How to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel? A Step-By-Step Guide

Are you looking to transform your project plan from a confusing mess of complex timelines into a vibrant roadmap for greater clarity? Look no further than a Gantt Chart in Excel. With this tool, you can juggle tasks, timelines and deadlines like a pro, and transform plain data into a dynamic, easy-to-read chart that tracks every stage of your project’s progress. 

This blog explores How to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel, outlining all the essential steps you will need. So, read on, track the deadlines and dependencies masterfully, and bring your project to life, one timeline at a time!

Table of Contents

1) What is a Gantt Chart in Excel?

2) How to make a Gantt Chart in Excel?

3) Gantt Chart Template in Microsoft Excel

4) Advantages of Excel Gantt Charts

5) Disadvantages of Excel Gantt Charts

6) Conclusion

What is a Gantt Chart in Excel?

A Gantt Chart is a category of bar chart representing every task in a project. It’s a potent Project Management tool used to plan project schedules, enhance resource allocation, and remain up-to-date with project progress.

A Gantt Chart is structured around two main axes: 

1) The vertical axis, which lists all the tasks. 

2) The horizontal axis, which maps out the project timeline.

The chart itself features horizontal bars, each representing a task. The length of the bar shows when a task should start and end. This enables Project Managers to accurately predict the entire project timeline. 

The Gantt Chart gained popularity in the early 20th century when Henry Gantt, a mechanical engineer, started using the model to record the progress of each task in the manufacturing process. This allowed supervisors to see if production schedules were on time, and in case they weren’t, they could make prompt changes to get things back on track.  

Today, Gantt Charts have expanded their application beyond the manufacturing industry, finding utility in software development, construction, and other fields, helping diverse teams manage their project schedules.

How to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel?

Here’s a quick overview of what the process of creating a Gantt Chart in Excel looks like:

Step 1: Let’s create a Project table as seen in the image below.  

Once you enter the tasks, start date, and end date, the duration can be calculated as follows:

Duration = End date – Start date 

Step 2: Make a bar chart using the data in the Start Date column 

Select the Start Date column range, B1:B16, in our example. 

Now, click on Insert tab > click Bar in charts group > Stacked Bar. 

Step 3: This will result in producing the stacked bar as seen in the image below. 

 Right-click on the chart area and click on the 'Select Data' option.

Now, click on the Add button to plot more data (Duration) in the Gantt Chart. 

This opens an Edit Series window, where you can add the series name and series values as seen in the image. 

Add series values (D2:D16) as seen in the image. Make sure to not include a header or an empty cell by mistake. Once you have entered the details in the box, click the OK button for the data to be added to the Excel Gantt Chart.

The resulting bar chart will look like similar to the following image

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Step 4: Adding task descriptions to the Excel Gantt Chart.  To replace the dates on the left-hand portion of the chart with the list of scheduled tasks: 

Right-click in the chart area and choose the Select Data option to open the Select Data Source window. 

Select the Start Date option from the left pane under Legend Entries and click the Edit button on the right pane.

An Axis Labels window opens, and you can select the range you selected previously for the duration column range. In our case, we will select the column range A2:A16 and click OK twice to close the open windows.

With all the task descriptions added to the left-hand-side (like the following image), the Gantt Chart at this point will look something like this: 

Step 5: Transforming the bar graph 

Clicking on the orange or blue bar in your Gantt Chart will select them all, and you can right-click on them to choose the Format Data Series option. 

The Format Data Series window will be something like the image below. You can use those options and experiment to see what changes happen to your Gantt Chart.

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Now, click on the blue bar > Format Data Series > No Fill  

Switch to Border > No Line 

This will make your Gantt Chart look, as seen in the image below. 

Gantt Chart Template in Microsoft Excel

Gantt Chart templates in Microsoft Excel are available in Excel 2013 – 2022. This template is ready to use and requires no learning curve once you click on it.  

The Excel template displayed in the image is called Gantt Project Planner. The purpose of this project planner is to keep track of your project's progress for a set of activities.

Advantages of Excel Gantt Charts

Using Excel to create Gantt Charts offers several advantages, making it a popular choice for Project Managers and individuals involved in Project Planning. Here are some significant advantages of using Excel Gantt Charts:

1) Store all project information on one screen: An Excel spreadsheet stores all your project information in one location. You can open the spreadsheet to see your project tasks, deadlines, and milestones at once.

2) Excel is Easy to Use: Excel is an easy-to-use program for manually creating a Gantt chart. You can add the date range to the spreadsheet, highlight the relevant information, and select the 'Chart Wizard' button to add it to a Gantt chart. Then, the chart can be customised to suit your project.

3) Integration with Other Excel Features: Excel allows users to integrate Gantt Charts with other features such as formulas, calculations, and Data Analysis. This integration helps in a more comprehensive approach to Project Management within a single platform.

Disadvantages of Excel Gantt Charts

While Excel Gantt Charts are widely used for Project Management, they have several disadvantages that might impact their effectiveness in specific scenarios. Here are the significant disadvantages:

1) Keeping it Current can be Challenging. Since Excel isn’t a cloud-based platform, project information doesn’t update in real-time across devices. To update your team, you must manually send them the most current version of your static spreadsheet, making it harder for teams to remain on the same page.

2) Unable to Assign Tasks: In older versions of Excel, project teams can’t assign tasks to other users, making it harder for team members to know what they need to do and what their team members are working on. 

3) Difficult to Collaborate with Project Team: Excel can make it challenging for project teams to collaborate while the project is live. Since Excel Gantt Charts aren’t accessible online, project teams can’t instantly access the project in real-time.

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Conclusion

Learning How to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel is the ideal way to manage your project timelines with confidence and ease. From setting up tasks to monitoring deadlines, Excel offers a powerful arsenal of Project Management tools that makes overseeing projects a breeze. With the Gantt Chart in place, as outlined in this blog, you can stay organised and stay ahead in bringing your project to a successful and stress-free completion

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