8 Key Components Of A Gantt Chart

Construction project management can be defined as the process of planning, measuring, leading, and overseeing specific workflows, resources, and tasks within a construction company. The goal of construction project management is to achieve the economic consumption of resources within a stipulated timeline for successful completion and value delivery. 

‘Construction’ is not exclusively reserved for materials, workforce, and machinery—rather, it encompasses a multitude of activities ranging from project conception to realization and delivery. 

A Gantt chart is an incredible tool that assists project managers in construction project management. It’s a graphical representation of construction project schedules, including the start and finish timelines of a project, resources, planning and dependencies. If you want to know more about Gantt charts, check out this link.

Definition of Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is a stacked bar graphical representation or chart consisting of two axes. 

The vertical axis represents construction project tasks, such as roof repair, electrical wiring within a building, interior design, and more. Meanwhile, the horizontal axis represents the associated timelines and task duration.

With a Gantt chart, you can visualize achieved milestones in construction project schedules, project summaries, and task dependency relationships. The Gantt chart was conceptualized and popularized by Henry Gantt, hence the name. 

Gantt charts find their application in the following types of construction projects:

• Public and government construction projects, usually economic buildings, government structures, public educational institutions, museums, hospital and healthcare infrastructure, government-sanctioned manufacturing plants, and transportation infrastructure.
• Residential development, including apartments, single houses, cottages, row houses, and multi-dwellings.
• Commercial buildings, including trade centers, government business infrastructures, private banks, corporate facilities, and hotels.

What is the function of Gantt charts in construction project management?

In construction project management, Gantt charts can be incredibly helpful. The applications of the Gantt chart include: 

• Planning and scheduling construction projects.
• Strategizing workflows and scheduling construction tasks.
• Providing an overview and comprehensive visualization of tasks with a timeline.
• Team communication and collaboration.
• Efficient resource management, including workers, materials, and machinery.
• Understanding planned vs. actual timelines on a construction project.
• Scheduling administrative and management work.

8 components of a Gantt chart

A simple to-do list can be useful for small projects. However, you’ll need a sophisticated management system if you’re in the construction business, which is where Gantt charts come in handy.

The technical components of a Gantt chart include: 

1. Dates and timelines: Every person involved in the project can visualize when the project will be initiated, the closing date, and when each task needs to be executed.
2. Tasks and workflows: On the left side of the chart, tasks, sub-tasks, and even the most minor workflows are listed for easy tracking.
3. Bars: Bars represent the timeline in which a particular task needs to be completed. This prevents missing out on important deadlines.
4. Achieved milestones: Milestones can be defined as tasks or process completions instrumental to a construction project. Milestone completions keep the team motivated and ensure major tasks are never skipped.
5. Directional arrows: There are certain processes in construction projects that need to be sequential. Small directional arrows located between taskbars denote these sequential interdependencies.
6. Taskbars: Project managers must constantly evaluate how a construction project is coming along. You can visualize the progress of a specific construction project or several projects through shaded taskbars. The shaded portion signifies tasks that are already completed.
7. Task number: If you’re associated with a medium or large-sized construction business enterprise, your teams may be working on several projects and sub-tasks at a specific time. Task identification numbers help in quick identification and smooth management, eliminating confusion.
8. Resources: Naming the resources involved in a project, especially the people and any significant machinery, can be incredibly helpful. Management can quickly understand who is working on which tasks and which machineries are engaged on the field. This overview helps in smooth and efficient resource assignment.

Use Gantt chart software

Initially, when the Gantt chart was conceptualized and used, project managers used pen and paper for drawing and creating the graph. Later, with the introduction of Excel and smart worksheets, creating Gantt charts became much easier.

However, Excel wasn’t a feasible option for intricate and large projects involving several projects and a huge amount of resources. That’s when construction software platforms supporting Gantt charts were developed to streamline complicated construction projects. 

Gantt charts were transformed into a project scheduling software to manage critical construction processes. Although many project managers work with conventional local desktop programs, Gantt chart software has now become cloud-based. You can easily develop shareable Gantt charts for seamless collaboration. 

Types of Gantt chart software

Desktop-based Gantt charts such as Microsoft Excel were ideally suited for small projects involving one or two managers. Sharing desktop-based Gantt charts was a complex task and required complicated integration of a file-sharing hub, leading to increased expenses. 

Cloud-based Gantt chart software enables collaborative project planning to easily share and control accessories. You can simply invite your team members or stakeholders to get an overview of the construction project plan, assign tasks, or attach relevant files for real-time updates. 

Additionally, with cloud-based software, you don’t require costly server installations or complicated integrations for every individual user. Therefore, software-based Gantt charts can markedly improve your team’s productivity and enhance business outcomes.  

Conclusion

Ultimately, Gantt chart software isn’t just reserved for construction project managers. It can be utilized by the entire project team, from those working on the field to stakeholders for enhanced productivity, efficient management and smooth transition within projects. 

Find an ideal Gantt chart software with relevant features to help you manage your construction business successfully and effectively. Bid farewell to stubborn bottlenecks—there’s so much you can do with Gantt charts.