blog

Why should I use Dependencies in Project Plan?

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 04:40:32 +0100

Whether you are using Chart Gantt Excel or another project planning tool, it is critical that you use task dependencies, to improve reporting and delivery.

Planning a project with dependencies takes a little more time upfront than planning without dependencies, however the time investment will pay off significantly once you move into the deliver phase of your project.

So what are project dependencies?

Dependencies are effectively relationships between your project tasks. There are 4 primary types of dependencies, Finish Start - This is by far the most common form of project dependency used in planning. This task states that one task cannot commence until another has been completed. For example, you can start building your web page until the web design has been completed. Finish Start Dependencies are used in all sorts of projects for all types of applications from Construction Plans, to IT Plans, To Product Launch Schedules. There is no limit to the application of the Finish Start Dependency.

Setting a finish-start enables you to start automating your planning and project reporting. This is particularly useful in very large projects with Hundreds of tasks. Lets assume for a moment that you are building a new office building. There are typically 300-400 tasks planned in such a construction. Lets assume that the building approval slipped out by 10 days. This means that every other task in the plan also needs to slip out by that much. Changing over 400 tasks manually is really not much fun. Assuming for a moment that you planned your entire project using finish - start dependencies, then the slippage would be automatically reflected in the remainder of the plan.

If you are considering getting started with a dependency based plan then why not check out Chartgantt Dependent. It is one of the only excel based gantt chart templates that enables you to simply and quickly set dependencies between tasks and instantly see the effect of slippages.

Check out Chart gantt Dependency.

Check Out Chart Gantt Ultimate

Gantt Chart Template

How to plan a project with a Gantt chart!

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 04:18:41 +0100

Planning a project the first time can be daunting. Many first time project managers are unsure where to start. A Gantt Chart can provide a great starting point for visualising your project and managing it in a more effective manner.

One of the first things to do when planning your project is to consider the task hierarchy. A task hierarchy enables you to quickly and easily navigate through your project and understand an overview of the project at a higher level. A task heirarchy is simply putting a structure to your tasks. You have an activity level tasks and usually 2 higher level tasks or summary tasks.

The next thing you'll need to do is to understand the relationship between your car. By understanding this relationship you'll be able to more effectively automate the management of your project using dependencies. Dependencies enable task slippage to be handled effectively by your project management solution, without you having to manually re-adjust hundreds of dates manually in your project plan.

By choosing a dependency you will be able to set relationships between different tasks. A finish/start relationship is the most common type of relationship. A finish/Start means that you're dependent task cannot be done until your predecessor task has completed. A practical example of it might be in building a house that you cannot commence building the wall before the foundation has been completed. Task Dependency automation comes from the fact that you've finished foundations task with that the wall task will also move-out meaning that you don't need to manually move the time frame associated with it that part it will be automated for you through the understanding of the relationship.

Enjoy Planning for a Change with Chart Gantt

3 Tips on Creating a reporting engine for your Excel Gantt Chart

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 02:52:50 +0100

Many users start building their excel gantt charts using conditional formatting as shown on a range of videos on youtube etc.

One of the key issues with this approach is that they tend to use the gantt chart as both an input and a reporting engine. Ie. The user inputs tasks, resources and dates, and the system just outputs a project plan or gantt chart.

There are three primary reports that should be a key function of any gantt chart, whether created in excel or a proprietary planning package. Before we get into the individual reports, however, it is important to understand the difference between input fields are reporting fields.

An input field cannot be an output field. Many users of Chartgantt, wonder why we are unable to output the revised start and finish dates associated with the use of dependencies, in the input fields. Input fields (to be secure) need to not be over-written with new values.

Manually created reports, particularly when dealing with multiple projects, or very large projects can be both costly and time consuming. Ideally all required reports should be either completely automated, or should be only one click.

When creating Chartgantt V3 we used a combination of standard excel reporting with a series of specific pivotcharts to provide on plan and off plan reporting of gantt chart information.

When creating Chartgantt V3 we used a combination of standard excel reporting with a series of specific pivotcharts to provide on plan and off plan reporting of gantt chart information. Off plan reporting enables summarisation and preparation of reports for distribution to the resources involved in planned delivery.

