It was developed by Henry Gantt, a mechanical engineer interested in scientific management. It was invented in the 1910s as a means to visualize the project schedule and manage and monitor the project tasks and resources more efficiently.<\/p>\n
![\"Gantt](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Gantt-Chart-Template-Excel-image.png\")
\t<\/div>Get your free<\/p>\n
Gantt Chart Template<\/h3>\n
\n\tUse this free Gantt Chart Template to manage your projects better.<\/p>\n\tGet the Template<\/a>\n<\/div> \n\n <\/p>\n Gantt charts have come a long way in the 100+ years of their existence. They started on paper, which made them labor-intensive to produce and complicated to update. But with the digital revolution came a new and improved Gantt chart that was easier to make and more powerful in terms of its functionality.<\/p>\n ProjectManager<\/a> is award-winning project and portfolio management software that has powerful Gantt charts that do more than just organize tasks, resources and costs. You can use our Gantt charts to schedule your tasks on a visual timeline but also link all four types of task dependencies to avoid costly delays.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also easy to filter for the critical path to identify essential tasks that must be completed to deliver a successful project. Once you set a baseline, you\u2019ve captured your plan and can now compare that to your actual progress and spending to stay on schedule and within budget. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at a Gantt chart<\/a> in action to better understand how it works and why it\u2019s such a popular project management tool. In the screenshot below, you can see the spreadsheet to the left of the Gantt chart. It lists your project tasks and subtasks, which are broken up as phases in the project. The other columns show the planned start date, planned resource cost and planned hours. We also have a sliver of the timeline on the right side of the screen.<\/p>\n Here you can see the horizontal bar chart that makes up the right-hand side of the Gant chart. Each task is represented by a bar on the graph. The length of the bar is the planned duration of the task. The shading on the bar indicates the progress toward completion. You can also see how dependent tasks<\/a> are connected by a line and milestones are indicated with the placement of a diamond-shaped icon.<\/p>\n Gantt charts are widely used, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re without their advantages and disadvantages. To better understand the benefits and limitations of Gantt charts, we\u2019ll list some pros and cons of this project management tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n A kanban board<\/a> is a project management tool that visualizes workflow. It’s used to add both clarity and efficiency to the work process by limiting work in progress (WIP). Through transparency in the workflow process, it\u2019s easy to identify problems such as roadblocks and resolve them before they impact the work of the project team.<\/p>\n Kanban means signboard in Japanese and was first introduced as a visual scheduling system by Toyota in its production of cars. Kanban boards are made up of two basic elements. Some columns represent the workflow or production<\/a> cycle. On these columns are kanban cards that are tasks, usually providing a description of what needs to be done, who is tasked with executing that work, its start and end dates, priority and more.<\/p>\n Other components include work-in-progress limits. These restrict the maximum amount of tasks in the workflow so work can be completed faster by focusing only on current tasks. Kanban swimlanes are horizontal lines used to separate different activities, teams, etc. There’s also a commitment point that indicates work is ready to be put in the system and a delivery point that shows the work is done.<\/p>\n Since kanban boards are such a visual tool, we’ve included an example of a kanban board below. As you can see there are five columns, the first collects the tasks that are ready to be done. The second shows those that are in the planning or research stage.<\/p>\n After that, there’s a column for tasks that are being executed<\/a>. The penultimate column shows tasks that need review for approval and, finally, there’s the column that shows the tasks that have been completed.<\/p>\n Just as Gantt charts are good for some things and not so good for others, such is the case with kanban boards. Let\u2019s take a moment to see what\u2019s good and bad about using kanban boards as part of your project management<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re still on the fence in the kanban vs. Gantt debate, let\u2019s look at both of these project management tools<\/a> and see how they\u2019re similar and different and when to use them.<\/p>\n Both kanban boards and Gantt charts are project management tools that show upcoming tasks. They’ll have the names of the tasks, and when they need to start and be completed by. Both also often show who\u2019s assigned to the task and the percentage complete of each task.<\/p>\n Gantt charts show the entire project on a visual timeline<\/a>, which also visualizes the relationship between tasks. Kanban boards, on the other hand, are about the volume of work that’s ready to be done, in progress and completed.<\/p>\n Gantt charts are better suited to planning and should be used at the planning stage of the project. They serve project managers throughout the life cycle of the project, while teams likely won’t reference them. Gantt charts are also superior for scheduling as they can link dependencies and show the critical path<\/a> as well as resources, costs and more.