gantt chart template for business plan

Get organized with Gantt chart templates

Gantt charts give you a visual timeline of the steps in your project, and they've never been easier to put together than with these templates. with just a glance, you'll know exactly when and how things will come together, and these templates will be just the beginning of your journey to a successful, well-run project..

Let these Gantt chart templates guide your success

Let these customizable Gantt chart templates help your business see into the future. This staple of project planning just got easier to outline with templates where all you need to do is bring your parameters and yourself to get started. A Gantt chart is the ideal tool to coordinate groups of people and simultaneous goals and keep all aspects of a plan moving when they're supposed to. With these easy-to-use templates, your Gantt chart can be as colorful and as detailed as your organized heart desires. Make sure everything's going smoothly for your grand opening by know exactly what you have to do and when you have to do it. Or, add a compelling visual to a presentation by laying out the various elements of your project in a comprehensive yet comprehendible way. Dive into timelines and deliverables and let the planning stage of your project be the easy part—a Gantt chart is your business's new best friend.

Get started

• Project management
• CRM and Sales
• Work management
• Product development life cycle
• Comparisons
• Construction management
• monday.com updates

Gantt chart for business plans

Whether you’re in the first steps of launching a startup or you want to expand your existing business, a well-thought-out business plan is important. In fact, simply writing a business plan can increase your chances of success by more than 15% . Creating a Gantt chart for business plan purposes makes it easier for you to visualize the steps required to turn your idea into a reality.

In this article, we’ll look at what a Gantt chart is and how you can use it to plan for your business. We’ll also provide some tips for using monday.com as a business planning and management tool and highlight some templates you can use right away to bring everything and everyone together for increased success.

What is a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that provides a visual representation of tasks across planned time periods.

Gantt chart tools are traditionally used to help team members manage project schedules, but you can customize them to help manage any series of tasks you need to accomplish over a set period of time.

Can you use a Gantt chart for business planning?

, You can use a Gantt chart for business planning purposes, whether you’re working on project plans for an existing business or want a way to better manage tasks when launching a startup. Here are some ways you can use Gantt chart software for business planning:

• Create an action plan for a business launch:  Gantt chart templates let you turn the narrative format of an actual business plan into a visual action plan, with start and end dates, milestones, and dependencies that help you know what you need to do first to start working on your business dream.
• Plan for a specific business-related project:  At any phase of your business, you can create simple Gantt charts to manage project tasks that help you work toward success. For example, you might want to open a new location. Customize your Gantt charts to lay out the task list for getting that done, so you can stay organized along the way.
• Create a work breakdown structure for a specific department:  Established businesses can use project management tools like Gantt charts to manage time-dependent efforts for specific departments. For example, your marketing department may need to scale up their efforts during the holiday season.

You  can use a project Gantt chart for a variety of business plan and management purposes, but should you? Digging into the benefits of Gantt charts for business planning can help you make a good choice for your situation.

Benefits of a Gantt chart for business planning

Some benefits of a Gantt chart for business planning include:

• Ability to view the big picture:  When you can visualize the overall picture of your business plan, you can avoid getting bogged down in the details. You can also make proactive decisions that are best for your business goals.
• Better task tracking:  Gantt charts help you keep track of tasks in real-time, ensuring you or your team can work through the right assignments quickly.
• Full transparency of dependencies:  Gantt charts make it easy to indicate and understand which tasks are dependent on others — i.e. if you have to complete one task before moving to another. It also helps you understand when teams can tackle tasks simultaneously, so they can get more done.
• Increased insight for delegation:  If you see tasks that can run simultaneously, you know you can’t do both yourself. This can be a clue that it’s time to delegate some work to others.
• Creation of realistic timelines:  Gantt charts force you to apply start and end dates to the entire project or effort, as well as all tasks that are part of it. Forcing you to think about how long each task might take helps ensure you understand how long the overall process might take.

monday.com’s robust Work OS includes a designated Gantt View — as one of 8+ views —, Gantt chart templates, and plenty of other project management functions for business planning.

Gantt charts and other features for business planning on monday.com

Whether you’re collaborating on a business plan document with others, are ready to market your business idea on social media, or want to integrate other software to manage business processes, monday.com can help. Here are some monday.com features you might use for business planning and management:

• monday workdocs : Draft and co-edit documents in real-time, and discuss changes via comments with team members.
• Automations : Save time and avoid unnecessary meetings with custom workflow automations that help drive seamless handoffs and ensure tasks never get lost in the shuffle.
• Files Column: Keep all your files in one location to make it easy for teams to reference policies, brainstorming notes, and other information as they implement a business plan.
• Integrations: Seamlessly integrate your favorite tools withmonday.com —Dropbox, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Google, Excel, and Zoom are just a few of the many available options.

