Category: Gantt

Kanban vs. Gantt are two popular tools in project management that can significantly improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Both are valuable in different ways and have pros and cons.

In this article, we will compare their features and uses.

What is a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart provides a clear overview of project progress.

Project managers can break down complex projects into smaller, more manageable tasks  through this tool. 

The chart visualizes each task as a horizontal bar, with its length representing the duration required for completion.

Arrows symbolize dependencies between activities and show the order in which they are to be completed.

Resource allocation can also be displayed in the Gantt chart.

By assigning resources to specific tasks, project managers can, therefore, ensure that the right people are working on the right activities at the right time.

Here is a list to provide a clearer understanding of the benefits and limitations of Gantt charts:

Pros of the Gantt chart

• Identifies activity dependencies;
• Visualize project schedule;
• Shows milestones (the critical path);
• Helps manage resource allocation;
• Indicates deadlines for activities;
• It helps break down the project into smaller, simpler tasks;
• Monitor progress.

Cons of the Gantt chart

• Its set-up can be complicated;
• It can be confusing;
• It does not state priorities;
• It includes more details than necessary for some team members;
• It requires time for adjustment;
• It is not recommended for projects lacking a clear end goal.

What is a Kanban board?

A Kanban board is a visual tool for the project manager and team to manage and monitor workflow.

The Kanban method, which is derived from the Lean methodology, is commonly used in agile processes.

The principle behind Kanban involves focusing on completing tasks before starting new ones.

Kanban means “signboard” in Japanese, and from this, we can see why each activity is represented by a “card” that moves across the board as it progresses through the different stages of the workflow.

Columns on the board usually include stages such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “End.” One of the main benefits of using Kanban boards is their visual nature, which provides a quick and user-friendly way to understand the status of tasks and the overall workflow.

Team members can easily see which activities are ongoing, which have been completed, and which have yet to be started.

Just like Gantt charts are useful for some things and not as useful for others, so are Kanban boards.

Here are the pros and cons of this methodology:

Pros of Kanban board

• Shows workflow;
• Boosts productivity;
• Reduces waste;
• Promotes collaboration;
• Provides flexibility;
• Prevents activity overload;
• User-friendly.

Cons of Kanban board

• It is difficult to determine when tasks will be completed;
• It can become too complex and inefficient;
• Must be constantly updated;
• Not suitable for projects with tight deadlines;
• Requires process stability;
• It does not show how long an activity has been on the board.

Gantt vs. Kanban: Which one should you use?

Kanban boards and Gantt charts are project management tools that visualize upcoming tasks, when they are to be completed, completion percentage, and, often, who is in charge of the tasks.

The main difference is that the Gantt chart shows the entire project on a visual timeline that also displays relationships between tasks. In contrast, the Kanban board focuses on the volume of work that needs to be done, is in progress, or is completed.

Therefore, the Gantt chart is better suited for planning since it can link dependencies and show the critical path, as well as resources, costs, and more. Kanban boards, on the other hand, are better for the team as it executes its tasks.

Team members can see what has been assigned and move it from one column to the next as they work on the task to completion.

Gantt vs Kanban: Why not use both with Twproject?

As this article has shown, the Gantt chart is better suited to a predictive approach, while the Kanban methodology is agile.

Nevertheless, you can use both, such as creating a Gantt chart for the project as a whole and applying the Kanban methodology to its subsets.

It might seem cumbersome to successfully integrate two tools during project management, but this and more becomes feasible thanks to project management software such as Twproject.

With Twproject, you can easily create Gantt charts and Kanban sheets and use other project visualizations.

This software is highly flexible and can adapt to any methodology.

Every company has its unique way of working, and Twproject was created to streamline processes while respecting the uniqueness of each reality.Gantt, Kanban, and more: Twproject cares about your success.

Work Breakdown Structure vs. Gantt? These are both powerful and critically important tools in the project management world.

Although these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they are not synonymous and it is crucial to understand their purposes and area of use.

Let’s take a look at what they are and how they are used.

What is a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is a bar graph showing a project’s progress, time sequence, and dependencies.

This tool, developed more than a hundred years ago by Henry Gantt, has become one of the most widely used techniques for planning and monitoring projects.

A Gantt chart comprises horizontal bars (Gantt bars) representing project tasks.

Gantt bars show start and end dates, dependencies, schedules, and deadlines, including the portion of the task completed per phase and who is responsible for the work.

Beginners in the field create their first Gantt charts with some common programs such as Excel (learn more –  Gantt Chart with Excel: What are its limitations?)

Please remember that Excel was not designed for this purpose.

Yet, to take planning to a higher professional level, you must choose a full-featured project management software such as Twproject.

What is a Work Breakdown Structure?

A Work Breakdown Structure, or WBS, is a hierarchical breakdown of the project scope into smaller, more manageable components.

WBS can help define project scope, allocate resources, assign responsibilities, and estimate project duration and budget.

Project managers implement the WBS to break down large projects into smaller, more easily manageable steps to carry out tasks faster and more efficiently.

