The Gantt Chart is named after Henry Gantt, who developed it in the early 1900’s. One of the first known widespread uses occurred during World War I. Gantt Charts are now more commonly used as a feature of web-based software applications, including collaborative groupware.

With the use of a Gantt Chart, any person involved with a project can clearly see the planned timing of a project compared with how it is actually progressing. The main advantage of a Gantt Chart is that the steps for a project are laid out and easy to understand, so anyone involved with the project can see its progress. It also lays out key milestones of a project and its timing for completion. One disadvantage is that it can become complicated and difficult to read depending on the complexity of the project and the total number of workstreams or tasks.

Specific tools used in creating Gantt Charts are typically spreadsheets that estimate times to complete tasks within a project. The specific tasks and timelines are often put into bar chart format for a visual effect. The steps to completion are laid out as rows down the left side, and columns show bars related to the progress of each step. Each column shows a specific amount of time (in days, weeks, or months) and the bar spreads across the corresponding time frame. More and more project teams use online collaboration software. Get started with our Gantt Chart template. 

How to use it: 

1. Review the chart and provide your project’s basic information. 
2. List your tasks by phases and complete the template accordingly.  
3. Periodically review the progress made based on the timeline. 
4. Create an action plan for improvements. 

Praxie’s online Gantt Chart collaboration tool allows any team or organization to instantly begin working with our web templates and input forms. Our digital platform goes far beyond other software tools by including progress dashboards, data integration from existing documents or other SaaS software, elegant intuitive designs, and full access on any desktop or mobile device.