting option for your needs. You can paste an embedded object (which is editable in PowerPoint and remains unlinked from Excel) or a linked object (which updates when Excel changes). You can also paste as a static image. However, it can be quite challenging to design a Gantt chart in Excel that works within a slide.

Can I create a Gantt chart in PowerPoint without Excel?

Yes, you can build a Gantt chart directly in PowerPoint using a stacked bar chart or try working from a downloadable template.

To build one yourself, go to Insert → Chart → Bar → Stacked Bar and enter the data in the datasheet. You can also try using a table where you shade the cells, or construct a Gantt chart from PowerPoint shapes, but these methods are even more manual.

These methods are only really suitable for simple, one-off Gantt charts you need for your presentations. For a more robust experience, you should look to a PowerPoint add-in such as think-cell.

Gantt charts in PowerPoint with think-cell

Here’s how to easily create a Gantt chart within PowerPoint using think-cell.

How do I make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint with think-cell?

You can create professional Gantt charts quickly and efficiently in PowerPoint using think-cell's Gantt chart feature.

To immediately get started, you can:

• In PowerPoint, click the Charts button on the think-cell tab and select Gantt/Timeline. Place the chart in the location of your choice and then start adjusting as needed.

• If you’d like to choose from several Gantt chart templates, select Library on the think-cell tab in PowerPoint.

• To make a Gantt chart based on your Excel data, highlight the cells within Excel, select Link to PowerPoint on the think-cell tab, and select Gantt/Timeline.

What's the best font size for a Gantt chart in a presentation?

The font size depends on your organization’s corporate template and the type of font, along with the complexity and size of your chart. Consistency in showing hierarchies is more important than the actual font size number.

In the Gantt chart templates available in the think-cell Library, the default font sizes range from 12 to 14. That font range works in most cases, but you should adjust if there’s any readability issues.

How do I create different tasks in a PowerPoint Gantt chart?

To add a task, right click on the left side of the Gantt chart where the other tasks are located. In the menu, either select “Insert Row” or use Ctrl + Alt + Down to add the task. Remember to update the status and person responsible on the far left of the chart.

How do I add dependency lines to Gantt charts?

You can insert a think-cell universal connector or a PowerPoint connector and attach it to the ends of Gantt objects. The connectors will automatically follow the objects they’re attached to.

To use think-cell universal connectors, click on the think-cell menu in the image below to insert.

Drag the handle in the middle of the connector to add a right angle. For more information refer to Universal connectors in the user manual.

For PowerPoint connectors, click Insert > Shapes > Lines > and the Connector: Elbow Arrow icon shown below to insert.

The available attachment points on the think-cell objects are highlighted as usual by PowerPoint.

How do I adjust the dates in a PowerPoint Gantt chart?

When you add a think-cell Gantt chart to your PowerPoint presentation, the calendar is initially scaled to show some time before and after the current date. From here, you have two options to change the date range:

• Double-click on a scale, e.g., the bar showing months, to open the calendar dialog.
• Alternatively, click the Open Calendar button on the chart menu.

From this calendar section, you can choose the duration for the timeline.

How do I change the timescale from weeks to months in a PowerPoint Gantt chart?

With think-cell, you can adjust the scale for days, weeks, months, quarters, and years. Clicking on the top of the Gantt chart where the timescale is located brings up the scale options. Here you can check or uncheck which units you want on the timescale.

For each unit, you can also choose to add vertical separator lines for each unit.

Can I link an Excel Gantt chart to PowerPoint?

To create a linked Gantt chart, you can:

1. Select all cells in Excel, including the activity titles and the dates.
2. Include in your selection an additional row above the first activity title and dates. This additional row holds dates for the Gantt chart’s milestone row. Even if no such dates are present, this row needs to be included in your selection.
3. From the Charts menu in Excel’s think-cell toolbar, select the chart type Gantt/Timeline.
4. In PowerPoint, choose the appropriate slide and position for the new Gantt chart.

Read more about linking the Gantt chart to Excel in this guide.