We’ve also got plenty of curated templates to help you specifically work on business plans and get started faster

Related templates

Besides a Gantt chart example for projects, here are just a few free templates available exclusively on monday.com that can help you plan and manage business efforts more efficiently.

• Simple Business Plan Template : Start with our Simple Business Plan Template if you’re working with a team to launch a new startup or service line. Collaborate with others easily on one intuitive and customizable board as you define vision and goals, customer needs, market size and scope, and everything in between for business success.
• One-Page Business Plan Template : Quickly collaborate or capture your own ideas on our One-Page Business Plan Template. This simple template is customizable, and you can use it to document plans for each business idea and then ask for feedback or compare your options before choosing one to act on.

Still not sure if a Gantt chart is right for your business planning needs? We’ve got a couple of FAQ answers that might help.

FAQs about Gantt charts

What three things are included in a gantt chart.

Gantt charts are made of a variety of elements, but the three main items you’ll find on any Gantt chart are:

• The overall timeline, which shows when a project or effort starts and ends
• Tasks, which show up on the horizontal bars of the chart
• Dependencies, which indicate which tasks are required before other tasks can begin

How do you create a Gantt chart in Excel?

You can download a Gantt chart template from Microsoft that helps you create a Gantt chart in Excel. You can also set up your own when you create a project by creating a horizontal axis that acts as a dated timeline and including color-coded tasks in cells on each row.

What makes a good Gantt chart?

A good Gantt chart requires planning project management, tasks, or efforts that can be tracked over time. The time period should be short enough that you can successfully capture it in a visual, and the project should have enough tasks to track to support the effort of making a Gantt chart to begin with.

Powerup your business plans with monday.com

Whether you want to collaborate on a Gantt chart for a business plan or automate activities to ensure the right people get things done, monday.com’s powerful Work OS can help.

Get started today with drag-and-drop capabilities that make it super easy to build a business plan, Gantt chart, and many other process tools. Then communicate in real-time over the life of your project or effort to ensure seamless collaboration and success.

• Project schedule management

Send this article to someone who’d like it.

7 Gantt Chart Examples You'll Want to Copy [+ 5 Steps to Make One]

Published: April 05, 2023

Gantt charts. Love ‘em, hate ‘em, or can’t live without ‘em, they’re a reality of a marketer’s life. But how do you make yours stand out from the rest?

Below you’ll see some of the best examples around, along with some free templates to get you started. Dive in below and find your favorite.

Table of Contents

What is a Gantt Chart used for?

How to make a gantt chart, benefits of using a gantt chart, ways to make gantt charts.

Gantt charts are project management tools that help marketers visualize project timelines, progress, and deliverables. Visual lines or bars clearly display which tasks are completed and what’s to come, allowing managers to allocate time and responsibility accordingly.

The elements within a Gantt chart can be grouped into four categories: resources, milestones, tasks, and dependencies.

• Resources. Project managers must have insight into what resources are needed for tasks outlined in a Gantt chart for each to be completed on time.
• Milestones. Along your timeline, there will likely be milestones, both small and large, that must be hit to keep your project on track. A milestone for a blog launch might be “ blog post draft due on 5/30. ”
• Tasks. There are specific things that need to be completed along the way of your project. In our blog post example, a task might be “edit blog post. ”
• Dependencies. Tasks on your Gantt chart will be related to each other, for example, the editor won’t be able to complete her task of editing the blog post until the writer has met their milestone and submitted their draft on 5/30. These are dependencies and should be noted in your chart.
• Update project name and start date.
• Configure the Gantt chart.
• Review project scope.
• Identify key tasks and milestones.
• Estimate task dates.

2. Gantt Chart in PowerPoint

Want to include a Gantt chart in your next PowerPoint presentation? Use this PowerPoint example as your guide.

PowerPoint doesn’t have a built-in Gantt feature, but you can build and edit a chart inside of the platform using their “Stacked Bar” feature.

What we like: This template allows you to clearly group subtasks together to coordinate all the components of your campaign with one Gantt chart.

4. Gantt Chart for Design Projects

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

24 of My Favorite Sample Business Plans & Examples For Your Inspiration

How to Write a Powerful Executive Summary [+4 Top Examples]

What is a Business Plan? Definition, Tips, and Templates

Maximizing Your Social Media Strategy: The Top Aggregator Tools to Use

The Content Aggregator Guide for 2023

The 8 Best Free Flowchart Templates [+ Examples]

16 Best Screen Recorders to Use for Collaboration

The 25 Best Google Chrome Extensions for SEO

Professional Invoice Design: 28 Samples & Templates to Inspire You

Customers’ Top HubSpot Integrations to Streamline Your Business in 2022

This Gantt chart template makes it easy to outline your project's key stages, deliverables, and dates.

Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform

• Activity Diagram (UML)
• Amazon Web Services
• Android Mockups
• Block Diagram
• Business Process Management
• Chemical Chart
• Cisco Network Diagram
• Class Diagram (UML)
• Collaboration Diagram (UML)
• Compare & Contrast Diagram
• Component Diagram (UML)
• Concept Diagram
• Cycle Diagram
• Data Flow Diagram
• Data Flow Diagrams (YC)
• Database Diagram
• Deployment Diagram (UML)
• Entity Relationship Diagram
• Family Tree
• Fishbone / Ishikawa Diagram
• Gantt Chart
• Infographics
• iOS Mockups
• Network Diagram
• Object Diagram (UML)
• Object Process Model
• Organizational Chart
• Sequence Diagram (UML)
• Spider Diagram
• State Chart Diagram (UML)
• Story Board
• SWOT Diagram
• TQM - Total Quality Management
• Use Case Diagram (UML)
• Value Stream Mapping
• Venn Diagram
• Web Mockups
• Work Breakdown Structure

Gantt Chart for Business plan

You can easily edit this template using Creately's gantt chart maker . You can export it in multiple formats like JPEG, PNG and SVG and easily add it to Word documents, Powerpoint (PPT) presentations, Excel or any other documents. You can export it as a PDF for high-quality printouts.

• Flowchart Templates
• Org Chart Templates
• Concept Map Templates
• Mind Mapping Templates
• WBS Templates
• Family Tree Templates
• Network Diagram Templates
• SWOT Analysis Templates
• Genogram Templates
• Activity Diagram
• Class Diagram
• Collaboration Diagram
• Component Diagram
• Data Flow Diagrams(YC)
• Deployment Diagram
• Object Diagram
• Sequence Diagram
• State Chart Diagram
• Use Case Diagram

Related Templates

The easiest free gantt chart maker online

TeamGantt is the only plan-first work management platform centered around a visual timeline. Schedule tasks to the right people at the right time with gantt chart software that’s easy to use and fits your team’s workflow. Get up and running in minutes—no steep learning curve to slow you down!

Do more work in less time with fast and accurate planning

Our modern gantt chart software offers a clean and simple interface that’s easy for anyone to use. No training required! Build a project gantt chart in minutes with drag and drop scheduling, and keep your team in sync, updated, and productive all the way to the finish.

Visualize and manage work your way—in or out of a gantt chart

TeamGantt easily adapts to your team’s process so you don’t have to change a thing. Switch from a gantt chart diagram to kanban, list, or calendar views in one click, and manage work across multiple projects in a single gantt chart or custom board. More TeamGantt features

Break down silos with easy access to everything in one place

Keep project files and communication stored in a single centralized hub so everyone can always find the latest documents, chats, and updates. Your team can access tasks from any location and update progress with one click using our online gantt chart software or mobile app.

Balance workloads directly from your online gantt chart

TeamGantt’s built-in resource management software makes it easy to allocate work without overloading your team—because happy people stick around longer. Check resource loads as you schedule tasks so you know who has capacity to take on new work (and who might need a breather).

Collaborate at scale without busting your budget

TeamGantt makes it easy and affordable to keep cross-functional teams and leaders up-to-date and aligned. That’s because you only pay for managers. Invite as many people as you want to collaborate on the project with a 30-day trial of our Pro plan .

Spot delays and overages before they drain your budget

Get integrated time tracking software that doesn’t disrupt your workflow, and see how work is pacing directly from your gantt chart. Our project health report shows you which tasks are at risk or running behind at a glance.

How to make a gantt chart online

Work management tools for next-level planners

In-app RACI assignments

Ditch project confusion—and the need to keep up with a separate spreadsheet—by using our built-in RACI tool to assign clear task roles and responsibilities.

Flexible resource management

Add equipment and materials to a project without the hassle of extra accounts, and schedule and track non-human resources just as easily as people.

Portfolio management

See the status of all your active projects in a single view, and organize projects into collapsible folders so your portfolio is easy to scan and manage.

Integrations & API

Sync TeamGantt up with apps like Trello, Slack, and Dropbox. Or use our Zapier integration or public API to create your own custom connections.

Baseline comparisons

Use our gantt chart software to compare your original plan to actual progress so you can keep better track of deadlines and deliverables.

Customizable share options

Present updates in a meeting or report with PDF or Excel CSV exports, and send clients a view-only link to your gantt chart so they can check progress anytime.

Hourly estimation & time tracking

Add estimated hours to your gantt chart as you plan, and track billable time from any project view without having to jump into a separate tool.

