The advantages and disadvantages of using a Gantt chart

By using a Gantt chart, you create a clear flow of tasks that keeps an overview of a project. This means a Gantt chart offers a lot of advantages. However, there are also some drawbacks. What exactly are these advantages and disadvantages of using a Gantt chart?

The goal of a Gantt Chart

Managing a project is easier with a planning method such as a Gantt chart. We’ve described what exactly a Gantt chart is in a previous blog, but in short: A Gantt chart is a graph/diagram, used in project management, which creates a visual representation of the scheduled tasks. The goal of such a chart is to create a clear and schematic overview of what that needs to be done to complete a project properly and on time. A Gantt chart is, in rare occasions, referred to as a strip schedule or bar schedule.

Advantages of a Gantt chart

It’s not hard to start with making a Gantt chart. Thanks to the successive strips in this schedule, the flow of the project is clearly visible. In addition, there are more benefits:

• A clear schedule prevents mistakes: when you’re setting up a schedule, you have to think about the entire project. That means that you determine exactly which steps need to be taken to bring the project to a successful conclusion. This prevents mistakes due to unintentional inattention.
• Managing a project becomes easier and more efficient: a complete schedule gives a project manager clear insight into the progress of a project. This allows them to immediately see whether a task that is lagging behind will cause problems. This also prevents a project manager from steering on tasks that don’t need to be prioritized.

strong>You save time: discussing the status of a project will take less time thanks to a Gantt chart, because you can see where you are in a glance.

Disadvantages of a Gantt chart

However, managing a project with a Gantt chart is not a foolproof system. Setting up a Gantt chart at the start of a project takes time. In addition, there are other drawbacks:

• You have to know the entire project: a Gantt chart is difficult to use for a project if they have no clear end goal, or where you do not know what exactly is involved. To be able to use a Gantt chart well, you must have all the intermediate steps clear from start to finish.
• A Gantt chart can become cluttered: especially when there are many tasks, subtasks, and team members in a project with a long lead time, keeping a clear overview with a strip schedule is sometimes difficult.

Using a static tool or software such as Excel brings it’s own drawbacks:

• Updating the schedule takes a lot of time. You’ll notice this especially when you have made the schedule in Excel. Projects are alive: during a project tasks will disappear, new tasks will be added, and other tasks will be moved up or down. It takes a lot of time to update this in a static program.

Real-time tracking is difficult with an Excel schedule: because it takes a lot of time to update a schedule, this will not happen often. As a result, you will have to follow the project real-time in a different way, or use a tool that does this for you automatically.

How KYP Project’s software solves these limitations

As mentioned, there are some disadvantages to using a Gantt chart. This is especially true if you choose to work with an Excel schedule, because you will have certain disadvantages that we described earlier.

We made our construction scheduling tool to help everyone in the construction sector to manage their projects. Keeping a construction schedule with KYP Project gives you all the advantages of a Gantt chart! Our tool uses a stand line, which means every day you’ll clearly see where you are in a project and which tasks need to be completed. In addition, we also offer other benefits:

• strong>Filter the overview: larger schedules often have many (sub)tasks and team members. As a result, a schedule quickly becomes unclear. In KYP Project, you can filter quickly and easily on the tasks that are relevant to you.
• strong>Adjusting is very simple: projects need management. Sometimes the weather is unworkable, deliveries are late, or a task takes longer than expected. In the construction project management software of KYP Project, you adjust tasks with just a few clicks on the button, after which the entire schedule moves forward if you want it to.
• strong>Communication runs smoothly: have you just made a change? Then KYP Project automatically sends a notification to the person for whom something has changed. That makes keeping everyone up-to-date really easy.
• An online tool, only one schedule for everyone. No more incorrect expectations or miscommunication because there are multiple versions of your schedule in circulation. KYP Project is an online tool, so there is only one version that is the same for everyone: whether you are in the office or on the construction site!

Also available on your tablet or phone. You can use our scheduling software on your computer. You can also download the app for free on iOS and Android. With KYP Project, you always have the schedule in your pocket.