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Special Duty Assignment Pay

If you are an enlisted member who is performing duties which have been designated as extremely difficult or involving an unusual degree of responsibility in a military skill, you may be entitled to Special Duty Assignment Pay (SDAP).

The following table reflects the most recent SDAP monthly rates:

What Military Specialties Qualify For Special Duty Assignment Pay?

Some of the qualifying military specialties include:

• Nuclear Trained Sailors
• Special Operations Forces
• Production Recruiter
• White House Communications Agency
• Defense Threat Reduction Agency
• Defense Courier Operations
• Senior Enlisted Advisor to the JCS

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Special and Incentive Pay Index

Title 37, chapter 5, subchapter i - s&i pays currently for active duty members:.

• Section 301(a) Hazardous Duty Incentive Pays (HDIP).
• Section 301(a)(1) Flying Duty, Crew Members.
• Section 301(a)(2) Flying Duty, Non Crew Members.
• Section 301(a)(3) Parachute Duty Pay.
• Section 301(a)(4) Demolition Duty Pay.
• Section 301(a)(5) Pressure Chamber Duty Pay.
• Section 301(a)(6) Acceleration and Deceleration Duty Pay.
• Section 301(a)(7) Thermal Stress Duty Pay.
• Section 301(a)(8) Flight Deck Duty Pay.
• Section 301(a)(9) Toxic Pesticides/Dangerous Organisms Personal Exposure Pay.
• Section 301(a)(10) Toxic Fuel/Propellants and Chemical Munitions Exposure Duty Pay.
• Section 301(a)(11) Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) - Maritime Interdiction Operations.
• Section 310 Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay.

Arduous Duty

• Section 305 Hardship Duty Pay.
• Section 307a Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP).
• Section 314 Overseas Tour Extension Incentive Pay (OTEIP).

Career Incentive

• Section 301a Aviation Career Incentive Pay (ACIP) .
• Section 301c Submarine Duty Incentive Pay (SUBPAY) .
• Section 304 Diving Duty Pay .
• Section 305a Career Sea Pay (CSP) .
• Section 320 Career Enlisted Flyer Incentive Pay (CEFIP) .
• Section 309 Enlistment Bonus (EB) .
• Section 312b Nuclear Officer Accession Bonus .
• Section 324 Accession Bonus for New Officers in Critical Skills .
• Section 329 Accession Bonus for Members Appointed as a Commissioned Officer after Completing Officer Candidate School

Proficiency

• Section 316 Foreign Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP) .
• Section 301b Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP) .
• Section 308 Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) .
• Section 312 Nuclear Officers Extending Period of Active Duty .
• Section 312c Nuclear Career Annual Incentive Bonus .
• Section 318 Special Warfare Officer Continuation Pay .
• Section 319 Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) Continuation Pay .
• Section 321 Judge Advocate Continuation Pay (JACP) .
• Section 355 Critical Skills Retention Bonus (CSRB) or Bonus for Assignment to High Priority Unit .

Responsibility

• Section 306 Officers Holding Positions of Unusual Responsibility .
• Section 307 Special Duty Assignment Pay for Enlisted Members .

Rehabilitation

• Section 328 Combat-related Injury Rehabilitation Pay.

Skill Conversion

• Section 326 Incentive Bonus for Conversion to Military Occupational Specialty to Ease Personnel Shortage .

Transfer between Services

• Section 327 Incentive Bonus for Transfer Between Armed Forces .
• Section 301d Multi-year Retention Bonus for Medical Officers .
• Section 301e Multi-year Retention Bonus for Dental Officers .
• Section 302(a)(2) and (3) Medical Officer Variable Special Pay (VSP).
• Section 302(a)(4) Medical Officer Additional Special Pay (ASP) .
• Section 302(a)(5) Medical Officers Board Certification Pay (BCP) .
• Section 302(b) Medical Officer Incentive Special Pay (ISP) .
• Section 302a(a) Optometrists Regular Special Pay .
• Section 302a(b) Optometrists Retention Special Pay .
• Section 302b(a)(2) and (3) Dental Officer Variable Special Pay (VSP) .
• Section 302b(a)(4) Dental Officer Additional Special Pay (ASP) .
• Section 302b(a)(5) Dental Officer Board Certification Pay (BCP) .
• Section 302b(a)(6) Dental Officer Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Incentive Special Pay (ISP) .
• Section 302c Nonphysician Health Care Providers Board Certification Pay (BCP) .
• Section 302d Registered Nurse Accession Bonus .
• Section 302e Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) Incentive Special Pay .
• Section 302h Dental Officer Accession Bonus .
• Section 302i Pharmacy Officer Retention Special Pay .
• Section 302j Pharmacy Officer Accession Bonus .
• Section 302k Accession Bonus for Medical Officers in Critically Short Wartime Specialties .
• Section 302l Accession Bonus for Dental Officers in Critically Short Wartime Specialties .
• Section 303(a) Veterinary Corps Officer Special Pay .
• Section 303(b) Veterinary Corps Officer Board Certified Pay (BCP) .

Section 301(a) Hazardous Duty Incentive Pays (HDIP)

Entitlement pays; payable to enlisted members and officers.

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Section 301(a)(1) Flying Duty, Crew Members

For performance of hazardous duty involving frequent and regular aerial flight as a crew member, and to induce members (other than, career aviators) to volunteer for flying duty assignments as crew members and to retain the required number of skilled crewmembers to man mission requirements. Payment ranges from $110 to $250 per month, determined by grade.

Section 301(a)(2) Flying Duty, Non Crew Members

For performance of hazardous duty involving frequent and regular aerial flight, and to induce members to volunteer for, and remain in, flying duty assignments as 'other than crew members'. Payment is flat $150 per month.

Section 301(a)(3) Parachute Duty Pay

For performance of hazardous duty involving jumping, and to attract members to volunteer for, and to continue performing, parachute duty. Payment is flat $150 per month, except for duty involving High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jumps, which is $225 per month.

Section 301(a)(5) Pressure Chamber Duty Pay Section 301(a)(6) Acceleration and Deceleration Duty Pay Section 301(a)(7) Thermal Stress Duty Pay

For hazardous duty related to participation as human test subject in low and high pressure, acceleration or deceleration, or thermal stress chambers. Also, intended to attract volunteers to perform such duties. Payment is flat $150/mo.

Section 301(a)(8) Flight Deck Duty Pay

For more than normally dangerous character of flight deck duty, and to enhance the Services' ability to attract and retain personnel involved in the frequent and regular flight operations on the flight deck of ships from which aircraft are launched. Payment is flat $150 per month

Section 301(a)(9) Toxic Pesticides Personal Exposure Pay

For hazardous duty involving frequent and regular exposure to highly toxic pesticides and to induce members to volunteer for such duty. Payment is flat $150 per month.

Section 301(a)(10) Toxic Fuel/Propellants and Chemical Munitions Exposure Duty Pay

For the more than normally dangerous character of performing duty which entails exposure to toxic fuels or propellants, or chemical munitions. Payment is flat $150 per month.

Section 301(a)(11) Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) - Maritime Interdiction Operations

For performance of hazardous duty involving regular participation as a member of a team conducting VBSS operations aboard vessels in support of maritime interdiction operations. Payment is flat $150/mo. Only Navy members (among DoD Services) perform duty that qualifies for this pay

Section 301a Aviation Career Incentive Pay (ACIP)

Financial incentive for officers to serve as military aviators throughout a military career. Payment ranges from $125 to $840 per month, determined by years of aviation service as an officer. Entitlement pay.

Section 301b Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP).

Financial incentive to retain qualified, experienced officer aviators who have completed their Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO) to remain on active duty for a specified period of additional service. Services may pay up to $25K for each year of service agreement, regardless of the length of contract; through 25 years of aviation service; and to aviators in grade 0-6. Discretionary pay.

Section 301c Submarine Duty Incentive Pay (SUBPAY)

Additional pay to increase Navy's ability to attract and retain volunteers for submarine duty, and to compensate for the more than normally arduous character of such duty. The Secretary of the Navy may set SUBPAY rates within a statutory cap of $1,000 per month. Currently, Navy SUBPAY rates range from $75 to $835 per month. Entitlement pay.

Section 301d Multi-year Retention Bonus for Medical Officers

Financial incentive to retain a sufficient number of qualified physicians to meet armed forces health care requirements. Up to $75K per year for 4-year agreement payable to physicians with over 8 years creditable service, or who have completed their ADSO incurred for medical education and training, and initial residency training, and are below pay grade O-7. Discretionary pay; all Military Departments use this bonus authority.

Section 301e Multi-year Retention Bonus for Dental Officers

To attract and retain adequate number of dental officers to meet armed forces' health care needs. Maximum award level is $50K a year for 4-year agreement. Entitlement pay for dental officers with specialties in oral and maxillofacial surgery, in pay grade below O-7, with at least 8 years of creditable service or, have completed their ADSO for dental education and training, and initial residency training. Other dental officers may be extended bonus offer at Service discretion, if they otherwise meet above eligibility requirements. Discretionary pay.

Section 302(a)(2) and (3) Medical Officer Variable Special Pay (VSP)

Provides increase in monthly pay for all medical officers on active duty (regardless if in internship training, regardless of specialty or remaining obligated service), as broad-based incentive to increase numbers of physicians remaining on active duty after completion of ADSO for advanced training. Payment ranges from $1.2K to $12K a year, paid out monthly, determined by years of creditable service (except set amount is paid to O-7s and above, regardless of years of creditable service). Entitlement pay.

Section 302(a)(4) Medical Officer Additional Special Pay (ASP)

Additional pay for all medical officers on active duty who have completed internship or initial residency training, regardless of specialty, if they agree to remain on active duty for additional 12 month period, to bring more into 6-7 year window when they would be eligible for higher pays in private sector, thereby encouraging longer periods of retention. Flat $15K for 12-month active duty service agreement. Entitlement pay.

Section 302(a)(5) Medical Officers Board Certification Pay (BCP)

Incentive for retention and also promotes quality health care by encouraging all medical officers to attain board certification, signifying highest level of professional competence. Payment is $2.5K to $6K per year, dependent on years of creditable service, paid monthly once physician becomes board certified and as long as officer remains so certified. Entitlement pay.

Section 302a(a) Optometrists Regular Special Pay

Intended to attract sufficient number of qualified optometrists to enter and stay in service to meet armed forces' health care requirements. Payment is flat $100 per month for each month of active duty. Entitlement pay.