Time-saving project templates

Make a gantt chart in less time with our pre-built project templates. Or save a favorite project as a template you can use again and again.

Questions about TeamGantt

How do i make a gantt chart online for free.

• Sign up for a free TeamGantt account. Run a simple personal project with our free-forever plan , or get all the bells and whistles free for 30 days with a premium trial . You can cancel anytime.
• Add and organize your task list. List out all your tasks, and arrange them into groups so your online gantt chart will be easy to scan and track.
• Schedule tasks on your project timeline. Use drag and drop scheduling to add start and end dates to each task and easily adjust your timeline.
• Add key milestones and dependencies. Use milestones to highlight important meetings, dates, and deliverables on your gantt chart. Add dependencies to connect related tasks so work happens in the right order.
• Assign tasks, and collaborate on work together. Assign the right people and resources to the work, and use discussions, file-sharing, and progress updates to stay in sync as the project moves along.

Which integrations are currently available for TeamGantt?

TeamGantt's online gantt chart generator has integrations for Trello, Basecamp 2, Slack, Dropbox, and Zapier—and more are on the way!

What are the available export formats for TeamGantt?

You can export your projects as CSV or PDF.

Can I cancel my paid plan anytime I want?

Of course. You can cancel at any time and get a full refund if you cancel within 30 days.

What views are available for TeamGantt projects?

You can easily view your projects as a gantt chart, calendar, task list, or Kanban board.

Are there any system requirements for my team to use TeamGantt?

No system requirements needed. TeamGantt is a cloud-based gantt chart tool. If your computer can browse the Internet, you can run TeamGantt on a Mac or PC with zero problems.

Why use online gantt chart software?

Using online gantt chart software like TeamGantt enables you to invite clients and teammates to work on projects with you in real time and set permissions to allow or restrict editing for each user. TeamGantt’s collaborative gantt chart tool makes it a great alternative to Sharepoint, Excel , and Microsoft Project .

How is TeamGantt different from other online gantt chart software?

We’re the only collaborative project management tool that puts project planning front and center. You’ll have everything you need to deliver projects on time, with easy and intuitive gantt charts that leave feature bloat behind. Best of all, it’s made to fit your team’s work style—with list, calendar, and board views available. Say good-bye to static, outdated plans and hello to more confident project wins!

Can I update TeamGantt from anywhere?

Yes! Remote teams love how easy it is to use our web-based gantt chart program from anywhere with an internet connection. You can even use your mobile phone to access your gantt chart online and update project plans.

Does TeamGantt track changes?

Absolutely. TeamGantt automatically keeps a history of every update and change to your gantt chart. View your gantt chart’s history with a single click, and easily undo changes if needed.

Can I create custom templates?

You sure can! Create your own gantt chart templates , and share them with your team. This helps standardize your project plans and saves time by eliminating the need to make gantt charts from scratch.

Is TeamGantt's gantt chart generator useful for my company?

We believe a solid plan is the backbone of any successful project. Every team and business benefits from having a simple online gantt chart that’s easily accessible and flexible. Here are a few examples:

• Digital agencies
• Event planning
• Construction companies
• Marketing teams
• Manufacturing
• Software developers
• Teams from Fortune 500 companies
• Any business that wants to plan and communicate better on their projects

Free online templates for easy gantt chart creation

Basic project gantt chart

Save time planning with this simple project timeline.

Weekly task list gantt chart

Generate a gantt chart for tracking weekly to-dos.

Construction management gantt chart

Schedule a home build, and track it to completion.

Event planning gantt chart

Make sure no event details fall through the cracks.

Marketing plan gantt chart

Plan your marketing strategy, and hit your big goals.

Software development gantt chart

Track Agile sprints without losing sight of the timeline.

Video production gantt chart

Manage video projects from pre- to post-production.

Create a new website or redesign the one you have.

Start for free.

1 million users around the world work smarter with TeamGantt.

• Contact sales
• Start free trial

What Is a Gantt Chart? (Examples & Templates)

Presented by projectmanager, the gantt chart software used to plan over 2 million projects. make a gantt chart in minutes.

What Is a Gantt Chart? Definition & History

What is the purpose of a gantt chart, what is included in a gantt chart, what is a gantt chart used for, how are gantt charts used in project management, gantt chart examples.

• Free Gantt Chart Templates

How to Use a Gantt Chart

Benefits and advantages of a gantt chart, disadvantages of using a gantt chart, gantt chart alternatives, what is gantt chart software.

• How to Make a Gantt Chart With Gantt Chart Software

Who Uses a Gantt Chart?

Gantt chart video for beginners, gantt chart faqs.

