A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart showing the start and end dates of each task within a project. It shows the tasks on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis. The tasks are shown sequentially. It can have many other pieces but these are the basic building blocks. Gantt Chart Example 1 Here is a Gantt chart that was created with … [Read more...]
How to Create a Gantt Chart in Excel
Believe it or not, gantt charts can be created relatively painlessly in MS Excel. A simple one will take about 15 minutes with only a basic knowledge of Excel, and I'm going to show you how. Step 1: Enter the Task data The first step is to enter your tasks in table form in Excel. Make sure you have the following four columns Task Start Date … [Read more...]
The Complete Guide to Gantt Charts
A Gantt Chart is to a project manager like a hammer is to a carpenter. It is the project manager's most used tool. It is used to convey the most critical information. And it plays an outsized role in project success. Since a project is by definition temporary, the completion date is a critical item in virtually every project. The gantt chart is used … [Read more...]
Project Schedule Management According to the PMBOK
Because a project is defined as a temporary endeavor (PMBOK 1.1), deadlines are baked into the success criteria of all projects. Since all projects have a defined end point, the circumstances around this end point can result in project success or failure. Managing the project schedule can be one of the most formidable parts of project management. I've seen more … [Read more...]
Project Stakeholder Management According to the PMBOK
All projects have stakeholders. If they didn't, the project wouldn't exist. As a minimum, the project sponsor is a stakeholder who is expecting to receive the project's deliverables. Usually there are expectations to receive them at a certain time, cost, quality level, or other criteria as well. The project manager must know who the stakeholders are … [Read more...]
Project Procurement Management According to the PMBOK
Most projects require some form of external purchasing (procurement) in order to meet their goals. Executing these procurements to fulfill the needs of the project falls under the knowledge area of Project Procurement Management. Contractors usually have better expertise or experience and can provide a higher quality product. But often they are not … [Read more...]
Project Communications Management According to the PMBOK
Many project managers have executed the technical work to perfection only to find out that stakeholders were not satisfied because communication was poor. Thus, project communication is sometimes more important than the technical work. Of course, the project manager needs to communicate when unexpected events occur. That's the domain of project risk … [Read more...]
Project Resource Management According to the PMBOK
Managing the project resources is how the project manager spends most of their time. From ordering supplies, to training team members, to paying bills, the project resources are a seemingly bottomless pit of active management. Meanwhile, the project team is one of the most important components of project success - Having confidence that your team is going to … [Read more...]
Project Risk Management According to the PMBOK
In some industries, risk analysis as a subset of project management is virtually non-existent. Project management is usually focused on cost and schedule, and delivering projects "on time, on budget" sometimes feels like the only criteria. But as a project manager, there's nothing that makes you sleep at night better than knowing you've got the risks to your … [Read more...]
Defining Project Success
There is no universal definition of project success. Since the very definition of a project is temporary (Project Management Body of Knowledge, 6th Edition), virtually all projects must meet a deadline and budget. But some projects must satisfy certain stakeholders. Others must meet regulatory criteria. Still others must achieve a certain return on … [Read more...]