Guides to Gantt charts & project scheduling

Plain-English explanations of the ideas behind a good plan — what a Gantt chart is, how dependencies and the critical path work, how to estimate, and how to keep a schedule honest. Free to read, no signup.

Gantt chart basics

Start here. What a Gantt chart is, how to read one, and how to build your first.

8 Gantt chart examples 9 min read Eight real Gantt charts, phase by phase — software, marketing, renovation, wedding, thesis, and more. PM methodologies field guide 10 min read What Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Lean, PRINCE2, and two scheduling methods actually do. Gantt chart vs Kanban 5 min read A time-based plan versus a flow of work — what each is for, and why it is often both. Gantt chart vs PERT 5 min read One shows the network of dependencies, the other puts it on a calendar. A pair, not rivals. History of the Gantt chart 5 min read A Polish engineer drew it first, an American got the name, and two wars spread it. How to make a Gantt chart 7 min read Seven steps from a blank page to a working schedule, and the decisions that matter. What is a Gantt chart? 5 min read What a Gantt chart shows, how to read one, and when it earns its place.

Scheduling techniques

The methods behind a good plan — dependencies, the critical path, estimating, and slack.

RACI matrix 9 min read Who does what, who signs off, who's consulted, and who's just kept informed. Resource leveling vs smoothing 9 min read Over-allocation, and the two different ways to fix it: leveling and smoothing. What is scope creep? 8 min read Why projects quietly balloon past their plan, and how to keep them from it. Critical path method explained 6 min read The longest chain of dependent work sets your earliest finish — how to find it and use it. How to estimate task durations 6 min read Why estimates run optimistic, and the techniques that make them less wrong. Lead time vs lag time 6 min read The two dials that turn a raw dependency into a realistic schedule, and where each belongs. Milestones vs tasks 5 min read What milestones are really for, what makes a good one, and the mistakes that drain their meaning. Slack and float explained 6 min read The spare time in a schedule: total vs free float, and which delays are actually safe. Task dependencies explained 4 min read The four ways one task waits on another, when to use each, and what to avoid. What is a project baseline? 6 min read The saved snapshot you measure against, and when re-baselining is honest versus hiding slippage.

How-to guides

Practical, step-by-step walkthroughs for planning real projects.

Project kickoff checklist 9 min read What to prep, how to run the agenda, and six things to nail down first. Handling schedule slippage 6 min read Detect it early, work out if it matters, and pick the right recovery move. How to plan a project 7 min read The nine stages that turn a vague idea into a plan you can run and track. Present a plan to stakeholders 6 min read Pitch at the right altitude, lead with the story, and earn real buy-in. Work breakdown structure 6 min read Decompose a big goal into manageable work without forgetting whole branches.

Comparisons & tools

How Gantt charts stack up against the alternatives, and which tool fits your team.

Agile vs Waterfall 9 min read What each approach does well, where it struggles, and which one fits your project. Gantt chart in Excel 8 min read The stacked bar chart method, step by step, plus when to outgrow it. Do you need MS Project? 6 min read What MS Project is great at, where it is overkill, and the lighter alternatives. Free Gantt tools compared 6 min read Spreadsheets, free desktop apps, free SaaS tiers, browser tools — honest pros, cons, and who each suits.

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