A Gantt chart is a project management tool that allows project managers to create a project schedule by mapping project tasks over a visual timeline which shows the order in which they’ll be completed, when they’re due, their duration and other details about them such as their percentage of completion. Every Gantt chart has two main parts, a grid or task list on the left side and a project timeline on the right.

The Gantt chart was created by Henry Gantt in the early 20th century to improve project planning, scheduling and tracking by illustrating completed work compared to planned work. Today, project managers and team members use Gantt charts to plan projects, create a project schedule, allocate resources and track progress with just one project management tool.

However, there’s so much more to know about Gantt charts beyond a simple Gantt chart definition. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the main aspects that you need to know about Gantt charts including what they’re used for and the different methods and tools you can use to make one, such as Gantt chart software .

This guide also has examples and free Gantt chart templates you can use to get started quickly. We’ve even created industry-specific Gantt chart templates so you can create project schedules for your business in minutes.

At a basic level, a Gantt chart allows project, program and portfolio managers to easily map out project plans by organizing project tasks on a visual timeline. However, Gantt charts are used for many other purposes in project planning, project scheduling, project tracking and resource management.

With ProjectManager’s Gantt chart, you can assign tasks to your team members, set due dates, estimate costs and monitor progress in real time. The best part is that it can be used along with other project management tools such as kanban boards, real-time project dashboards, timesheets and team collaboration tools.

There are two halves to most Gantt chart tools you see online today. On the left is a grid that lists project tasks and important information about them and on the right, there’s the Gantt chart timeline, a visual representation of the project schedule.

Gantt Chart Grid

The grid of a Gantt chart is where you list project tasks and project scheduling details about them. The Gantt chart grid is the most important component of your Gantt chart because the data you enter here will be used to populate the Gantt chart timeline.

The more details about your project tasks you can add to a Gantt chart grid, the more aspects of your project plan you’ll be able to track.

Basic Gantt chart software only allows you to assign tasks to your team members and create project timelines based on the due dates and duration of your project tasks. However, more advanced Gantt chart software like ProjectManager enables you to track other areas of your project.

Here are some of the key aspects of your project you can track with ProjectManager’s Gantt chart grid.

• Task name: Briefly describe your task. You can also add more task details using other project views such as kanban boards and task lists.
• Task owner: Assign tasks to team members.
• Task priority: Set a priority level for all your project tasks so you can better allocate your resources.
• Project phases: In most projects, there’s a set of well-defined phases that are made up of related tasks.
• Work breakdown structure level: The work breakdown structure level is a number that allows you to understand the order in which project tasks must be completed and what project phase they’re in.
• Project milestones: Track project milestones, which are major events, accomplishments or deliverables in your project timeline.
• Resource requirements: Indicate what resources are needed to complete each project task, including labor and non-labor resources such as raw materials, equipment or machinery.
• Estimated & actual costs: Estimate costs for each project task, create a project budget and then log the actual costs as tasks are executed so you can determine whether your project is on, over or under budget.

Now, let’s go over the other half of any Gantt diagram, the Gantt chart timeline.

Gantt Chart Timeline

The Gantt chart timeline is a stacked bar chart where each project task is represented by a bar that runs on the horizontal axis. The task bars start on the date that the work is scheduled to start and end on the date when it’s expected to finish. The longer the bar, the longer the task will take.

But that’s not everything a Gantt chart timeline shows. Based on the data from the Gantt chart grid, ProjectManager’s robust Gantt chart timeline lets you zoom in on the following details of your project schedule .

• Due dates & task duration: Add planned start and planned finish dates and adjust them at any time by dragging and dropping tasks on the Gantt timeline. You can also compare planned vs. actual task duration.
• Task dependencies: You can also show the task dependencies in number form. Choose the “Linked From” column in the column settings. Task dependencies are represented as arrows that link tasks in the Gantt chart timeline.
• Percent complete: A figure, mostly always based on an educated guess by the project team, of how much work they have done and how much is still to do.
• Critical path activities: ProjectManager’s Gantt chart maker automatically identifies the critical path based on your project task list, dependencies and due dates.

Free Gantt Chart Template

Need help building a Gantt chart? Try ProjectManager’s free Gantt chart template and practice adding tasks, dependencies, phases, milestones and more on a dynamic Gantt chart.

On the left-hand side is the data grid, where the various phases of the project are outlined. Under each color-coded phase are the tasks associated with it, including WBS, assignees, due dates and other resources needed to execute the scheduled tasks.

The visual timeline on the right is where things get interesting. You can see the entire project in one place, dependent tasks can be linked and milestones added to indicate important dates. Put your Gantt chart knowledge to the test and build one today. Get started for free.

