A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. It’s used for planning and tracking projects by visualizing the sequence and duration of tasks that need to be completed. Here’s how it generally works:

– Tasks: Each task or activity in the project is represented by a horizontal bar.
– Time: The length of each bar represents the duration of the task, plotted against a timeline on the horizontal axis.
– Dependencies: The chart can show dependencies between tasks, where one task must be completed before another can start.

Key features include:

– Start and End Dates: Each bar on the chart shows when a task is set to start and finish.
– Overlapping Tasks: You can see which tasks can be done concurrently and which need to follow one after another.
– Progress: Often, progress can be tracked by filling in parts of the bars or using different colors.

Gantt charts are widely used in project management software, allowing project managers to:

– Plan out the order of tasks.
– Allocate resources.
– Monitor progress against planned timelines.
– Adjust schedules as needed when delays or changes occur.

They are particularly useful for showing the big picture of a project, helping teams to understand how individual tasks fit into the overall timeline, and for communicating project plans to stakeholders.

Example of what a Gantt Chart looks like:

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