Step by Step Guide to Create a Gantt Chart in Excel Vs Zoho Projects
Step 01: Make a tabulation with task names, start date and duration of the task in an MS Excel sheet.
Step 02: Click on Insert, then on Charts. Choose 2D Stacked Bar chart. A blank chart area should appear on the screen.
Step 03: Right click on the blank chart area and in the menu that pops up, click on Select Data.
Step 04: A dialog box titled Select Data Source will open. Under Legend Series, click on Add.
Step 05: The Edit Series dialog box will show up. Click on Series Name and select the first cell of the Start Date column as shown.
Step 06: In the dialog box, remove the default value for Series Values and select the data under the Start Date column. Click on OK.
Step 07: You will be back on the Select Data Source dialog box. Click on OK.
Step 08: The chart area will be filled with bars now. Move the chart so that it does not block the data in the sheet.
Step 09: Right click on an empty space within the chart, and click on Select Data in the context menu.
Step 10: In the Select Data Source dialog box, under Legend Entries (Series), click on Add.
Step 11: The Edit Series dialog box appears. Click on Series name and then select the Days to Complete cell as shown.
Step 12: Remove he default value under Series values and select the data under Days to Complete column. Click on OK.
Step 13: You will be back on the Select Data Source dialog box. Under the Horizontal Axis Label, click on Edit.
Step 14: In the Axis Labels dialog, click on Axis label range, and select the cells with the names of the tasks. Click on OK.
Step 15: Back again on the Select Data Source dialog, click on Ok. We have now selected all the data required to make our Gantt chart Excel.
Step 16: To reverse the order of the tasks so that it looks like a Gantt chart, click on the task names on the chart, right click and in the context menu that appears, select Format Axis.
Step 17: The Format Axis pane will open. Click on Categories in reverse order check box. And close the format axis pane.
Step 18: Next let's get rid of the bars that are made with the start date data (in the screenshot, they are the ones in blue). For this, right click on the bars as shown and select Format Data Series.
Step 19: The Format Data Series pane will open. Here, select the paint bucket icon.
Step 20: Click on the No Fill option. Your Excel Gantt Chart is now complete.
Step 01: Signup for a free account, and login to Zoho Projects
Step 02: Click on the + button on the top bar, create a new project - enter the name of the project, click Add
Step 03: Once you're inside the project, click on + button again
Step 04: Click on Task and enter the details,
Click on Task and enter the details,
Owner - who will handle the task
Dates - the opening and closing dates/duration in days
Step 05: Click on Add more button after entering the task details to add more tasks and their details
Step 06: After entering all tasks and tasks' details, go to Gantt & Reports
Step 07: Select Gantt charts - Your Gantt chart is ready. Print it, share it and get the ball rolling!
Limitations of Creating Gantt Charts in Excel
- Good for a small project with a limited number of tasks. Fitting the chart within a screen may become difficult for large projects.
- Excel Gantt chart with dependencies are hard to represent within the chart. It gets even more complicated if ad-hoc changes are made to the dates while planning.
- Project members cannot work simultaneously to populate tasks in the sheet.
- You are restricted to one view with Gantt chart on Excel.
Why is Zoho Projects the best Gantt chart maker?
Plan together
One of the best things about making Gantt charts on Zoho projects is that you can plan together in real time. So, even if your boss wants you to change the timeline during a meeting, you can change it in a few seconds and see how it looks like right away. You can even @ mention your team mates inside Zoho Projects. And there's inbuilt chat too.
Dynamic context
Its not just a visual representation in Zoho's Gantt chart maker. It is dynamic and adaptive. You get more context - see who's working on it, and how far things are done. With the intuitive color coding system on our Gantt chart software, you get to see which tasks are complete, in progress or overdue. Clicking on a task gives you more details, and you can leave a comment right there inside the details pane as well.
Link Tasks with Dependencies
Some tasks are connected. Some need to be done along with another. Some need to be completed before another and some after. Map them all visually with the dependencies available inside our Gantt Chart software. Zoho Projects supports four types of task dependencies. Click, drag and done.
Analyze and adapt
Baseline gives you an "expectation vs reality view" of your timeline. Critical Path tells you exactly what tasks you need to prioritize to complete a project. Slack shows you the amount of buffer time you have in your timeline. With these tools, you can revisit your project plan, allocate resources effectively, and in the process save time and money.
Easy to use
All options and tools are at your reach. No more digging through menus to find that one hidden button. In Zoho Projects, you get what you see. And of course, help is always at hand with live 24 x 5 support right from inside the software. You can also easily import xls tasks in bulk and view your Gantt chart in an instant!
- 01 - Plan together
- 02 - Dynamic context
- 03 - Link Tasks with Dependencies
- 04 - Analyze and adapt
- 05 - Easy to use
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