Breaking down the project into less complex parts improves team productivity and helps manage costs and contingencies.

Moreover, full WBS representation can support communication, increase transparency, and promote effective discussions.

There are many software solutions for creating a Work Breakdown Structure, and Twproject is one of the best options on the market.

WBS vs. Gantt: When should you use one or the other?

Typically, project managers apply the WBS to visualize what they are doing and the Gantt chart to illustrate when they are doing it.

More specifically and in practice, we can say:

WBS

• Pros: WBS can help clarify the project goals, avoiding scope shifts and unnecessary changes. It can also break the project down into manageable parts, supporting the organization and prioritization of project work.
• Cons: It can smooth communication and collaboration between the project team and stakeholders, aligning their expectations and requirements. It can also support risk management and quality control processes, helping identify and mitigate potential problems and errors.

Gantt chart

• Pros: Gantt charts can benefit project management in many ways, such as providing a clear and visual overview of project planning, showing dependencies and constraints between project activities, highlighting critical paths and downtime, and improving communication and reporting on project status. It can also help monitor and measure project progress and performance, optimize resource allocation and activity sequencing, manage risks and problems, and keep stakeholders informed and engaged.

• Cons: Gantt charts have some shortcomings. They can be difficult to display and interpret, particularly for multifaceted projects. Also, they can be inaccurate or misleading if they are not based on reliable data and assumptions and may not account for changes and variations in the project environment.

The Work Breakdown Structure vs. Gantt clash is always relevant and raises many questions since these are two core project management tools.

Both concepts provide project managers and their teams with information on progress.

They also boost efficiency and guide individuals to successful decisions.

The best choice would be to integrate both tools – the WBS divides the work hierarchically, from top to bottom. More specifically, it can be considered the skeleton of the future project plan.

The Gantt chart is linear and illustrates time progression from left to right. Once the necessary activities have been determined, dates, timelines, and dependencies are considered, and then a Gantt chart is developed for the start of work.

This is why modern PM tools such as Twproject include the option to create a Gantt chart within the Work Breakdown Structure feature.

WBS vs. Gantt: Twproject built-in tools

With Twproject, managers can accurately define each task’s finish date, ensuring that deadlines are always met.

This platform shows the start and finish of each task through a bar chart, making it easy to read and interpret the work plan. 

This visual aspect is critical for tracking project progress, providing a snapshot of progress and any critical issues.

Furthermore, Twproject is not limited to planning and monitoring; it is also a powerful tool for risk management.  

Through the detailed analysis provided by the WBS and the timeline representation of the Gantt chart, project managers can identify potential risks early and plan corrective or preventive actions to ensure project success.

Optimizing planning with WBS in Twproject

Using the Work Breakdown Structure in Twproject is the first step in breaking down a complex project into smaller, more manageable parts.

Project managers can begin by defining the main objective of their project and breaking it down into sub-projects and activities. This hierarchical approach makes it easier to understand the project’s overall scope but also helps identify the resources needed and distribute tasks effectively.

In Twproject, the WBS becomes interactive, enabling managers to add, edit, or rearrange tasks with simple drag-and-drop. This ensures that every element is in the right place and nothing gets overlooked.

Gantt timeline visualization in Twproject

After defining the project’s structure with the WBS, project managers can switch to Gantt timeline visualization in Twproject.

This tool turns the plan into a visual timeline, where each task is depicted by a bar indicating its duration, dependencies, and alignment with other tasks.

Twproject’s feature of showing real-time changes in the Gantt chart allows managers to quickly adjust the schedule in case of unexpected events, ensuring that their project stays on track. 

Therefore, Gantt visualization becomes central to monitoring project progress and ensuring that each phase proceeds according to plan.

With Twproject, project management becomes a more streamlined, controlled, and visually user-friendly process, converting every challenge into an opportunity for success.

Gantt vs. Pert are two of many different project management planning tools available.

They aim to help project managers accomplish their work better by facilitating activity coordination and stakeholder communication.

These diagrams help manage the challenging constraints of time, cost, and scope, which are the predominant forces in any project.

Let’s look at the comparison of the Gantt vs. Pert tools in detail.

What is a Gantt?

A Gantt chart is one of the most popular ways to show activities by time, as it is a core project management tool for planning and scheduling (learn more at How to make a Gantt chart).

Specifically, it consists of two axes:

• A vertical one consists of a list of activities that must be accomplished to complete the project.
• A horizontal one represents the timeline of a plan, in which the bars are the activities set in chronological order.

This system allows all stakeholders to be provided with the same information and shared expectations.

Plus, the Gantt chart, thanks to its graphic time sequence, clearly shows how activities are related to each other, making it one of the best visualization tools in project management.

The clarity with which a Gantt displays this information helps considerably with management and communication within the project team.

When is it appropriate to use a Gantt chart?

The Gantt chart is arguably the most flexible project management tool available: not only is it used during the planning phase of the project, but it is also useful throughout the execution phase to monitor progress.

