What is a Gantt chart?

Gantt charts are project management tools that describe project plans. It usually consists of two parts: the left side contains the task list, and the right side contains the timeline, which contains a progress bar that visualizes the work. Gantt charts can also include start and end dates for tasks, milestones, and dependencies between tasks and assignees. To meet the demands of modern software development, roadmap tools like Jira Software include features like collapsible task structures and resource management panels. Despite the iterative nature of the software development process, these roadmap tools help teams maintain a consistent project strategy.

History of the Gantt chart

Henry Laurence Gantt was an American mechanical engineer and management consultant who is best known for his work in the development of scientific management. He created the Gantt chart in the 1910s. Gantt charts have been used on major infrastructure projects, including the Hoover Dam and the Interstate Highway System, and continue to be an important tool in project management and program management.

In the early 20th century, Henry Gantt revolutionized project management with Gantt charts. Back then, they were written on paper. With the advent of computers in the 1980s, Gantt charts became increasingly complex and elaborate. Gantt charts remain one of the most used project management tools today.

What is a Gantt Chart for ? 

Project managers use Gantt charts for three main reasons :

Create and manage comprehensive projects

Gantt charts visualize the building blocks of a project and organize them into smaller, more manageable tasks. The resulting small tasks are arranged on the Gantt timeline, along with dependencies between tasks, assignees, and milestones.

Determining logistic and mission dependencies

Gantt charts can be used to track the logistics of a project. Task dependencies ensure that a new task cannot be started until another task has completed. When a task is delayed (it happens to the best of us), related questions are automatically rescheduled. This is especially useful when planning in a multi-team environment.

Monitor project progress

As Teams logs the timing of issues in your plan, you can monitor the health of your project and make adjustments as needed. Your Gantt chart can include release dates, milestones or other key metrics to track the progress of your project.

Benefits of Using Gantt Charts

There are two main reasons why Gantt charts are popular in the project management world. They make it easier to create complex plans, especially those involving multiple teams and changing deadlines. Gantt charts help teams plan work on time and allocate resources correctly.

Project planners also use Gantt charts to get a bird’s-eye view of a project. Among other things, they describe the relationship between the start and end dates of activities, milestones, and related activities. Modern Gantt chart programs such as Jira Software with Roadmaps and Advanced Roadmaps synthesize information and illustrate how decisions affect deadlines.

Gantt charts in waterfall vs. agile planning

In Agile Planning Gantt charts can be powerful tools for waterfall and agile methods

Waterfall

The waterfall model of project planning follows a linear approach, gathering stakeholder and client needs at the beginning of the project. From this, project managers create sequential project plans with milestones and deadlines. Each part of the project depends on the completion of previous tasks. This is preferred by teams that focus on process (like design or manufacturing) rather than ideation or problem solving, as steps need to be planned in advance

Project managers who use waterfall usually prefer Gantt charts. They build project timelines by breaking down projects into manageable units of work and assigning start and end dates. It also helps identify important milestones in the project. Milestones are achievements that the team should achieve on time or early. They are optional but recommended. 

Agile

On the other hand, the agile model of project planning places more emphasis on flexibility and adaptability. Rather than creating a full schedule with fixed dates, agile teams break down projects into smaller iterations (also known as sprints). At the start of a sprint, a team plans work related to project goals for the next two weeks. Once that sprint is over, its achievements and developments help to plan for the next sprint.

A Gantt chart can display how converting one challenge has the capability to effect the plan or the product roadmap. For agile teams, that is critical due to the fact that stakeholder comments is a big a part of the methodology.

Gantt charts utilisation ..

Gantt charts continue to be an crucial mission control device for the duration of numerous industries. At the give up of the second one decade of the twenty first century, the Project Management Institute concluded that a trifling eleven percentage of agencies had been completely agile. Most agencies rent waterfall mission control methodologies (normally at better control level) similarly to agile methodology. This is known as a hybrid approach. If you appear to suppose in `dates and deadlines’ then you are probable amongst those who want timeline-primarily based totally Gantt charts.