Do You Miss Gantt Charts?
Sep 28, 02:28 PM
Leisa Reichelt at Disambiguiy asks Where’s The Gantt Gone?
In the article, Leisa explains why she finds Gantt charts useful:
At a simplistic level – nothing focusses attention like a Gantt Chart with lots of red on it – indicating that you’re way behind schedule.
On a more practical level – when constructing project plans, I’ve come to realise how much I did actually rely on the Gantt Chart to help eliminate errors in my scheduling, and to quickly see the implications of alternate scheduling, risks and delays.
When reviewing a complex project plan to see if I’d made errors in scheduling, or understanding project relationships, or if I’d just missed lots of stuff out – it was the Gantt Chart that would most quickly let me know if I’d stuffed up. Breaks in the flow, a critical path that just stops (before the end of the project), tasks that just look too long or too short compared to the tasks around them – all rapid visual indicators that something’s not right.
It get’s really hard and boring to read through a long list of tasks, and even more difficult to understand the relationships between tasks in this format. This is where the Gantt Chart comes into it’s own. Relationships between tasks and groups of tasks are immediately apparent. Tasks that are on the critical path are obvious.
This really struck a chord with me. I manage projects with Basecamp, a system that doesn’t provide Gantt charts. Leisa has made me realise how much I am missing out on.
Footnote:
After reading Leisa’s article I signed up to GoPlan, a Basecamp alternative. I’ll post a review here soon.