Section 302a(b) Optometrists Retention Special Pay

Discretionary pay intended to be used as needed to address retention problems. Up to $15K per year payable to officers drawing Optometrist Regular Special Pay who have completed initial ADSO for education and training, and who execute a 12-month active duty service agreement. Army and Air Force use this pay.

Section 302(b) Medical Officer Incentive Special Pay (ISP)

Financial incentive to address retention difficulties and shortages of critical wartime specialties by closing civilian-military pay gap. An officer entitled to VSP, upon agreement to remain on active duty for at least a year, may be paid ISP for any 12-month period during which the officer is not undergoing internship or initial residency training. Paid as annual bonus. Up to $75K payable for 12-month active duty service agreement. Discretionary pay; all Military Departments use this pay.

Section 302b(a)(2) and (3) Dental Officer Variable Special Pay (VSP)

Increase in monthly pay for all dental officers (on active duty under call or order to active duty for not less than 1-year (to include those in internship training)) as incentive to remain on active duty after completion of ADSO (for advanced training). Payment ranges from annual $3K to $12K, paid monthly, determined by years of creditable service (except that set amount is paid to O-7s and above). Entitlement pay.

Section 302b(a)(4) Dental Officer Additional Special Pay (ASP)

(To include those undergoing dental internship or residency training) for any 12-month period during which the officer is under an active duty agreement. Payable at rates determined by the Secretary concerned not to exceed $10K per year for officers with less than three years of creditable service, and $15K per year, of the officer has 10 or more years of creditable service, Entitlement pay.

Section 302b(a)(5) Dental Officer Board Certification Pay (BCP)

BCP in intended to promote quality health care by encouraging all dental officers to attain board certification, signifying the highest level of professional competence, and also as retention incentive. Payment is $2.5K to $6K per year, dependent on years of creditable service, paid monthly once officer becomes board certified and as long as the officer remains so certified. Entitlement pay.

Section 302b(a)(6) Dental Officer Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Incentive Special Pay (ISP)

Financial incentive for oral or maxillofacial surgeons to remain on active duty to ensure there are adequate numbers of dental officers qualified in these specialties to meet the military medical care needs in peacetime and wartime. An officer entitled to VSP, upon agreement to remain on active duty for at least a year, may be paid ISP for any 12-month period during which the officer is not undergoing internship or initial residency training. Paid as annual bonus. ISP for Dental Officer Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons was first authorized in the FY06 NDAA. Up to $75K payable for 12-month active duty service agreement. Discretionary pay; all Military Departments use this pay authority.

Section 302c PsychologistsNonphysician Health Care Providers Board Certification Pay (BCP)

Financial incentive for highly qualified psychologists and nonphysician health care providers to enter on active duty, to acquire and maintain the highest level of professional achievement and to remain on active duty. Payment ranges from $2K to $5K per year, dependent on years of creditable service. Paid monthly. Paid once officer becomes board certified and continues as long as officer remains board certified. Entitlement pay.

Section 302d Registered Nurse Accession Bonus

Intended as incentive for nurses to enter and remain in service to ensure the Services have an adequate number of experienced nurses to meet military medical care needs in peacetime and wartime settings. Up to $30K is payable to an RN who executes written agreement to accept a commission, be assigned to duty as a nurse, and remain on active duty for a minimum of three years. Discretionary pay -- all military Departments use this authority.

Section 302(e) Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) Incentive Special Pay

Financial incentive for CRNAs to remain on active duty to ensure there are adequate numbers of qualified CRNAs to meet the military medical care needs in peacetime and wartime. (to increase annual cap from $15K to $50K). Up to $50K payable for 12-month active duty service agreement. Discretionary pay -- all military Departments use this authority.

Section 302h Dental Officer Accession Bonus

Incentive for dentists to enter and remain in military service to ensure the Services have an adequate number of dental officers to meet military dental care needs in peacetime and wartime settings. Up to $200K payable for written agreement to accept a commission and remain on active duty for minimum of four years. Discretionary pay -- all military Departments use this authority.

Section 302i Pharmacy Officer Retention Special Pay

Up to $15K is payable for any 12-month period to Pharmacy Officer in pay grade O-6 or below. Discretionary pay - all military Departments use this pay.

Section 302j Pharmacy Officer Accession Bonus

Up to $30K is payable to a pharmacist for an agreement to accept a commission and serve not less than 4 years on active duty. Discretionary pay - all military Departments use this bonus authority.

Section 302k Accession Bonus for Medical Officers in Critically Short Wartime Specialties

Authorizes an accession bonus of up to $400,000 for medical officers in critically short wartime specialties. Discretionary pay - the Navy uses this bonus authority.

Section 302l Accession Bonus for Dental Officers in Critically Short Wartime Specialties

Authorizes an accession bonus of up to $400,000 for dental officers in critically short wartime specialties. Discretionary pay - the Navy uses this bonus authority.

Section 303(a) Veterinary Corps Officer Special Pay

Incentive for qualified veterinarians to enter and remain on active duty to meet the health care and readiness requirements of the armed forces. ; not updated since. Payment is flat $100 per month for each month of active duty. Entitlement pay.

Section 303(b) Veterinary Corps Officer Board Certified Pay (BCP)

Financial incentive to encourage veterinary officers to attain board certification, signifying highest level of professional competence. Also serves as incentive for retention. Payment ranges from $2K to $5K per year, dependent on years of creditable service, paid once officer becomes board certified (as Diplomate in specialty recognized by the American Veterinarian Medical Association) and continues as long as officer remains board certified. Paid monthly. Entitlement pay.

Section 304 Diving Duty Pay

Incentive for members to volunteer for, and remain in, diving duty; additionally, in part, compensates divers for the more than normally dangerous character of such duty. Currently, up to $340 per month may be paid to enlisted divers and up to $240 per month payable to officers. Entitlement pay, with rates set by Services within statutory caps.

Section 305 Hardship Duty Pay

Additional compensation paid to recognize members assigned to duty designated as hardship by the Secretary of Defense. There are two types of HDP currently being paid, one for designated Quality-of-Life (QoL) Hardship Locations (HDP-L), and the other for designated hardship missions (HDP-M). Locations are designated as hardship duty locations if the QoL living conditions in the area are substantially below the standard most members would generally experience in the United States. The sole mission designated as hardship duty for HDP purposes is the mission performed by JTF-Full Accounting and CILHI and to recover the remains of members lost in past wars. The maximum payable in law is $1,500/mo.; currently, the monthly rates being paid are $50, $100 and $150 for HDP-L; and $150 for HDP-M. Discretionary pay -- all Services use this pay authority.

Section 305a Career Sea Pay (CSP)

To financially recognize officers executing the duties of a position the Service Secretary has designated as: 1) carrying unusual responsibilities above those normal for officers of the same grade, and 2) critical to the operations of the Service concerned. Payment ranges from $50-$150/mo. dependent on pay grade. Law limits payments to O-3s through O-6, with specifies percentages of officers within each of those grades that can be paid this pay (referred to as "Command Responsibility Pay"). This is a discretionary pay. Among the DoD Services, only Navy uses this pay.

Section 306 Officers Holding Positions of Unusual Responsibility

Intended to improve retention of members in sea service skills and as recognition for members serving on sea duty for the greater-than-normal rigors of sea duty. The Secretary of the Service concerned establishes monthly CSP and CSP Premium (CSPP) rates within $750 and $350 caps, respectively. Rates being paid by Department of Navy in CSP ranges from $50 to $730/mo.; CSPP is $100/mo., paid to members who serve more than 36 consecutive months of sea duty. Army pays under its own rate table; USAF uses CSP rate table in effect pre-FY2001 NDAA. Entitlement pay.

Section 307 Special Duty Assignment Pay for Enlisted Members

To encourage enlisted members to qualify for and volunteer to serve in, or remain in, designated positions with duties that are extremely difficult, or carry an unusual degree of responsibility, when compared to typical jobs of members of the same grade level. The maximum payable in law is $600/month. Under program parameters established by the Secretary of Defense, current range being paid in SDAP is between $75 and $450 per month). Discretionary pay -- all Services use this pay.

Section 307a Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP)

To provide a monthly incentive to a member who performs service, while entitled to basic pay, in an assignment designated by the Secretary concerned. Used to encourage members to volunteer for difficult-to-fill jobs or assignments in less desirable locations. The monthly statutory maximum payable is $3,000. Discretionary pay - all Services use this pay authority.

Section 308 Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB)

To provide incentive for an adequate number of qualified enlisted members to reenlist in designated critical military specialties where retention levels are insufficient to sustain a steady readiness posture imperative for the individual Service to accomplish its mission. The statutory maximum payable is $90K for a minimum 3-year reenlistment. Discretionary pay -- all Services use this pay authority.

Section 309 Enlistment Bonus (EB)

To provide incentive for persons to enlist in the armed forces. The maximum payable by law is $40K. Discretionary bonus -- all Services use this bonus authority.

Section 310 Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay

To recognize members subject to hostile fire or explosion of hostile mines, and those on duty overseas who because of their role/visibility as a service member, are subject to threat of physical harm or imminent danger due to civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism, or wartime conditions. The current monthly rate is $225. Entitlement pay.

Section 312 Nuclear Officers Extending Period of Active Duty

Financial incentive for Nuclear-qualified Navy officers to continue on active duty upon completion of obligated service. The maximum payable by law is $30K for each year of a minimum 3-year active-service agreement. Discretionary authority. Navy uses this pay authority.

Section 312b Nuclear Officer Accession Bonus

Financial incentive to encourage adequate numbers of voluntary accessions into the Navy's nuclear power officer community. The maximum payable by law is $30K. Discretionary authority. Navy uses this pay authority.

Section 312c Nuclear Career Annual Incentive Bonus

Financial incentive for Nuclear-qualified Navy officers to continue on active duty upon completion of obligated service. The law authorizes a maximum $22K payable to commissioned officers, and $14K to Limited Duty officers. (LDO's). Discretionary authority. Navy uses this pay authority.

Section 314 Overseas Tour Extension Incentive Pay (OTEIP)

For members in certain critical skill classifications to extend their tour of service overseas for the convenience of the Government. The law authorizes payment monthly or pay up to $80; or an annual bonus not to exceed $2K per year in OTEIP. Discretionary authority; all DoD Services pay OTEIP.

Section 316 Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus (FLPB)

Financial incentive for members to become proficient, or to increase their proficiency, in foreign languages to enhance the foreign language capabilities of the armed forces. The law authorizes payment of a bonus of up to $12,000 for a 12-month certification period. Discretionary pay; all Services use this pay authority.