Report No 1 - Tasks Completing within 7 Days

This Gantt Chart report should highlight the tasks that are completing within the next 7 days to ensure that those tasks that are due to complete soon receive adequate focus. In building Chartgantt 3 our focus was on enabling these flags to be seen in 2 ways. They need to be seen in the core planning worksheet, but also need to be available as a bespoke report. The bespoke report should be oriented around resources. Ie, by resource, by task level (or WBS), and then by task detail. This enables an overview of the number of tasks outstanding per resource, but also enables a drill down to an individual task level.

Marcus Tarrant is a leading author developer and management consultant in the field of planning. He has planned major projects for some of the worlds leading companies including NASA and the US Department of Defence. He decided to focus in creating a range of Excel Based Gantt Chart products and has now invested 4 years in the development of these tools which are used by thousands of customers around the world. He is now broadly consider the world leading in Excel Gantt Chart products. His experience with the creation of Chart Gantt .com has also made him a sought after advisor to others seeking to commerciailise their spreadsheet endeavours.

Gantt Chart Excel Reporting

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:21:19 +0100

Chart gantt is taking it's products to the next level with a range of Excel gantt chart templates with reporting. After initial discussions with our existing clients, we realise that reporting and navigation are key features that many clients are looking for.

A number of existing customers have built their own reporting engines onto their existing gantt charts (Chart Gantt Basic, Dependent, Effort and Cost, or Ulitmate).

Research has indicated that there are 3 primary Excel Gantt Chart reports that customers are looking for. The first report is a flag for tasks that are completing in the next 7 days. This enables them to easily see which activity to focus on, which is particularly useful when managing a large project or series of projects.

The second major reporting feature for our excel based gantt charts is to incorporate a report that lists overdue tasks by resource. This report is ideal for project managers looking to manage multiple resources and tasks. After a number of attempts to build this report we have decided to create it using a PivotChart. PivotCharts gave us the flexibility to create the reports that are required but in a simple graphical format.

The third major reporting feature we have incorporate into version 3 (due for release during February 2013) is a little more sophisticated. This runs a series of calculations to determine if a task is running behind schedule. Behind schedule tasks are developed to report by resource by WBS number and by task. These flags are now built into the main planning sheet as well as a specific reporting sheet.

Why not check out the latest gantt chart excel templates at Chart Gantt .com

4 Steps to Successful Project Establishment

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 06:13:45 +0100

Summary

Nearly all projects that go off the rails (over 80%) usually go off the rails in the early planning and team formation stages. This article explores 5 key tips for structuring your project correctly to give it the best chance of delivering advantageous outcomes.

Body

Whilst it's not possible to guarantee project attainment, there are a number of things you can do from the very start of your project that will promote your chances considerably.

Step 1 - Get Active - Expression is tough work!

If you don't communicate people will make their own assessments of what's going on, you need to be maintaining perceptions and driving the agenda. Speak regularly with your team as a group, be expose and truthful and the truth will flow back. Trust is crucial to effective communication and having the information you need to effectively manage. If things are going bad, you want to be the first to know about it so that you can put in place some strategies to get things back on track.

Be human but remain the controller at all times, guide the discussion and ensure that you use an agenda for the early meetings. Having an agenda and minutes of the meetings ensure that everyone is heard and they hear that they are being heard.

Talk perpetually with individuals in addition to group sessions. Some people won't speak up in a groups.

You need to learn each persons communication style and work with it. This involves meeting with each person who is a part of the team from the outset.

Step 2: Set Clear Project Goals
A project is successful when the needs of the stakeholders have been met. A stakeholder is everybody directly, or indirectly impacted by the project.
As a first step, it is important to identify the stakeholders in your project. It is not always easy to identify the stakeholders of a project, particularly those impacted indirectly.

Once you figure out who the stakeholders are, the next step is to find out their needs (requirements analysis). The best way to do this is by conducting stakeholder interviews. Take time during the interviews to draw out the true needs that create real benefits. Often stakeholders will talk about needs that aren't relevant and don't deliver benefits. These can be recorded and set as a low priority.
The next step, once you have conducted all the interviews, and have a comprehensive list of needs is to prioritise them. From the prioritised list, create a set of goals that can be easily measured. A technique for doing this is to review them against the SMART principle. This way it will be easy to know when a goal has been achieved.
Once you have established a clear set of goals, they should be recorded in the project plan. It can be useful to also include the needs and expectations of your stakeholders.
This is the most difficult part of the planning process ended. It's time to move on and look at the project deliverables.

