A Gantt chart is a visual progress-tracking tool popular in project management. It visually displays the project overview by breaking it down into tasks and subtasks and the associated start and end dates. Using the chart in your project oversight and management duties can be a game changer. This is because you can have a single document that shows which tasks are in progress, on hold, delayed, and completed, the person/team in charge, task duration, and the project’s overall timeline.
This way, you can plan accordingly how to allocate resources available, distribute duties, and monitor progress to deliver as per the client’s expectations. Therefore, getting a user-friendly, simple, and functional Gantt chart template like the one we are offering is a priority for most project managers. It provides a clear timeline that indicates which activities need to be done within the month to enable you to track your project progress and make sure deadlines are met.
How to Use this Gantt Chart Template Effectively
Before you turn to this Gantt chart template, you need to understand how to leverage its features and components. This is because each element is valuable for tracking the whole project.
Here is a guide to use whether you are just familiarizing yourself with Gantt charts or are ready to use them:
Introductory details
The top section prompts you to contextualize the Gantt chart by entering details such as the project title, your name as the project manager, and the start and end date of the project including month and year. Use the ‘Month’ entry to change the month which you will be planning for. This cell has a dropdown list of all 12 months from which, if you select a month, the chart’s calendar and timeline below are automatically adjusted.
Task and subtask description
Each project will have multiple moving parts, activities, or tasks that you need to schedule based on their dependencies. The following information is captured on the left section of the Gantt chart:
- Task ID and name: The first step in scheduling activities is breaking down the project into manageable tasks and subtasks and itemizing them on your Gantt chart. Using these sections of this template, you will be able to distinguish each task and subtask by ID. The task and subtask IDs are multilevel to make it easy to categorize many tasks.
- Assignee: The assignee is the individual or team responsible for the specific task/subtask. Adding this information identifies who to consult or contact whenever issues arise within the project lifecycle. To fill the section, you can identify the assignee with the name of a person, team, or role, for instance, quality assurance officer, depending on your preferences.
- Start/End date and Duration: Each task and subtask has a start and end date that determines its duration (in days). This section has 6 main tasks with multiple subtasks. Task 1’s start date is the same as that in cell AN3 which is determined by the month you set. Other dates under the START and END columns you have to adjust manually. Consequently, the duration of Task 1 is automatic if you do not modify the end date. Durations for other tasks are manually adjusted.
- Progress: The progress column highlights how far along each task/subtask is based on the number of days (duration) you have allocated. It is given as a percentage, and you have to manually fill in the progress percentage. The progress cell also automatically fills up based on the progress percentage.
Calendar and timeline
On the right side of a Gantt chart, there are two visual elements; a calendar and a timeline. The calendar given here is for a month, which is determined by the month you select at the top of the chart. The timeline, composed of color-coded horizontal bars indicates two things – the task/subtask duration and progress. The horizontal bars for duration and progress have varying colors to make the two traits readily distinguishable on the Gantt chart.
Status
At the furthest right side of the Gantt chart, you get a task status column to help you record and track which tasks and subtasks are completed, in progress, on hold, or delayed. Each status has been assigned a color to make it easier to visually determine the status of each task/subtask. To change the task/subtask status, use the dropdown list provided for all cells under the STATUS column.
A Quick Word
This Gantt chart template is suitable for all types of monthly projects from simple home DYI home projects, group assignments at school, construction works, marketing campaigns, etc. Remember for the template to be useful, modify it to reflect your projects by setting the correct month and adjusting the task/subtask start/end dates, and durations. Also, continuously review the Gantt chart and update task statuses to make sure it reflects the reality of the project at any particular point.
