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Aha!
Aha!
Aha! is the world's #1 product development software. We help more than 1 million product builders bring their strategy to life. Our suite of tools includes Aha! Roadmaps, Aha! Ideas, Aha! Whiteboards, Aha! Knowledge, and Aha! Deve...Read more about Aha!
monday.com
monday.com
monday.com is an award-winning work and project management platform that helps teams of all sizes plan, prioritize, manage, and execute their work more effectively. The platform offers solutions for a wide range of use-cases such...Read more about monday.com
Ravetree
Ravetree
Ravetree is a cloud-based project management solution with integrated resource planning, customer relationship management and time and expense tracking capabilities. The solution helps users manage project workflows, task assignme...Read more about Ravetree
Jira
Jira
Jira Software is a business process management tool used by agile teams to plan, track and release software. Jira Software supports Scrum, Kanban, a hybrid model or another unique workflow. Jira enables users to create project r...Read more about Jira
Bitrix24
Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is an online workspace for small, medium, and large businesses. It features over 35 cross-integrated tools, including CRM, tasks, Kanban board, Gantt chart, messenger, video calls, file storage, workflow automation, and m...Read more about Bitrix24
Project Central
Project Central
Project Central is a cloud-based project management tool for teams using Microsoft Office 365. It helps your team to collaborate visually, where members feel comfortable & confident working with no training required. Making it eas...Read more about Project Central
Fusebase (Formerly Nimbus)
Fusebase (Formerly Nimbus)
FuseBase is an AI-powered, all-in-one client collaboration tool designed to help professional services streamline workflow and deliver outstanding customer experiences with client portals. This platform empowers professional servi...Read more about Fusebase (Formerly Nimbus)
Wrike
Wrike
Wrike is a cloud-based project management platform for teams of 20+ that is suitable for both large enterprises and SMBs. It supports remote work for various teams. This solution comes with Gantt charts, calendars, workload view f...Read more about Wrike
Smartsheet
Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a work execution platform and collaboration tool with a familiar spreadsheet-like interface that helps teams plan, track, and manage projects in real-time. Smartsheet features include a range of project management to...Read more about Smartsheet
Workzone
Workzone
Workzone is a project management solution that offers document management, project collaboration, customizable reporting, resource and task management and time tracking. The software is cloud-based and offers automated emailed rep...Read more about Workzone
Planview PPM Pro
Planview PPM Pro
Innotas PPM is a cloud-based project and portfolio management (PPM) solution designed for midsize and large businesses. Key features include resource management, time tracking, financial management and reporting functionalities. ...Read more about Planview PPM Pro
Asana
Asana
Asana is a comprehensive project management tool that offers a range of technical features to streamline workflows and enhance collaboration within teams. With its user-friendly interface and robust capabilities, Asana provides or...Read more about Asana
Planview Portfolios
Planview Portfolios
Planview Enterprise One enables EPMO and strategic planning leaders to translate strategy into delivery with roadmaps that connect investments, outcomes, business capabilities, technology, and financials. The robust platform enabl...Read more about Planview Portfolios
ProofHub
ProofHub
ProofHub is a cloud-based solution for teams in numerous industries. The solution provides applications for project management, project collaboration, resource management, task management, plus more. Key features include discussi...Read more about ProofHub
ProjectManager.com
ProjectManager.com
ProjectManager is an innovative project management software solution designed to help you navigate your project with ease. Say goodbye to roadblocks with features like: project planning, budgeting, time tracking, task and documen...Read more about ProjectManager.com
ProWorkflow
ProWorkflow
Founded in 2002 and acquired by ProActive Software Ltd in 2003, ProWorkflow is a cloud-based project management and time tracking software that caters to companies of all sizes. ProWorkflow includes all the features of a trad...Read more about ProWorkflow
BigTime
BigTime
BigTime is an online time and billing solution designed to serve professional service firms like accounting, engineering, government contracting, legal and IT services. The integrated solution offers features like time and expense...Read more about BigTime
Twproject
Twproject
Twproject is a project management solution designed for small to large businesses across all industries. The solution is available as an on-premise or cloud-based system with mobile apps for Windows phones, Google Android and Appl...Read more about Twproject
Glasscubes
Glasscubes
Glasscubes offers cloud-based collaboration solution for businesses. It provides for file sharing, collaboration and document management, making it accessible from devices with an internet connection. Glasscubes’ file sharing...Read more about Glasscubes
Toggl Plan
Toggl Plan
Toggl Plan (formerly Teamweek) is a project management solution that helps businesses manage tasks, projects, client requirements and more. The solution comes with a drag-and-drop interface, which allows managers to create/modify ...Read more about Toggl Plan
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Buyers Guide
Last Updated: March 16, 2023Gantt charts are a valuable project management (PM) tool. Used for planning and tracking waterfall projects, Gantt charts help stakeholders coordinate and agree on baselines for scope, budget and timeline—metrics used to determine project success.
