Advantages and Disadvantages of the Gantt chart

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Gantt Chart:- It’s no secret; the Gantt chart is the indispensable planning tool in project management. Named after its inventor, Henry Gantt, a mechanical engineer and management consultant, this tool has proved its worth on numerous projects, all fields combined since its creation in 1910. Both project leaders and project team members appreciate his visual side, which facilitates both understanding and communication. Everyone knows where they are on the road to success.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Gantt Chart

Here are advantages and disadvantages of Gantt chart in project management.

Advantages of the Gantt chart

1. Gantt Charts are Visual

This is the main advantage of the Gantt chart. It allows visualizing at a glance all the tasks of the project as well as the level of progress of each task. The use of color codes makes it possible to signal critical points, requiring corrective action.

As they say “a picture is worth a thousand words”. It is often much easier to get information through an image than by a long explanation. This greatly facilitates understanding and can save precious time. With the Gantt chart, you know quickly if you are late, early or on time, so you can either keep up the momentum or take appropriate action.

2. A good Communication tool

It is this visual side that makes it an excellent communication tool within the team. Indeed, each member of the project team can thus know and follow the progress of the tasks assigned to him, as well as those of the different actors of the project. Because some tasks are interdependent (one task must be completed for another to start), it allows you to be ready to start a task at the right time.

Communicating well is the key to avoiding delays in time, or budget overruns. Each member of the team knows where it is, and where are its collaborators. The planning is respected and the project is on the road to success.

3. Helps to define a Realistic Schedule

In project management, planning is the backbone of the project. It allows structuring the different tasks to be accomplished and to estimate their realization times. The result is an evaluation of their costs, the necessary resources and the competent staff.

To ensure the success of your project, planning must be as realistic as possible. This will make it easier to stick to it and avoid the delays and losses of money that result. The Gantt chart is a planning tool that allows you to visualize in a moment the key information of your project:

• The set of tasks to be performed
• The start and end date of each task
• The duration envisaged for each task
• The possible superposition of certain tasks, and the duration of this overlay;
• The start date and the end date of the project

By visualizing all these elements, you can thus realize the feasibility of your schedule, and readjust it, especially by prioritizing the various tasks.

4. Organizes thoughts

Where to start and In which order to carry out the tasks? It is difficult not to be disoriented by the multitude of tasks to be accomplished. Before you rush to the Gantt chart, you must first identify all the activities required to carry out the project, their respective durations, and the order in which they are to be carried out. You should also know your budget, the possible risks and the resources you have. This is one of the essential steps to successfully launch your project.

The Gantt diagram makes it possible to identify the tasks necessary for the smooth running of the project and to establish their order of completion. In this way, you will be better organized and therefore more efficient.

Disadvantages of the Gantt Chart

1. Complex and Illegible

With the exception of a relatively simple project, many tasks and resources are required to complete a project. If all these tasks are on the same Gantt chart, it will quickly become complex, illegible, or even totally incomprehensible to the project team. The tool will then become inefficient and will no longer be used.

To avoid this, it is advisable to create sub-diagrams for the most important tasks. In this way, the main diagram will be lightened, thus facilitating the understanding of each one.

2. Demand constantly Updating

A schedule is never frozen in time. It evolves constantly according to the unexpected and the hazards that can occur during the project. Thus, you must update your Gantt chart almost daily so that it is effective and continues to be used by the entire team.

3. Never Up to Dated

The Gantt chart is purely and simply a planning tool and contains only the basic information previously seen: the set of tasks to be performed, the start and end dates of each task, the duration of each task, etc.

If you want to manage the workload of your team members, keep track of your expenses, share documents and communicate easily with all of your employees, equip yourself with online project management software.

More advanced than a Gantt chart, these programs allow you to keep track of all aspects of the project and to collaborate easily with your team. To convince you, you can try Planzone for free and without obligation for 14 days.

In Conclusion

The advantages of the Gantt chart are many, but like every tool, it also has its limitations. Knowing them makes it possible to use this planning tool effectively. If you want to go further, go for collaborative project management software: it combines many practical functions that make it easier to monitor your project’s progress.