How to draw a gantt chart. Gantt charts: visualizing data

This type Bar charts are named after Henry L. Gant who developed them. This event took place in 1910.

The horizontal bars in the Gantt chart are arranged along the time axis. Each strip symbolizes a certain stage of work within the framework of one project.

The ends of the segment are the points of beginning and completion of work on the task, the length is the duration of the execution.

The vertical axis in such a diagram is the list of required tasks.

Before you start building a Gantt chart, you need to create a data table, on the basis of which the chart itself will be compiled. It can be copied from a file or entered manually in a new Excel sheet.

In the first column you need to enter the name of a specific stage of the project. The second one must be assigned to the date (time) of the start of the stage.

The next column will contain the duration of the step. The fifth (optional) will be with the amount of delay between stages.

A negative value will mean overlapping stages in time. And the latter should be assigned to the date (time) of the completion of the stage.

After organizing the data table, you can start creating the Gantt chart directly.

To create a blank for the future chart, you need to select the first two columns.

In the "Insert" tab of the top menu, you need the "Charts" section. In it, you need to hover over the item "Ruled".

In the drop-down options window, select "Stacked Bar". With other options, creating a Gantt chart is not possible.

On click, a form with a primary diagram will appear, which will be a blank for the finished diagram.

In the blank, you need to remove the legend, what it reflects in the process will not be useful at all. You can then delete or change the name of the chart.

You can do this by double clicking on it.

The next step is the creation of segments of the bands, which will be the very diagram.

To do this, you need to copy the contents of the "Duration" column.

And paste it into the chart blank. It is these segments that will become the Gantt chart. Now you need to hide the unnecessary blue segments of the stripes.

To do this, you must first select them all by clicking once with the left button on any line. When all the lines are selected, you need to right-click on any of them.

AT context menu you need to click on the "Fill" item and select "No fill" in the drop-down form.

Unnecessary segments are hidden, you can start setting up appearance diagrams.

Gantt Chart Design

Here you can see that the order of the items in the vertical axis does not correspond to how they are located in the table. They need to be inverted.

To change this, you need the axis dropdown menu. It is called by right-clicking on one of the points of the vertical axis.

It needs the “Format Axis…” item, which opens the axis settings window.

In this window, you need to check only one checkbox "Reverse order of categories", which will bring the position of the items into the proper form.

After selecting it, you need to click the "Close" button, which is at the bottom of the window. Now you can put in order the upper axis.

The vertical axis menu is invoked in the same way as the horizontal axis settings. More changes will have to be made in the settings window.

In the first tab, "Axis Options", you need to set the following options:

1. Move the "Minimum value" checkbox to the "Fixed" position, and enter the date (time) of the start of the first stage of the project in the field.
2. Move the flag "Price of the main divisions" to the "Fixed" position, and enter the minimum division value in the field.
3. Move the flag "Price of additional divisions" to the "Fixed" position, and enter the minimum value of divisions in the field. The detail of the graph display depends on this item.

In the "Alignment" tab there is an item "Text Direction". For the convenience of displaying dates on the upper axis, the item "Rotate text by 270 0" is suitable.

After that, it remains only to click the "Close" button.

On this, in general, the diagram is ready, for greater clarity of the joints of the stages, you can expand the bands themselves.

To do this, you need to select them with one left click, then right-click to call the drop-down menu. The required settings window is opened by the "Data series format" item.

The item "Side gap" is responsible for the distance between the rows. The slider, all the way to the left, will mean that there are no gaps.

By moving it from side to side, you can adjust the optimal thickness of the lines.

Upon completion of these simple manipulations, the Project Gantt Chart is completed. From it you can immediately export to Word or save it in a separate book.

Create a Project Gantt Chart in Excel

How to create a project Gantt Chart in Microsoft Excel using a clever stacked bar chart.

Today we will be making a Gantt chart. Who is not in the know, it is used in projects, you can see it in Microsoft Project. But there is no standard Gantt chart in the list of Excel charts.

The peculiarity of the Gantt chart is that its bars start in an arbitrary place, while the most similar chart, the bar chart, starts with an axis. Therefore, we use one of the most common tricks with charts - hide some data. So let's get started.

The chart will need the following data − coordinates each data set, i.e. where each bar should start, duration stage and title each stage. Let's make a simple table.

Please note that I have not titled the steps, i.e. cell A1 is empty. This simple trick will allow you to determine from the first time in the diagram where the data is located and where the labels are.

