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The project risk analysis or risk management,  is the process of risk identification, analysis and response to any risk that occurs during the life cycle of a project.

Analyzing the risks that may lie behind the execution of a project, predicting the possible obstacles and having a vision of the solutions in advance is certainly vital for any project.

It serves to help the latter stay on track and reach his goal.

But risk management can not and must not be just an action in response to something.

It should itself be part of the project planning process, in its evaluation phase.

In fact, during the planning of the project, the potential risks should be assessed and, obviously, also the possible solutions in order to manage these risks should be evaluated.

But what does “risk” mean?

A risk is anything that could potentially affect the timing, performance or budget of the project.

Risks are considered as potentialities and, in a project management context, if they become reality, they are classified as “problems“, which must be addressed accordingly.

Thus, risk management is the process of identification, categorization, prioritization and risk planning before they become problems.

Risk management can be managed differently depending on the project and its scope.

If it is a large-scale project, for example, risk management strategies could include detailed planning for each risk.

This is to ensure that mitigation strategies are activated in case of problems.

For smaller projects, risk management could mean a simple and prioritized list of high, medium and low priority risks.

Project risk analysis: How to identify risk

To begin with, a clear and precise definition of what the project will have to produce, the objectives and the final results is essential.

In this way the risks can be identified at every stage of the project, even with the help of the team members.

Some companies and industries develop risk control lists based on past project experience.

The team’s past experience, the project experience within the company and industry experts can be valuable resources to identify potential risks on a project.

Identifying the sources of risk by category is a possible method to explore the potential risk of a project.

Some examples of categories for potential risks include the following:

• Technology;
• Costs;
• Timing;
• Clients;
• Contracts;
• Financial situation;
• Political situation;
• Environmental situation;
• Persons.

Each defined risk must then be included in the risk monitoring model and marked by its priority

Consequently, a risk register that shows the impacts on the project, both negative and positive, must be created, as well as the actions to use and implement in order to manage the problem.

In the context of risk management, it is also important to maintain regular communication with the team throughout the project.

Transparency is fundamental, so that everyone knows what elements to take into account to recognize and react to a problem.

Project risk analysis: Risk assessment

After identifying potential risks, the project manager, with the help of the team, assesses the risk based on the probability of occurrence and the potential loss associated with the event.

Not all risks are the same.

Some risk events are more likely to happen than others, and even the cost of a risk can vary greatly.

It is essential that each new risk that emerges during the project is carefully evaluated according to its probability of occurrence and potential impact.

Therefore, evaluating the probability that the risk presents itself and the concrete repercussions on the project are the next step in the risk analysis.

Having criteria for determining high-impact risks can help narrow attention to certain specific and more critical risks to the project.

For example, suppose it is established that high-impact risks are those that could increase project costs by 5%.

Only a few potential risk events will satisfy this criterion.

These are therefore potential risk events on which the project team should focus on creating a mitigation plan.

The probability and impact of risk are both classified as high, medium or low.

A risk mitigation plan normally concerns events that have high results on both factors.

There is a positive correlation between the risk of the project and the complexity of the project.

In the case of highly complex projects, an external expert can be included in the risk assessment process and the risk assessment plan can take on a more prominent role in the project implementation plan.

Project risk analysis: Risk mitigation plan

After the risk has been identified and assessed, the project manager with the team develops a risk mitigation plan, a plan to reduce the impact of an unforeseen event.

The risk can be mitigated in the following ways:

• Risk avoidance: it usually involves the development of an alternative strategy with a greater probability of success, but usually linked to a higher cost;
• Sharing risk: involves collaboration with other stakeholders, in order to share responsibility for activities at risk;
• Risk reduction: it is an investment to reduce the risk on a project. For example, hire and rely on consultants to take care of high-risk activities;
• Risk transfer: it is a risk reduction method that shifts the risk from the project to another part. For example, the purchase of insurance on certain items is a method of transferring risk. In fact, the risk is transferred from the project to the insurance company.

Each of these mitigation techniques can be an effective tool to reduce individual risks and the overall risk profile of the project.

In project management, it is crucial to apply these techniques to effectively manage risks.

Using Twproject to manage risks

To simplify the risk management process, tools such as Twproject can be of great help.

Twproject allows project risks to be managed effectively; it enables the project manager and team members to follow the project in an organised manner, ensuring that everyone is informed of any risks and the mitigation strategies adopted.

