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Gantt charts used to be prepared by hand and therefore the chart needed to be redrawn every time there was a
change in the project which posed some limitations to the usefulness of the chart. However with the invention of
the computer along came project management software which makes the tool much easier to handle and update
when changes occur. This article will not go into details with the different tools related to making Gantt charts and
will merely explain the use of this project management tool and what challenges and limitations a project manager
is faced with when using the tool. [1]
The Gantt Chart is build up around three key elements: the grid, the task bars and the time scale. The grid is built
up as a matrix consisting of vertical and horizontal lines that cross with one another, creating a number of boxes
that represent a single unit of time. The time scale is placed on the horizontal axis and can be set to any time
interval be it a day, a week or a month etc. The time interval is most likely to change as planning progresses but
can with the use of computer software easily be adjusted.
All activities are listed vertically to the left of the chart. In Figure 3 the tasks have been named: Task 1, Task 2,
Task 3 etc. but in real Gantt charts the task description should be meaningful in order to clearly communicate the
purpose of the task.
The horizontal task bars are the heart of the Gantt chart. They show where an activity begins and ends. Simple,
quick and with a clear visual impact they give a wealth of information. Once the grid has been filled with taskbars
and dependencies the chart will hold the majority of the key information needed to analyze and monitor the project
as it progresses. [2]
Challenges
The Gantt chart is an amazing tool but on its own it will not ensure the success of a project because of the many
challenges a project is met by during its lifetime. It needs to be accompanied by a skillful project manager that can
control and monitor the progress of the project and seek to make continuous improvement. In the following section
the most important challenges to making a Gantt chart are described and how to handle them.
Dependencies
Some tasks can overlap each other because they don't depend on each other but on the other hand some tasks
may be dependent on one another and therefore it can be useful to use indications of dependencies that link
related tasks together in the Gantt chart. Dependencies can be described in various ways: finish to start, start to
start and finish to finish as shown on Figure 4. They are illustrated on the Gantt chart as small vertical arrows
running between the tasks. The most common dependency is finish to start indicating that one task needs to be
finished in order for the next to begin. Start to start dependencies means that two tasks are started at the same
time however this does not mean that they are completed at the same time. Finish to finish dependencies
indicates that the tasks are finished at the same time but the beginning of them can be initiated at different times.
In the practical world when planning a project it can be difficult to rely on dependencies because of sudden
changes in the project. To account for this there at two variations of dependency types that can be applied:
dependencies with lag time and practical dependencies. [2]
Dependencies with lag time are used where a period of time occurs between one activity completing and another
starting. An example of this could be applying for planning permission. Waiting for the approval can take a number
of weeks, but ones the approval has been given the work can begin. The time spent waiting to get the approval is
called lag time which is time that needs to occur before moving on, see Figure 5. [2]
Partial dependencies
The type of dependency where a task can begin after a certain amount of its prede-cessor task is completed is
called a partial dependency. On Figure 5 they are illustrated with blue arrows between the related tasks. [2]
Float
The tasks that are not on the critical path have what is called float attached to them which is the difference
between the time available to complete the task and the time required, illustrated as punctured bars on Figure 5. It
is also the time in which a task can be delayed without it influencing the end date of the project. If a task has no
float then it is on the critical path of the project. On Figure 5 the tasks that have the most float is Task 8 and 7. A
subset of float is called free float and it only applies to tasks which have a successor that is not on the critical path.
It is the maximum amount of time that a task can be delayed without delaying any successor task beyond its start
date. An example of free float on Figure 5 is Task 6. On Figure 5 the yellow diamonds show milestones which are
point in time where a bigger event will be completed if everything goes as planned. [2]
Risk Mitigation
Uncertainty or risk is always a part of project management and it is essential for the project manager to fully
understand where problems might occur in order to plan ahead of them an avoid delays and expensive cost to try
and make up for it or correct a mistake. Therefore it is a good idea to put in extra time in the schedule for things to
go wrong.
There are two ways to ad time for things to go wrong: float, which has been mentioned previously and
contingency. These two methods are very different from one another. Contingency is planned time for things to go
wrong whereas float is time that is available but if used this means that what was planned has not been achieved.
However float does give the advantage of extra time if unplanned events should occur, but it is not a good idea to
rely on float alone in the events of things going wrong. Project managers should include contingency in their
planning of a project for each task where there is a significant amount of risk for the task not to precede as
planned. How much contingency needs to be added depends on how big the risk is.
The challenge with adding contingency is the reluctance that the project manager might meet from the project
sponsors because of their wish for the project to finish as quickly as possible. It is common for the project
sponsors to suggest that the contingency will be added at the end of the project instead of a task-by-task basis in
order to get a feeling of control over the project and finish early. However the contingency should be planned on a
task-by-task basis to make sure that the project can cope with unexpected events at that moment when they
occur. [2]
Limitations
Gantt charts can have a great benefit to project managers but they are however limited.
The Chart is based on the work breakdown structure. This method is used to breaking down a project into
components or pieces that can be estimated and analyzed to make complex project more manageable. If a project
has not gone through a breakdown structure process the Gantt chart cannot be used for the project schedule due
to the risk of overseeing vital activities in the project making the Gantt chart useless. [4]
Complexity is the biggest limitation because it is difficult to display them in the Gantt chart. An example could be a
milestone that has multiple tasks that are required in order to achieve it. For each of those tasks has sub-tasks is
required and this is difficult to explain well in the chart. For this reason the project managers should not rely
exclusively upon the Gantt chart.
If a project is very complex the Gantt Chart can become very extensive and confusing instead of creating an
overview depending on how detailed the chart is made. If the chart goes past one page the chart begins to loose
its functionality which is why the chart works best for smaller projects.
The Gantt charts main focus is time. Trying to ad time, cost and scope is very difficult because the chart is so
limited.
Depending on the project other tools than the Gantt chart that might suit the project better.
[4]
During the project the chart needs to be updatet because of progress or changes to the project
Annotated bibliography
The annotated bibliography provides key references to relevant subjects related to the Gantt Charts and provides
additional information on the subject and why it is relevant:
To find more information on Gantt charts, please have a look at rther related articles written in connection with the
course 42433 Advanced Engineering Project, Program and Portfolio Management at The Technical
University of Denmark in the autumn of 2015 regarding Gantt charts are:
Gantt Chart
If you are interested in other subjects relevant to Gantt Charts please have a look at the following articles from the
course:
This article adresses how uncertainties and risk are created and how they can be managed by the means of Lean
Construction principles.
I also recommend:
Engineering Management Journal (2003), The Institute of Engineering Technology This book provides information
on management methods, techniques and processes relevant to engineers, incorporating project management,
marketing, finance, law, quality and responsibilities of the engineer in society and was also used for this article.
References
1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 [www.gantt.com] What is a Gantt chart? Available at: www.gantt.com (Acessed: 17-09-2015,
12:30 pm)
2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 [Uncharted Territory] Orr, Alan (2003) Engineering Management
Journal, Volume 13 issue 3, page 28-31, Glasgow, England
3. [www.projectmaster.co.uk] How can gantt charts help avoid disaster Available
at:https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/how-gantt-charts-can-help-avoid-disaster.php (Acessed: 17-09-2015,
01:05 pm)
4. 4.0 4.1 [www.brighthubpm.com] What is a Work Breakdown Structure Available
at:http://www.brighthubpm.com/templates-forms/2645-what-is-a-work-breakdown-structure/ (Acessed:
24-09-2015, 10:19 pm)