Step 3: Define Clear Project Deliverables
Whilst a never ending list of tasks looks great, if those tasks don't bring forth anything tangible, they are often a road to no-where.

Add the deliverables to the project plan (gantt chart) with an estimated delivery date and allocated responsible resources. More accurate delivery dates will be established during the scheduling phase, which is next.

Step 4: Project Schedule (Gantt Chart)

Create a list of tasks that need to be carried out for each deliverable identified. The tasks should be phrased in terms of an action. For each task identify the following:
The amount of effort (hours or days) required to complete the task.
The resource who will carry out the task.
Once you have established the amount of effort for each task, you can workout the effort required for each deliverable, and an accurate delivery date. Update your deliverables section with the more accurate delivery dates.

At this point in the planning, you could choose to use a software package such as Chartgantt to create your project schedule. Creating the task list and associated relationships between tasks (dependencies) can take some time, so allow your self a full day to create a well thought through plan. This will save you significant time in the long run.

Resource

Chartgantt.com is the worlds leading author of Professional Gantt Chart Excel. They have spent 3 years building and establishing templates that are now the most desirable available in the world. Smart coding and structuring mean that the product offers far superior flexibility to any other planning tool available on the market
project plan.

Chart Gantt Products Embedded in the Business Planning Toolbox

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:46:54 +0100

Chart gantt products are now being used by Business Planning HQ in their main product, The Business Planning HQ toolkit, but also more recently as an additional discrete element of their Tool Box Product.

The founder of Business Planning HQ says, "We are pleased to see continued value and demand for the Chart Gantt products and services as an integrated element of the Business Planning Offering. For over a year now, our clients have benefited substantially from having an embedded gantt chart tool within their business plan. This latest deal has enabled us to embed Chart Gantt in our broader product offering - The Business Planning Toolbox".

Feedback from presenting the toolbox and associated capabilitities of Chartgantt at the show has been astounding. The incorporation of a project planning tool really appealed to new and early stage businesses. In addition to creating a business plan it is also critical for them to move to the next level with planning and execution.

Leading Start-Up thinker Eric Ries espouses the importance of actually managing the start-up process. Fortunately Chartgantt in combination with Business Planning HQ can rapidly facilitate this like no other product on the market.

Why Should I use Excel to create my next Gantt Chart?

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 06:27:55 +0100

Organisations large and small are turning to the power and flexibility of Excel to better manage and control their project activity. Even a few short years ago, it would have been unthinkable that NASA would be using Excel Rather than structured an proprietary software such as Microsoft project in some areas. The power of excel is only now being realised by many. These powers relate to the flexibility offered. Users are able to leverage their existing knowledge of Excel and apply it to the task of creating a great project plan and simple Gantt Chart.

You already know Excel!

Microsoft Excel is one if the easiest to use programs available in the Microsoft Suite of products, however it is also one of the most powerful if used effectively. One of the most common issues with Gantt Charts is the ability to print the results of your project plan. Most plans are large, in fact far to large for the average sheet of paper. Excel has built in capability for scaling sheets which means you can choose to shrink your plan onto a single page, or to print across a number of pages.

All that is required to effectively use an excel based gantt chart is an ability to click on a cell and then enter text. Anyone who can use a computer can instantly have this capability by using a well designed and structured template.

Excel Templates Can Offer Un-paralleled Gantt Chart Capabilities

Even large organisations such as NASA are turning on to the power and flexibility of excel based project planning. Within Excel it is possible to relate multiple project plans together. This facility is only available in high end tools costing tens of thousands of dollars, and is now available to anyone with a computer running MS Excel 2007 or later. By using conditional formatting to drive gantt chart capability offers an unlimited set of graphical outputs. Users can customise colours, bar size, bar width and the time period of the plan.

Intelligent excel based solutions are using what is known as a “Moving Window” to enable planning across unlimited time frames. This moving window approach enables users to move through time merely by updating the project start date. This facility also creates the capability to enable daily, weekly and monthly views that can greatly compress the viewing window.