Because the Gantt chart is such a diverse project management tool for identifying timelines and task dependencies, it can be used in any industry or field. Here are some examples.

• Gantt charts in project management : Gantt charts compile the information project managers need to create a visual timeline that shows all the elements of a project plan in one place. With Gantt charts, project managers can schedule projects, allocate resources, set cost and scope baselines, and identify the critical path.
• Gantt charts in construction: Construction Gantt charts are used by project owners, general contractors and construction project managers to plan the different phases of a construction project, such as initiation, pre-construction and procurement. However, Gantt charts can also be used on a smaller scale to manage everyday tasks.
• Gantt charts in software engineering: Software engineering teams use Gantt charts to create project roadmaps , which are essential for task management when developing new products. This is done by simply mapping software development tasks on a timeline, just as if it was a project plan.
• Gantt charts in manufacturing: Gantt charts can be used to plan, schedule and track multiple aspects of the manufacturing process. For example, you can use Gantt charts to create product roadmaps, production schedules and map the product development cycle.
• Gantt charts in project portfolio management: Gantt charts can be also used to create a portfolio roadmap, which is a timeline that allows project portfolio managers and project management offices (PMOs) to track the progress of multiple projects.

These are only some of the most common use cases for Gantt charts, but they can be used for managing projects across industries. Now, let’s take a closer look at how Gantt charts are used in project management.

Gantt charts can be used to plan, schedule and track projects of all sizes and industries, mainly because they’re compatible with most project management methodologies , such as waterfall and agile.

Gantt Charts in Waterfall Planning

Waterfall project management consists in planning a project in sequential phases. These project phases are planned in advance and then executed in order from beginning to end without making many changes to the original project plan. Gantt charts are ideal to map out such projects as they allow project managers to visualize task dependencies and establish task sequences on a project timeline.

Gantt Charts in Agile Planning

Unlike waterfall, agile planning consists in planning short iterations of work of one to two weeks known as agile sprints , where teams plan and execute their work. They then have short meetings where they review their performance and plan the next sprint. While Gantt charts aren’t commonly used to plan sprints, they help agile teams to map out their project plan or product development roadmap at large, which lets them see the bigger picture of their projects.

These two project management approaches are used to manage most projects, even though there are other methodologies that can be used for specific industries or scenarios. However, the best way to understand how Gantt charts are used in project management is to look at some Gantt chart examples.

We’ve created two Gantt chart examples using ProjectManager to see how Gantt charts can be used for managing different types of projects. These Gantt chart examples show a schedule for a construction and a manufacturing project, which are two of the industries where Gantt charts are used the most.

In these Gantt chart examples, you can easily see:

• The Gantt chart timeline
• What the project tasks are
• Which team member is working on each task
• When project activities start and finish
• The percent complete for each activity and work package
• How tasks group together, overlap and link with each other
• Task dependencies such as finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish and start-to-finish
• Milestones and project phases on the schedule

Construction Gantt Chart Example

This Gantt chart example shows a construction schedule that’s divided into six project phases: contracts, design, procurement, construction, post-construction and closing.

Defining project phases is the first step when using a Gantt chart for planning a project. It helps break down the project plan into smaller steps that are easier to manage. Once you’ve defined project phases, you can proceed to identify the individual tasks for each of them, as shown in the image.

Once you’ve identified your project tasks, you’ll need to add as much information as possible about them, such as their planned due dates, duration, dependencies, resource requirements, estimated costs and other relevant details.

Once you’ve added all these details to each project task column, the Gantt chart timeline will show your project tasks, their dependencies, assignee and percent complete.

The best part of using ProjectManager’s Gantt charts to create a project schedule is that you can simply drag and drop these bars in the Gantt chart timeline to adjust the project tasks’ due dates or their duration. You can easily add or remove dependencies and identify project milestones.

Our construction schedule Gantt chart template also allows you to use other advanced Gantt chart features such as creating project baselines, finding the critical path and tracking the resource utilization and costs for each of your tasks.

Manufacturing Gantt Chart Example

While managing the production process is completely different from managing a construction project , the steps for creating a schedule using a Gantt chart are the same. You’ll also need to define project phases, break down your project scope into tasks, identify dependencies and add project task details to the Gantt chart.

This Gantt chart example shows a manufacturing project that consists of creating a product from scratch and then creating a production schedule for manufacturing it. The phases for this manufacturing project are product ideation, design, prototyping, pre-production and production.

Our Gantt chart production schedule template allows you to track each step in the product development process, such as ideating your product, establishing its feasibility, creating a proof of concept, making a prototype, testing its quality and more.

Then, once you have a working prototype that’s ready to be launched into the market, you can use the Gantt chart to schedule the production process and estimate the time it’ll take to manufacture it, the needed resources and your production costs.

