What is a Gantt chart?
A Gantt chart is a bar chart used to illustrate a project schedule, including start and finish dates of activities and a summary of activities of a project. These activities form what is usually called the work breakdown structure of a specific construction project. Gantt charts serve as an excellent tool to show updated schedule status using actual complete shadings and vertical line representing the actual date. Gantt charts sometimes are prepared showing precedence activities and following activities and their relationships.
Gantt chart advantages
Using a Gantt chart offers the following advantages: * Gantt charts can be used to represent phases and activities of a project so they can be understood by general audience. * It can be useful to indicate the critical points on the chart with bold or colored outlines of the bars. * An updated Gantt chart helps manage the project and head off schedule problems. * Computer software can simplify constructing and updating a Gantt chart.
Drawbacks of Gantt Charts
Gantt charts can also have some setbacks: * A Gantt charts is not recommended to define the work breakdown structure and the schedule activities at the same time. * It has some limitations for large projects, or projects having more than 30 activities. * Gantt charts are not useful if they are intended to display information. * Gantt charts do not represent the complexity of a project. * Horizontal bars of Gantt charts misrepresent the actual resource requirements of a project. * Gantt chart with percent-complete shading may actually miscommunicate the true schedule performance status.
Gantt Charts: When to Use It
Gantt charts have a variety of uses among construction professionals. Gantt charts must be used under the following circumstances: * To communicate plan or status of a construction project. * To monitor tasks within a project. * To express the sequence and