Gantt Chart Reason#1: Finally you can see what you are doing!
Looking at a column of start and finish dates for tasks, is the primary alternative to using a Gantt Chart.    Each row of your plan requires you to think about the dates, and position those dates in the context of preceding and dependent tasks.  This thought process, attempting to visualize your dates in your head, takes valuable thinking time, and more importantly can only be performed effectively on one or two tasks at once. A Ga...

Gantt Chart Reason#1: More Control

Using excel gives you more control over the gantt chart creation process.  It provides you with the freedom to control key planning variables as you see fit.  For example if you would like to convert 8 hours, or 7.5 hours into one day, it is straight forward to do with a simple formula.  If you would rather plan in minutes, you can do this too.  Whilst structured planning tools such as MS Project do have a place, experience suggests that for an experience...

Planning requires deep concentration.  Try to avoid getting distracted during your planning time.  Perhaps try working from home for a day, or lock yourself in the boardroom with “busy” posted on the door.  The level of concentration and analysis you can put into your plan upfront will pay significant dividends down the track.  Usually the creation of a gantt chart involves the expenditure of cash or resources on a ser...

Contrary to the beliefs of the main gantt chart software packages, every project and every plan has its own special requirements.

Some project plans may require you to measure and manage effort for billing purposes.  Other plans may need minute based planning.  There are so many different requirements of project planning that it is difficult to build these into a single gantt chart tool.

This is where MS Excel has some very substantial advantages in preparing gantt charts.  The major, and o...

Dependencies are particul...