Section 318 Special Warfare Officer Continuation Pay

Financial incentive for qualified, experienced Special Warfare Officers to remain on active duty beyond their initial ADSO. Up to $15K per year payable to eligible officers. Discretionary pay; only Navy uses this pay authority.

Section 319 Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) Continuation Pay

Financial incentive for SWOs selected for Department Head (DH) to agree to remain on active duty to complete that tour. Up to $50K total payable to eligible officers. Discretionary pay; Navy use this pay authority.

Section 320 Career Enlisted Flyer Incentive Pay (CEFIP)

Financial incentive to serve throughout a military career as an enlisted flyer. Monthly maximum rates range from $150 to $400, dependent on years of aviation service. Discretionary pay -- currently, only Air Force and Navy pay CEFIP.

Section 321 Judge Advocate Continuation Pay (JACP)

Financial incentive for military Judge Advocates to continue on active duty upon completion of their ADSO. Up to $60K total payable to eligible judge advocates over a career. Discretionary pay -- currently, Army, Navy and Air Force pay JACP; Marine Corps pays a Law School Education Debt Subsidy (LSEDS) under the JACP statutory authority.

Section 324 Accession Bonus for New Officers in Critical Skills

Gives Service Secretaries authority to offer up to $60K to an individual who agrees to accept a commission and serve on active duty in a designated critical skill for the period specified in the agreement. Discretionary pay - all Military Departments use this pay authority.

Section 326 Incentive Bonus for Conversion to Military Occupational Specialty to Ease Personnel Shortage

To provide an incentive for members to convert to, and serve for a period of not less than 3 years in, a military occupational specialty for which there is a shortage of trained and qualified personnel. Discretionary pay - Army uses this pay authority

Section 327 Incentive Bonus for Transfer Between Armed Forces

To provide incentive of up to $10K for persons to transfer from one armed force to another, and serve a minimum of 3 years in the component to which transferred. Discretionary pay; Army use this pay authority.

Section 355 Critical Skills Retention Bonus (CSRB) or Bonus for Assignment to High Priority Unit

Financial incentive to address skill-specific retention problems. Up to $200K total ($100K for reserve component members) is payable in CSRB to an eligible member over a career. Discretionary pay - all Services use this pay authority.

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How to Streamline Roles and Promote Team Collaboration with an Effective RACI Chart

Last Updated November 7, 2019

Imagine for a moment a homeowner’s association is tasked with a project of throwing a summer barbeque bash for the neighborhood. Everyone shows up at the same time, mills around trying to find a task and chaos ensues as homeowners arrive before food has been cooked. Now imagine that same team of people tasked with the same project, but in this team, each individual is assigned a specific task, from grilling to game planning. Now, this team can immediately get to work, and it’s much more likely the neighborhood bash will be an enjoyable event.

In any project, whether the task at hand is throwing a summer party or helping an organization with a technology transformation, when roles and responsibilities for everyone involved are clear, the project is more likely to be executed smoothly. In addition, project managers are often beholden to multiple stakeholders, and keeping those key players informed and involved throughout the lifecycle of the project is critical to project success.

What is a RACI Chart?

One method for streamlining accountability on a project is the use of a responsibility assignment matrix, specifically, a RACI chart. The RACI chart describes how the matrix assigns each task or deliverable, assigns an owner, and denotes who else is involved, ultimately classifying involved parties into four categories: responsible, accountable, consulted and informed. This approach is widespread among project managers, according to “ A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge ( PMBOK® Guide), Seventh Edition,” as it can eliminate confusion on who is in charge of, or accountable for, a specific project task.

The first step to developing an effective RACI chart is understanding what the various categories represent:

Responsible: This is the active party, the person who executes the task or completes the deliverable. This includes doing the work as well as making decisions. In some cases, a task or deliverable may have more than one responsible party; for best results, this role should be limited to as few people as possible for each task.

Accountable: This individual is responsible for ensuring the task is completed correctly and meets all specifications. While this person is not in charge of doing the work, they do delegate it and are responsible for approving the job that is completed. Like the previous category, the number of people assigned to this role should be limited for each task to ensure clarity in ownership.

Consulted: This group, typically comprising of subject matter experts, help provide supporting information for the person(s) responsible for working on the task. Communication with this group is two-way and is required before the task can be completed.

Informed: This group of people must be kept updated on the progress of the task or deliverable, as these individuals may be impacted by the outcomes. They typically are not involved in the feedback or review cycle but should be contacted after a decision or action is made.  

How RACI Charts Influence Project Outcomes

Planning is a critical component of project management and project success, and establishing roles and responsibilities is a key component of the planning stage. Implementing a RACI chart offers several advantages for project participants, including:

• Streamlined communication – All parties know precisely who to ask questions to, who to consult and who to inform.
• A controlled set of stakeholders – By pre-defining these responsibilities, project managers are less likely to be left juggling an unnecessary amount of opinions. Distinguishing consulters from informers can also help avoid a bulk amount of stakeholder feedback .
• Manages fatigue and overwhelm – Although project managers may hold many responsibilities, a RACI chart helps outline other owners, knowledgeable parties and accountable players to help lift some of the burden and ensure everyone stays informed.
• Establishes expectations up front – Creating a RACI chart can also help manage conflict later in the project lifecycle, as everyone should visually understand their roles and responsibilities on a project from the beginning.

Using a RACI Chart

RACI charts don’t have to be complex; they can be as simple as listing the work to be done, the resources assigned and the responsibility they hold. Follow these steps to create your own RACI chart:

Step 1: List the names of the people involved in the project – You’ll need to determine if roles or specific names are appropriate. For example, if a single person holds multiple roles, you could specify by role, whereas if multiple people hold similar titles, you might need to specify by name.

Step 2: Break down specific tasks or deliverables – Although this should be a breakdown of the project, it’s important to balance this to ensure the chart doesn’t become cumbersome or impossible to manage.

Step 3: Assign a role to teach task or deliverable, using RACI – Each task must have someone assigned to be responsible and someone assigned to be accountable.

Step 4: Seek buy in from the team – Gather your team, ensure everyone agrees with their assigned roles and responsibilities and allow for questions.

Step 5: Communicate with project stakeholders – Once you have team buy in, meet with stakeholders and get their buy in to establish expectations up front and avoid conflict down the road. The process of collecting buy in from the team and stakeholders is critical to achieving an effective project.

Step 6: Refer to the RACI – This step may seem obvious, but it doesn’t do any good to plan for the project and then not follow the chart as intended. Ensure everyone continues to adhere to the roles outlined in the RACI chart – remember, they approved them in the planning stage.

RACI Chart Example

Let’s go back to that neighborhood (NBHD) barbecue party and create a RACI chart for the homeowner association (HOA).

Keep in mind that RACI charts are useful in many cases but may not be needed in every case.  For example, rapid projects with small teams likely don’t need introduced complexity. Some Agile projects (depending on scope and timeline) may also have an implied role matrix as some roles are pre-defined, such as the Scrum team .

In implementing a RACI chart, a project manager should immediately set expectations for everyone involved. This includes ensuring team members understand when and what they must do, experts knowing when their opinion will be solicited, and stakeholders understanding where they will be informed, and where they will be consulted for input. Following the method can help establish a foundation for a streamlined project and pave the way to stronger relationships that can make a meaningful difference in the success of the project.

PMBOK is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Interested in expanding your project management expertise? Learn more about Villanova’s Applied Project Management Certificate program and course offerings.

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A Gantt Chart Guide with Definitions & Examples

Presented by projectmanager, the gantt chart software used to plan over 2 million projects. make a gantt chart in minutes.

• What Is a Gantt Chart? Definition & Meaning

What Is the Purpose of a Gantt Chart?

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Gantt charts are one of the most widely used project diagrams—and for good reason. This visual project management tool represents the project’s schedule and can be used in nearly any industry to help deliver on time and on budget. Whether you’re new to project management or want to master timelines and task dependencies, a Gantt chart is essential for project planning.

What Is a Gantt Chart? Definition & Meaning

A Gantt chart is a project management chart that allows project managers to create a project schedule. It shows the order in which project tasks will be completed, when they’re due, their duration among other details.

Every Gantt chart has two main parts, a grid or task list on the left side and a project timeline on the right. In addition to listing the task name, you can include details like the work breakdown structure, due dates, task dependencies, planned resource costs, planned hours and other project planning data. All data on the left is represented by a cascade of task bars on the right, completing the Gantt chart diagram.

Gantt Chart History & Evolution

The Gantt chart was created by Henry Gantt in the early 20th century to improve project planning, scheduling and tracking by illustrating completed work compared to planned work. Today, project managers and team members use Gantt chart software to plan projects, create a project schedule, allocate resources and track progress with just one project management tool.

However, there’s so much more to know about Gantt charts beyond a simple Gantt chart definition and its history. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the main aspects that you need to know about Gantt charts including what they’re used for and the different methods and tools you can use to make one. We’ve even created industry-specific Gantt chart templates so you can create project schedules for your business in minutes.

At a basic level, a Gantt chart allows project, program and portfolio managers to easily map out project plans by organizing project tasks on a visual timeline. However, Gantt charts are used for many other purposes in project planning, project scheduling, project tracking and resource management.

Gantt charts can be used to manage any business process, from routine procedures such as establishing production lines to one-off initiatives such as buying materials. They are commonly used in industries such as construction, manufacturing, IT, professional services and more.

With ProjectManager’s Gantt chart, you can assign tasks to your team members, set due dates, estimate costs and monitor progress in real time. The best part is that it can be used along with other project management tools such as kanban boards, real-time project dashboards, timesheets and team collaboration tools.

When Should You Use a Gantt Chart?

Ideally, Gantt charts are created during the project planning phase as they are used to make a detailed project schedule. As the Gantt diagram is visual, it is often referred to throughout the project lifecycle by both project managers and teams as a way to monitor and control the project.

In the video below, Jennifer Bridges, certified professional project manager (PMP), explains how a Gantt diagram may be used throughout the life cycle of a project.

There are two halves to most Gantt chart tools you see online today. On the left is a grid that lists project tasks and important information about them and on the right, there’s the Gantt chart timeline, a visual representation of the project schedule.

Gantt Chart Grid

The grid of a Gantt chart is where you list project tasks and project scheduling details about them. The Gantt chart grid is the most important component of your Gantt chart because the data you enter here will be used to populate the Gantt chart timeline.

The more details about your project tasks you can add to a Gantt chart grid, the more aspects of your project plan you’ll be able to track.

