Gantt chart course

Lesson 1 • Types of Gantt Charts

Distinguishes simple, linked, and resource-loaded Gantt chart formats. Guides learners in selecting the right type for a given project context.

Lesson 2 • History and Purpose of Gantt Charts

Traces the origin of Gantt charts from Henry Gantt's industrial work to modern use. Establishes why visual scheduling improves project communication and control.

Lesson 3 • Anatomy of a Gantt Chart

Identifies every structural element of a standard Gantt chart. Connects element recognition to accurate chart reading and construction.

Lesson 1 • Understanding Project Scope

Defines scope as the boundary of work included in a project. Connects clear scope definition to accurate task identification and schedule reliability.

Lesson 2 • Building a Work Breakdown Structure

Introduces the WBS as a hierarchical decomposition of project work. Shows how WBS levels map directly to Gantt chart task rows.

Lesson 3 • Writing Clear Task Descriptions

Establishes standards for naming and describing tasks unambiguously. Well-written tasks prevent scheduling confusion and improve team accountability.

Lesson 4 • Estimating Task Durations

Covers techniques for estimating how long each task will take. Accurate duration estimates are the foundation of a realistic Gantt schedule.

Lesson 1 • Choosing the Right Tool

Compares spreadsheet-based, dedicated software, and online Gantt tools. Learners select a tool appropriate for their project size and team context.

Lesson 2 • Formatting for Clarity and Readability

Applies colour coding, fonts, and layout choices to make the chart easy to read. A well-formatted chart communicates schedule information at a glance.

Lesson 3 • Entering Tasks and Durations

Inputs the task list and duration estimates into the chosen tool. This section bridges the planning work from Chapter 2 into a visible schedule.

Lesson 4 • Adding Milestones

Inserts milestone markers to represent key decision points and deliverable deadlines. Milestones give stakeholders clear progress checkpoints on the chart.

Lesson 1 • Linking Tasks in Your Chart

Demonstrates the mechanics of creating dependency links in common Gantt tools. Linked tasks enable automatic schedule recalculation when dates shift.

Lesson 2 • Managing Float and Slack

Explains total float and free float as measures of scheduling flexibility. Learners use float data to prioritise monitoring and make informed trade-off decisions.

Lesson 3 • Identifying the Critical Path

Defines the critical path as the longest sequence of dependent tasks determining project end date. Learners locate the critical path and understand its scheduling implications.

Lesson 4 • Applying Leads and Lags

Introduces lead time (overlap) and lag time (delay) as modifiers on dependency links. Leads and lags allow realistic scheduling of partially overlapping tasks.

Lesson 1 • Assigning Resources to Tasks

Maps specific resources to tasks and sets allocation percentages or units. Assignments transform a task schedule into a workload-aware plan.

Lesson 2 • Displaying Resources on the Chart

Adds resource names and allocation data as visible labels on Gantt bars. Visible resource data improves team communication and accountability.

Lesson 3 • Detecting Resource Overallocation

Uses resource histograms and usage views to find overloaded resources. Early detection prevents burnout and schedule failure during execution.

Lesson 4 • Resource Levelling Techniques

Applies levelling strategies to resolve overallocations without exceeding resource limits. Learners balance workload while minimising impact on the project end date.

Lesson 1 • Collecting Progress Data

Defines methods for gathering actual start dates, finish dates, and percent complete from the team. Reliable data collection is the prerequisite for accurate schedule updates.

Lesson 2 • Setting the Schedule Baseline

Saves the approved plan as a baseline for future comparison. The baseline is the reference point against which all progress and variance are measured.

Lesson 3 • Updating the Gantt Chart

Enters collected progress data into the chart and recalculates the schedule. Updated charts reflect current reality and drive informed decisions.

Lesson 4 • Analysing Schedule Variance

Compares updated schedule against the baseline to quantify delays and advances. Variance analysis directs corrective action to the tasks that matter most.

Lesson 1 • Constraint and Deadline Management

Applies task constraints and deadline flags to enforce fixed dates within the schedule. Learners balance hard constraints against scheduling flexibility to protect the critical path.

Lesson 2 • Schedule Compression Methods

Covers crashing and fast-tracking as techniques to shorten the project end date. Learners evaluate trade-offs between cost, risk, and time for each method.

Lesson 3 • Multi-Phase and Programme Scheduling

Structures large projects into phases and links phase-level Gantt charts. Learners manage interdependencies across phases and maintain a coherent master schedule.

Lesson 4 • Rolling Wave Planning

Introduces progressive elaboration of the schedule as project details become clearer. Rolling wave planning keeps long-horizon schedules realistic without over-planning.

Lesson 1 • Integrating Gantt Charts with Other Tools

Links Gantt schedule data with budgets, risk registers, and issue logs. Integration creates a unified project control environment rather than isolated documents.

Lesson 2 • Gantt Charts in Stakeholder Management

Adapts chart detail and format for different stakeholder audiences. Tailored presentations increase stakeholder engagement and support for the project plan.

Lesson 3 • Lessons Learned and Schedule Improvement

Captures scheduling insights at project close to improve future Gantt chart accuracy. Continuous improvement builds organisational scheduling maturity over time.

Lesson 4 • Schedule Governance and Change Control

Establishes a formal process for approving and documenting schedule changes. Governance prevents unauthorised scope and timeline changes from eroding plan integrity.