Microsoft Word Gantt Chart Template Free Download
Lorita Swartzwelder
Select the template you want to use for your graphic by double-clicking on it, and then click Use Template in the preview window. For our example, we will choose a custom Gantt chart template made earlier.
Developed as a word processing platform, Microsoft Word does not include any pre-designed Gantt chart templates that can be readily updated with your own data. However, the software does allow you to build a basic Gantt starting from a Stacked Bar Chart that you need to manually format.
Gantt charts are really important to show how much you have progressed with your project as per the allotted time. If you have to create a sample gantt chart fast, you can seek help from free download online Gantt chart maker / generator that will offer you a readymade chart structure which you can modify easily with your particular sample chart data.
When projects get more complex, you can still keep track of them in the humble spreadsheet. Download our free Gantt chart Excel template to step up your project management game without investing in new software.
For complicated project management activities, you may need a tool such as Microsoft Project or other specialized software. But, if you want to create a simple Gantt chart quickly and easily, you only need some basic Excel skills to use this template (such as knowing how to copy and insert rows).
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.
This download 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.
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).
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.
There are hundreds of software applications for creating gantt charts and project schedules. Some of the most popular are those that allow easy online collaboration such as SmartSheet.com and ProjectManager.com. And of course there's Microsoft:
I believe, every Excel user knows what a chart is and how to create it. However, one graph type remains opaque to many - the Gantt chart. This short tutorial will explain the key features of the Gantt diagram, show how to make a simple Gantt chart in Excel, where to download advanced Gantt chart templates and how to use the online Project Management Gantt Chart creator.
The Gantt chart bears a name of Henry Gantt, American mechanical engineer and management consultant who invented this chart as early as in 1910s. A Gantt diagram in Excel represents projects or tasks in the form of cascading horizontal bar charts. A Gantt chart illustrates the breakdown structure of the project by showing the start and finish dates as well as various relationships between project activities, and in this way helps you track the tasks against their scheduled time or predefined milestones.
How to make Gantt chart in ExcelRegrettably, Microsoft Excel does not have a built-in Gantt chart template as an option. However, you can quickly create a Gantt chart in Excel by using the bar graph functionality and a bit of formatting.
However, a faster and more stress-free way would be using an Excel Gantt chart template. Below you will find a quick overview of several project management Gantt chart templates for different versions of Microsoft Excel.
This Excel Gantt chart template, called Gantt Project Planner, is purposed to track your project by different activities such as Plan Start and Actual Start, Plan Duration and Actual Duration as well as Percent Complete.
In Excel 2013 - 2021, just go to File > New and type "Gantt" in the Search box. If you cannot find it there, you can download it from Microsoft's web-site - Gantt Project Planner template. This template requires no learning curve at all, simply click on it and it's ready for use.
Online Gantt chart templateThis is an Interactive Online Gantt Chart Creator from smartsheet.com. As well as the previous Gantt chart template, this one is fast and easy-to-use. They offer 30 days free trial, so you can sign with your Google account here and start making your first Excel Gantt diagram online straight away.
The process is very straightforward, you enter your project details in the left-hand table, and as you type a Gantt Chart is being built in the right-hand part of the screen.
Gantt chart template for Excel, Google Sheets and OpenOffice CalcGantt chart template from vertex42.com is a free Gantt chart template that works with Excel as well as OpenOffice Calc and Google Sheets. You work with this template in the same fashion as you do with any normal Excel spreadsheet. Simply enter the start date and duration for each task and define % in the Complete column. To change the range of dates displayed in the Gantt chart area, slide the scroll bar.
And finally, one more Gant chart Excel template for your consideration.
Project Manager Gantt Chart templateProject Manager Gantt Chart from professionalexcel.com is also a free project management Gantt chart template for Excel that can help track your tasks against their allocated time. You can choose either the standard weekly view or daily for short term projects.
Hopefully, at least one of the above-mentioned templates is suited for your needs. If not, you can create your own Gantt chart as demonstrated in the first part of this tutorial, and then save it as an Excel template.
Now that you are familiar with the main features of the Gantt diagram, you can explore it further and create your own sophisticated Gantt charts in Excel to amaze your boss and co-workers : )
Gantt chart example (.xlsx file)
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The horizontal axis shows the project timeline, the vertical axis lists tasks and each bar on the stacked bar chart represents the task duration. This is where the Gantt chart template stops being a task list and turns into a visual aid for managing your project.
Take your free Gantt chart template for Excel to the next level and import it into ProjectManager, our award-winning project management software. ProjectManager turns your template into a dynamic online Gantt chart with simple, drag-and-drop functionality.
You can list all your tasks on the Gantt chart, no matter how many you have in your project plan. Then you can set the duration, which means the start and finish dates. This data puts the tasks on the timeline, with a duration bar linking the start to the finish. To indicate the project phases, you can color-code the tasks. In a nutshell, this free template allows you to create a basic project schedule.
This roadblock, however, can be solved by importing your Excel Gantt chart template into ProjectManager. ProjectManager has an online Gantt chart that updates in real time and allows you to assign tasks to your team members, link task dependencies, set project milestones and identify the critical path. In addition, you can use the suite of robust project management tools that ProjectManager has to offer.
Once you import your Gantt chart template for Excel into ProjectManager, the real fun begins. What was once a static document is now a powerful interactive tool that can be used for collaborating with your team members.
There are also the aforementioned task dependencies, which can complicate a schedule and potentially block team members. With ProjectManager, online Gantt charts have a feature where you can automate task dependencies so that when one task is delayed or completed, it adjusts the other tasks dependent on it. You can also automate emails to notify you and your team members when these tasks are completed. All of this combined with integrated reporting features take Gantt chart templates to the next level in ProjectManager.
For more information on how to create and manage a Gantt chart, watch the video below. Jennifer Bridges, PMP, gives you a number of crucial tips that can help you get the most out of your Gantt chart template.
Besides our free Gantt chart template for Excel, we have much more to offer to project managers. ProjectManager is a project management hub, a place where like-minded professionals can gather and discuss topics of interest. Our regular blog and video posts address ongoing issues for project managers, including subjects like Gantt charts and how to get the most out of them. Here are a few of those articles.
Meet the Gantt chart template for Agile devotees. If your software team (or any team) lives and breathes sprints, retrospectives, this template is perfect for your needs. You might not have to customize it at all!
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