Basic Gantt chart software only allows you to assign tasks to your team members and create project timelines based on the due dates and duration of your project tasks. However, more advanced Gantt chart software like ProjectManager enables you to track other areas of your project.

Here are some of the key aspects of your project you can track with ProjectManager’s Gantt chart grid.

• Task name: Briefly describe your task. You can also add more task details using other project views such as kanban boards and task lists.
• Task owner: Assign tasks to team members.
• Task priority: Set a priority level for all your project tasks so you can better allocate your resources.
• Project phases: In most projects, there’s a set of well-defined phases that are made up of related tasks.
• Work breakdown structure level: The work breakdown structure level is a number that allows you to understand the order in which project tasks must be completed and what project phase they’re in.
• Project milestones: Track project milestones, which are major events, accomplishments or deliverables in your project timeline.
• Resource requirements: Indicate what resources are needed to complete each project task, including labor and non-labor resources such as raw materials, equipment or machinery.
• Estimated & actual costs: Estimate costs for each project task, create a project budget and then log the actual costs as tasks are executed so you can determine whether your project is on, over or under budget.

Now, let’s go over the other half of any Gantt diagram, the Gantt chart timeline.

Gantt Chart Timeline

The Gantt chart timeline , also referred to as a Gantt chart schedule, is a stacked bar chart where each project task is represented by a bar that runs on the horizontal axis. The task bars start on the date that the work is scheduled to start and end on the date when it’s expected to finish. The longer the bar, the longer the task will take.

But that’s not everything a Gantt chart timeline shows. Based on the data from the Gantt chart grid, ProjectManager’s robust Gantt chart timeline lets you zoom in on the following details of your project schedule .

• Due dates & task duration: Add planned start and planned finish dates and adjust them at any time by dragging and dropping tasks on the Gantt timeline. You can also compare planned vs. actual task duration.
• Task dependencies: You can also show the task dependencies in number form. Choose the “Linked From” column in the column settings. Task dependencies are represented as arrows that link tasks in the Gantt chart timeline.
• Percent complete: A figure, mostly always based on an educated guess by the project team, of how much work they have done and how much is still to do.
• Critical path activities: ProjectManager’s Gantt chart maker automatically identifies the critical path based on your project task list, dependencies and due dates.

We’ve created three Gantt chart examples using ProjectManager to see how Gantt charts can be used for managing different types of projects. These Gantt chart examples show a schedule for construction, manufacturing and IT projects, which are three of the industries where Gantt charts are used the most.

In these Gantt chart examples, you can easily see:

• The Gantt chart timeline
• What the project tasks are
• Which team member is working on each task
• When project activities start and finish
• The percent complete for each activity and work package
• How tasks group together, overlap and link with each other
• Task dependencies such as finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish and start-to-finish
• Milestones and project phases on the schedule

Construction Gantt Chart Example

This Gantt chart example shows a construction schedule that’s divided into six project phases: contracts, design, procurement, construction, post-construction and closing.

Defining project phases is the first step when using a Gantt chart for planning a project. It helps break down the project plan into smaller steps that are easier to manage. Once you’ve defined project phases, you can proceed to identify the individual tasks for each of them, as shown in the image.

Once you’ve identified your project tasks, you’ll need to add as much information as possible about them, such as their planned due dates, duration, dependencies, resource requirements, estimated costs and other relevant details.

Once you’ve added all these details to each project task column, the Gantt chart timeline will show your project tasks, their dependencies, assignee and percent complete.

The best part of using ProjectManager’s Gantt charts to create a project schedule is that you can simply drag and drop these bars in the Gantt chart timeline to adjust the project tasks’ due dates or their duration. You can easily add or remove dependencies and identify project milestones.

Our construction schedule Gantt chart template also allows you to use other advanced Gantt chart features such as creating project baselines, finding the critical path and tracking the resource utilization and costs for each of your tasks.

Manufacturing Gantt Chart Example

While managing the production process is completely different from managing a construction project , the steps for creating a schedule using a Gantt chart are the same. You’ll also need to define project phases, break down your project scope into tasks, identify dependencies and add project task details to the Gantt chart.

This Gantt chart example shows a manufacturing project that consists of creating a product from scratch and then creating a production schedule for manufacturing it. The phases for this manufacturing project are product ideation, design, prototyping, pre-production and production.

Our Gantt chart production schedule template allows you to track each step in the product development process, such as ideating your product, establishing its feasibility, creating a proof of concept, making a prototype, testing its quality and more.

Then, once you have a working prototype that’s ready to be launched into the market, you can use the Gantt chart to schedule the production process and estimate the time it’ll take to manufacture it, the needed resources and your production costs.

IT Project Gantt Chart Example

IT teams use Gantt charts to break down complex projects into more manageable tasks. Different phases of an IT project laid on a Gantt include requirements gathering, development, testing and deployment. In addition to project planning, an IT team can use a Gantt chart to meet deadlines, estimate task durations based on team capacity, quickly identify bottlenecks and plan sprints in agile environments.

In the IT project plan below, for example, the analysis phase includes on-site meetings and discussions with stakeholders. It identifies the planned start and finish dates in addition to the planned resources to complete each task.

Software development teams also benefit from using a Gantt chart. The clarity a Gantt chart provides allows for realistic timelines for each project phase, clearly mapping out the tasks and who will execute them. As progress evolves, project managers can compare it against the plan and make changes as needed. Milestones may include design approval, testing complete and the release.

Gantt Chart Sample

Need help building a Gantt chart? Try ProjectManager’s free Gantt chart sample and practice adding tasks, dependencies, phases, milestones and more on a dynamic Gantt chart.

On the left-hand side of this Gantt chart sample is the data grid, where the various phases of the project are outlined. Under each color-coded phase are the tasks associated with it, including WBS, assignees, due dates and other resources needed to execute the scheduled tasks.

The visual timeline on the right is where things get interesting. You can see the entire project in one place, dependent tasks can be linked and milestones added to indicate important dates. Put your Gantt chart knowledge to the test using this sample and build one today. Get started for free.

Because the Gantt chart is such a diverse project management tool for identifying timelines and task dependencies, it can be used in any industry or field. Here are some examples.

• Gantt charts in project management : Gantt charts compile the information project managers need to create a visual timeline that shows all the elements of a project plan in one place. With Gantt charts, project managers can schedule projects, allocate resources, set cost and scope baselines, and identify the critical path.
• Gantt charts in construction: Construction Gantt charts are used by project owners, general contractors and construction project managers to plan the different phases of a construction project, such as initiation, pre-construction and procurement. However, Gantt charts can also be used on a smaller scale to manage everyday tasks.
• Gantt charts in software engineering: Software engineering teams use Gantt charts to create project roadmaps , which are essential for task management when developing new products. This is done by simply mapping software development tasks on a timeline, just as if it was a project plan.
• Gantt charts in manufacturing: Gantt charts can be used to plan, schedule and track multiple aspects of the manufacturing process. For example, you can use Gantt charts to create product roadmaps, production schedules and map the product development cycle.
• Gantt charts in project portfolio management: Gantt charts can be also used to create a portfolio roadmap, which is a timeline that allows project portfolio managers and project management offices (PMOs) to track the progress of multiple projects.
• Gantt charts in event planning: A Gantt chart for event planning identifies, organizes and plans the tasks needed to plan an event such as budgeting, securing vendors and getting the event set up on time.

These are only some of the most common use cases for Gantt charts, but they can be used for managing projects across industries. Now, let’s take a closer look at how Gantt charts are used in project management.

Gantt charts can be used to plan, schedule and track projects of all sizes and industries, mainly because they’re compatible with most project management methodologies , such as waterfall and agile.

Gantt Charts in Waterfall Planning

Waterfall project management consists in planning a project in sequential phases. These project phases are planned in advance and then executed in order from beginning to end without making many changes to the original project plan. Gantt charts are ideal to map out such projects as they allow project managers to visualize task dependencies and establish task sequences on a project timeline.

Gantt Charts in Critical Path Method (CPM)

One use case of Gantt charts is to make it easier to identify the critical path and the needed resources to achieve project success. The Gantt illustrates task dependencies to identify which are critical to complete to keep the project on track. This clear, visual representation that a Gantt chart provides can help project managers better prioritize the critical path.

Gantt Charts in Agile Planning

Unlike waterfall, agile planning consists in planning short iterations of work of one to two weeks known as agile sprints , where teams plan and execute their work. They then have short meetings where they review their performance and plan the next sprint. While Gantt charts aren’t commonly used to plan sprints, they help agile teams to map out their project plan or product development roadmap at large, which lets them see the bigger picture of their projects.

It used to be that Gantt charts were the exclusive tool of formally trained project managers. These were people planning complex projects of all different types: construction , engineering, military, manufacturing, infrastructure, IT and more. Creating long task lists and complex project schedules with lots of moving parts, required training in the art and science of task management, critical path analysis, baselining and so on.

Today, nearly everyone can use a Gantt chart to help them visualize their tasks. Because all the difficult work is now done by project management software, anyone can just create a simple task list , add start and end dates, and the software does the work instantly by displaying your tasks over a project timeline.

Gantt charts can be used by all kinds of teams, such as:

• IT & software development teams
• Project management teams
• Marketing teams
• Professional services teams
• Engineering & architectural teams
• Construction teams
• Manufacturing teams
• Product development teams

Here are some examples of potential users of Gantt charts:

• Project managers
• General managers
• Team leaders
• Operations managers
• Scheduling managers
• Marketing managers
• Executives such as CEOs & CTOs
• Anyone who wants an instant view of a project timeline

How to Use a Gantt Chart

Now that we have more context about Gantt charts, let’s explore how to use a Gantt chart for planning, scheduling and tracking your projects . Below, we’ll explain some of the most common uses for Gantt charts in project management.

Create a Work Breakdown Structure

Before you can use a Gantt chart to create a project schedule , you’ll need to first identify all the individual tasks that make up the total amount of work that’s needed for your project. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a tool that can help you with this process. It’s important that you do this during the project planning phase so you don’t miss any project tasks.

Create a Task List and a Gantt Chart Timeline

Now create a Gantt table by listing down your project tasks, their due dates, duration and any other details you’d like to track about them such has resource requirements or costs. Then Use this information to create Gantt chart timeline, which at a basic level should show the dates and duration of project tasks.

Identify Task Dependencies

One of the key aspects that differentiate Gantt charts from other project planning tools is that they allow project managers to identify and visualize task dependencies . A task dependency is simply the relationship project tasks have among each other that dictates the order in which they must be completed. While Gantt charts let you represent task dependencies, these can’t be automatically determined. It’s your responsibility as a project manager to define them, otherwise, the project schedule won’t be accurate.