We use a bar chart. We must take it cumulatively, since we need the second row of data, which we use as the main data.
The second necessary step is to hide the first row. To do this, make it invisible. Click on the blue data, right click Data Series Format/Fill/No Fill.
By default, the data is arranged in order from bottom to top. Correct this situation - click on the axis of categories (captions) with the right mouse button - Axis Format/Axis Options/Reverse Category Order. That's it, the main diagram is ready, now we need to do some more useful formatting:

• We remove the legend. It is simply no longer relevant for the Gantt chart. Select it and delete with the Delete button.
• We define boundaries. Excel itself determines where the values ​​​​start, i.e. In my picture above, the scale starts from the first of April. This does not suit us, so right-click on the date axis Axis format/Axis parameters/Maximum and minimum values. I have it on May 3 (more precisely, I set April 28, because it's Monday) and June 20. True, there is a nuance, in my 2007 Excel I need to put numbers in numerical format.
• Set weekly scales. In the same place in the parameters of the axis, put 7 in the box price of main divisions. That's why we needed the first date to be Monday.

A little more formatting, adding a chart title, and here's what I got

Let's build a chart that looks like a Gantt chart.

The Gantt chart in MS EXCEL is often used in project management. This chart can display:

• list of works / tasks of the project;
• planned duration of work;
• links between jobs;
• completion percentage.

Let's first create a simple Gantt chart that only displays the duration of the work: without links and% completed (see the example file):

Suppose it is necessary to plan the process of acquiring several pieces of equipment. For this we will use a Gantt chart. The initial table contains a list of equipment, the date of commencement of work and the duration of work.

To build a chart, do the following:

• select any cell in the source table;
• through the menu Insert/ Charts/ Histogram/ All types of charts… create a chart Ruled with accumulation;

• select chart. Through the menu Working with Charts/ Constructor/ Data/ Select data add a "Start" row and make it the first;

• through the menu Constructor/ Data/ Select data change the labels on the horizontal axis (in the diagram Ruled Stacked the horizontal axis is vertical) to display the names of the pieces of equipment;

As a result, we get the following diagram.

The blue portion of the bar chart represents the duration of the job, while the red portion shifts the start of the job to match the Start column of the original table.

Let's take the final steps.

• Select a chart. Through the menu Chart Tools/ Layout/ Axes/ Primary Vertical Axis/ Right to Left set the sort order of equipment names in the diagram as in the original table.
• Select the red part of the histogram and change the fill from red to colorless (no fill).

With a little imagination, you can achieve the desired result.

Testing

In the original table, for equipment Scales we will change the start date of work (we will shift it by a month to the right) and increase the duration of work by 15 days.

As you can see from the figure, the diagram reflected the changes made to the original table.

For all the clarity, the constructed diagram has a series shortcomings:

• the start of work is rigidly fixed;
• it is impossible to display the percentage of work completed;
• jobs are unrelated.

The article solved the problem of creating a more advanced version of the Gantt chart.

Note: Gantt chart can be built with and, accordingly, without using standard EXCEL charts. An example of such a build is given on the Microsoft website in the templates section. But, this approach seems to me quite laborious and, moreover, has a number of disadvantages: % of work done is set only approximately (depending on the number of columns used), links between works are not configured in the template (although this can be done), it is difficult to make signatures to the segments of work on the diagram (if necessary). Although the diagram is not without strengths: The template looks professional, you can set up unscheduled work, you can set the period in question (a vertical line representing the set time interval).

In project management.

What it is?

The Gantt chart is designed to illustrate the different stages of work in the field of small and medium-sized businesses. Visually, it is a simple set of strips consisting of two main axes: cases and time. Each time period is assigned a specific task that must be completed.

On the diagram, in addition to the main blocks, there may be a special additional column showing the percentage of work completed. Special marks - milestones - are used to highlight two or more tasks and demonstrate the sequence of their implementation.

The Gantt chart is a kind of standard in the field of project management, because it is with its help that it becomes possible to visually show the structure of the implementation of all project stages.

What is a Gantt chart for?

Given that most of the people are visual, the diagram makes it possible to solve one of the main tasks and show the staff what to work on, what resources to use in the process and how fast to complete certain tasks. All information is presented in a compressed form, without the use of confusing tables and a huge amount of text. At the same time, the essence is clear and understandable to all, without exception, project participants.

The use of a chart greatly simplifies the small scale and makes it possible to always keep the activities of employees under control.

The history of the appearance of the first graph

The first chart format was developed and tested by Henry L. Gant in the early 20th century. The scientist was hired to manage the construction of ships for use in the First World War. A special schedule allowed him to coordinate the work of several engineers, controlling the completion of tasks on time. Gant started directly by listing all the required tasks and scheduling them according to the available resources.