It helps project managers to plan, monitor and control project activities efficiently.

• Advanced monitoring: allows you to follow the progress of the project in real time, promptly identifying any problems or delays.
• Customisation and flexibility: offers customisable tools that allow project managers to adapt the platform to the specific needs of the project, facilitating the management of activities and resources.
• Effective collaboration: facilitates communication between team members, improving information sharing and coordination of activities.
• Resource management: helps allocate resources optimally, avoiding overloads and ensuring that each team member knows exactly what his or her responsibilities are.
• Detailed reporting: generates reports that provide a complete view of the project status, helping project managers to make informed decisions.

As far as the project manager is concerned, not everyone conducts a formal risk assessment on the project.

The lack of formal risk management tools has also been seen as an obstacle to the implementation of a risk management plan.

In addition, the project manager’s personality and management style differentiate the approach to risk.

Some project managers are more proactive and will develop risk management programs for their projects.

Other managers are reactive and are more confident in their ability to handle unexpected events when they occur.

Others, on the other hand, are risk averse and prefer to be optimistic and not consider risks or avoid taking risks when possible.

Whatever the case, the ability to accurately analyze the risks of a project must fall within the skills and tasks of a project manager.

In any project, a proper risk assessment becomes fundamental to a successful plan.

What about you? What kind of project manager are you? How do you manage potential risks?

Tell us about your experience.

The Project Life Cycle consists of four main phases in which the Project Manager and his team cooperate to achieve work together to achiev established objectives.

The four phases that mark the life of the project are: conception / start, planning, execution / implementation and closure.

Each project therefore has a beginning, a central period, a completion and a final phase (successful or not). All phases that we will analyze in this article constitute the so-called Project Life Cycle.

Obviously, those mentioned are only the main phases of the project, which means the starting point for a further subdivision in sub-phases, activities and tasks, increasingly basic and detailed, necessary for the development and allocation of work among the resources.

For each phase or lifecycle activity, the project manager must have two clear things in mind:

• The objectives of each project phase: based on company constraints ranging from quality to timing and costs;
• Products (derivable): every activity must lead to results that can be tangible goods or a documentation or specific services, etc.

But now we specifically enter the four main phases of the project life cycle.

Project Life Cycle: The initiation phase

During this first phase, the objective or “need” of the project is identified.

This can be, for example, the resolution of a business problem or the analysis and creation of a concrete opportunity.

An appropriate responce to the need can be documented in a business case with the recommended solution options.

A feasibility study is then conducted to verify if each option is in line with the objective and a final solution is determined.

The feasibility study asks questions about the feasibility of the project. Questions such as “can we do the project? Do we have the resources to do it?“.

Furthermore, a justification study phase of the project is also carried out, for example by answering the question “is the project necessary for this objective?“.

Once these analyzes have been carried out and the project is considered feasible and necessary, this is officially started and, in case it has not already been identified, a project manager is appointed.

The project team is then identified and involved, thus starting to take shape.

At this point we can then move on to the detailed planning phase.

If we use a good project management application, the initiation phase will be much easier and once fully operational, the software itself will answer the questions mentioned above, i.e. if we have the resources to do it, if it is functional to the objective and so on.

We plan ahead and monitor our progress, thus being able to identify the critical paths, anticipate project delays or interruptions before they happen and therefore improve workflow.

Read the interview with Gap Studi e Consulenze and find out which approach they chose using the many planning tools offered by Twproject

Twproject is a complete solution that offers all the tools the project manager needs in this phase. Using this platform you’ll have the possibility to create your project from the very beginning and add the different team members, specifying their roles.

Project Life Cycle: The planning phase

In this phase we start from the objective of the project and move on to develop it in as much detail as possible, planning the steps necessary to reach the final solution.

The individual tasks of the project are then identified, as well as the requirements that the resources must have and the strategy to follow.

A project plan is created that illustrates the activities, tasks and timelines.

The project manager coordinates the preparation of a project budget by providing cost estimates for labor, equipment and materials, if needed.

The budget is used to monitor and control the expenses incurred during the entire project phase.

Once the Project Manager has identified the work, prepared the strategy and the performance and estimated costs, the basic components of the planning process are complete.

It comes then the right time to identify and address any factor that may pose a threat to the success of the project. This part is called risk management.

Potential problems are identified, as well as the action that must be taken to avoid them, solve them or at least reduce their impact.