Using Gantt chart software for tracking the production process is ideal for manufacturing businesses that execute multiple projects simultaneously .

However, creating a Gantt chart from scratch can be an overwhelming process, especially for those who are just getting started with this project management tool. If you’re not ready to use Gantt chart software yet, you can try using a Gantt chart template for Excel, PowerPoint, Google Sheets or Word.

Free Gantt Chart Templates for Excel, PowerPoint & More

We’ve created several Gantt chart templates that can facilitate the process of creating and using a Gantt chart to manage your projects. Simply enter your project information and follow the instructions to create a Gantt chart for projects in minutes.

Free Gantt Chart Template for Excel

This free Gantt chart Excel template helps you build a Gantt chart and a project timeline in minutes. It gives you a visual overview of your entire project from start to finish.

Simply add all of the tasks needed to reach your final deliverable and manually update any changes during the execution of the project. It’s a great example of a Gantt chart in Microsoft Excel .

Free Gantt Chart Template for Google Sheets

This free Gantt chart template for Google Sheets is similar to an Excel Gantt chart, but it can be accessed by your team members online, instead of having to download a file and store it in their computers. This also means you can collaborate with your team online so any file changes can be seen by anyone with access to it.

Free Gantt Chart Template for PowerPoint

This free Gantt chart template for PowerPoint allows you to create a simple Gantt chart based on your project task names, duration and due dates. You can attach them to any PowerPoint presentation, which helps communicate the progress of your project in a visual format that can be easily understood by most people.

Free Gantt Chart Template for Word

While Microsoft Word might not be the first software you think of when looking for a tool to make a Gantt chart, it can be used to make Gantt charts. In fact, this free Gantt chart template for Word is as good as the Excel or PowerPoint Gantt chart. The key difference is that this Gantt chart template for Word is designed for adding a Gantt chart to project documents.

However, these free Gantt chart templates are best suited for creating simple Gantt charts , as they lack advanced project management features that are needed for larger projects such as resource management and cost tracking.

Now that we have more context about Gantt charts, let’s explore how to use a Gantt chart for planning, scheduling and tracking your projects . Below, we’ll explain some of the most common uses for Gantt charts in project management.

Create a Work Breakdown Structure

Before you can use a Gantt chart to create a project schedule , you’ll need to first identify all the individual tasks that make up the total amount of work that’s needed for your project. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a tool that can help you with this process. It’s important that you do this during the project planning phase so you don’t miss any project tasks.

Create a Task List and a Gantt Chart Timeline

Now create a Gantt table by listing down your project tasks, their due dates, duration and any other details you’d like to track about them such has resource requirements or costs. Then Use this information to create Gantt chart timeline, which at a basic level should show the dates and duration of project tasks.

Identify Task Dependencies

One of the key aspects that differentiate Gantt charts from other project planning tools is that they allow project managers to identify and visualize task dependencies . A task dependency is simply the relationship project tasks have among each other that dictates the order in which they must be completed. While Gantt charts let you represent task dependencies, these can’t be automatically determined. It’s your responsibility as a project manager to define them, otherwise, the project schedule won’t be accurate.

Find the Critical Path of Your Project

The critical path of a project is the longest sequence of tasks that need to be executed. It’s important to determine what your critical path is because if those tasks are delayed the whole project completion will be delayed. Luckily some Gantt chart software alternatives will automatically do this for you.

Track Gantt Chart Milestones

Gantt charts allow you to track project milestones, which are important events that occur at some point in your project timeline. Project milestones can be used to create a milestone chart, which is a simplified version of your project timeline that summarizes major activities, project deliverables and accomplishments so that you can track how a project is progressing from a high-level view.

Allocate, Schedule and Track Resources

Gantt charts can be more than just a project scheduling tool, they can also be used to estimate what resources are needed to complete your project, allocate resources for the execution of work and track resource utilization throughout the project life cycle. ProjectManager’s Gantt chart, for example, syncs with real-time dashboards that allow you to monitor the utilization of project resources in real time and workload charts that let you balance your team’s workload.

Create Project Baselines and Compare Planned vs. Actual Results

Gantt charts should be used to map your project plan, but also record the actual results of your project. ProjectManager’s Gantt chart allows you to compare the estimated costs and due dates of your tasks against the actual values so you can determine whether your project is being executed within the boundaries of your project budget or schedule.

The Gantt chart is one, if not the most important project management tool to plan, schedule and track projects. Here are some of the main pros and cons of using Gantt charts to manage projects from any industry.