Where can I learn more about building Gantt charts with think-cell?

The think-cell Academy offers a course dedicated to project planning with Gantt charts. There are also courses focused on other types of charts.

The think-cell user manual explains the ins and outs of creating and managing a Gantt chart.

You can also watch this video below to see every step of the process.

Gantt Chart alternatives

Sometimes a Gantt chart isn’t the best fit for a project. Here are some alternatives.

What are the alternatives to a Gantt chart?

There are many different tools for managing a project. Below are some of the most common. Note that some of these methods include or are used in conjunction with Gantt charts, rather than replacing them. Deciding which option to use depends heavily on the project’s complexity and the organization’s workflow style.

• Kanban board: A visual task management method using columns (To do/In progress/Done). These work especially well for individual tasks with limited dependencies and continuous, agile workflows.
• PERT chart: A chart focusing on task dependencies and estimating time.
• Scrum/sprint board: A tool used for short-cycle iteration planning and common in agile software development.
• Burndown chart: Used in agile software development to show remaining work over a time period. This focuses on overall tasks rather than specific project details.
• Simple timeline: A simple linear view of events/dates with no task dependency logic. Styles can vary greatly.
• Roadmap: A high-level strategic view of goals and phases that lacks the granularity of a Gantt chart.
• Checklist/to-do list: The gold standard for grocery shopping and other simple, low-complexity tasks.

The best alternative will depend on the complexity of your project, who needs to update project status, and how information is to be shared with stakeholders.

What kinds of timelines are there?

Almost every timeline falls into one of two categories:

1. Illustrative timelines:

• Focus on an appealing presentation that helps tell an overarching story.
• Can include some major milestones or phases, but no detailed scheduling.
• Used to share a vision or grand idea with a larger group.

2. Planning timelines (this is the category a Gantt chart falls under):

• Focus on details and communicating precise information.
• Include start and finish points, and durations of individual events.
• Used regularly and updated frequently based on requirements and status of deliverables.

The table shows a few common examples of different types of timelines:

How is a Gantt chart different from other timelines?

Timelines are normally used for the high-level overviews, while Gantt charts are for communicating detailed plans.

A basic timeline (or a roadmap) shows events and milestones plotted on a line, but without tasks or duration. It’s a simple visual ideal for high-level presentations. PowerPoint even offers a range of pre-made timeline templates to users.

A Gantt chart is more functional, showing tasks as bars with duration, dependencies, and progress. They also show the relationship between tasks and the progress of a project.

In short, Gantt charts are working project management tools, while timelines are typically static visuals used for communication.

Should I use a roadmap or a Gantt chart?

Roadmaps and Gantt charts share some visual similarities. Many organizations use them both, but their uses are very different.

A roadmap is ideal for a high-level strategic overview that includes goals and themes across a time period. Roadmaps are useful to show the vision for where an organization is going and are often more aspirational than descriptive of specific deadlines

What's the difference between a Gantt chart and a Kanban board?

Gantt is a time-based tool, while Kanban is a status-based tool. Gantt charts, where tasks are bars on a timeline, show when tasks happen. Kanban boards show where tasks are in a workflow.

In a Kanban board, tasks are displayed as cards moving across columns (e.g., To do, In progress, Done). This view suits continuous, flow-based work with no fixed end date. It’s flexible, as tasks can be added and reprioritized as needed.

In contrast, Gantt charts are for projects with fixed deadlines and sequenced tasks. They require more upfront planning but give a clear picture of the full project.

Gantt charts are focused on how an organization is getting somewhere. They’re all about execution, project-management, and delivery tracking.

Should I use a Gantt chart or a PERT chart?

A PERT chart (short for Program Evaluation Review Technique) uses a network diagram to show tasks and timelines. These charts are used when time estimation is uncertain or flexible. This tool is useful for showing complex dependencies between tasks, but it doesn’t provide a clear chronology of the project that a Gantt chart does.

The Gantt chart is for defined tasks, clear timelines, and need to track progress visually. It is typically more visual and accessible to broader audiences.

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