This is also a good time to identify all stakeholders and establish a communication plan that sets out the information needed to keep all the parties involved in the project informed.

Finally, the project manager will draw up a quality plan that includes the quality objectives, the control measures, also listing the criteria to be met  obtain the acceptance of the client – customer that can be the company itself.

Arrived here, the project has been discussed and planned in detail, and is ready to run and move on to the next stage.

Twproject can also help you in this phase, in defining the activities through the drafting of the WBS and immediately following with the planning of the phases over time with an interactive Gantt editor:

Project Life Cycle: The execution phase

During the third phase, that of the implementation, the project plan is put into motion and the work is performed in concrete, following the steps structured in the planning phase.

It is important and fundamental to maintain control and communicate how – and when – necessary during this whole phase.

Progress is continuously monitored and appropriate  changes are made and documented as variations with respect to the original plan.

Whatever project  it is, a project manager usually spends most of the time at this stage.

During the execution of the project, people perform their tasks and progress information is exchanged through regular team meetings, so-called progress status meetings .

The project manager uses this information to maintain control over the project direction by comparing progress reports with the project plan, to measure the performance of activities and take corrective actions if necessary.

The main strategy should always be to bring the project back to its original course,that of the project plan drawn up in the previous phase. If this is not possible, the changes from the original plan must be recorded and the modified plan must be formalized.

During this step, project sponsors and all other stakeholders should be regularly informed about the progress of the work.

Each product result should be analyzed and accepted.

Once the results of the various steps have been produced and the client has accepted the final solution, the project is ready for closure.

Twproject helps you manage the execution phase, on two levels, for the project manager and for the team memebrs.

The project manager can constantly monitor the ongoing activities:

The team, on the other hand, will have a simple and extremely flexible ToDo management tool. ToDos can represent daily activities, tickets, bugs, ideas, organized in the form of a list or Kanban board.

Project Life Cycle: The closing phase

During this closing phase, the emphasis is placed on:

• the final results;
• the delivery of project documentation;
• the termination of supplier contracts;
• the release of project resources;
• the communication of the closure of the project to all the stakeholders.

The last remaining step is to conduct an analysis of what went well and what did not.

Through this type of analysis you gain experience and knowledge, are gained, factors that will help the project manager, and the team in general, for future projects.

Unfortunately, the closing phase is often underestimated and in many companies the project is delivered without further evaluation; it only matters if the project was a success or not.

In reality, it isn’t only important to conclude a project successfully, but also to be able to execute it in the way that was set in the original project plan.

There is no shortage of cases in which the objective has been achieved despite having experienced a phase of execution full of changes, delays and problems.

The closure phase also serves to analyze this, in order to avoid making the same mistakes in the future and not adequately assessing certain risks.

The four phases of this life cycle may vary according to the sector and the type of project, but in general they are valid in any area.

When a project manager follows Project Life Cycle taking into account all the factors of each individual phase, he will have already taken the first step towards success.

Tell us about your personal experience of success.

How can a project management software help you managing the life cycle?

As shown, good project management software can make a real difference in each of the 4 phases of the project life cycle, since it can:

• help you draft the WBS;
• guide you in planning and execution;
• monitor and verify the phases  of a project with an interactive Gantt chart;
• check the correct balancing of the load on the resources.

That’s why a tool like Twproject is fundamental in the outcome of a project, since it has all the suitable tools for following each phase of a project’s life cycle, providing the project manager with a complete and constantly updated view.

Try it now for free! And afterwards, don’t forget to share your impressions and experience in managing the phases of a project with us.

To know the progress of the project status at any time is one of the main responsibilities of a project manager.

To this end, project status meetings become a fundamental tool throughout the project life cycle.

Unfortunately, however, too often, these appointments turn into a waste of time losing sight of the objectives of the meeting itself.

In this article we will try to unveil some secrets to carry out effective Project status meetings.

The aims and times of the meetings on the progress of the project

The frequency of these meetings obviously varies depending on:

• the complexity of the project;
• the number of project team members;
• the level of information required by the project owner, by customers, stakeholders, etc.
• from the level of involvement of the project task manager.

Once the timing has been established, it is fundamental for the Project Manager to evaluate, during the meetings, the progress of each of the following elements:

• Updates of individual activities.
• Progress of the project compared to planning: are we late or early?
• Budget status: are we under or have we exceeded the budget?
• Quality status: are we maintaining the expected quality levels?
• Current or hypothetical problems (such as changes, problems with resources, dissatisfaction with the customer or supplier, etc.).
• Next steps to be taken.

