Trace the project's critical path
The path with the longest duration in a project is marked in red as the critical path and the tasks in this path are critical tasks. A delay in any of these tasks directly risk on-time project completion.
Prevent tasks from overruns
While it's necessary to finish critical tasks on time, it is equally important to keep an eye on non-critical tasks. Slack lines show the acceptable delay for non-critical tasks. If they stretch beyond the slack, the tasks become critical.
Record your initial plan with a project baseline
As the project progresses, there's a good chance that you overlook schedule changes here and there. These small changes, however, can cost the project dearly. Set a project baseline at the beginning of the project, against which you can compare progress later.
Compare baselines to gauge progress
Create baselines from time to time and compare it against the current progress. The gray bars against the task bars show how ahead or behind schedule you are—or if everything is going as planned. Use these insights to reorganise and replan if needed.
Calculate slippage and end variance
The Gantt chart shows the slippage, which is the difference between the baseline’s start date and the current start date, as a thin gray line. The end variance is the difference between the baseline’s end date and the current end date of the task. While a positive red value indicates a delay, a negative green number shows that you are ahead of the plan.
