Mission documentation, such because the challenge funds, challenge schedule or project plan, is crucial for the profitable supply of initiatives. Due to that, as a challenge supervisor, you have to be aware of instruments to create your challenge paperwork.
Microsoft Phrase is a kind of instruments. Whereas it received’t assist you with all of the paperwork, charts or diagrams that you must handle a challenge, it might assist you create a few of them. For instance, you’ll be able to create a Gantt chart in Phrase.
Why Ought to You Make a Gantt Chart In Phrase?
Whereas Phrase isn’t project management software, it’s a instrument that you simply may want to make use of sooner or later to create challenge studies or different forms of paperwork. Due to this, figuring out the way to make a Gantt chart in Phrase might be useful.
The principle benefit of constructing a Gantt chart in Phrase is that it’ll assist you create a challenge schedule that most individuals are aware of, which facilitates the implementation of this challenge administration instrument in your group, particularly when you’ve got a staff that has by no means used Gantt charts.
Nevertheless, for those who want superior challenge administration options like figuring out the crucial path of your challenge, linking all 4 forms of process dependencies, estimating the price of your challenge or making a challenge baseline to trace challenge variance in actual time, you’ll want to make use of Gantt chart software program like ProjectManager. ProjectManager has all of the challenge administration instruments and options you must plan, schedule and monitor your initiatives from begin to finish together with Gantt charts, kanban boards, timesheets, workload charts and way more. Get began with ProjectManager at this time without cost.
Earlier than we dive into the step-by-step information on the way to make a Gantt chart in Phrase, let’s take a fast take a look at an instance of a Gantt chart in Phrase.
Instance of a Gantt Chart for Phrase
When you full the steps outlined within the subsequent part of this fast information, you’ll have a Gantt chart identical to the picture beneath. This Gantt chart lets you visualize your challenge duties, the order wherein they should be executed, their period and due dates over a project timeline.
The perfect half is that this Gantt chart for Phrase can regulate itself relying on the information that you simply feed into it. Merely rename the duties and enter new dates and the Gantt chart template will replace its bar chart based mostly in your modifications.
This implies you’ll be able to create copies of the file and use it as a template to create a schedule for any future initiatives your group begins. All you’ll must do is edit the knowledge within the Gantt chart desk proven within the picture.
Learn how to Make a Gantt Chart in Phrase
Now let’s discover ways to make a Gantt chart in Phrase from scratch. The method is similar to making a Gantt chart in Excel or PowerPoint, so when you study these steps you’ll additionally be capable of simply create a Gantt chart utilizing these instruments. You can too skip these steps by downloading our free Gantt chart template for Phrase, the ultimate outcome would be the identical.
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Gantt Chart Template For Phrase
Use this free Gantt Chart Template For Phrase for Phrase to handle your initiatives higher.
1. Insert a Stacked Bar Chart
Insert a stacked bar chart, which is the kind of graph that’s used to create a Gantt chart. To get began, choose the Insert tab on the prime menu after which click on “Chart.”
A window will pop up with a wide range of charts and diagrams that you may insert in Microsoft Phrase. Choose the stacked bar chart and click on “OK.” A stacked bar chart with default knowledge will seem.
2. Edit Your Gantt Chart Information
When you insert the stacked bar chart, you’ll discover that it has two components: a desk that resembles an Excel spreadsheet and a bar chart. Now, we’ll edit the information in that desk to show this stacked bar chart right into a project management chart so it exhibits your challenge process names, their due dates and period. Let’s begin by modifying the textual content as proven within the picture beneath. Subsequent, we’ll edit the numeric values of this desk.
Observe: By default, the stacked bar chart will present your challenge duties in reverse order. However don’t fear, we’ll repair this later.
3. Format the Dates on Your Gantt Chart Timeline
To format the dates of your Gantt chart for Phrase, you’ll want to pick out the numeric values in your “Begin Date” and “Finish Date” cells, then when you’ve chosen all of them, right-click them and choose the “Format cells…” possibility from the dropdown menu.
Then choose the next cell format settings. Just remember to choose the correct choices or the Gantt chart challenge timeline received’t work correctly. When you’ve achieved so, enter the correct dates to your challenge duties.
Associated: Best Gantt Chart Software: Paid & Free Options Ranked
4. Add a System to Calculate the Period of Your Duties
After finishing the steps above, your Gantt chart desk and timeline ought to appear like the picture beneath. You may have a listing of challenge duties and their due dates, however you continue to must fill out the period column. This time, we’ll use a components that can calculate the period of every process in days based mostly on its due dates.
Choose cell D3 after which enter the components “=C2-B2”—you’ll be able to copy and paste it from this textual content with out the query marks.
Now choose cell D3 once more, left-click its backside proper nook and maintain the left-click button to pull the components to all cells in column D.
5. Flip the Stacked Bar Chart Right into a Gantt Chart for Phrase
Now that you simply’re achieved getting into all the information your Phrase Gantt chart wants, it’s time to format the stacked bar chart so it seems like a Gantt chart. To take action, comply with the steps outlined beneath.