Find the Critical Path of Your Project

The critical path of a project is the longest sequence of tasks that need to be executed. It’s important to determine what your critical path is because if those tasks are delayed the whole project completion will be delayed. Luckily some Gantt chart software alternatives will automatically do this for you.

Track Gantt Chart Milestones

Gantt charts allow you to track project milestones, which are important events that occur at some point in your project timeline. Project milestones can be used to create a milestone chart, which is a simplified version of your project timeline that summarizes major activities, project deliverables and accomplishments so that you can track how a project is progressing from a high-level view.

Allocate, Schedule and Track Resources

Gantt charts can be more than just a project scheduling tool, they can also be used to estimate what resources are needed to complete your project, allocate resources for the execution of work and track resource utilization throughout the project life cycle. ProjectManager’s Gantt chart, for example, syncs with real-time dashboards that allow you to monitor the utilization of project resources in real time and workload charts that let you balance your team’s workload.

Create Project Baselines and Compare Planned vs. Actual Results

Gantt charts should be used to map your project plan, but also record the actual results of your project. ProjectManager’s Gantt chart allows you to compare the estimated costs and due dates of your tasks against the actual values so you can determine whether your project is being executed within the boundaries of your project budget or schedule.

The Gantt chart is one, if not the most important project management tool to plan, schedule and track projects. Not only are they easy to understand, but nearly everyone involved in the project can reference the Gantt chart throughout the project. Used across industries, Gantt charts enhance project planning, task management, scheduling, monitoring and communication.

Here are some of the main pros and cons of using Gantt charts to manage projects from any industry.

• Gantt charts allow project managers to turn complex project plans into a visual project timeline that’s easy to understand.
• Gantt charts are the perfect tool to compare the actual performance of your project team against the original project plan, schedule and cost baselines to determine whether a project is being completed on time and under budget .
• Gantt charts allow project managers to understand both the scope of a project and its schedule from start to end, including task dependencies.
• Gantt charts are also considered a resource management tool because they allow project managers to understand how they’re allocating their resources .
• Gantt charts are a shared reference document for all team members which helps to improve communication and collaboration.
• By showing project bottlenecks in real time, Gantt charts can result in more proactive risk management.
• As a historical record, Gantt charts show a visual history of project timelines which can help improve post-project reviews and lessons learned.

Even though Gantt charts are one of the most important project management tools, there are some cases in which they might not be the ideal solution. There is no hard-and-fast rule about when to use a Gantt chart, so project managers can use their best judgment based on their industry and expertise to determine if the pros of a Gantt outweigh the cons.

• Gantt charts can be hard to understand for some team members and stakeholders who aren’t used to them.
• Not all Gantt chart software available in the market offers the same features, which is something to look out for as some lack important features.
• Other project tools such as task lists or kanban boards can be an easier method to keep track of tasks, such as when managing small teams, or short-term projects.
• Gantt charts operate in a linear fashion and aren’t very dynamic for agile projects.
• In large projects with many tasks, Gantt charts can easily become cluttered and difficult to read.
• For projects and initiatives that require more depth, Gantt charts might not capture all of the detailed information such as specific resources, task requirements or responsibilities.
• If there are frequent changes in tasks or timelines, it can be time-consuming to always make timely changes to the Gantt chart.

Gantt charts are not the only project management chart you can use to create a project schedule or manage project tasks. There are other tools you can use such as PERT charts, kanban boards or network diagrams . Here’s how Gantt charts compare to these tools.

Gantt Chart vs. Network Diagram

Network diagrams are a project planning chart that can help you visualize the order in which tasks must be completed, so everyone on your team has a clear idea of how work will be executed. Additionally, project network diagrams can help identify task dependencies that might be in your project plan, which is an important factor to consider when creating a project schedule.

In project management, network diagrams are used as part of the program evaluation and review technique (PERT) and the critical path method (CPM), which are two important project scheduling methods.

However, network diagrams can only help you during the project scheduling process, but can’t be used for tracking the progress of your project, as they lack task, resource or cost-tracking features.

Gantt Chart vs. PERT Chart

PERT charts are a network diagram that allows you to map the task sequences that make up your project, estimate its total duration and identify critical path activities.

To do so, you’ll need to use the PERT chart formula, which factors in the start and finish dates of your project tasks, dependencies between them and estimated duration.

However, PERT charts aren’t as versatile as Gantt charts as they won’t allow you to assign tasks to your team members, create a project timeline or monitor the percentage of completion of tasks.

Gantt Chart vs. Kanban Board

Kanban boards are a popular task management tool that can be used for managing projects across industries. A kanban board consists of a set of columns and cards. The columns indicate the status of a project task, such as “to do” or “completed” while kanban cards represent project tasks.

Kanban boards are a great task management tool for managing the everyday tasks and workflows of your team but they won’t allow you to create a project timeline or get a high-level view of your project plan like a Gantt chart would. This makes Gantt charts a better tool than kanban boards for project planning and scheduling.

This doesn’t mean you can’t use Gantt charts and kanban boards for managing your projects. In fact, this is greatly advised, as each of these project management tools can help you manage your projects from different perspectives.

We’ve created several Gantt chart templates that can facilitate the process of creating and using a Gantt chart to manage your projects. Simply enter your project information and follow the instructions to create a Gantt chart for projects in minutes.

Excel Gantt Chart

This free Gantt chart Excel template helps you build a Gantt chart and a project timeline in minutes. It gives you a visual overview of your entire project from start to finish.

Simply add all of the tasks needed to reach your final deliverable and manually update any changes during the execution of the project. It’s a great example of a Gantt chart in Microsoft Excel .

Gantt Chart for Google Sheets

This free Gantt chart template for Google Sheets is similar to an Excel Gantt chart, but it can be accessed by your team members online, instead of having to download a file and store it in their computers. This also means you can collaborate with your team online so any file changes can be seen by anyone with access to it.

Gantt Chart for PowerPoint

This free Gantt chart template for PowerPoint allows you to create a simple Gantt chart based on your project task names, duration and due dates. You can attach them to any PowerPoint presentation, which helps communicate the progress of your project in a visual format that can be easily understood by most people.

Gantt Chart for Word

While Microsoft Word might not be the first software you think of when looking for a tool to make a Gantt chart, it can be used to make Gantt charts. In fact, this free Gantt chart template for Word is as good as the Excel or PowerPoint Gantt chart. The key difference is that this Gantt chart template for Word is designed for adding a Gantt chart to project documents.

However, these free Gantt chart templates are best suited for creating simple Gantt charts , as they lack advanced project management features that are needed for larger projects such as resource management and cost tracking.

Once computers introduced new ways of working, project managers found they could save time in creating and updating their Gantt charts. Gantt chart software, also called project planning, project management, or even project scheduling software, was created to automate the process to support more advanced Gantt requirements like creating task dependencies, adding milestones or identifying the critical path of a project plan.

Watch the video below for a quick introduction to ProjectManager’s online Gantt chart maker and its benefits.

Many project managers traditionally used local desktop programs like Microsoft Project —and many still do. But today, most Gantt chart makers and project management software have moved online, enabling anyone to create shareable and collaborative Gantt charts and project plans.

Must-Have Gantt Chart Software Features

While no two Gantt chart tools are the same, there are key features that you'll need to get the most out of your Gantt chart tool:

Milestones are represented by a diamond symbol on the Gantt diagram and have no duration. A milestone marks the end of a piece of work, task sequence or project management phase. They’re often fixed dates or important dates on your project schedule that you need to be aware of. Read more: Learn how to use milestones in your scheduling.

Task Dependencies

These show which tasks are linked together. Links are shown with lines on the Gantt chart, and the arrow points to the task that comes next. Task dependencies can be set up as start-to-finish, start-to-start, finish-to-finish or finish-to-start. Read more: Learn how to manage task dependencies.

Summary Tasks

A summary task is a skinny ‘umbrella’ task above various individual tasks. It’s a good way of using a Gantt diagram to group activities together, especially as part of a project stage or phase. You can ‘roll up’ your tasks (in other words, hide them from view) so that only the summary task is shown. The summary task also displays the task progress with shading, so you can view the progress of all tasks underneath in that one bar.

Collaboration

A Gantt chart without collaboration is just a static plan. It’s nice to have, but it isn’t helping you advance the work your team is doing. Be sure that you can chat or comment around tasks to keep the workflow documented. Your team will then get alerts every time a task has been updated, so they know when new activity has occurred.

File Sharing

It’s important as you collaborate to also be able to attach files, images, videos or other notes to document the task progress and keep all the task information together. That way, you always know where to look to find the files related to the tasks you’re scheduling on your Gantt diagram.

Planned vs. Actual Progress

This is represented in a couple different ways on the Gantt diagram. Shading on the bar indicates how complete the planned work is. When the bar is shaded, the task is finished. You can also see just a view of the actual progress anytime in the settings. Don’t forget to set a baseline for the best tracking experience.

Onboarding your team members with ProjectManager’s Gantt chart maker allows you to better plan, schedule and track all types of projects . Once you’ve invited your team members to the new Gantt chart tool, you can start improving the way you manage tasks, resources and timelines. But before we get to the benefits of using online Gantt chart software, let’s go through a step-by-step guide to making a Gantt chart in ProjectManager.

It’s easy for anyone to create a Gantt chart online in ProjectManager. You can import a task list from a CSV file, an Excel Gantt chart template, or a Microsoft Project file or create one from scratch. Unlike Gantt chart Excel templates, our Gantt chart maker does the heavy lifting so you can focus on what’s important.

Simply add project tasks to the tool, fill in the information and a fully-fledged Gantt chart will generate automatically. Our Gantt chart has advanced project management features that’ll let you set task dependencies, identify the critical path and use timesheets for resource tracking, just to name a few.

Also, since it’s an online Gantt chart maker, you and your team members can build the Gantt chart together in real time while you share files and documents with unlimited storage.

Now, without further ado, here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a Gantt chart with ProjectManager , one of the best Gantt chart software available in the market.

1. Create a New Project

When you first log in, you simply enter a project name and select “Create.” You’ll be directed to the Gantt chart view.

2. Add Project Tasks to Your Gantt Chart

As you add tasks, the default date will be today. Since you haven’t added a longer due date than today, the tasks appear in the Gantt chart tool to the right as circles, representing that they start and end today. The dotted line represents today’s date.

