Gantt chart

A Gantt chart showing three kinds of schedule dependencies (in red) and percent complete indications.

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart. It is a tool of project management invented by the engineer Henry L. Gantt in the 1910s. The chart illustrates a project schedule.

Gantt charts show the start and finish dates of the elements of a project. Gantt charts show dependency between activities. It means that some activities can begin only after other activities are finished. If activities are independent, they can go on at the same time (though the converse is not necessarily true). Gantt charts can be used to show current schedule status using percent-complete shadings and a vertical "TODAY" line as shown here.

Gantt chart also helps in scheduling, managing, and monitoring specific tasks and resources in a project. The chart shows the project timeline, which includes scheduled and completed work over a period. The Gantt chart aids project managers in communicating project status or plans and also helps ensure the project remains on track.

They are now a common charting technique, but Gantt charts were thought revolutionary when first introduced. The charts are also used in information technology to represent data that has been collected.

Horizontal bars of different lengths represent the project timeline, which can include task sequences, duration, and the start and end dates for each task. The horizontal bar also shows how much of a task requires completion.