Gantt Charts

What are they and what do they look like?

A Gantt chart is a series of horizontal lines that show the amount of work
done or production completed at certain periods of time in the production
cycle, in relation to the amount that was originally intended for that time
period. Example include:

The headings of each section of the project are on the rows, whilst the
columns show the progression of time from the initial start date of the
project and represent the timescale. Solid horizontal bars are drawn to
indicate when in the timescale each section is meant to start and finish, and
it also visually demonstrates any sections that may overlap, therefore
meaning that they need to be completed simultaneously, allowing planners
to accordingly designate tasks. The charts can also be used as time
management guides during production as seen in the first Gantt chart. The
actual start times are shown with an overlay of the planned start and finish
times, allowing project managers to see if their project is ahead of schedule
or behind schedule. If the latter occurs, the manager can take appropriate
steps to decrease the total time of that process to ensure that they fall within
the planned time limits again.

Applications of Gantt Charts in the real world

Due to their versatile applicability and practicality, Gantt charts are widely
used in the manufacturing and production industries where often large scale
projects have to be finished within tight time scales, therefore efficient
planning is key. This is a highly effective time management tool so it can lend
itself to many scenarios such as:

Scheduling and monitoring tasks within a project and ensuring that

time restrictions are met

Communicating plans or status of a project to supervisors or project

managers
If the steps of the project or process, their sequence and their duration
are known, allowing them to be plotted on this chart
When it's not necessary to show which tasks depend on completion of
previous tasks, as the main purpose is to put tasks into perspective
time and duration and not dependence

The main applicants of this chart are production and manufacturing

supervisors employed in the product manufacture industry where large scale
and repetitive tasks must be efficiently and accurately carried out in order to
meet production needs and quantities in the least time possible to maximize
profits. Gantt charts and also be used as a method of coordination amongst
different members of smaller teams that are all contributing certain aspects
of a product to create a larger scale product combining these individual
components; such as the production of cars, where individual parts often
made in different countries have to be ready and shipped to the assembly
point before a certain date so that the manufacturer may meet deadlines
and product demands.

Gantt charts have been a widely used method of professional time

management and professional planning since the beginning of the industrial
revolution. Today it is widely recognized as one of the easiest methods to
quickly and efficiently manage time to ensure the highest efficiency levels
when batched processes are carried out. The simple to understand layout of
the chart enables it to be understood by a variety of people and does not
require any prior mathematical knowledge or skill.