3. Assign Tasks to Team Members

You can easily assign or re-assign tasks to team members based on their availability in real time, which is ideal for workload management . When people are assigned tasks, their name appears above the taskbar on the Gantt chart. The Gantt chart maker lets you know whether your team members are available, or if they’re already scheduled for other tasks.

4. Add Due Dates to Your Gantt Chart

As you extend the start and end dates, the task bars on the Gantt chart view extend too, showing you how long each task will take. Add those dates under the planned start and planned finish columns.

5. Prioritize Your Project Tasks

The Gantt chart maker has a task prioritization feature that allows you to establish a priority level for each task so you and your team can focus your efforts on the most important activities. Best of all, this priority tag can also be used in other project views, like task lists and kanban boards for better task tracking.

6. Estimate Task Costs

Add the estimated costs for each task. Our Gantt chart maker helps you estimate labor costs for each project task based on how many team members are working on it and their hourly rate. On top of that, these labor costs are also updated on timesheets you can easily share with your team members.

7. Link Task Dependencies Using the Gantt Chart Timeline

Linking task dependencies is an advanced project planning feature that lets you create a realistic project schedule. There are four types of task dependencies that allow you to understand how your projects’ task sequences are interrelated. In the picture below, you can see how Gantt chart bars are connected by arrows, which indicates there’s a dependency between tasks.

8. Identify Critical Path Activities & Project Milestones

The Gantt chart maker automatically identifies the critical path of your project, which helps you focus on the critical tasks or the tasks that must be completed on time so that your project is completed on time. In addition, you can mark any project task as a milestone, which lets you pinpoint an important achievement, deliverable or the end of a project stage for detailed project tracking .

9. Customize Your Gantt Chart

You can customize your Gantt charts in whatever way suits your team. Here, you can see that different people are represented by different colors on the Gantt taskbars so it’s easy to see at a glance who is responsible for which tasks. Others might use colors on the stacked bar chart to represent different phases of a project or different teams responsible for a group of tasks.

10. Attach Files, Comments or Notes

When your team works collaboratively on an online Gantt chart maker, you can do so much more than just plan tasks. You can add images, videos, links, notes or comments right at the task level, so all the relevant task work is captured and easily accessible in one place.

11. Track Your Team’s Progress

All the updates on the Gantt diagram can be seen in one view. You can see what the team is working on and when tasks have been updated. Team collaboration is easy with online Gantt charts.

If you still have questions about Gantt charts, they should be answered in the following frequently asked questions.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in Excel?

Microsoft Excel doesn’t have a Gantt chart feature but you can create one by customizing the stacked bar chart or using one of the free Gantt chart templates available online.

We’ve created a how-to guide with detailed instructions on how to make a Gantt chart in Excel from scratch. Learning to do so allows you to better understand how an Excel Gantt chart works as well as its key features and limitations.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart In Word?

Making a Gantt chart in Word can be very useful as most project teams use Word for creating their project documents. You can create a Gantt chart in Word by inserting a stacked bar chart into a document, adding your project schedule information (such as start, end dates and duration) and customizing the Gantt diagram for greater readability.

Then, once you’ve created your Gantt diagram in Word , you can copy and paste it into any project document you’d like such as a project plan or project proposal.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in PowerPoint?

Like Word or Excel, PowerPoint allows you to insert stacked bar charts which can be transformed into a Gantt chart. We’ve created a how-to guide with detailed instructions you can follow along if you’d like to make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint.

The best part is that once you create a PowerPoint Gantt chart , you can use it for all your project presentations. Simply copy and paste the PowerPoint Gantt chart into a new presentation and edit its data.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in Microsoft Project?

Yes, Microsoft Project is project management software equipped with a Gantt chart tool. Some of the key features of Microsoft Project’s Gantt chart are its cost and resource monitoring, critical path analysis, task dependency mapping and milestone tracking.

If you’d like to try Microsoft Project’s Gantt diagram, but need help to get started with this tool, check out our blog on how to make a Gantt chart in Microsoft Project . This blog also goes over the key features, pros and cons of a Microsoft Project Gantt chart.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in Google Sheets?

To make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets, open a new blank spreadsheet, add the tasks data for your project (including duration, start and end dates), insert a stacked bar graph and then transform the bar graph into a Gantt chart. There are Gantt chart templates for Google Sheets too.

We also have a blog that explains how to make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets , with easy-to-understand steps and images, which makes it ideal for sharing with your team members.

What Does Gantt Stand For?

The Gantt chart was named after Henry Gantt , and many think he was the one who first had the idea of project planning on bar charts. This isn’t entirely true.

Left: Henry Gantt | Right: Karol Adamiecki

Karol Adamiecki devised the first Gantt diagram back in 1896. He was a Polish engineer turned management professor who came up with the idea of displaying processes visually so that he could make it easier to see production schedules. (He did most of his work in the steel industry.) He called it the harmonogram (a much better word) but Adamiecki published his articles on it in Polish and Russian, so the English-speaking world didn’t know much about it.

Henry Gantt had the same idea as Karol Adamiecki, but about 15 years later. In 1910, Gantt started planning visually with bar charts to allow supervisors in the steelworks to see if production was on track or behind schedule. It was Gantt’s name that got attached to this way of project planning, but today it’s generally recognized that Adamiecki had the idea first.

Gantt Chart Resources

• Gantt Chart Software
• Project Scheduling Software
• Project Planning Software
• Project Management Templates
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Template
• Gantt Chart Template for Excel
• Gantt Chart Template for PowerPoint
• Project Plan Template
• Best Gantt Chart Software: Paid & Free Options Ranked
• Gantt Chart Task Dependencies
• Easy Ways to Make a Gantt Chart with Google Sheets
• How to Make a Gantt Chart on Mac
• How to Make a Gantt Chart In PowerPoint
• How to Make a Project Schedule
• How to Make a Project Plan
• The Ultimate Guide to the Critical Path Method
• The Ultimate Guide to Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

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What Is a Gantt Chart? How to Use Gantt Charts in Project Management (with Examples)

Summary : A gantt chart is a visual project plan that lists tasks and milestones on the vertical axis with time plotted on the horizontal axis. Gantt charts are used in project management to schedule, track, and communicate deliverables, deadlines, dependencies, and resource assignments.

Whether you’re a project management rookie or veteran, you’ve probably heard of a gantt chart. While gantt charts might seem intimidating, they’re not as mystifying as you might think.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the gantt chart—from its definition and parts to how to create one quickly and easily. Find out how gantt charts work and why so many project teams use them in project management.

Watch this video for a quick breakdown of the basics.

What is a gantt chart?: Definition & overview

A gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart used in project management to visually represent a project plan over time. Gantt charts typically show you the timeline and status—as well as who’s responsible—for each task in the project.

Here’s a quick look at the details a gantt chart enables you to capture at a glance:

• How a project breaks down into tasks
• When each task will begin and end
• How long each task will take
• Who’s assigned to each task
• How tasks relate to and depend on each other
• When important meetings, approvals, or deadlines need to happen
• How work is progressing in a project
• The full project schedule from start to finish

In other words, a gantt chart is a super-simple way to communicate what it will take to deliver a project on time and budget. That means it’s a whole lot easier to keep your project team and stakeholders on the same page from the get-go.

Who invented the gantt chart?

The first project management chart was invented by Karol Adamiecki in 1896. So why isn’t it called an Adamiecki chart? Good question!

Although Adamiecki created his precursor to the gantt chart—called the harmonogram—in the late 19th century, he didn’t publish it until 1931. It got limited exposure at the time because it was only published in Polish.

Meanwhile, Henry Gantt published his own project management system in the 1910s to a much wider audience.

Here’s a quick history of gantt charts:

• 1896 : Karol Adamiecki creates the first project management chart: the Harmonogram, a precursor to the modern gantt chart.
• 1931 : Adamiecki publishes the harmonogram (but in Polish with limited exposure).
• 1910-1915 : Henry Gantt publishes his own project management system, the gantt chart.
• Today : Gantt charts are the preferred tool for managing projects of all sizes and types.

Basic components of a gantt chart

Gantt charts may seem complicated at first. But once you learn how to read them, you’ll be able to tell exactly where your projects are and what needs to happen to guide them to success.

Reading a gantt chart really comes down to understanding how the different elements come together to make a gantt chart work. Here’s a simple gantt chart example with explanations of the core components:

Let’s break down the basic parts of a gantt chart so you understand how they function in a project plan.

• Task list : Runs vertically down the left of the gantt chart to describe project work and may be organized into groups and subgroups
• Timeline : Runs horizontally across the top of the gantt chart and shows months, weeks, days, and years
• Dateline : A vertical line that highlights the current date on the gantt chart
• Bars : Horizontal markers on the right side of the gantt chart that represent tasks and show progress, duration, and start and end dates
• Milestones : Yellow diamonds that call out major events, dates, decisions, and deliverables
• Dependencies : Light gray lines that connect tasks that need to happen in a certain order
• Progress : Shows how far along work is and may be indicated by percent complete and/or bar shading
• Resource assigned : Indicates the person or team responsible for completing a task

What is a gantt chart used for in project management?

In project management, gantt charts are used for planning and scheduling projects. A gantt chart is incredibly useful because it allows you to simplify complex projects into an easy-to-follow plan and track the status of tasks as work progresses.

Gantt charts also help you keep track of project deadlines, milestones, and hours worked so you can spot and address delays or overages before they wreak havoc on your project.

Who uses gantt charts?

Gantt charts are used by project managers, business owners, team leaders, and executives in many different industries across various departments. Here are just a few types of companies and teams that use gantt charts to plan, schedule, and execute their projects:

• Construction
• Consulting agencies
• Engineering firms
• Event planning
• Human resources
• Marketing teams
• Manufacturing
• Software development

When should you use a gantt chart?

A gantt chart comes in handy when your project requires more planning than a basic to-do list. Here are a few sure signs you’re going to need a gantt chart to get the job done:

• Your project has a hard deadline.
• Multiple people or teams are involved in the project and need to be coordinated.
• A boss, client, or team member wants to see a visual timeline of the project from beginning to end.
• Your project involves even just a little complexity, such as tasks that need to be done in a specific order.
• Team members work on multiple projects at a time, and you need to manage their workloads.
• You have a good idea of roughly how long each task should or can take.

If ANY of the conditions above apply to your project, use a gantt chart!

Gantt chart examples

Now let’s look at 7 examples of gantt charts you could use for different project types. Use these ideas as an easy starting point for making a gantt chart for your projects.

Software project gantt chart

Taking a hybrid approach to an upcoming software project? This software development plan shows you how to use a gantt chart for an Agile project . Tasks have been organized into groups based on sprints, with milestones for sprint planning and deployment.

