The Gantt Chart offers a powerful, visual way to plan, track, and manage project tasks over time. By displaying tasks as horizontal bars across a timeline, you can easily understand schedules, dependencies, and progress at a glance.
Understanding the Gantt Chart View
Task Name (WBS): Shows each task’s name and its Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) number for clear reference.
Start Date & End Date: Displays when each task is scheduled to begin and finish.
Duration: Indicates the planned length of each task in days.
Owner: Lists the team member responsible for each task.
Progress: Shows the percentage of completion for each task, making it easy to monitor progress visually.
Switching Views
Gantt View: See tasks as horizontal bars across the timeline for a visual overview.
Table View: Switch to a structured table format for easier data entry and editing.
Inserting Tasks
Insert Task After:
Select a task in the list.
Use the Insert Task After function to add a new task immediately after the selected one.
Editing and Reordering Tasks
Editing Tasks:
Edit task details (name, description, assignee, dates, etc.) inline or through a detail pane.
Adjust dates and durations directly on the timeline by dragging the edges of the task bar or within the table/list view.
Reordering Tasks:
In List View: Use the drag handle (vertical dots) to move tasks up or down.
In Timeline View: Drag the task bar up or down to reorder tasks.
Changes take effect immediately after you drop the task in its new position.
Using Auto-Scheduling
Auto-Schedule helps you automatically adjust task dates based on dependencies and constraints:
Click the Auto-Schedule button.
The Review Schedule Changes pop-up appears, showing:
Title: Name of the task being reviewed.
Current Start/Finish: The current start and finish dates.
Revised Start/Finish: The proposed new dates after auto-scheduling.
For each task, you can:
Skip: Exclude a specific task from auto-scheduling.
Discard Changes: Cancel auto-scheduling and revert to the original schedule.
Commit Changes: Apply the auto-scheduling adjustments to your project timeline.
Tips for Effective Gantt Chart Use
Regularly update task progress and dates to keep your timeline accurate.
Use drag-and-drop to quickly adjust schedules as project needs change.
Leverage auto-scheduling to resolve conflicts and maintain realistic timelines based on dependencies.
Switch between Gantt and Table views as needed for planning or detailed editing.