Therefore, project managers use Gantt charts to get an overview of the project at any given time, create and assign tasks, monitor their budget, manage resources, and much more.

With this tool, you can ensure everyone can access any schedule and project details in real-time.

Gantt can be used in many scenarios, but it is particularly beneficial when:

• Project activities are well-defined and neatly arranged. A Gantt chart is great for visualizing a series of activities in a precise sequence. However, if activities are still loose or the order is unclear, this chart may not be very helpful.
• The project has a set duration: The Gantt chart is useful for monitoring progress over time and identifying any delays. The diagram may not be the best option if the project duration is uncertain.
• The project is small or medium-sized: Gantt charts are easier to manage for projects involving a limited number of tasks. For very complex projects, they may be difficult to interpret and keep up to date.
• You need to communicate your project plan to a team or client: The Gantt provides a user-friendly visual representation of the project, making it easy for all stakeholders to understand.

Besides these cases, the Gantt chart can also be useful for:

• Manage project resources;
• Identify dependencies between activities;
• Estimate project duration;
• Monitor project costs.

What is a PERT chart?

PERT stands for “Program Evaluation Review Technique” and is a project management tool that visually represents activities and dependencies of a project.

In this chart, we use arrows to show the activities required to meet a given event, symbolized by a node. As a result, a node represents a completed phase of the project.

Therefore, a PERT chart looks like a network diagram, where each separate box (or node) represents a project activity. Arrows show the dependencies between activities, connecting them.

When should you use a PERT chart?

A PERT chart provides a visualization of the entire project timeline in a chart that is easy for team members and project stakeholders to understand.

Moreover, the PERT chart allows project managers to learn and keep track of important workflow information: task dependencies, estimated task time, and minimum project delivery time.

Therefore, it is mainly suitable for all projects except small ones, where checklists are good enough to get the big picture.

PERT can make the workflow smoother when:

• The plan involves multiple activities running simultaneously: In this case, the diagram will make the prioritization process easier, helping to understand which activity depends on another.
• The project has a strict time frame: A PERT chart is not only a visual representation of a project’s structure but also helps gauge its duration. This tool allows you to set deadlines and stick to them.

Here are some cases where you should use a PERT chart:

• Projects with many unknowns: The PERT chart is particularly suitable for managing projects with many variables and uncertainties, where the exact duration of activities is difficult to estimate.
• Projects with many interdependent activities: If project activities are interdependent and the delay of one may affect the others, the PERT chart helps to map out the critical path and manage any potential issues.
• Long-term projects: It helps estimate the duration of long-duration projects, which are spread over several months or years.
• Projects with limited budgets: PERT can help optimize resource utilization and reduce project costs.

Besides these cases, the PERT chart can also be useful for:

• Identify project risks;
• Evaluate different project alternatives;
• Communicate the project plan to a team or client.

Gantt vs. Pert: two tools in comparison

Gantt and Pert charts offer unique approaches to planning, executing and monitoring projects, each with strengths and ideal applications.

Twproject integrates both of these tools, empowering teams to choose the approach that best suits their needs.

Twproject’s Gantt, which is a bar chart, provides a visual representation of project progress by showing activities as horizontal bars running along a project timeline.

This user-friendly layout provides project managers and team members with a convenient way to see the sequence of activities, their durations, overlaps, and time dependencies at a glance. 

It is particularly useful for projects with a clear, sequential structure, where planning and time tracking are crucial.

Let’s take a look at the pros of the Gantt chart:

• Immediate visualization: It provides a clear and straightforward overview of the project’s progress.
• Resource monitoring: It helps to assign and monitor resources, displaying who is working on what and when.
• Deadline management: It helps to identify and manage deadlines, making it easier to adjust plans according to changes.

Twproject’s PERT chart, on the other hand, focuses on analyzing and planning activities based on their interdependencies.

It uses nodes to represent activities or events and arrows to show precedence relationships between them. This approach is especially useful in complex projects, where finding the critical path and understanding dependencies between activities are critical to project success.

Let’s take a look at the pros of the PERT chart:

• Critical path analysis: Identifies critical activities that cannot be delayed without affecting the project deadline.
• Time optimization: It helps optimize project plans, allowing better allocation of time and resources.
• Risk management: It provides a foundation for risk analysis, allowing potential snags to be predicted and mitigated.

In short, we have seen that both Gantt and PERT charts are visual tools for organizing activities during project planning.

The choice between Gantt and PERT depends on your unique project needs.

The PERT chart is great as it clearly shows dependencies between activities and the critical path.

This means that a project manager can make better decisions by managing data and performing what-if analysis.

The downside is that it is difficult to scale a PERT chart, and this can be an issue when working on more complex projects. The larger the project, the more complex the PERT chart will be and the more difficult it will be to interpret.

A Gantt chart allows a project’s time sequence to be displayed in a more structured fashion. It also allows work progress to be clearly visualized in real-time.

Therefore, a good project manager typically uses both techniques to fulfill multiple purposes.