Project status meetings are essential for the Project Manager and must be scheduled periodically.

Thanks to these meetings the Project manager has the possibility to:

• Keep the focus on the project.
• Orient the team to look in the same direction.

Unfortunately, too often these important meetings are ineffective and fail to bring benefits to the project in the intended way.

The most common reasons why project progress meetings turn into a waste of time

There are some recurring reasons why project status meetings fail. Here is a list of the most frequent:

• Unclear or even missing agenda.
• Inability to maintain focus on the subject matter of the meeting.
• Absent or ineffective feedback from team members.
• Ineffective support tools

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With Twproject you can monitor the progress of all project phases and have a complete status overview.

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1. Unclear or even missing agenda

When Project status meetings doesn’t have a previously defined and shared agenda, they will inevitably become unclear and ineffective.

Without a roadmap that marks the road, the meeting is easily dispersed and time is often misused or even lost.

In addition, team members will not be able to provide effective feedback as they are not prepared to face the meeting.

The purpose of a project status meeting is to obtain an update on the status of activities, identify problems and so on.

Therefore It’s essential that team members prepare themselves on time and collect specific data before the meeting to be prepared to answer certain key questions.

Without specific predefined objectives, the meeting will not bring any benefit.

2. Inability to maintain focus on the subject matter of the meeting

Closely related to the previous one, it is the inability to stay on the pre-established tracks.

This incapacity is very frequent.

In fact, participants often tend to digress, considerably reducing the time dedicated to the purpose of the meeting.

Thus we arrive at the crucial issues with little time available, often taking decisions of poor quality dictated by haste.

In order to avoid these situations, it is essential that the project manager actively leads the meeting, keeping the focus on the pre-established topics in the agenda.

Establishing clear rules at the beginning of the meeting, such as limiting off-topic interventions and encouraging focused participation, can help prevent unnecessary digressions.

Using facilitation techniques such as time boxing, i.e. assigning a specific time to each topic, can be very effective. In this way, each item will be dealt with on time, avoiding delays and ensuring that all important issues are properly discussed.

3. Absent or ineffective feedback from team members

As mentioned above, the purpose of these meetings is to discuss the progress of a particular project.

Getting clear feedback from everyone is not always easy, especially in the absence of tools to support this information.

Often resources work on several projects at the same time and remembering the issues of all projects is not easy.

The use of inadequate or outdated tools can compromise the effectiveness of status meetings. If team members lack effective collaboration tools, communication may be fragmented and crucial information may be lost.

Furthermore, the absence of shared platforms for updating tasks and managing documents makes it difficult for the project manager to monitor the actual status of the project.

It is essential that the team adopts tools that allow information to be updated and shared in the manner indicated in the project documentation.

In this way, the data collected can be used to derive accurate reports, and the document obtained can guide informed decisions. When support tools are ineffective, valuable time may be wasted during meetings trying to retrieve missing information or correct errors due to inefficient communication.

To avoid such problems, it is important to select project management tools that facilitate collaboration, document sharing and real-time updating of activities. If a team member identifies a problem or risk, he/she should be able to immediately transmit it to the project manager and other stakeholders through appropriate channels.

There are project management tools that have precisely the purpose of collecting project data and activities, then offering advanced statistics and dashboards with the specific purpose of making the progress of a project clear.

In Twproject for example, resources actively work on the project, close ToDo’s, enter worklogs, all information that is then available to the project manager in advanced statistics.

It offers automatic progress percentage calculation, a real step forward!

Twproject makes project progress meetings a time for discussion and alignment on information that is in fact already visible.

The project manager will then only have to monitor this information and may resort to meetings if there are issues to be addressed.

Reducing meetings, distractions and email exchanges is one of the main purposes of project management software.

Bottom line

Project status meetings are a key tool in the project manager’s toolbox.

Unfortunately, a few project managers have adopted methods and techniques to ensure that these sessions are concise, productive and valuable.

Too many project managers assume that a project status meetings means sending an invitation to the meeting and simply showing up.

Project status meetings require a lot more!

The good news is that when project status meetings are effective and efficient, the results are huge!

The productive meetings on the progress of the work:

• increase the morale of the group.
• Provide comprehensive information on the status of the project.
• Discover potential risks.
• Provide a forum for the timely resolution of problems.
• Encourage the sharing of relevant information among team members.

