How To's for Gantt

Outline essential project tasks. Clearly define each task and include sub-tasks if necessary. "Purchase supplies," for example, would be too vague -- "purchase a hammer and 15-nails" is more specific and useful. A well-planned project should have no more than about 15 to 20 tasks.

Organize tasks chronologically. Estimate, based on experience and industry benchmarks, the amount of time necessary to complete each task. Some tasks can run concurrently, but others will need to be executed consecutively; make notations of each.

Write each task on a separate row on the left side of the Gantt chart. Write the start date in the first column of the chart, coinciding with the first project task. Add the number of working days onto the start date to calculate the estimated completion date for each task. For example, if purchasing of supplies is to start on August 1, 2011, and is to take three days, the estimated completion date of purchasing supplies is August 3, 2011. If the next task is consecutive, it will start on August 4, 2011. Draw one horizontal bar for each task, aligning with the date when the task is to start.

Shade the portion of the bar representing proportion completed on each task. If the task is to take four days and you have completed two days work, for example, you would draw the outline of a horizontal bar and shade in 50 percent of it.