5 amazing uses of online gantt charts

Gantt chart was developed in 1917 by Henry L. Gantt, an American engineer and social scientist. If you google the definition of gantt charts, the search result shows it’s “a chart in which a series of horizontal lines shows the amount of work done or production completed in certain periods of time in relation to the amount planned for those periods”.

So, you can say that online gantt charts show a project schedule in graphical form, which you can use to plan, coordinate and keep track of different tasks in a project. In this article, I am going to put forward a few uses of these gantt charts that make them so amazing for teams -

• Set task relationship

A project has different tasks needed to be completed in an orderly manner. That’s where gantt charts help. With the tool, you can set task dependencies, which is probably the biggest advantage of using gantt chart. The software lets you see how a task impacts its dependent tasks. Setting relation between different tasks is a great way to optimize workflow, improve productivity and increase success rate of your projects.

• Centralize project information

A gantt chart software helps to centralize project information. So, it becomes a piece of cake to align all the team members. With real time updates on project changes, everyone in the team remains on the same page. In addition, you can log in the tool from anywhere and at any time using any internet-enabled device. This way, you can stay connected with the team even when you are out of the office premise.

• Track work progress

The software lets you view all the tasks related to a project in one place. By viewing status of different tasks in the software, you can keep track of the work done in the project. On basis of this information, you can take steps to make sure the project gets completed on time. This analysis also helps you to make further plans and ensure even distribution of work in the team.

• Make complex data understandable 

As a result of visual nature of gantt charts there are less chances of teams misinterpreting the information. It’s pretty easy to understand even highly complex tasks. Just a glance at online gantt charts is sufficient to know which task has been assigned to which team member and what is the associated deadline. The tool also lets you know the effect of a particular task on the entire project, helping to optimize workflow.

• Display project milestones

It’s crucial to remember important events and deadlines in a project. But, there are always chances of forgetting such critical information. Gantt charts will show milestones added in a project.  So you don’t have to switch between calendar and your software  to figure out which importants dates are approaching.

Those were just a few of the ways that a gantt chart software can work amazingly well for you and your team. If you have not used the tool, then it is high time you give it a try. And, get to know what you have been missing out on.