Finding the best time to plan a meeting on the progress of a project is very important.

It may be obvious, but it’s not just about finding a day when the team is available, it’s about finding a day when none of your colleagues have important deadlines, scheduled appointments or high-priority activities to close.

Using a project management software  like Twproject, with shared agendas, is essential to manage a focused team.

Project monitoring is a critical part of project management because it helps companies monitor progress, evaluate the effectiveness of efforts, and make informed decisions.

This article will shed some light on this topic by discussing popular evaluation tools and methods.

What are project monitoring and evaluation?

Project monitoring and evaluation are systematic processes that entail collecting, analyzing, and using data and information to track a project’s progress and gauge its performance.

Monitoring a project, therefore, helps the project manager ensure that work remains on track.

Monitoring plays a significant role in achieving a project’s desired and planned outcomes.

As such, project managers must be meticulous in all phases of project monitoring, ensuring that tasks are executed correctly and that any doubts or hurdles are ironed out in time.

Project monitoring: how is it performed?

A successful project monitoring plan can only take place through the following actions:

• Setting clear goals: It means working with specific, measurable and time-bound indicators. These indicators provide benchmarks to measure progress and success.
• Data collection: Data are the cornerstone of project monitoring. Throughout project implementation, data are collected through different methods, such as surveys, meetings, focus groups, observations, and document reviews. These data can include both quantitative and qualitative information.
• Data analysis: Once collected, data are analyzed to measure project performance and impact. Data analysis may involve statistical techniques, qualitative coding, and comparative assessments.
• Reporting and feedback: Findings from data analysis are used to generate reports. These documents provide in-depth information on what works and what does not during a project’s life cycle.
• Learning and adaptation: Project monitoring is not just about evaluating past performance but also about using that knowledge to make future improvements- so-called “lessons learned“; project managers and stakeholders should be prepared to adjust their strategies based on their findings.

Project monitoring: 10 most used techniques

You can use many techniques for project monitoring.

Here are some examples:

1. Work breakdown structure (WBS): A way through which work can be broken down and organized into smaller pieces. It includes a visual representation of all project activities and can be used to split up activities and budgets.

2. Gantt chart: It is another way of visual data representation. Nonetheless, it is probably more exhaustive than the previous method and provides more information to a project manager. Gantt chart visually represents activity versus time and helps project managers monitor progress in real-time.

3. PERT chart or graph: PERT stands for “Project Evaluation and Review Technique.” It is similar to a Gantt chart, although structured differently. This chart allows project managers to spot and highlight interdependencies between project activities and identify possible bottlenecks.

4. Critical Path Method (CPM): This tool identifies the most important tasks in a project and the estimated time to complete them. Using this information, the project manager can determine which activities must start first and which affect the overall project schedule.

5. Project dashboard: Dashboards provide a real-time, visual overview of project status, including KPI (Key Performance Indicators), progress toward goals, risks, open issues, and milestones. These are powerful tools for project managers because they help them quickly grasp the project’s status and communicate it effectively to stakeholders and teams.

6.Risk monitoring: This technique involves identifying, analyzing, and responding to project risks. It includes assessing the likelihood and impact of risks, devising mitigation strategies, and continuously monitoring risks throughout the project to manage any changes.

7.KPI: KPIs are specific metrics used to measure progress in various aspects of a project. They can include task completion time, cost, work quality, customer satisfaction, etc. By measuring these indicators regularly, project managers can gauge whether the project is on track to meet its goals.

8.Project reviews and audits: These are formal reviews performed during and at the end of the project to ensure that everything is moving forward according to plan. Reviews may include reviewing compliance against quality standards, verifying adherence to budgets and timelines, and evaluating the effectiveness of project management.

9.Team feedback techniques: Encouraging regular feedback from team members can provide valuable insights into project progress. This can be accomplished through update meetings, surveys, or retrospective sessions, where teams discuss what is working well and what can be improved.

10.Trend analysis: this technique involves observing project performance over time to spot trends, predict potential problems, and take proactive action. Trend analysis can help predict whether a project is on track to meet its goals or whether corrective adjustments are needed.

By using a combination of these techniques, project managers gain a thorough understanding of project progress, identify and resolve problems in a timely manner, and guide the project to a successful conclusion.

Early problem identification allows corrective actions to be implemented before issues become more significant and costly. Furthermore, a thorough assessment of potential risks at each stage of the project enables the development of effective mitigation strategies and contingency plans.

