Gantt chart: what it is and how to create it step by step

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Time is valuable and no one can afford to waste it. That is why a project requires organization to deliver it on time and in the correct manner, because if the tasks and the period to complete them are not defined, it could be postponed and even fail.

What is a Gantt chart and how to make it
This is the need that gave rise to the Gantt chart, a way to organize activities in an easy and visual way. As a Marketing Manager at HubSpot, I have experienced first-hand how this visual representation of time and tasks is key to efficiently organizing projects, meeting deadlines, and successfully achieving goals.

In this article, I will give you an in-depth look at what a Gantt chart is and how it can boost productivity and performance in digital marketing.

The purpose of a Gantt chart is to clearly define the start thailand whatsapp lead delivery times of a project, as well as the tasks or actions that are added up to achieve the final objective. Let's get started!


What is a Gantt chart
The Gantt chart is a project management tool used to outline the tasks that need to be carried out from the start of the project to its completion. It consists of two elements: tasks and a calendar. Each task covers a number of days, so bars are formed depending on the duration.

In addition, the Gantt chart shows the relationships that exist between tasks and the milestones that must be met for the project to progress as planned. The creation of this chart is attributed to Henry Laurence Gantt, and it began to spread from 1910. It has remained popular over the years due to its ease of use, versatility, efficiency and adaptation to any sector or project.

Let's see its characteristics below:


Features of a Gantt chart
Tasks
Start and end date
Horizontal bars
Time scale
Periods for each task
Progress
A Gantt chart contains certain elements that, regardless of the project or its objective, must be included for it to work efficiently:

1. Tasks
All actions that need to be executed will have their own space so that the people involved understand what is happening simultaneously, what needs to happen to start a task and at what moment another task starts or ends.

The bar for each task should have a color that identifies it and, if possible, a code that indicates its level of importance.

2. Start and closing date
It indicates when each action should be started and when it should be completed. It also represents the length of the diagram, as it allows you to see, at a glance, the time that will be invested in the project.

3. Gantt bars or horizontal bars
Gantt bars are the key visual elements in a Gantt chart. They represent the different tasks or activities that are part of a project or plan, and their length and position on the chart indicate how long each task will take and when it is expected to be completed.

Each Gantt bar typically extends horizontally along the chart's time axis, from the task's start date to its finish date. The length of the bar represents the task's estimated duration.

Gantt bars can have different colors or patterns to distinguish between different types of tasks, assign responsibilities, or indicate important milestones within the project. They can also be interconnected to show dependency relationships between tasks, which helps visualize how the progress of one task can affect the start or completion of other tasks in the project.

4. Time scale
The timeline is defined by the start and end date of the project. The graph has divisions that serve as a reference to determine the duration of each task, according to the length of each bar.

5. Periods for each task
This is the most interesting part of the Gantt chart, where its function is clearest: it organizes the times of each task by arranging the bar that corresponds to it in the period assigned to complete it.

6. Progress
Because all stages of a project are displayed, it is easy to calculate progress over time. Each completed task corresponds to a percentage of progress. This is represented in the graph using percentages.

Now I'll share some tips with you on how to create a Gantt chart that will help you manage your work successfully.

7. Milestones
These are significant events or important milestones within the project or plan that mark key stages or crucial achievements. Unlike regular tasks, which represent specific activities that must be completed, milestones are singular events that have no duration in themselves, but instead represent specific moments in time.

Milestones are typically represented on a Gantt Chart as distinctive visual markers, such as dots or triangles, located on the time axis at the corresponding dates on which they occur. These milestones can be critical events, such as the launch of a product, the completion of a major project phase, the signing of a major contract, or any other key achievement that marks a milestone in the project's progress.


What is a Gantt chart for?
The Gantt chart is used to graphically represent all the tasks and activities that must be carried out during a period to complete a project. This involves schematization that, in general, allows for better planning of the entire project, since it allows you to see which tasks depend on others, which can be carried out in parallel, and which ones condition the progress of the project stages.

When I start executing a project, I use a project charter to plan it , and when it is time to develop and execute it, the Gantt chart comes into play. It is an instrument that makes it possible to change tasks and adjust times according to delays or progress in the project.