1. 0 GANTT CHART https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=ocrWmwb1JPA
Summary: A Gantt chart is a visual timeline for tracking tasks and milestones throughout
a project's lifecycle. It offers a high-level overview of project schedules, making it easier to
manage complex plans involving multiple teams and shifting deadlines. By providing clear
visibility, Gantt charts empower project managers and teams to stay organized and focused on
achieving their goals together.
Whether you're managing sprints or long-term projects, this comprehensive guide explores what
Gantt charts are, their practical applications, and the many benefits they offer.
What is a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is an agile project management tool used to plan and track the progress of various
tasks and activities within a project. Serving as a visual timeline, it displays the list of tasks,
their start and end dates, milestones, dependencies between tasks, and assignees.
As a valuable roadmap, a Gantt chart guides teams and organizations in effectively planning
and coordinating their work items. By illustrating task interconnections, it fosters seamless
collaboration and alignment among project stakeholders, ensuring everyone is on the same page
and working towards the same goal.

The benefits of using Gantt charts

Gantt charts have two primary benefits.

i. Simplifies complex planning: Gantt charts make it easier to create complex

plans, particularly those involving multiple teams and shifting deadlines. They
also help teams schedule tasks around deadlines and allocate resources efficiently.
Gantt charts make it easier to create complex plans, particularly those involving multiple teams and shifting
deadlines. They also help teams schedule tasks around deadlines and allocate resources efficiently.

ii. Enhances task scheduling and resource allocation: Project planners rely on
Gantt charts for a high-level overview, showing key details like task start and end
dates, milestones, and dependencies. Modern Gantt chart programs like Jira
Timelines and Jira's Advanced Planning synthesize information and illustrate how
choices impact deadlines.

Gantt chart components

Gantt charts typically include two sections;
• the left side outlines a list of tasks
• the right side shows a project timeline with schedule bars that visualize work.
Let's take a closer look at the primary components to look for in a Gantt chart.

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Task list: A task list is a comprehensive list of all tasks required to complete the project. In
Jira, tasks can be created and managed using the issue tracker, which allows you to assign
tasks to team members, set priorities, and track progress. This ensures that every team
member knows their responsibilities and deadlines, promoting accountability and
efficiency. For example, a software development team uses the task list to assign coding,
testing, and deployment tasks to different developers, ensuring a smooth workflow
Timeline

The timeline is a visual representation of the project schedule, showing start and end dates at the
top of the chart. Jira's Timeline feature provides a clear view of your project schedule, helping
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you visualize the sequence of tasks and their durations. Timelines help identify potential
bottlenecks and allow for proactive adjustments to keep the project on track. For example, a
marketing team uses the timeline to plan a product launch, ensuring all promotional activities
are aligned and executed on time.
Dependencies

Links between tasks dictate the order of operations and show how tasks are related. Jira's
Advanced Roadmaps allows you to set dependencies between tasks, ensuring that tasks are
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completed in the correct order and automatically adjusting schedules when changes occur. This
prevents delays by ensuring that prerequisite tasks are completed before dependent tasks begin.
In a construction project, for example, dependencies ensure that foundation work is completed
before building the structure.
Milestones

Project milestones on Gantt charts are markers on the project timeline indicating major progress
or completion of project phases. In Jira, you can mark key milestones using milestone markers,
which help keep your team focused on critical deadlines and achievements. Milestones provide
motivation and a sense of accomplishment, helping teams stay focused on long-term goals.
A product development team sets a milestone for completing the prototype phase, signaling
readiness for user testing.
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Project manager use Gantt charts for:

i. Building and managing a comprehensive project: Gantt charts visualize the building
blocks of a project and organize it into smaller, more manageable tasks. The resulting
tasks are on the Gantt chart’s timeline, along with dependencies between tasks,
assignees, and milestones.
ii. Determining logistics and task dependencies: Use Gantt charts to monitor a project’s
logistics. Task dependencies ensure that a new task can only start once another task
has finished. Delayed tasks result in automatic rescheduling. This can be especially
useful when planning in a multi-team environment.
iii. Monitoring progress of a project: As teams log time toward work items in your plan,
you can monitor the health of your projects and adjust as necessary. Your Gantt chart
can include release dates, milestones, or other important metrics to track your
project’s progress.
How to create a Gantt chart

With the benefits of Gantt charts in mind, we explore how to translate our project plans into a
clear and actionable chart. We cover the essential steps, from defining your project scope to
tracking progress, to ensure your Gantt chart becomes a valuable tool for successful project
execution.

