Gantt Chart

What is it?
A gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that stretches over a timeline to show scheduled and completed work. It is a very useful tool in work that involves groups because it is a visual display of tasks that have to be completed over a specific period of time. The visual representation of the duration, that can be set, and the order of tasks allows us to see clearly what work needs to be done first and the time scale that is allocated.

A gantt chart can possibly speed things up in a group work, as we can determine which work can be done simultaneously. For example, in a house-building stimulation that we carried out in class today, we found that plumbing a house, which requires 2 weeks, and fixing the electrics, which also takes 2 weeks can be done simultaneously, meaning we only 2 weeks to complete both at the same time- otherwise, separating the task will take 4 weeks. This shows that the gantt chart helps us to plan our group tasks so that we can effectively complete it in the shortest time possible.

Tips on using Gantt Chart

• Before constructing one, list down the tasks. Then, you can see clearly and decide which has to be done first.
• Notice that some of the work can be done simultaneously, so overlap the tasks to save time.
• Colour code the tasks to distinguish who does what
• Give a reasonable time scale for your tasks
• If you've finished your task way ahead of the deadline, you can refer to the Gantt chart to see what other tasks you can help with.