An important stage was the demonstration of the dependence of some tasks on others. In addition, Gant allocated a period of time for each person during which he had to complete certain kind activities, indicated who and what task will be performed, taking into account the time allotted for the project.

The Gantt chart is built using a vertical axis representing different tasks, as well as a horizontal axis representing time.

Gantt chart in the modern world

This one does not lose its relevance in our days, because it allows you to provide a graphical display of the production plan, simplifies monitoring of progress in the implementation of tasks. The Gantt chart has become such a powerful analytical tool that for almost 100 years it has not undergone any changes. Only in the 90s of the last century, with the aim of more detailed description interconnections, communication lines between various tasks were introduced into it:

• "finish-start" - action B cannot begin before the completion of action A;
• "start-finish" - action B cannot begin until action A begins;
• "start-start" - action B will begin no earlier than action A;
• "finish-finish" - action B must end no earlier than action A ends.

There are facts that the Gantt chart was used in the construction of such gigantic engineering structures as (Las Vegas, 1939) and the Eisenhower Highway system (which unites most of the major US cities).

Instruction: how to build a Gantt chart in 5 steps?

Step 1. Data collection

In order to build a graph, we need the following data:

• coordinates of all data sets (where each of the columns should start);
• the name of each stage;
• the duration of each stage.

For convenience, we enter them immediately in the corresponding fields of the table. After we have entered all the required information, we can proceed to the creation of the chart itself.

Important: make sure that all data formats are specified correctly: in particular, this applies to dates.

Step 2. Formation of the layout

So, we know the purpose of planning and the key data on the basis of which we will build a schedule. Now in the window spreadsheet processor we need to go to the "Insert -> Chart" section, and then click on the "Line" item. We do not need the usual one, but with accumulation, since only it provides for the second row of data, which in our case will be the main one.

Step 3. Erase everything superfluous

In order to do this, the program provides special tools. On the chart that appears on the screen, you need to hover over the blue bar, right-click on it and select "Format Data Series" from the menu that appears. A window will be displayed in which we need to go to the "Fill" item and select the "No fill" item. The chart will then look like this:

Step 4. Finishing touches

Since, by default, all the data in our graph is in order from bottom to top, we will have to modify it a bit. To do this, we right-click on the category axis (the one next to which we have a list of tasks), go to the “Format Axis” window. The tab we need immediately opens - “Axis parameters”. Check the box next to Reverse category order. In fact, the Gantt chart is already ready, there are only a couple of useful little things left.

Step 5: Formatting

So, we continue to work on the schedule. As you can see, it still looks unsightly, and now we will fix this using the spreadsheet processor itself:

1. Stretch the chart to the desired size using the arrow in the upper right corner.
2. Select all the dates in the table, right-click on the selection area and go to "Format Cells-> Number". This section introduces the main number formats we work with. So that the inscriptions do not overlap each other, we advise you to choose a shorter version of the entry. Then, again, right-click on the axis with dates on the chart, select "Format Axis -> Number" and put a checkmark next to the "Link to source" item.
3. Select the legend (the designations "Date" and "Duration" on the right) and press the Delete button on the keyboard.
4. Open "Format Axis -> Parameters" and set the minimum and maximum values ​​​​(we set December 15, since it's Monday, and January 3). Here we can set the price of the main divisions (this is convenient in cases where, for example, work on a project will last several weeks or months). In our case, it is more convenient to leave the default value (2.0).

A few more experiments with formatting - and that's what beauty we get in the end. Here is a finished Gantt chart. The example that we have given is, of course, very simple - however, this is enough to understand the essence of such a planning method and a visual demonstration of the process of performing certain tasks.

Other Graph Programs

Of course, there are many other, more advanced programs that make project management easier. A Gantt chart of any complexity can be easily built using applications such as:

• SchedRoll;
• Gantt Designer;
• Mindjet JCVGantt Pro;
• Microsoft Project and many more.

In addition, there are a number of online services that provide their users with the opportunity not only to plan their affairs, but also to receive regular reports, notifications about the current status of tasks by e-mail. However, one cannot deny the fact that the confidentiality of data stored on the network is at risk, and stationary software that is installed directly on the user's computer, as a rule, has much wider functionality and is more reliable in operation.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

Finally, it is worth considering in detail the main advantages and disadvantages of the described planning and management method.

The main advantage, no doubt, is the graphic presentation of the material. As a rule, it is convenient for businessmen to work with Gantt charts - they like the ability to clearly identify and designate the stages of work on a project. By presenting tasks in the form of different colored bars, all team members can literally identify their tasks at a glance.