Step 1: Define the project scope

The first step in creating a Gantt chart is to define the project scope. Start by identifying the
project's main objectives. Clear objectives will guide the project and ensure that all tasks align
with these goals throughout the project life cycle.
Once you have your objectives, outline the key deliverables. These are the tangible outcomes
that you need to produce throughout the project.

Step 2: List all tasks and subtasks

Next, list every task necessary to complete each deliverable. Break large tasks into smaller
subtasks to clearly show what your team needs to do. Identify each task, the team member
responsible, and the required resources.

Step 3: Estimate task duration

Determine how long each task will take to complete. Be realistic, and consider any potential
delays. Include buffer time in your schedule to accommodate unexpected delays and ensure the
project remains on track.

Step 4: Determine task dependencies

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Identify the task sequence. Some tasks can only start once others finish. Use dependency types
such as finish-to-start or start-to-start to define relationships between tasks.

Step 5: Choose a Gantt chart tool

When choosing a Gantt chart tool, assess several factors to ensure the tool meets your project’s
needs.

Jira is an excellent option for creating Gantt charts, particularly for software development
teams. Tools such as Timelines and Plans help you create advanced roadmaps. These features
support detailed task management, dependency tracking, and resource allocation. You can even
use a Gantt chart template to streamline the process.
Step 6: Input data

Once you have all your information, input the data into your chosen tool. Enter all tasks and
their corresponding durations into the Gantt chart. Set up dependencies between tasks to ensure
the sequence is clear. Include key milestones to highlight significant points in the project
timeline.
Best practices for creating effective Gantt charts

Creating an effective Gantt chart involves more than just inputting data. Here are some best
practices to follow.

• Keep it simple and clear. Avoid cluttering your Gantt chart with too much information.
Use colors and labels sparingly, and include only the most essential tasks and
dependencies.
• Use color coding. Color coding helps visualize different task types or stages better. It
enhances the timeline view and makes tracking progress at a glance easier.
• Communicate clearly. Ensure all team members understand the Gantt chart by using
clear task descriptions, milestone markers, and dependency types. This will help avoid
confusion and prevent mistakes.
• Share with team members and stakeholders. Share your Gantt chart with all relevant
stakeholders to ensure alignment across the team. Keep everyone updated on any changes
or revisions to the Gantt chart.
• Update the chart regularly. A Gantt chart should be a living, regularly updated
document throughout the project. Make corresponding changes to keep the timeline
accurate with each completed or delayed task.
• Incorporate feedback. Seek feedback from your team regularly and incorporate it into
your Gantt chart to improve accuracy and effectiveness.

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 2.0 CRITICAL PATH

What a Critical Path Method in Project Management is

• Critical path refers to the sequence of activities that must be completed during project
execution. The critical path method is a technique used in mapping out these activities.
• CPM helps project managers identify which activities are the most significant in the
completion of the project, making task prioritization and delegation easier.
• Critical path mapping can be completed either manually or with the help of CPM
software.

Critical Path in Project Management: Definition and Origin

With roots dating back to the 1960s, the critical path method (CPM) is a technique used during
the initial project analysis, planning, and scheduling phases of project management. The process
has changed over the years since its inception, and while the modern critical path method
mirrors the original in many ways, there are noticeable differences.
Critical path in project management is the sequence of tasks or activities that must be completed
during the execution of a project, and the critical path method is a means of mapping out these
activities.
Why It Is Important to Identify a Project’s Critical Path
Critical path is a project management term that refers to the various project tasks and activities
that are the most time-consuming. Once the critical path has been identified, the individual tasks
along the critical path—known collectively as critical activities—are easily prioritized and
delegated as needed.
The overall project timeline ultimately depends on the critical path. Since the critical path
represents the minimum amount of time needed to complete the project, it is vital to identify the
critical path during the initial project planning phase.

How to Use the Critical Path Method (+ Example)

Now that we know what is critical path in project management and how to identify it, it’s time
to learn how to use it.