Try this template for free!

Design project gantt chart

This sample gantt chart is perfect for planning a website build or redesign. It breaks activities down into basic phases from discovery, content, and design to development, launch, and maintenance. Feel free to keep your website development plan simple or build it out to cover all your project bases.

Media production gantt chart

Want to get one step closer to lights, camera, action? We designed this video production schedule to help you hit your release dates right on time. In this gantt chart example, tasks are organized and color-coded by the 3 phases of a media project: pre-production, production, and post-production.

Marketing gantt charts

Writing your first marketing plan can feel daunting. This digital marketing plan makes it easy to outline key strategies for meeting your objectives. Use this gantt chart to track goal progress and keep your team and stakeholders informed. In this example, we grouped quarterly initiatives by project type.

Need to plan an integrated digital marketing campaign ? The gantt chart sample below shows you how to build a tactical plan across all your digital media. It’s got tasks for foundational planning, content, and design work, plus subgroups for different marketing channels so you can outline a strategy for each one.

Event planning gantt chart

This event plan checklist breaks your event plan down into all the granular details. You can group tasks by planning phase and even vendor. In this example, we’ve used milestones to track important meetings, decisions, and deadlines and added dependencies between tasks that must get done before the next one can start.

Construction gantt chart

Construction project managers rely on gantt charts to manage moving parts across large projects. In this sample construction schedule , each phase of the construction process has been broken down into its own group of tasks. Important contract sign-off and inspections are represented by milestones.

How to make a gantt chart

Now that you’ve got the gantt chart basics down, you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and create a gantt chart of your own! Let’s walk through the process of how to build a gantt chart for your next project.

In this section, we’ll go over:

What you need to create a gantt chart

How to build a basic gantt chart in minutes, best practices for creating an effective gantt chart.

You can’t build a gantt chart without knowing some basic project information. That’s why it’s important to answer a few simple questions first.

These questions can help you gather all the right details so you can sketch out a project plan before you sit down to create your gantt chart. Get a more detailed look at how to write a good project plan.

What to consider when making a gantt chart

• What are the major deliverables?
• How will we get to those deliverables and the deadline ?
• What are the milestones we need to hit?
• Are there dependencies that could impact the timeline ?
• Who is on the project team, and what role will they play in those deliverables?

There are lots of different ways to make a gantt chart. Some people use traditional desktop apps to create a gantt chart, while others use collaborative project management software .

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how it’s done in TeamGantt. If you’d rather use a spreadsheet to build your gantt chart, we’ve got guides for that too.

• How to make a gantt chart in Excel
• How to make a gantt chart in Google Sheets

Just be sure to choose a gantt chart builder that gives you the features you need.

Follow the steps and examples below to learn how to build a gantt chart in TeamGantt in minutes. Sign up for a free account to follow along and create a gantt chart of your own.

Step 1: Set up your project details

Before you start mapping out tasks on a timeline, you need to gather a few basic project details.

To create a new gantt chart in TeamGantt, click the New Project button in the upper right corner of the My Projects screen.

Give your project a name and start date, and select the days of the week you want to include in your project.

Tip : You have 2 options for fast-tracking your build if you don’t want to create a gantt chart from scratch: create a project from a template or import a project via CSV. ‍

Once you’ve completed these basics, click Create New Project to move on to adding tasks.

Step 2: Add tasks to your project

Adding tasks to your gantt chart is the first step in creating your project timeline. To create tasks, click on the Add Task link ( +Task ), and type the name of your first task.

Hit enter to add another task. Repeat this process until you have all (or most) of your tasks added to the task list.

Step 3: Schedule your tasks

Now that you’ve got a full list of work to be done, it’s time to schedule all those tasks. TeamGantt makes scheduling tasks super-simple because you can drag and drop each task on your timeline.

To place the taskbar on your gantt chart, simply click on the timeline below the date you'd like to schedule your task. Then drag either side of the taskbar to shorten or extend the task's duration.

Step 4: Add important project milestones

Adding milestones to your gantt chart makes it easy to track project deadlines, approvals, meetings, and other key deliverables or events. In TeamGantt, a milestone appears as a yellow diamond on your gantt chart.

To add a milestone to your gantt chart, simply click on the Milestone link, give your new milestone a name, and drag the milestone icon across the gantt chart to schedule it on the timeline.

Repeat this process until you have all your milestones added to the list.

Step 5: Add dependencies to the tasks that need them

Now that your tasks and milestones are entered and scheduled, hover over a task, and click the gray dot that appears.

Click and drag the dependency line to the task you want to link it to.

Step 6: Invite people to your project and assign tasks to those responsible

Click the Invite People button at the upper right corner of your project to go to your project’s People page. From there, click the blue Invite People link, located just below the list of people who are already part of your project.

If the user already exists in your account:

Simply select the checkbox next to the person you want to add to your project, then click the blue Add to Project button that appears. This person will automatically receive an invitation to log into TeamGantt and access the project.

If the user does not exist in your account yet:

Click the Add New Person link. Then enter the person’s name and email address, select their company-level permission , and click the Add User to Company button. (Note: Guest users and Basic users are automatically added with View Only project permission, while Advanced users are added with Edit Chart project permission.)

Feel free to add your own custom notification message, then click Add to Project to finalize the invite. This person will automatically receive an invitation to get set up in TeamGantt and access the project.

Learn more about inviting people to your project in TeamGantt.

Step 7: Apply task colors to enhance visualization on your gantt chart

Color is a great way to make your gantt chart easy to understand at a quick glance.

Hover over a taskbar, and click on the colored square. Choose a new color, and you’re all done!

Tip : You can set a default color for each person on your team in TeamGantt. Simply select the People tab at the top of your project, then click none next to each user to assign a default task color. Now, each task you assign to that person will automatically be the color you selected.

If you want to build a gantt chart everyone can use and navigate, there are a few simple rules you should keep in mind. Follow these simple tips and best practices to make a good gantt chart that’s easy to update and manage.

Do get granular with tasks.

The more detail you can spell out when it comes to tasks, the better you’ll be able to track progress and steps leading up to a deliverable. Refer back to your work breakdown structure , and list the steps you used to create that.

Do organize tasks into groups or phases.

Creating groups of tasks will make your plan easier to scan and understand. It’ll also allow your team and stakeholders to see what tasks are part of a deliverable or a phase.

Here’s a quick look at how subgroups work in TeamGantt.

Do add important details and documents to tasks.

Sometimes your team and clients may forget what they committed to. Or maybe they don’t fully understand the intent of a task or group.

Use the notes section of your plan (most gantt chart software should provide this) to spell things out. While you’re at it, be sure to upload key files directly to the task so everything’s ready and waiting for work to begin.

In the project sample below, we added notes about the scope of the task and uploaded a copy of the creative brief for more detail.

Do label tasks by responsible party.

This tip comes in handy for any project, but it’s especially useful for client projects. Identifying which team or company is responsible for each task makes your gantt chart super-easy to scan.

When creating a task, you can assign labels you've set up on the People tab or simply put the company name (or an acronym) in front of the task. Here’s how we tagged tasks in the following gantt chart example:

• PT = Product Team
• GM = Gantt Museum

Of course, you’ll also want to take that a step further and assign each task to the person responsible. This will help you with resource allocation and accountability.

Do display start and end dates for each task

Seems like a silly tip, but it’s easy to hide this info in some apps! If you’re using TeamGantt, you’ll see the dates in the gantt view.

Regardless of what tool you’re using, you want to make it clear not only when a task ends, but when it starts. Again, this will help to keep your team and clients accountable.

Don’t skip dependencies.

If you’re not going to move forward on the project without an approval—or one task must be done before another—now’s your chance to note it.

Not every planning tool offers dependency functionality, and it can be a huge help. As your plan shifts, the flow of the work will stay intact.

Don't assign work without checking team availability.

If you’re lucky enough to use a product that shows you overall team availability, use it! Knowing how booked your team is and what projects they’re part of will play a huge role in delivering work on time and maintaining team morale.

Having an overall view of your team’s availability and conflicting work will help you adjust your plan to either meet the needs of existing project work or shift the milestones you’ve put in your plan.

Here's how to view team availability directly from your gantt chart in TeamGantt.

Don’t overlook holidays and time off.

Now is your chance to block time off in your plan. This is important now because as soon as your timeline shifts (you know it will, don’t fight it), you’ll open yourself up to making an error and dropping a deadline on a date that should be blocked. If you note them in your plan, that won’t happen.

Don’t forget to ask for feedback.

If you deliver a plan that has a mistake, misinterprets a task, or even misses a date, it can create confusion and delays. So grab a teammate and ask them to review your gantt chart before you post it for review.

Of course, you’ll also want to be ready to get some feedback on your plan. Formalizing a plan means you’re taking a set of ideas and expanding on them. That also means you might interpret something differently than a teammate. That’s okay!

Don’t set it and forget it.

A gantt chart is a living, breathing document that should keep up with project changes—not a fixed plan that’s set in stone. Invite your team to collaborate on work and track progress in real time so your gantt chart’s always up-to-date.

How to use gantt charts to manage projects

Now you know how to make a gantt chart to plan and schedule project tasks. But that’s not all they’re designed to do! 

Let’s explore some easy ways you can use a gantt chart to manage and track your projects in TeamGantt.

Collaborate with your team and stakeholders

Successful projects run on communication and collaboration. When project files and updates are scattered across different email threads and other platforms, it’s hard to get a good sense of what needs to get done and how close you are to the finish line.

With an online gantt chart , you can streamline communication through a single channel that centers around your project plan.

Here’s how to use a gantt chart to boost collaboration with your team and stakeholders.

Use comments to discuss tasks and share project files

Got a mockup that’s ready for design review? Or need more info to get started on your task? Add a comment to the task, and be sure to tag the person you’re updating so they’ll get automatically notified.

You can also upload documents directly to a task, group, or project. TeamGantt supports version control, so it's easy to find the latest version of any document.

And if you need to share important details up front, that’s what sticky notes are for. For instance, you might want to document how many hours have been scoped for a task or outline specs for a design project.

Watch this video to see team collaboration in action in TeamGantt.

Share your gantt chart with external stakeholders

Need to share project updates with contractors, clients, or other stakeholders? In TeamGantt, you have several options for sharing your gantt chart with external users :

• Invite someone as a guest to your project : Inviting someone as a guest enables them to see and comment on tasks in a single project without making edits to the gantt chart itself.
• Send a view-only link to your gantt chart : This option is great if you want to enable a client or stakeholder to monitor project progress without inviting them to become a user on your account.
• ‍ Export your gantt chart as a PDF : This option enables you to filter a gantt chart down to only the information you want to share so clients and stakeholders can get a quick snapshot of the project.

