Gantt chart in Excel (Table of contents)
Gantt Chart in Excel
When we start a new project or a company wants to launch a new product or maybe a developer wants to take a new task, all these things require time for every bit of steps involved and how does one keep track of this? The answer is the Gantt Chart.
But What is a Gantt Chart in Excel?
Henry L. Gantt an American Engineer came with a production tool in 1917 which provides a graphical interpretation of a schedule for specific tasks in a project. The horizontal bar chart which was developed by Henry L. Gantt is known as Gantt Chart. This tool helps a person to analyze what time is specified for which task.
A Gantt Chart is a bar chart with the horizontal axis representing the total time span of a project, while the vertical axis is for the specific tasks of the project. A person can have a clear interpretation of a project with the help of Gantt Chart.
Below is an Image of Gantt Chart in Excel.
How to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel?
Gantt Chart in Excel is very simple and easy to create. Let understand the working of Gantt Chart in Excel by some Examples.
Steps to Make Gantt Chart in Excel
For a Gantt Chart to illustrate a timespan for the task of the project we need a table for the tasks and time defined. For Example, I need to start a new classroom for teaching. Below are the steps which will follow.
- Search for a place to open a class (Time allotted to me: 5 Days)
- Finalize the deal for the place (Time allotted: 2 Days)
- Purchase Furniture’s (Time Allotted: 2 Days)
After going through all the above three steps then I can start teaching to students. Assume the start date for the first task is today i.e. 30th Nov. Lets make the table in Excel.
The table looks like this,
From the above table, it is clear that I can start teaching from 9th of Dec after completing all the tasks. Now how do we show the above table in the Gantt Chart? Let us name this steps of making Gantt Chart process as “PROCESS” and bifurcate them in different steps:
- Go to Insert Tab.
- In the charts group, Go to Bar Charts and select 3-D stacked bar chart(we can choose either 2-D or 3-D, but 3-D gives better illustration so let us stick with it).
- We see a blank chart and we need to input values in it.
Right click on the chart and select “Select Data”.
- In the legend entries(Legend Entries means a data which is located on the right-hand side of the chart) we can see an add button.
- Click on it and an Edit series pops out.
- In the series name, select the date cell & in series values remove the default value and select the range of date.
- We need to add a new series so, we again go to add button and in series name, we will select “Time allocated” & in series value the range of Time allocated.
- After clicking ok, we are again back to our select data dialog box. In the horizontal axis, label click on an edit button.
- In the axis label range select all the tasks.
- We have all our data so we can select ok in the select data source tab and the chart looks like this,
- There is a problem in the chart, our tasks are not in order and our tasks start from 30-Nov not from 24-Nov. To Fix this click on Tasks and then right click and select “Format Axis”.
- In the right-hand side, a dialog box appears. Click on Categories in reverse order highlighted. This will arrange the tasks in the right order.
- Now the date isn’t the date we wanted. In excel, Date is in number format. In any blank cell type our start date and in the home tab in numbers group, it is by default selected as custom. Select a number and we see the number for our start date. Now right-click on a date in the chart and select format axis.
- In the right-hand side of the dialog box, there is a section of Minimum Bound Values which is the start point of our dataset by default. Change it with the number format of our date we want.
- Now our project has not yet been started but the blue bar shows the completion of the task so to remove that right click on the blue bar and go to format data series.
- In the Fill section select “No Fill”.
- Now we have prepared our first Gantt Chart.
Gantt Chart Examples
Let’s understand more about Gantt Charts in Excel with some examples.
Example #1
A developer needs to automate a program or say make a software for a client. He needs to research first in the needs of software for the client then gather the data after that he analyze it to make the code and test it and then finally it will be ready. The software is to be delivered by 21st of Dec.
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Below is the data table for the developer.
Now we follow the “Process of making Gantt charts in Excel”.
- Go to Insert Tab & In the charts group, Go to Bar Charts and select 3-D stacked bar chart(we can choose either 2-D or 3-D.
- In the legend entries(Legend Entries means a data which is located on the right-hand side of the chart) right click on the Chart and we can see a “Select Data” option.
Click on “Select Data” a pop-up menu will appear in that go to Legend Series> Add.
- Click on it and an Edit series pops out.
- In the series, name selects the date cell & in series value remove the default value and select the range of date.
- We need to add a new series so, we again go to add button and in series name, we will select “Time allocated” & in series value the range of Time allocated.
- After clicking ok, we are again back to our select data dialog box. In the horizontal axis, label clicks on the edit button.
- In the axis label range select all the tasks.
- Click on Tasks and then right click and select “Format Axis”.
- In the right-hand side, a dialog box appears. Click on Categories in reverse order highlighted.
- Click on the blue bar and go to format data series.
- In the Fill section select “No Fill”.
- Below is the Gantt Chart for the developer.
Example #2
A boss needs to start a new department for his company. He will first make a flowchart to the initial steps to show his partners then make the guidelines, after that he can hire workers and train them.
Below is the data table for the company’s boss.
Let us follow the same process of making Gantt Charts in Excel:
- Go to Insert Tab & In the charts group, Go to Bar Charts and select 3-D stacked bar chart(we can choose either 2-D or 3-D.
- In the legend entries(Legend Entries means a data which is located on the right-hand side of the chart) we can see an add button. Click on it and an Edit series pops out.
- In the series, name selects the date cell & in series value remove the default value and select the range of date.
- We need to add a new series so, we again go to add button and in series name, we will select “Time allocated” & in series value the range of Time allocated.
- After clicking ok, we are again back to our select data dialog box. In the horizontal axis, label clicks on the edit button and in the axis label range select all the tasks.
- Click on Tasks and then right click and select “Format Axis”. In the right-hand side, a dialog box appears. Click on Categories in reverse order highlighted.
- Click on the blue bar and go to format data series. In the Fill section select “No Fill”.
- Below is the Gantt Chart for the company Boss.
Along with the various uses of the Gantt Chart, there are some Pros and Cons to it. Let’s discuss it one by one,
Pros of Gantt Chart in Excel
- Gantt Chart Gives a clear illustration of project status.
- It helps to plan, coordinate.
- It is highly visible.
Cons of Gantt Chart in Excel
- Gantt Chart does not show task dependencies. If one task is not completed a person cannot assume how is it going to affect the other tasks.
- The size of the bar does not indicate the amount of work, it depicts the time period.
- They need to be constantly updated.
Things to Remember
- Data table needs to be made for a Gantt Chart.
- Tasks need to be in ascending order.
- Start date needs to be the first task start date.
Recommended Articles
This has been a guide to a Gantt Chart in Excel. Here we discuss its uses and how to create Gantt Chart in Excel with excel examples and downloadable excel templates. You may also look at these useful functions in excel –