Gantt chart software automates many PM functions, allowing managers to more easily create project schedules, assign tasks to users, track the progression of work items and share updates with the team.
Whether you're looking to purchase your first PM Gantt chart system or update your current software, this buyer's guide can help you make a more informed decision.
Here's what we'll cover:
Common Capabilities of Gantt Chart Software
Benefits and Potential Challenges
What Is Gantt Chart Software?
A Gantt chart is a graphical representation of a project, displaying the scope (e.g., tasks and milestones) on the y-axis, against the schedule, or time, on the x-axis.
Tasks are illustrated as horizontal bars. Their position and length reflect the start date, duration and end date. Dependent tasks are connected using a physical link, e.g., the arrows in the screenshot below, and concurrent tasks are stacked according to their start dates.
A Gantt chart in Mavenlink
Gantt chart software is used to create digital Gantt charts, automating and saving time on various actions, including:
Scheduling task start and end dates
Assigning tasks to users
Identifying the critical path
Cascading changes across subsequent tasks
Sharing updates with stakeholders (e.g., task status, at-risk items and reprioritization)
The ability to cascade changes across subsequent tasks is a benefit that cannot be overstated. If Task A is late by one day, the start dates and due dates for each task following it will update accordingly. Managers receive an alert so they can schedule notifications to let team members know how the delay will impact their activities. They'll also have the option to notify stakeholders if corrective action is required.
Gantt charts act as visual aids that communicate project status at a glance. Information is centralized, which keeps stakeholders on the same page at every stage of the project life cycle, from planning to closeout.
Organizations can purchase Gantt chart software as a stand-alone or "best-of-breed" solution, or as part of a larger PM platform.
Often, when Gantt charts are included as an application within a larger platform, teams can choose from "multiple views," meaning they can view tasks in a calendar view, list format or in a Gantt chart. If your stakeholders have different preferences for how they want to receive updates, you should consider this type of solution.
Best-of-breed tools are often more specialized than integrated suites. If you have industry-specific needs, or require custom fields and templates, a stand-alone system is more suitable.
Common Features of Gantt Chart Software
Look for the following capabilities as you evaluate Gantt chart tools:
Identify project requirements, break requirements down into deliverables and individual tasks (e.g., work breakdown structure). Assign start and due dates, assign priority and cost, add task notes and assign tasks to users. Drag-and-drop: Set start and end dates by manipulating the bar length on the calendar. Reorder tasks by dragging-and-dropping them along the timeline. Critical path: Identify the critical path by highlighting the longest sequence of tasks that determine the minimum amount of time needed to complete a project. | |
See each team member's availability and workload. Assign users to tasks based on availability and skill set (recorded and saved in a skills database), or use a placeholder resource until a user with that skill becomes available. | |
Form the project initiative; create the work breakdown structure; set baselines for scope, budget and timeline; develop the risk management plan; and develop a communication strategy for stakeholders. Some tools may include project templates you can choose from, or you can create and save your own. Read more: "Project Planning Checklist: 5 Steps Every Plan Should Follow" | |
See project status at a glance. The Gantt chart acts as a live dashboard showing a bird's-eye view of project progress. Reports will vary, but can include baselines (comparing actuals to the original plan), resource forecasting, time tracking and risk reports. Color-coding: Use colors to represent task attributes such as status (e.g., all overdue tasks are red), or to indicate who the task is assigned to (e.g., all Bob's tasks are purple). Task-shading: Use shading to represent percent complete, e.g., a task that's 25 percent complete would be one-quarter shaded. | |
Upload files to tasks, share with other users and store in a centralized, searchable repository. Ask vendors about storage limits within product tiers, archive or delete tasks and documents and integrate with new or existing content management systems. |
Benefits and Potential Challenges
While there are many benefits to using Gantt chart software, small and midsize businesses considering these tools for the first time should also be aware of potential challenges.
Benefits:
Gantt charts can be used to convey a wealth of project information, from high-level scheduling to specific task details. Viewers know who is responsible for tasks, when tasks need to be completed and how individual tasks relate to larger project requirements and deliverables.
Tracking project progress publicly can be a great motivator for both individual productivity and overall team performance. Tools with time-tracking can also help users learn to better manage their time and prioritize their queue.
Visually laying out project requirements on a timeline, and breaking deliverables down into individual tasks is a great way to more accurately set baselines for scope, budget and timeline. Users can clearly see how adding items to the scope will push the project out, or how costs will increase.
Challenges:
As is true of any tool, the quality of the output is only as good as the data put into it. The value of Gantt charts is reliant on the accuracy of resource estimates used to create budget and timeline projections.
Gantt charts require upkeep. Especially if you want to use them for project tracking, you will need to assign ownership of the Gantt chart to a manager and require them to update the system accordingly.
Gantt charts don't automatically account for Murphy's law—whatever can go wrong will go wrong. So it's important to leave some cushion in the system to account for issues when you're building out project schedules.