Excel Gantt Charts are more flexible than other types of Gantt Chart Software

When planning a project it is often important to be able to customise and run calculations. This ability is often not possible within established, structured project planning software. An excel based gantt chart gives the power to the user. In an gantt chart built in excel, if you don’t like the way something is calculated, simply change it. Alternatively if some of the information you require (Eg. Costing information) is not incorporated, then you can just build this functionality yourself.

In larger organisations the structure of project plans can be oriented to follow the organisational structure with automated roll-ups. As an Excel based Gantt Chart, is not software, it is just a file, it does not require lengthy approvals by IT departments. This again gives the power back to the user. No need for approval is a core advantage in larger organisations.

Create new relationships between tasks and projects that help to automate your planning.

One of the keys to effective project planning is “programming” the relationships between tasks. By creating these relationships it is possible to automate the slippage associated with your project. Simple links are referred to as Dependencies. Any project manager worth his salt will undertake the identification of dependencies as a priority early on in the planning process.

With an excel based gantt chart, you have ultimate power over your chart design and the relationships between tasks. A quality solution will enable Finish Start, Finish Finish, Start Finish and Start Start relationships to be formed.

Summary

Excel is gaining ground in many corporate and small business circles for creating simple and sophisticated project plans. Why not consider doing the same on your next project?

Chartgantt.com is the leading source for excel based gantt charts. Developed over 4 years, these tools have taken a simple concept and enabled highly complex projects to be developed, managed and delivered. Chartgantt is now used by several thousand organisations across the world that have seen the benefits of excel based gantt charts. From large global organisations such as the US Dept of Defence to small one person consulting firms, Chartgantt has become the gold standard in Excel Based Gantt Charts.

4 Tips on Running Better Projects Using Chart Gantt

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 23:26:45 +0100

Abstract

A must read article for all Business Owners interested in smoothly running great Projects. Once a company achieves a reasonable level of growth and size, projects become an inevitable part of running a business. Many business owners do run projects, but those that don't are usually focused on managing via the rear view mirror, rather than looking forward. There a some project owners that choose to establish and run projects on an annual basis. Whilst this may be effective for large organisations, the dynamic environment in which many Small and Medium enterprise operate is not conducive to this.

Tip 1 - Don't set and forget your projects

Projects require ongoing maintenance and management. Not only is cost management critical but the emerging filed of benefits management has also recently emerged. Whilst it might be seem simple and efficient to set and forget your projects, things are continually changing and the direction of your project(s) needs to reflect these changes. Gantt Chart systems can enable more effective monitoring and management of your projects. They enable simple, visual dash-board based reporting. Consider the most critical elements of your project and identify key metrics that you would like to manage. Investigate possible Excel based solutions that might give you a simple and effective Gantt Chart View

Tip 2 - Ensure you monitor and manage delivery

A project can very quickly become a significant business problem. Without constant monitoring it is highly likely that your project will not deliver the benefits that you are seeking. Often the lack of tools makes monitoring a very time consuming administrative task, that becomes too overwhelming for management to use efficiently. Employing the appropriate tools can make automated, visual reporting and monitoring just a part of the process of project delivery. Whilst there are many different tools that can assist in the delivery, the visual appeal and flexibility of an excel based Gantt Chart offers a simple and effective solution.

Tip 3 - Find out how Gantt Charts and Pert Charts can help

One of the key issues with project management is team level communication. The use of a Gantt Chart is effectively a team communication mechanism and ensures that all members of the team are assigned to the right tasks at the right time. Often business owners are not aware of what a gantt chart is. They refer to a project plan as a mere table than a visual time-guide. Chartgantt.com Google is full of useful sites that explain what a Gantt Chart is and how it can be used in project management. For more detailed information, you could consider taking a course with The Project Management Institute on project planning. Set aside an hour per week to learn about the techniques employed in project planning. This small investment of your time could save significant project funds in the long run.