To illustrate how to use the critical path method, we’ll be using it to plan an online press
conference.

Step 1: List all project tasks

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Critical path project management begins with a list of all the tasks and activities, as well as the
various milestones and deliverables, associated with the project at hand. For small or short-term
projects, these activities can easily be listed with a simple, multi-column chart.
When planning an online press conference, for example, you might split activities into various
groups: one for guests, another to cover the format of the press conference itself, yet another for
logistics planning, and one more for creating an online press kit for distribution to mainstream
media outlets.

Guests Program Logistics Online Press Kit

Confirm
Collect contact Conduct the pre- Create an outline of the
conference
information production meeting press release
speakers

Create a default Verify speaker

Collect and verify assets
invite slides

Create the first draft of

Send out invites
the press release

Finalize the press

Send out reminders
release

Distribute press kits

Larger projects, which could involve dozens or even hundreds of separate tasks, are best
managed by using CPM alongside other tools, such as a Gantt chart, to keep everything running
as smoothly as possible.

Step 2: Identify dependencies and estimates

Next, take the time to identify any task dependencies within your project. These are tasks that
can’t be finished until another related activity is complete. Once you’ve identified and listed
dependencies, it’s useful to provide estimates of how long each individual task is expected to
take. It’s okay if you don’t know exactly; a rough estimate will suffice.

Task ID Task Dependency Estimate in Days

1 Collect contact information – 0.5

2 Create a default invite – 0.5

3 Send out invites 1, 2 0.5

4 Confirm conference speakers – 1

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 Task ID Task Dependency Estimate in Days

5 Verify speaker slides 4 0.5

6 Create an outline of the press release – 1

7 Collect and verify assets – 1

8 Create the first draft of the press release 6 1

9 Finalize the press release 8 3

10 Distribute press kits 9, 1, 7 1

11 Conduct the press conference 10, 5, 3 0.5

If you have a list of guests you hope to see at your upcoming press conference, one of your
specific tasks will involve sending out invites, either through email or traditional mail.
However, you can’t start sending invitations until you’ve created them. And once created, you
still need to compile the contact information for each guest.
As such, the activity of sending out invitations is dependent on the separate tasks of creating
invitations and collecting contact information. Some activities, like collecting contact details,
aren’t dependent on any other tasks. Other activities might have several different dependencies,
so it’s important to complete this process for every activity on your list.

Step 3: Use a network diagram that traces dependencies

Creating a simple network diagram is a helpful way of visualizing the different project activities
and their dependencies. In most cases, a diagram can be created using individual boxes to
represent each task or activity. Each dependency should ultimately point to all of the tasks that
can be started once it is completed. While some activities will point to several other tasks,
others might point to only one.

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When diagramming complicated or long-term projects, consider using different colors for each
dependency. This makes it easier to track specific tasks—and their critical activities—
throughout the entire project lifecycle.

Step 4: Do a forward pass

Once you have your basic diagram created, it’s time to move through your diagram with a
forward pass. Not only does this ensure the validity and accuracy of your diagram, but it also
makes it easy to determine the duration of the entire project. Although we already made rough
estimates of the time-to-completion for each specific activity, that doesn’t really cover the
project as a whole.

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In order to determine the project duration, we need to introduce to new variables to the diagram:

• Early start time (ES): This is the earliest possible time that any given task can be
started.
• Early finish time (EF): Conversely, this is the earliest possible time that any given task
can be completed or finished.
Calculating the ES of each task is a straightforward process. In our project management critical
path example above, the first tasks that can possibly be started are those with no dependencies.
As such, they have all an ES of 0, as they can be started on day 0. To determine the EF, add the
activity’s estimated duration to the ES. If task 1 takes 0.5 days to complete, for example, then
the EF is 0.5.
To add these variables to our diagram, put the ES in the upper-left corner of each task box and
put the EF in the upper-right corner. When calculating the EF and ES of tasks that depend on
earlier tasks, make sure to add the variables from the task’s dependencies too.