Corrective actions may include adjusting timelines, reallocating resources, amending objectives, or revising execution strategies. These actions are crucial to keeping the project on track with its original objectives and ensuring that it is delivered on time and on budget.

In every project, it is vital to set up a structured process for monitoring and managing potential risks. This process begins with risk identification, followed by their assessment regarding the likelihood of occurrence and impact on the project. Subsequently, it is necessary to plan and implement actions to mitigate the identified risks, continuously monitoring the effectiveness of these measures.

Project monitoring: using Twproject

In the previous section, we went through various techniques used for project monitoring.

Using these charts can be simplified with Twproject, the best project management software available.

Twproject allows you to plan, schedule, assign, and update activities, resources, and end results.

It also provides customizable dashboards, reports, and alerts that indicate a project’s status, problems, and risks.

By collecting data and updates in a single place, project reporting and evaluation become, therefore, straightforward.

Thus, the project manager, team members, and stakeholders can access all pertinent and current information related to a project anytime and anywhere.

When it comes to project monitoring, the following features of Twproject make it the ultimate software:

• Task planning and assignment: It helps to break down projects into tasks, set deadlines and detail work performance schedules.
• Resource allocation: Assign and allocate both human and material resources.
• Collaboration tools: They promote communication and teamwork among team members and stakeholders.
• Document sharing and management: Facilitates centralized archiving, management, and project documentation sharing.
• Time monitoring: It helps to track time spent on activities and projects for performance analysis.
• Reporting and analysis: It provides in-depth information on project performance through customizable reports and dashboard visuals.
• Scalability: It can vary according to the size and complexity of projects and grow with your business.
• User-friendly UI: If a tool is convenient, team adaptation is facilitated, and problems associated with the learning process are minimal.
• Integration features: Ease of integration with other business tools to assist workflow efficiency and reduce redundancies to a minimum.

Project monitoring and evaluation are key steps to project success.

Opting for comprehensive software such as Twproject will maximize efficiency, optimize resources, and guide the team to amazing results.

Gantt charts for projects are the essential weapon of the Project Manager, but they can be extremely useful and effective even for anyone who wants to organize their activities in a structured way.

This planning tool appeared in the early twentieth century and has since been widely used for project planning.

The main reason for the success of the Gantt charts is their simplicity and the focus on the quick visualization of the activities.

Gantt charts are also an excellent way to plan the project in a temporal way, allowing to define roles, responsibilities and effective use of resources.

In fact, they provide an immediate vision of how to develop and structure the project and act as a guideline to the end.

What is a Gantt chart?

The Gantt chart, also called scheduled bar chart, is a tool for panning a set of activities that, generally, are part of a single, more complex project.

On the horizontal axis there is the time span, whose unit of measurement depends on the project calendar – days, weeks, months, etc. – while on the vertical axis we find the list of the various activities.

Each task forms a coloured bar that goes from the start date to the end of the activity.

Once all the activities have been inserted, there is a visual scheme of how the project is structured, which tasks come first, which ones overlap and which ones happen later.

The resources that carry out every single activity are easily identifiable.

With such a graphic structure, it is easy to understand, at first glance, if the processes are taking place on schedule and if the progress of the project is in line with the scheduled deadline.

Many software have, in the Gantt, their sore point because the Gantt is not very effective or even non-existent.

Only some software, including Twproject, allow not only to obtain a Gantt chart of the project that is easy to read, but also to get even more details, indicating for example:

• the resource assigned to a given activity;
• if the resource works full-time or part-time;
• how much work has been done and remains to be done;
• the cost associated with each activity.

What are the advantages of the Gantt chart?

As a company we think that the Gantt chart, if well structured and managed, can bring various benefits to the management of a project.

Here is a list of advantages that this system inevitably presents.

The Advantages of Gantt: Visualization

The Gantt chart allows to clearly visualize the workflow and the project structure.

When we insert the various tasks, or analyse the schema after inserting them, we can immediately realize any inconsistencies.

The linear scheme allows you to understand in advance if you will face potential organizational or technical problems and allows you to prepare in advance.

The distribution of the activities allows to identify the intermediate goals and to understand if the project is in line with the schedule or not.

The Advantages of Gantt: Flexibility

As already mentioned, an advantage of the Gantt chart is to clearly show the start and end date of a given activity.