It should also be noted that Gantt charts are an excellent presentational tool that is able to demonstrate the key priorities of the project. That is, as soon as the leaders allocate and distribute each of the available resources, the team instantly learns about it and follows further instructions. This property Gantt graphics are extremely useful for senior managers - using it, you can easily prepare a detailed, capacious report on the status of various projects.

However, like any other planning method, the Gantt chart has its drawbacks. One of them is task dependency. Quite often in the process, managers need to show which of these tasks are related to each other. But, unfortunately, the chart format itself does not allow this. In order to get around this limitation, managers resort to various tricks: for example, they add special vertical lines to the chart that demonstrate key dependencies. However, this is only a temporary solution, not capable of transmitting information in full.

Another disadvantage of Gantt charts is their inflexibility. Nowadays, projects are not static - they constantly undergo some changes, shifts, which it is simply impossible to take into account in the diagram. Before starting to build a graph, managers have to calculate everything to the smallest detail, because with the slightest change in the estimate, the entire diagram must be redrawn from scratch. And this is not to mention the fact that the opportunity to illustrate a few different ways planning at a time is also missing.

Regardless of why you need a Gantt chart, the program (even the most “advanced”) will not be able to display the significance and resource intensity of certain works, their essence. Therefore, for especially large-scale projects, it is used extremely rarely.

Nevertheless, it is impossible to deny that in the practice of project management this method extremely common - for more than a century of its use, people have had the opportunity to verify its performance and high efficiency.

If you are asked to name the three most important components of Microsoft Excel, which ones would you name? Most likely, sheets on which data is entered, formulas that are used to perform calculations, and charts with which data of a different nature can be represented graphically.

I am sure that every Excel user knows what a chart is and how to create it. However, there is a type of chart that is shrouded in obscurity for many - Gantt chart. it quick guide explain the main features of the Gantt chart, tell you how to make a simple Gantt chart in Excel, tell you where you can download advanced Gantt chart templates and how to use online service"Project Management" to create Gantt charts.

What is a Gantt Chart?

Gantt Chart named after Henry Gantt, an American engineer and management consultant who came up with such a diagram in 1910. The Gantt chart in Excel represents projects or tasks as a cascade of horizontal bar charts. The Gantt chart shows the broken down structure of the project (start and finish dates, various relationships between tasks within the project) and thus helps to control the execution of tasks in time and according to the intended benchmarks.

How to Create a Gantt Chart in Excel 2010, 2007 and 2013

Unfortunately, Microsoft Excel does not offer a built-in Gantt chart template. However, you can quickly create one yourself using the bar chart functionality and a little bit of formatting.

Follow these steps carefully and it will take no more than 3 minutes to create a simple Gantt chart. In our examples, we are creating a Gantt chart in Excel 2010, but the same can be done in Excel 2007 and 2013.

Step 1. Create a project table

First of all, we will enter the project data on excel sheet. Write each task on a separate line and build a project breakdown plan by specifying start date(start date), graduation(end date) and duration(Duration), that is, the number of days it takes to complete the task.

Advice: Only columns are required to create a Gantt chart start date and duration. However, if you also create a column End date then you can calculate the duration of the task using a simple formula, as seen in the figure below:

Step 2. Build a regular Excel bar chart based on the "Start date" column database

Start building a Gantt chart in Excel by creating a simple stacked bar chart:

• Highlight a range Start Dates along with the column heading, in our example it is B1:B11. It is necessary to select only cells with data, and not the entire column of the sheet.
• On the tab Insert(Insert) under Charts, click Insert bar chart(bar).
• In the menu that opens, in the group Ruled(2-D Bar) click Ruled Stacked(Stacked Bar).

As a result, the following chart should appear on the sheet:

Comment: Some of the other instructions for creating Gantt charts suggest that you first create an empty bar chart and then fill it with data, as we will do in the next step. But I think that the method shown is better because Microsoft Excel will automatically add one row of data and this way we will save some time.

Step 3: Add Duration Data to the Chart

The diagram should look something like this:

Step 4: Add Task Descriptions to the Gantt Chart

Now you need to show a list of tasks on the left side of the diagram instead of numbers.

At this point, the Gantt chart should have task descriptions on the left side and look something like this:

Step 5: Converting a Bar Chart to a Gantt Chart

At this stage, our chart is still a stacked bar chart. To make it look like a Gantt chart, you need to format it correctly. Our task is to remove the blue lines so that only the orange parts of the graphs, which represent the tasks of the project, remain visible. Technically, we won't remove the blue lines, we'll just make them transparent and therefore invisible.