- Click on the filter icon on the correct facet of the stacked bar chart
- Examine off the “Finish Date” checkbox
- Click on Apply
When you’ve taken the steps above, choose the blue bars and take away their fill colour. The remaining bars symbolize every of your challenge duties. As you’ll be able to see, there are dates within the decrease a part of the chart, so you’ll be able to visualize the beginning and finish dates of your duties. However there are nonetheless some remaining steps to finish earlier than your Gantt chart for Phrase is prepared.
Now it’s time to configure the Gantt chart in order that it exhibits the challenge duties within the right order. To take action, choose the duty names and proper click on them and choose “Format Axis…” from the dropdown menu.
This can open the “Format Axis” panel on the correct facet of your display screen. Now, mark the checkbox to indicate the classes in reverse order as proven within the picture beneath.
Now you’ve a practical Gantt chart for Phrase that you should use to create easy challenge schedules that present challenge duties, their due dates and period. For instance, we’ve added new process titles and dates to this Gantt chart to create a construction schedule.
Gantt Chart Phrase Template
In case you don’t wish to make a Gantt chart in Phrase from scratch, you’ll be able to simply obtain this free Gantt chart template for Word as an alternative and attain the identical outcome. This free Gantt chart template for Phrase will help you visualize your challenge schedule and the order wherein duties must be executed.
Benefits of a Gantt Chart for Phrase
Making a Gantt chart in Phrase is usually a handy resolution for those who or your group already use this software program. The principle benefit of utilizing a Gantt chart for Phrase is that it’s a easy, readable format that can be utilized to share the project schedule with staff members and challenge stakeholders.
- When you make a Gantt chart in Phrase, you’ll be able to append it to different Phrase project management documents
- The method of constructing a Gantt chart in Phrase is similar to creating one in PowerPoint and Excel
- As a result of Phrase is such a broadly used software program, it’s a file format that may be shared with most challenge stakeholders
Disadvantages of a Gantt Chart for Phrase
You can also make a Gantt chart in Phrase, however sadly, it can solely be a visible illustration of a challenge schedule that lacks all of the options of most Gantt chart software as a result of Phrase Gantt charts are usually not meant for use for managing initiatives.
- Phrase Gantt charts don’t have any options to plan, schedule or track projects
- In contrast to Excel Gantt chart templates, Microsoft Phrase recordsdata are usually not suitable with most Gantt chart software program or challenge administration software program
- You possibly can’t use a Gantt chart for Phrase to collaborate together with your staff
Free Associated Mission Administration Templates for Excel and Phrase
We’ve got dozens of free project management templates for Excel and Phrase that may assist you handle every part of your challenge. Listed below are a couple of of them.
Project Plan Template
This free challenge plan template lets you describe a number of the most vital elements of your challenge like its scope, schedule, budgets, dangers and extra. This is among the most vital challenge administration paperwork there are as a result of it units the rules for the execution of the challenge.
Project Budget Template
Along with your challenge schedule, you’ll want a challenge funds. This free challenge funds template lets you estimate all the prices of your challenge and examine them towards your precise challenge prices so you’ll be able to measure whether or not your challenge is over or beneath funds.
Project Scope Template
Earlier than making a Gantt chart, you must outline the scope of your challenge, which refers back to the work that must be executed to ship a challenge. This challenge scope template helps you establish each single challenge process, which is critical for making a Gantt chart.
ProjectManager Is Higher Than Making a Gantt Chart in Phrase
As we’ve mentioned above, Microsoft Phrase can solely assist you create some challenge paperwork because it’s not a challenge administration software program. In case you want a fully-featured Gantt chart to handle your initiatives, you must use ProjectManager as an alternative.
Right here’s a fast overview of the important thing options that make ProjectManager’s Gantt chart a significantly better challenge administration instrument than a Gantt chart for Phrase.
A number of Mission Administration Instruments
The perfect a part of utilizing ProjectManager Gantt charts is that you should use all kinds of project management tools equivalent to kanban boards, timesheets, challenge calendars and real-time dashboards. Any modifications you make to the challenge schedule within the Gantt chart are robotically mirrored in its different challenge views like process lists, kanban boards, challenge calendars and dashboards.
Collaborate With Your Workforce On-line
ProjectManager is a cloud-based challenge administration software program which implies it lets you collaborate with your team online. You possibly can create a Gantt chart and use it to assign duties to your staff members, message them and share recordsdata on the process degree.
Monitor Useful resource Utilization and Mission Prices
ProjectManager’s Gantt chart lets you monitor the assets which are wanted to finish all of your challenge duties, in addition to their corresponding prices. Then you should use real-time dashboards to visualise the full value of your challenge and your useful resource utilization charge.
Associated Gantt Chart Content material
Gantt charts are one of the crucial vital project management tools as they help you map out your challenge plan, estimate the period of your challenge, create a schedule for the execution of duties and monitor the progress of your staff. Due to their significance for challenge administration, we’ve created dozens of blogs, templates and guides about Gantt charts. Listed below are a few of them.
ProjectManager is on-line challenge and portfolio administration software program that connects groups whether or not they’re within the workplace, out within the subject or wherever in between. They’ll share recordsdata, remark on the process degree and keep up to date with e-mail and in-app notifications. Be a part of groups at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who’re utilizing our software program to ship profitable initiatives. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.