<\/p>\n Kanban boards are better for teams as they\u2019re executing their tasks. They focus on the work and are collaborative. Team members can see what’s assigned to them and move it from one column to the next as they work on the task until it\u2019s completed. They also give managers visibility into the team\u2019s work so they can reallocate resources<\/a> as needed to keep teams from being blocked.<\/p>\n If you want to try out a Gantt chart, but you\u2019re not ready to upgrade to project management software, we have a free Gantt chart template for Excel<\/a> that you can download now. There\u2019s a spreadsheet to list your tasks and start and end dates. As you do, you\u2019ll see the horizontal bar chart to the right automatically populate. Then you can add color to differentiate project phases.<\/p>\n Kanban Board Template<\/h2>\n We also have a free kanban board template for Excel<\/a> that you can download and use to visualize your workflow. This customizable document is color-coded to show the priority of each task. On the task cards, you can describe the work, who is assigned to the task and when it\u2019s due.<\/p>\n Of course, both of these templates may be more frustrating than helpful. They\u2019re static documents that must be manually updated. They\u2019re not collaborative and, though helpful to a point, will slow down your progress. Far more efficient is project management software. ProjectManager<\/a> is award-winning project and portfolio management software that has robust Gantt charts and kanban boards, but also other project views, such as task lists, sheet and calendar views. The project team can use the project tools that are right for them.<\/p>\n One of our multiple project views is kanban boards that organize work with drag-and-drop cards. You can create your kanban workflow<\/a> and teams can collaborate whether they\u2019re in the same office or working remotely. Managers have transparency to monitor progress to keep the workflow running smoothly.<\/p>\n ProjectManager’s kanban view<\/a> allows you to spot bottlenecks before they impact the team\u2019s work and resources are quickly allocated to resolve the issue. Kanban cards can be tagged to find easily in a search, priorities set to inform team members which tasks to do first and documentation and images can be attached to the card. There are even to-do lists that teams can make on their kanban cards to manage their work.<\/p>\n Scheduling and workflow tools are important, but you also need to manage resources to keep the project on track. Use our resource management tools<\/a> to plan and schedule your resources. When you onboard teams, set their availability, including PTO, vacation time and even global holidays for remote workers, which makes it easy to assign tasks.<\/p>\n You can also view how many hours team members are working on our workload chart. If they\u2019re over- or under-allocated, you can balance their workload right from the chart to keep them working at capacity and staying productive. You can also set hourly rates with our secure timesheets and track labor costs as well as time spent on tasks.<\/p>\n Gantt charts and kanban boards are popular project management tools of which we\u2019ve only scratched the surface. If you\u2019re interested in learning more about Gantt chart software, kanban software, Gantt chart alternatives, how to make a Gantt chart and more, follow the links below.<\/p>\n ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software that connects teams in the office, out in the field or anywhere else in the world. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Join teams at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who are using our software to deliver successful projects. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"Construction](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/construction-gantt-resources-costs-150-CTA-BUTTON-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Gantt Chart Example<\/h2>\n
![\"Gantt](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Gantt-Manufacturing-Light-2554x1372-1.png\")
<\/a>\nPros and Cons of Gantt Charts<\/h2>\n
Pros of Gantt Charts<\/h3>\n
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Cons of Gantt Charts<\/h3>\n
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What Is a Kanban Board?<\/h2>\n
Kanban Board Example<\/h2>\n
![\"Kanban](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/event-plan-kanban-board-light-mode.png\")
<\/a>\nPros and Cons of Kanban Boards<\/h2>\n
Pros of Kanban Boards<\/h3>\n
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Cons of Kanban Boards<\/h3>\n
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Gantt Chart vs. Kanban Board: Side-by-Side Comparison<\/h2>\n
Similarities Between Gantt Charts and Kanban Boards<\/h3>\n
Differences Between Gantt Charts and Kanban Boards<\/h3>\n
When Should You Use a Gantt Chart Instead of a Kanban Board?<\/h3>\n
When Should You Use a Kanban Board Instead of a Gantt Chart?<\/h3>\n
Gantt Chart Template<\/h2>\n
![\"ProjectManager's](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Gantt-Chart-Screenshot.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"Kanban](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/thumbnail.png\")
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\nProjectManager Has Gantt Charts and Kanban Boards<\/h2>\nManage Workflow With Powerful Kanban Boards<\/h3>\n
![\"Kanban](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Kanban-IT-Light-2554x1372-1-1600x860.png\")
<\/a>\nUse Powerful Resource Management Features<\/h3>\n
![\"resource](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Workload_Wide_Zoom-150_Reassign-hours.jpg\")
\nRelated Gantt Chart vs. Kanban Content<\/h2>\n\n