A Gannt Chart is a graphical representation of tasks as segments of work across
time. It helps plan and monitor project development or resource allocation. The
left hand side of the Gannt chart is a column with the work breakdown structure
(basically, a list of tasks). The left-to-right indicates time progression,
expressed either in absolute or relative time.
In a Gannt chart, each task occupies one row. Dates run along the top,
incremented as appropriate for the size of the project in question. Rows of
bars in the Gannt chart show the start and end dates of each task in the
project. Tasks may occur sequentially, in parallel, or even overlap.
Most project administration software (such as Microsoft Project) allows project management
based on Gannt chart representation of project workflow. They offer managerial
toolsets to start, track and report projects.
Sample Gannt Chart
History of the Gannt Chart
The Gannt chart was created by Henry L. Gannt, an American engineer, in 1917. He
developed the first Gannt chart for ship-building around World War I. The chart
proved to be so powerful and useful that it has not undergone any changes for
nearly a century. It was only in 1990's when links between tasks were added to
the Gannt chart.
Tip using Gannt Chart:
For large projects, tasks can be split into subtasks with their own Gannt charts
to maintain readability.