The timing of each task will be set after a direct comparison with the managers of each sector, in order to have a realistic value.

For this reason, the Gantt chart is also useful for the feasibility analysis of a project.

Once the entire project structure is set up, it makes no sense to run to complete certain steps before the set date – unless there is really a valid reason – as this may be reflected in the lack of completeness and / or accuracy.

If you have agreed on a certain date speaking to the direct responsible, it means that this is the time necessary to carry out the work correctly and completely.

Forcing time would affect the quality of work.

The Advantages of Gantt: Efficiency

These charts allow an intelligent and effective use of resources.

It becomes really difficult for the resources to be reliable when they are grappling with too many processes and find themselves submerged.

All conflicts and problems that follow an overload of tasks can lead to a definitive blockage of the whole project and, inevitably, to its failure.

Using Gantt charts as a project planning tool gives you an overview of the project timeline so you can easily see where and when a particular resource is busy.

So, it is possible to allocate resources in such a way not to slow down or block the activities.

Once a process comes to an end, you can transfer the resource to another activity.

The Advantages of Gantt: Motivation

Gantt charts are great for morale!

Probably we all had those days where we felt completely lost and submerged from work and projects and we could no longer see the direction in which we were going.

In this case, the Gantt chart can be a valid psychological aid.

Looking at the diagram, in fact, you can immediately see how activities are taking place and how each process leads to the completion of the entire project.

It is a very effective method to raise morale and motivate the team.

Moreover, seeing the achievement of a goal – however small it may be – is still a gratification. It allows to concentrate, step by step, on the different blocks of activity without feeling disoriented by a project that can be long and complex.

The Advantages of Gantt: Communication

Gantt charts are not just a useful tool for planning the project.

Team members can use these diagrams to see where they are in the project, what they need to complete certain tasks and the inputs they need.

The project diagram shows them exactly who they should contact and who they should collaborate with during each phase.

This makes them able to communicate better not only with each other, but also with the Project Manager.

Thanks to the Gantt charts, it is also possible to help improve cohesion, communication and understanding of and in the team.

Create your Gantt now

Contact us for a tailored demo and find out how to use Twproject’s interactive Gantt

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The aspects (disadvantages) of the Gantt chart to keep under control!

As with any high performance tool, even for the Gantt Chart, there are some aspects to monitor.

Aspects that if not properly managed could result in real disadvantages.

Let’s list briefly the aspects to pay attention to, so that everyone can make his evaluations:

• It can become extraordinarily complex. Except for the simplest projects, a Gantt chart will present a large number of activities and resources used to complete the project. There are special software that can handle all this complexity. However, when the project reaches this level, it must be managed by a small number of people, or often by one, able to handle all the details. Large companies often employ one or more prepared Project Managers. In companies not used to this type of management, this may not work as it should.
• The size of the bar does not indicate the amount of work. Each bar on the graph indicates the period of time in which a given activity will be completed. However, by observing the bar, it is not possible to determine what level of engagement we need to complete these tasks. For example, a short bar could take 500 hours, while a longer bar could take only 20 hours.
• The length of a bar in fact indicates the timing of a given activity and not its complexity in terms of working hours.
• It needs constant updates. After starting the project, things can change. If you use a Gantt chart, you need to be able to change the chart easily and frequently.
• Difficult to see on a single sheet of paper. The software that allows you to manage these graphics are mostly suited to a computer screen and are not meant to be printed. It therefore becomes difficult to show the details of the plan to a broad audience. It is certainly possible to print the chart, but this normally involves a job of “cutting and pasting” of the individual pieces, rather expensive in terms of time.

Bottom line

To sum up, in the context of project management it is essential to have a clear view of the beginning of activities and how they develop as the project progresses.

We have seen how using a Gantt chart helps team members visualise not only when individual activities begin and end, but also how they intersect and influence the final outcome of the project.

All in all, the biggest advantage of the Gantt chart is the pure simplicity and the clear overview of the activities and their duration.

This makes it ideal for projects where facilitated access to all relevant information is required and where these should be easily understood by all those involved in the project.

This is why we thought of an evolution of the Twproject Gantt.

We have, in fact, built a tool that can shape situations in real time and be easily modified over time.

Twproject’s focus is to capture the work done in real time, to guide the Project Manager during the entire project development.

Our customers’ experience in this direction encourages us by providing us with guidance in future development.

Now it’s your turn, create your Gantt with Twproject and get a 15-day free trial!