Comment: Do not close this dialog box, you will need it again in the next step.

The chart becomes similar to a regular Gantt chart, right? For example, my Gantt chart now looks like this:

Step 6. Customizing the Gantt Chart Design in Excel

The Gantt chart is already taking shape, but you can add a few more finishing touches to make it really stylish.

1. Remove the empty space on the left side of the Gantt chart

When building a Gantt chart, we inserted blue bars at the beginning of the chart to show the start date. Now the void that remains in their place can be removed and the task bars can be moved to the left, closer to the vertical axis.

2. Adjust the number of dates on the axis of the Gantt chart

Here, in the dialog box Axis Format(Format Axis) that was opened in the previous step, change the parameters Major divisions(Major unit) and Intermediate divisions(Minor unit) on Number(Fixed) and enter desired values intervals on the axis. Usually, the shorter the time frames of the tasks in the project, the smaller the division step is needed on the time axis. For example, if you want to show every second date, then enter 2 for parameter Major divisions(Major unit). What settings I made - you can see in the picture below:

Advice: Play around with the settings until you get the desired result. Don't be afraid to do something wrong, you can always revert to the default settings by setting the options to Automatically(Auto) in Excel 2010 and 2007 or by clicking Reset(Reset) in Excel 2013.

3. Remove the extra empty space between the stripes

Arrange the task bars on the chart more compactly, and the Gantt chart will look even better.

• Select the orange bars of the graphs by clicking on one of them with the left mouse button, then right-click on it and in the menu that appears, click Data series format(Format Data Series).
• In the dialog box Data series format(Format Data Series) set the parameter to overlapping rows(Series Overlap) value 100% (slider moved all the way to the right), and for the parameter Side clearance(Gap Width) value 0% or almost 0% (slider all the way or almost all the way to the left).

And here is the result of our efforts - a simple but quite accurate Gantt chart in Excel:

Remember that an Excel chart created in this way is very close to a real Gantt chart, while retaining all the convenience of Excel charts:

• The Gantt chart in Excel will resize when tasks are added or removed.
• Change the start date of the task (Start date) or its duration (Duration), and the schedule will immediately automatically reflect the changes made.
• Created in excel chart The Gantt can be saved as an image or converted to HTML and published on the web.

Excel Gantt Chart Templates

As you can see, building a simple Gantt chart in Excel is not difficult at all. But what if a more complex Gantt chart is required, in which the filling of a task depends on the percentage of its completion, and checkpoints project are marked vertical lines? Of course, if you are one of those rare and mysterious creatures that we respectfully call the Excel Guru, then you can try to make such a diagram yourself.

However, it is faster and easier to use ready-made templates Gantt charts in Excel. Below is short review several Gantt chart templates for project management for various versions Microsoft Excel.

Microsoft Excel 2013 Gantt Chart Template

This Gantt chart template for Excel is called Project Planner(Gantt Project Planner). It is designed to track project progress against various metrics such as Planned start(Plan Start) and actual start(actual start), Planned duration(Plan Duration) and Actual Duration(Actual Duration), as well as Percent complete(Percent Complete).

In Excel 2013, this template is available on the tab File(File) in the window Create(New). If there is no template in this section, you can download it from the Microsoft website. To use this template, no additional knowledge is required - click on it and get started.

Online Gantt Chart Template

smartsheet.com offers an interactive online constructor Gantt charts. This Gantt chart template is just as simple and ready to use as the previous one. The service offers a 30-day free trial, so feel free to sign up with your Google account and start creating your first Gantt chart right away.

The process is very simple: in the table on the left, enter the details of your project, and as the table fills up, a Gantt chart is created on the right.

Gantt Chart Templates for Excel, Google Sheets and OpenOffice Calc

At vertex42.com you can find free Gantt chart templates for Excel 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013 that will also work with OpenOffice Calc and Google Sheets. You can work with these templates in the same way as with any regular spreadsheet. Just enter a start date and duration for each task and enter the % completed in the column %Complete. To change the date range shown in the Gantt chart area, move the slider on the scroll bar.

And finally, another Excel Gantt chart template for your consideration.

Project Manager Gantt Chart Template

Another free Gantt chart template is offered by professionalexcel.com and is called “Project Manager Gantt Chart”. In this template, it is possible to choose a view (daily or standard weekly), depending on the duration of the monitored tasks.

I hope that at least one of the proposed Gantt chart templates will suit your needs. If not, you can find a great variety of different Gantt chart templates on the Internet.

Now that you know the main features of the Gantt chart, you can continue to study it and learn how to create your own complex Gantt charts in Excel to impress your boss and all your colleagues.