Integrate your gantt chart with other collaboration apps

If your team uses multiple apps to collaborate on projects, why not integrate them with your gantt chart so everything connects back to the plan? Here are a few popular integrations you can use to keep your people and projects in sync:

• Trello : See your cards in a project timeline, create dependencies between cards, and view workloads—all without ever leaving Trello.
• Slack : Create tasks from chats, check your daily task list, and get notified about new comments and assignments right from Slack.
• Dropbox : Share important documents more easily by uploading Dropbox files directly to your tasks and projects.
• Zapier : Automate work and streamline collaboration by connecting TeamGantt to your other favorite apps.
• ‍ TeamGantt API : Got a developer on hand? Build custom integrations with your TeamGantt data using our public API!

Manage resources and team workloads

It’s hard to finish any project on time and budget when your team is overloaded and overwhelmed. A gantt chart plots everyone’s work on a visual timeline so you can see how tasks stack up across your projects.

In TeamGantt, you can check and adjust workloads right from your gantt chart to avoid overbooking your team as you schedule new tasks.

Take a closer look at how to use gantt charts for project resource management.

Estimate project time and effort

Assigning hourly estimates to tasks in your gantt chart makes it easier to assess project scope , balance team workloads, and monitor project budget once work gets underway.

TeamGantt’s Advanced plan comes with hourly estimation and time tracking. You can use these features to track and compare estimated vs. actual hours directly from your gantt chart. With that kind of visibility, you can keep a close eye on potential overages and get ahead of issues before they throw your whole project off course.

Estimating hours at the task level also gives you a more granular view of availability when assigning and scheduling work for your team. That way you can feel more confident your team can get the work done without missing deadlines.

Learn more about hourly estimation in TeamGantt.

Track progress against deadlines and estimates

One of the best things about using a gantt chart is the ability to see where a project stands at any given moment. After all, clients, bosses and other project stakeholders expect you to stick to your promises (aka: budgets and deadlines).

That’s why it’s important to monitor tasks to ensure you’re on track to deliver work on time and budget. If things start to go sideways, you can adjust the gantt chart to get things back on track and reset expectations along the way.

Here’s how to track progress and spot issues early in TeamGantt.

Update and monitor progress

Checking things off a list is a pretty satisfying thing to do. What’s even more satisfying is updating the % Complete of a big task and watching the taskbar fill in until it’s 100% done.

Seeing the status of your teammates’ and coworkers’ tasks can be a healthy motivating force too. When you know the up-to-the-minute status of other tasks—especially those tasks that may rely on your tasks—it keeps everyone moving in the right direction.

How to request a progress update in TeamGantt

Need to know where someone stands on a particular task? TeamGantt makes it easy to do a quick status check and remind team members to update their progress.

Here's how it works:

• Click the chat bubble to the left of the task to open the comment window.
• Click Request a progress update at the top of the comment window.
• TeamGantt will send anyone who's assigned to that task an email asking them to update their progress.

Hourly estimate vs. actual progress

TeamGantt’s Advanced plan enables you to compare hourly estimates with actual progress so you can easily spot tasks that are taking longer than expected. Simply look for the thin striped line in the middle of each taskbar on your gantt chart, and pay attention to its color and length.

These indicators signal task trouble:

• The striped line is red : This task (or group) is over-budget. More hours have been tracked than were originally estimated for the task.
• ‍ The striped line is longer than the progress indicated for a task : The hours tracked are outpacing actual progress. That means this task (or group) is at risk for going over budget or missing a deadline.

Remember how I said no matter how much planning you do, it’s likely something will come up that requires you to move your timeline? It’s handy to know how much you’ve had to move things over the course of a project. Enter: baselines.

What is a baseline in a gantt chart?

A baseline is a “snapshot” of your project in time. When you create a baseline set, you’re grabbing a picture of your whole project so you have something to compare to when things inevitably shift for one reason or another.

Baselines are extremely important because they give you the “real” picture of shifts that have occurred. It’s easy to think things are looking pretty good, when in reality you’re 3 weeks behind and $10,000 over budget. Things can creep slowly, and without a set of baselines to compare to, it can be easy to get behind and not even fully realize it.

Learn how baselines work in TeamGantt.

Using multiple baseline sets in your gantt chart

A single baseline is great, but a single point doesn’t show trends. Stringing multiple baseline sets together will give you a much clearer picture of when and why your project slipped. Was it due to consistently dragging manufacturing estimates? Or was it that the client was consistently slow in approving designs and signing contracts? Baselines can tell you exactly what you need to know so you can improve your estimating practices.

Baselines aren’t just for showing you the negatives of your project. They’re equally useful for seeing where things have gone better than expected. Just like you have to shift things around when tasks are delayed, you may have to make adjustments when things run ahead of schedule.

As you get better at tracking your project’s slippage, you’ll get better at making realistic estimates on timelines. Once you’ve mastered that skill, you’ll have customers lining up because they know that when you plan a project, they have a timeline they can count on.

How does a gantt chart compare to other alternatives?

Project managers use a variety of tools—from gantt charts and kanban boards to spreadsheets and task lists—to keep up with project details, deadlines, and to-dos.

So what separates gantt charts from the rest of the pack when it comes to time-sensitive or complex projects? Spreadsheets, kanban boards, and task lists fall short when it comes to important project management tasks, like building a timeline, outlining dependencies, and managing workloads.

Without these 3 gantt chart features , you’ll have a tough time communicating the plan to your team, clients, and stakeholders. Here are just a few examples of questions a gantt chart can help you answer:

• Can we take on more work?
• How will we get from point A to point B?
• What needs to happen first?
• Can we meet a requested deadline?
• Who has the bandwidth to tackle these tasks?
• Are we on track to finish on time?
• How are we performing?

The good news is, you can use a gantt chart without foregoing other alternatives. Your team may prefer kanban boards for managing daily tasks or using a spreadsheet to create a RACI chart , and that’s okay.

With TeamGantt, you’ve got choices. View and manage projects as a gantt chart, task list, calendar, or kanban board, and upload important spreadsheets to the project documents. No matter how you look at things, everything ties back to your plan.

Let’s take a closer look at how a gantt chart can help you manage projects better.

Gantt chart pros and cons

What’s to love about gantt charts? And what should you be aware of before diving in? Here’s a quick snapshot of the pros and cons so you can decide if a gantt chart is right for your projects.

What are the pros of using a gantt chart?

A gantt chart is like a front-row seat to the project action. All the tiny details you never noticed from the nosebleed section suddenly come to life in full color right before your very eyes. It’s nearly impossible to miss a game-changing move!

Let’s explore some of the biggest gantt chart pros in project management .

Visualize your entire project

A project plan is one thing. How it plays out is another. A gantt chart gives you a start-to-finish view of your entire project timeline so you can see how tasks are progressing in real time. That means you can provide up-to-the-minute status reports to managers and stakeholders in a flash.

See how tasks are connected

Let’s face it: Things change. Lucky for you, modern gantt charts make it easy to shift tasks around without breaking your stride. With dependencies —a star feature of any gantt chart—you can keep tasks connected even when your timeline gives you the ol’ switcheroo.

Keep everyone on the same page and on time

Clear communication is a must-have in any project. Without it, you risk project delays and cost overruns. Web-based gantt charts, like TeamGantt, ensure no one’s left in the dark. That’s because all your project info and discussion threads live in one central hub that everyone can access, making team collaboration a breeze.

Know who’s busy and who isn’t

If you want to make smart business decisions, you’ve got to have a good grasp on your resources. With gantt charts, resource management is no longer a guessing game. You can see who’s got bandwidth to take on new tasks at a glance.

See a full list of gantt chart benefits.

Do gantt charts have limitations?

Some folks think gantt charts are too complicated to build, read, and update. While traditional desktop apps have their limitations, most of the cons people associate with gantt charts don’t apply to the online gantt chart software you’ll find today.

That’s because modern gantt charts ushered in a whole new era of project management. Now gantt charts offer clean and simple design with drag and drop scheduling so you can build and adjust project plans in an instant. And because everything happens online, it’s easy to share plans, collaborate on work, update tasks, and track progress in real time.

Let's look at how modern gantt charts compare to traditional desktop apps.

Modern gantt charts vs. desktop apps

Gantt charts come in many forms—from good old-fashioned paper to desktop apps and even web-based software.

Bringing gantt charts online transforms them from a static document that quickly becomes obsolete to a living, collaborative representation of a project’s current state. Team members can update their progress in real time, and stakeholders can check in on project status without having to go through you. Plus, it's easy to stay in sync and push projects across the finish line more quickly.

See how TeamGantt’s modern gantt chart tool compares to 2 popular desktop apps:

• TeamGantt vs. Microsoft Excel
• TeamGantt vs. Microsoft Project

Advanced features to look for in a modern gantt chart

A good modern gantt chart should be a part of a complete project management solution. Look for these advanced gantt chart software features to ensure your team and projects stay on track:

• Team collaboration
• Multiple project views, including kanban boards, task lists, and calendar views
• Time tracking and hourly estimation
• Workload management
• Mobile access
• Integrations

TeamGantt has all of this! Try it for free.

Continue learning about gantt charts

Now that you know how to make a gantt chart, you’re ready to move on to the next step! Keep reading to learn how to use your gantt chart to manage your team's time and availability more easily.

NEXT CHAPTER: Managing Resources with Your Gantt Chart

Plan your next project in minutes

When you’re a project manager, every minute counts. So why waste time building out a bunch of complicated spreadsheets just to keep tabs on a project?

At TeamGantt, you don’t have to. Our free online gantt chart software enables you to stay focused on the tasks that move the needle. Whip up a project plan in minutes, and watch your team cross the finish line faster. It really is that simple.

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United States Frequency Allocation Chart

A printed version of the most recent version of the United States Frequency Allocations: The Radio Spectrum Chart (published in January 2016 from data as of September 2015) is available from the U. S. Government Publishing Office at a cost of $6.00 per copy.

You can order a copy of the chart (approximately 36” x 48”) directly from the GPO at the following link: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/003-000-00695-6 .  Note that the charts are printed on an “on demand“ basis.

The United States Frequency Allocation Chart is provided here as a Portable Document Format (*.pdf) file:

U.S. Frequency Allocation Chart as of January 2016