Task 3, for example, has an EF of 0.5; however, it can’t be started until tasks 1 and 2 are
finished. Instead of adding the two together, we simply pick the highest EF. In this case, task 3
has an EF of 1 because of its own time (0.5 days to finish) and the EFs of the previous tasks.
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Step 5: Do a backward pass
Next, complete a backward pass. Again, this process introduces two new variables to the
diagram:

• Latest start time (LS): This is the latest possible time that a task can be started without
causing delays throughout the entire project.
• Latest finish time (LF): Likewise, this is the latest possible time that a task can be
finished without causing delays throughout the entire project.

To determine the LF, start by copying the final task’s EF and pasting it as the LF. As you can
see in the example above, task 11 has 6.5 for both its EF and its LF.

To determine the LS, simply subtract the task’s duration from its LF. Since task 11 has a
duration of 0.5 and an LF of 6.5, its LS is 6. For dependencies, use task 11’s LS as the LF of
any tasks that lead directly to it. Using our critical path example, this includes tasks 3, 5, and
10. To determine the LS of these earlier tasks, simply subtract their duration from task 11’s LF.
If a task points to more than one other task, use the lower LS as that task’s LF.

Step 6: Find the critical path

In order to find the project’s critical path, follow the tasks that have the same EF and LF. In our
example, this has us starting on task 6 and proceeding to tasks 8, 9, 10, and 11—this is the
critical path.
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Remember, only critical activities can extend the project’s duration. While failing to finish task
9 on time would delay the entire project, a slight delay in task 4 or 5 wouldn’t have much effect,
as long as they’re all completed by their respective LFs.
Benefits of Using the Critical Path Method in Project Management
Critical path aids skilled and novice project managers alike in optimizing and streamlining the
entire project lifecycle. But how exactly does it help?

Prioritizing tasks
The critical path method makes it easy to prioritize and delegate tasks. Critical activities should
be given the highest priority, since the project ultimately depends on those for completion. Non-
critical activities can then be scheduled around the completion of these other, more important
tasks.

Anticipating and avoiding bottlenecks

The CPM also helps you anticipate and avoid bottlenecks in the workflow, especially when it
comes to scheduling and resource planning. Identifying the tasks that take the longest time to
complete at the very beginning of your project ultimately helps you plan ahead and make the
necessary accommodations before it’s too late.

Identifying slack

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Sometimes known as float, slack refers to the total number of days that a task can be delayed
before it affects other activities within the project. To identify slack in individual tasks, subtract
the task’s EF from the LF.
Limitations of the Critical Path Method in Project Management
As useful as the CPM is, the process isn’t perfect. It has flaws, disadvantages, and limitations
project managers should keep in mind.

Resource dependencies
While the critical path method makes it easy to understand individual task dependencies, it
doesn’t accommodate resource dependencies. For example, assigning one person to complete
two different tasks. Since the second task can’t be started until the first one is finished, there
could be unexpected delays in the project duration.

Scheduling interruptions
Holidays, system updates, and PTO could all increase the overall project duration. While you
certainly can’t plan for unexpected interruptions, some, like regular holidays and scheduled
vacation time, should be taken into account when determining your project’s overall duration.

Bulkiness
The CPM is best used when planning and organizing smaller projects. Large or complicated
projects with hundreds or even thousands of individual tasks quickly become too bulky to be of
any real use.
Manual vs Automated Critical Path Mapping
For most projects, critical path mapping can be completed manually. Our example illustrated
above walks you through the steps needed to create a network diagram and critical path map
without the use of software automation. For those who want to save even more time, however,
there are apps and utilities that can automate much of the process.

While every software solution offers its own combination of features and functionality, some of
the common elements of CPM software include:

• Drag-and-drop interface for adding tasks and dependencies

• Customizable templates for individual tasks
• Automated identification of your project’s critical path
• Collaboration amongst teammates and stakeholders
• Milestone tracking and notification
• Automated analysis and updating of start dates, due dates, and task durations

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Automated CPM software is ideal for small project teams that are regularly working on large or
complicated projects. It can also be used by novice PMs to guide them through the critical path
method during their next project.
Bottom Line: Critical Path as a Method of Planning a Project Timeline
The critical path method is one of the easiest and most straightforward ways of planning,
analyzing, and disseminating a project timeline for project teammates, clients, and stakeholders.
In project management, mapping out critical path can be implemented by novices and PM
veterans alike, and it’s a proven way to streamline the typical project lifecycle while making it
easier to prioritize activities and track productivity.
Prepared By R. K Wanambacha

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