Tip 4 - Also Consider the power of dependencies to automate your project management

Dependencies are effectively an approach to programming the relationships between tasks in your project. This enables any slippages in your project schedule to be automatically modelled, with subsequent tasks automatically slipping as a result. Most business owners and founders are busy focusing on delivery of products or services, rather than project management. Many have never even heard of the concept of project task dependencies. Review wikipedia on project dependencies. There is a fantastic article on all 4 dependency types and exactly how and when they could be used in project planning. Download a program such as Chartgantt that will give you a better understand of exactly what dependencies are and will enable you to play around with exactly how they might affect your project.

Summary

There a some project owners that choose to establish and run projects on an annual basis. Whilst this may be effective for large organisations, the dynamic environment in which many Small and Medium enterprise operate is not conducive to this. To resolve this issue there are a number of key steps that can be taken. the power of dependencies to automate your project management Whilst there are many different tools that can assist in the delivery, the visual appeal and flexibility of an excel based Gantt Chart offers a simple and effective solution. Set aside an hour per week to learn about the techniques employed in project planning. This small investment of your time could save significant project funds in the long run. Download a program such as Chartgantt that will give you a better understand of exactly what dependencies are and will enable you to play around with exactly how they might affect your project.

Project Management Alternatives to Working With MS Project

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:02:30 +0100

NASA is now using MS Excel alternatively to MS Project in some divisions. Read on to comprehend more. MS Project has long been a harbinger in project management, however many project managers are now discovering that MS Project limits the flexibility and control they have over the planning process. Many project managers are confused by the way in which MS Project calculate efforts or as MS Project refers to it as work. The relationship between work and duration is somewhat confused in MS Project as it was originally created as duration based planning tool.

First time project managers

Many first-time project managers find MS Project too complex to learn and understand. Many of the biggest features take years to get down pat and work with. This complexity usually leads to them looking for less complex approaches to establishing a Gantt Chart or spreadsheet view of their Project planning data. Many are moving to Microsoft Excel or a solution, this provides a far greater degree of adaptability in planning and control and requires upfront learning associated with a specific and proprietary project planning solution such as MS Project. Excel offers the first time project manager many substantial benefits and the ability to control and insert tasks exactly as required. It enables them to also devise their own planning framework within the Excel tool.

Experienced project managers

Knowledgeable project managers are becoming increasingly disappointed with MS Project and its many contrasting implementations. Someone will be used in MS Project enterprise edition to manage projects over an organisation. The architecture of MS Project provides a much greater degree of rigidity than many project managers would like.

The domains of modern project management often require integration with third party systems and the cost of implementing MS Project war MS Project enterprise edition to integrate with other databases such as manufacturing systems is simply prohibitive for many. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in the use of Excel based their charts. This enables the project manager to control the way calculations are accomplished and to decide how they would like to manage the project rather than being dictated by a third party software provider.

NASA moved across to Chartgantt.com to increase planning flexibility and control in one of its key delivery divisions. This enabled them to control projects effectively without the complexity of MS Project and importantly enabled a server based alternative to MS Project that could be implemented rapidly. Chartgantt was implemented without any formal with a training manual of only 4 key points.

You would be surprised at the organisations that are moving across to excel as their primary planning paradigm. Why not check it out for yourself.

Chartgantt is a leading provider of <a href="http://www.chartgantt.com">excel gantt charts</a>. Chartgantt has sold its world leading solution to key international parties such as NASA, ACCENTURE, and PEUGOT to enable simplified and more flexibile project planning. If you are running a server environment, Chartgantt is your answer, with prices starting from just $34 per user.

<a href="http://www.chartgantt.com">gantt chart tool</a>.

Building a cash flow in Gantt Chart Format

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:21:36 +0100

We have had a number of requests from clients to enable the use of numbers where the gantt chart bars normally appear. This would enable sophisticating cost allocation decisions to be made effectively using a standard gantt chart tool.

We first started building this solution for Ele consulting in Alabama and after 2 days realised that it was a major undertaking. If anyone has built this functionality please let me know as I now realise to accurately handle daily, weekly and monthly views is significantly more complex than most people would expect.

I would estimate that enabling automatic switching to a cash flow would take in the order of 2 weeks to construct. We hope to get onto this in 2012. It after 3 years of ongoing development of the Gantt Chart Templates, it is easy to forget the complexity that lies behind the scenes!

Gantt Chart Excel
Gantt Chart Template