Gantt Chart Template for Excel
Download a simple project scheduling tool for Microsoft Excel® - by Jon
Wittwer, PhD | Updated 8/18/21
A Gantt chart is a tool for project management developed originally by Henry
Gantt in the early 1900s. It is a type of bar chart that shows the start and end
times for each task in a project schedule. The tasks are usually categorized
using a work breakdown structure with summary tasks for the main project
deliverables and sub-tasks that break the project down into a detailed and
manageable task hierarchy. If you use Excel or Google Sheets, you can
create this type of project schedule with almost no learning curve by
downloading Vertex42's free Gantt Chart Template.
Description
This template contains the core functionality needed to create a simple Gantt
chart easily. Each row of the worksheet represents a separate task. All you
need to do is define the start date and duration of each task.
To add more tasks, you just copy and paste rows (or insert a row then
press Ctrl+D to copy formulas down).
To change the range of dates displayed in the chart area, just slide the
scroll bar.
To track the status of a task, edit the % Complete column. The bars in
the chart show the % complete for each task.
The vertical red line shows the current date.
To use the automatic work breakdown structure numbering, copy the
formula for the appropriate level from the bottom of the worksheet.
While planning a project, you may also want to use a yearly
calendar or project budget worksheet.
L2 version provides the same functionality as the original free gantt chart
template above. The main difference is the formatting. The WBS, End, and
Work Days columns are highlighted gray to indicate that they contain
formulas.
Creating Dependent Tasks in a Gantt Chart with
Excel
One of the reasons why Excel is a useful tool for creating Gantt Charts is that
task dependencies can be defined by using Excel formulas. Gantt Chart
Template Pro is designed to make this easier than entering your own
formulas, but here are a few simple examples you can try:
1. Start a Task the Day After a Predecessor Task
=end_date + 1
where end_date is a reference to cell (e.g. D10) containing the END date of
the predecessor task.
2. Start a Task on the Same Day as another task
=start_date
where start_date is a reference to cell containing the START date of the
other task.
3. Start a Task the next WORK day after a Predecessor task (excludes Sat &
Sun)
=WORKDAY(end_date,1)
Use the [Link]() function in Excel 2010+ to define a custom work
week (days other than only Sat & Sun)
The problem with only using formulas is that you can't see the dependencies
between tasks when you view or print the chart. Other Gantt chart software
may show dependencies as lines connecting the bars in the gantt chart, but
I've never found a simple way for Excel to do that (and the lines can get really
messy).
The simple approach is to list the WBS number of the Predecessor in
another column, like in the critical path example above. In the CPM template
and in Gantt Chart Template Pro, formulas calculate the start dates based on
what you enter. If you want to try doing this on your own, here is a formula to
get you started:
4. Start a Task the next day after a Predecessor task listed in another column
=INDEX(range_of_end_dates,MATCH(predecessor_wbs,wbs_range,0))
Gantt Chart Pro uses a formula like this, but it allows up to three predecessors
and it accounts for work days.
Showing Critical Tasks in a Gantt Chart
Some Gantt charts are designed to show the critical path and available slack
or float time for each task. If every task must be done in sequence, every task
is critical and there is no slack time (because if one task is delayed, it delays
the entire project). However, if some tasks can be done in parallel and have
some available slack time, then the project manager may be able to free up
some resources to devote to the more critical tasks.
Currently, the only template I have so far that uses the Critical Path Method
(CPM) algorithm to show critical tasks and available float time is the CPM
Template shown in the image on the left. The Gantt chart in this example
shows the critical tasks in red and the available slack time in gray.
The CPM algorithm requires a fully defined task dependency structure,
meaning that every task must have a successor (another task that depends
on it). A simple Gantt chart may not need to have the dependencies between
tasks fully defined, which is why you will see many project schedules with
tasks defined only with a start and end date.
References
Gantt Chart Definition and History - [Link]
Project Management Graphics (Gantt Charts) - [Link] - A
detailed academic discussion about the use of gantt charts as project
management tools.
Project Schedule Template
This project schedule template can be used to create a simple timeline for
your project without all the bells and whistles of a typical gantt chart. It was
designed for creating a visually-appealing project overview with the task
descriptions entered within the schedule instead of to the left like in most gantt
charts. This is something you might include in a presentation or use for
a school project.
Note: Everything in this spreadsheet is entered and formatted manually,
except for the dates along the top of the schedule. This gives you a lot of
freedom to customize the schedule, but if you would like a more automated
way to create a project schedule, try our gantt chart template.
Description
This project schedule template provides a simple solution for creating an
overview of your next project. This type of project timeline can be useful for
presentations or reports where a detailed gantt chart template may not be
required.
The template includes blank weekly and monthly project schedule
worksheets, and the sample schedule worksheet that is shown in the
screenshot above.
The sample schedule provides some ideas for how to format the worksheet,
such as using background colors and vertical text for milestones.