Well, this is one dilemma I have been having since long. I have heard many project managers raving about how easy their work has become post using Gantt charts. I haven't laid my hands on them yet, as I found them trickier and complex. So I would want to know is it really worth the pain, or projects can be well managed even without them?
IMHO the answer is all about how many tasks and how many resources your project involves.
If the project complexity is at a level where you are thinking about Critical Path vs Critical Chain then Gantt charts are a must. Yes there is some overhead involved, but worth it to keep the permutations organized.
If however your project involves primarily a single resource (yourself for example) and/or the project is mostly linear (ie must finish A before starting B) then the need for Gantt charts is greatly diminished. In this case, a more simplistic "timeline" with milestone events is often a great compromise for simple projects and can keep you on track nicely.
IMHO the answer is all about how many tasks and how many resources your project involves.
If the project complexity is at a level where you are thinking about Critical Path vs Critical Chain then Gantt charts are a must. Yes there is some overhead involved, but worth it to keep the permutations organized.
If however your project involves primarily a single resource (yourself for example) and/or the project is mostly linear (ie must finish A before starting B) then the need for Gantt charts is greatly diminished. In this case, a more simplistic "timeline" with milestone events is often a great compromise for simple projects and can keep you on track nicely.
Hope this helps,
Bob
Hi Bob,
Thank you enlightening me more about it. Well, there are times when the projects involve only a few of us, and some involve almost everybody. Also while some projects have tasks that are fully independent, some have tasks that are highly dependent on each other.
I believe based on the knowledge you have share and what I have explored, I would have to see which projects require a Gantt chart for an easy completion and which are better without them.
If you are managing a large, complex project I feel that a Gantt chart adds something that a standard task list (or any other way of displaying tasks) can’t offer. It’s the graphical representation of tasks over time that I think makes the difference. As part of project, you'll work out who will be responsible for each task, how long each task will take, and what problems your team may encounter. Gantt chart helps you ensure that the schedule is workable, that the right people are assigned to each task, and that you have workarounds for potential problems before you start. Gantt charts also help you work out practical aspects of a project, such as the minimum time it will take to deliver, and which tasks need to be completed before others can start. Plus, you can use them to identify the critical path – the sequence of tasks that must individually be completed on time if the whole project is to deliver on time. Finally, you can use Gantt charts to keep your team and your sponsors informed of progress. Simply update the chart to show schedule changes and their implications, or use it to communicate that key tasks have been completed.
There are other simple tools that can be used for updating the team.
One of these is a "RAG Report".
Basically - email everyone with the project high level outputs coloured Red, Amber or Green - explaining what is pending on the Ambers, and the remedial activity planned for the reds.
I've been embracing an Agile approach to managing my design projects and find it SO much easier and more effective. Since you're working in shorter time-frames (typically 2 weeks) I find Gantt complete overkill. A simple product backlog spreadsheet works well for me.
We keep the content in the current sprint on a current tab, completed on a completed tab (duh) and the remaining user stories sit in the backlog tab. I then scrub that backlog mid-sprint and at the end of the sprint. Major simplification and ALL of my stakeholders/product owners LOVE the ease with which they know what to expect by when and the regular opportunity to put their hands on content.
6 Replies
Hi Alice,
IMHO the answer is all about how many tasks and how many resources your project involves.
If the project complexity is at a level where you are thinking about Critical Path vs Critical Chain then Gantt charts are a must. Yes there is some overhead involved, but worth it to keep the permutations organized.
If however your project involves primarily a single resource (yourself for example) and/or the project is mostly linear (ie must finish A before starting B) then the need for Gantt charts is greatly diminished. In this case, a more simplistic "timeline" with milestone events is often a great compromise for simple projects and can keep you on track nicely.
Hope this helps,
Bob
+1 @Bob.
Only if the project requires it.
I am currently creating a 14-module series on Project Management techniques and have not used a Gantt Chart to organise it
Hi Bob,
Thank you enlightening me more about it. Well, there are times when the projects involve only a few of us, and some involve almost everybody. Also while some projects have tasks that are fully independent, some have tasks that are highly dependent on each other.
I believe based on the knowledge you have share and what I have explored, I would have to see which projects require a Gantt chart for an easy completion and which are better without them.
If you are managing a large, complex project I feel that a Gantt chart adds something that a standard task list (or any other way of displaying tasks) can’t offer. It’s the graphical representation of tasks over time that I think makes the difference. As part of project, you'll work out who will be responsible for each task, how long each task will take, and what problems your team may encounter. Gantt chart helps you ensure that the schedule is workable, that the right people are assigned to each task, and that you have workarounds for potential problems before you start. Gantt charts also help you work out practical aspects of a project, such as the minimum time it will take to deliver, and which tasks need to be completed before others can start. Plus, you can use them to identify the critical path – the sequence of tasks that must individually be completed on time if the whole project is to deliver on time. Finally, you can use Gantt charts to keep your team and your sponsors informed of progress. Simply update the chart to show schedule changes and their implications, or use it to communicate that key tasks have been completed.
There are other simple tools that can be used for updating the team.
One of these is a "RAG Report".
Basically - email everyone with the project high level outputs coloured Red, Amber or Green - explaining what is pending on the Ambers, and the remedial activity planned for the reds.
Works a treat for smaller projects.
I've been embracing an Agile approach to managing my design projects and find it SO much easier and more effective. Since you're working in shorter time-frames (typically 2 weeks) I find Gantt complete overkill. A simple product backlog spreadsheet works well for me.
We keep the content in the current sprint on a current tab, completed on a completed tab (duh) and the remaining user stories sit in the backlog tab. I then scrub that backlog mid-sprint and at the end of the sprint. Major simplification and ALL of my stakeholders/product owners LOVE the ease with which they know what to expect by when and the regular opportunity to put their hands on content.
Major win!
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