• Gantt charts allow project managers to turn complex project plans into a visual project timeline that’s easy to understand.
• Gantt charts are the perfect tool to compare the actual performance of your project team against the original project plan, schedule and cost baselines to determine whether a project is being completed on time and under budget .
• Gantt charts allow project managers to understand both the scope of a project and its schedule from start to end, including task dependencies.
• Gantt charts are also considered a resource management tool because they allow project managers to understand how they’re allocating their resources .

Even though Gantt charts are one of the most important project management tools, there are some cases in which they might not be the ideal solution.

• Gantt charts can be hard to understand for some team members and stakeholders who aren’t used to them.
• Not all Gantt chart software available in the market offers the same features, which is something to look out for as some lack important features.
• Other project tools such as task lists or kanban boards can be an easier method to keep track of tasks, such as when managing small teams, or short-term projects.
• Gantt charts operate in a linear fashion and aren’t very dynamic for agile projects.

Gantt charts are not the only project management chart you can use to create a project schedule or manage project tasks. There are other tools you can use such as PERT charts, kanban boards or network diagrams . Here’s how Gantt charts compare to these tools.

Gantt Chart vs. Network Diagram

Network diagrams are a project planning chart that can help you visualize the order in which tasks must be completed, so everyone on your team has a clear idea of how work will be executed. Additionally, project network diagrams can help identify task dependencies that might be in your project plan, which is an important factor to consider when creating a project schedule.

In project management, network diagrams are used as part of the program evaluation and review technique (PERT) and the critical path method (CPM), which are two important project scheduling methods.

However, network diagrams can only help you during the project scheduling process, but can’t be used for tracking the progress of your project, as they lack task, resource or cost-tracking features.

Gantt Chart vs. PERT Chart

PERT charts are a network diagram that allows you to map the task sequences that make up your project, estimate its total duration and identify critical path activities.

To do so, you’ll need to use the PERT chart formula, which factors in the start and finish dates of your project tasks, dependencies between them and estimated duration.

However, PERT charts aren’t as versatile as Gantt charts as they won’t allow you to assign tasks to your team members, create a project timeline or monitor the percentage of completion of tasks.

Gantt Chart vs. Kanban Board

Kanban boards are a popular task management tool that can be used for managing projects across industries. A kanban board consists of a set of columns and cards. The columns indicate the status of a project task, such as “to do” or “completed” while kanban cards represent project tasks.

Kanban boards are a great task management tool for managing the everyday tasks and workflows of your team but they won’t allow you to create a project timeline or get a high-level view of your project plan like a Gantt chart would. This makes Gantt charts a better tool than kanban boards for project planning and scheduling.

This doesn’t mean you can’t use Gantt charts and kanban boards for managing your projects. In fact, this is greatly advised, as each of these project management tools can help you manage your projects from different perspectives.

Once computers introduced new ways of working, project managers found they could save time in creating and updating their Gantt charts. Gantt chart software, also called project planning, project management, or even project scheduling software, was created to automate the process to support more advanced Gantt requirements like creating task dependencies, adding milestones or identifying the critical path of a project plan.

Watch the video below for a quick introduction to ProjectManager’s online Gantt chart maker and its benefits.

Many project managers traditionally used local desktop programs like Microsoft Project —and many still do. But today, most Gantt chart makers and project management software have moved online, enabling anyone to create shareable and collaborative Gantt charts and project plans.

Choosing the right project management tool for your team is an essential task, so we’ve reviewed the best free and paid Gantt chart software and ranked them based on their key features, pros and cons. It’ll help you better understand what to look for when comparing Gantt chart software.

Must-Have Gantt Chart Software Features

While no two Gantt chart tools are the same, there are key features that you'll need to get the most out of your Gantt chart tool:

Milestones are represented by a diamond symbol on the Gantt diagram and have no duration. A milestone marks the end of a piece of work, task sequence or project management phase. They’re often fixed dates or important dates on your project schedule that you need to be aware of. Read more: Learn how to use milestones in your scheduling.

Task Dependencies

These show which tasks are linked together. Links are shown with lines on the Gantt chart, and the arrow points to the task that comes next. Task dependencies can be set up as start-to-finish, start-to-start, finish-to-finish or finish-to-start. Read more: Learn how to manage task dependencies.

Summary Tasks

A summary task is a skinny ‘umbrella’ task above various individual tasks. It’s a good way of using a Gantt diagram to group activities together, especially as part of a project stage or phase. You can ‘roll up’ your tasks (in other words, hide them from view) so that only the summary task is shown. The summary task also displays the task progress with shading, so you can view the progress of all tasks underneath in that one bar.

Collaboration

A Gantt chart without collaboration is just a static plan. It’s nice to have, but it isn’t helping you advance the work your team is doing. Be sure that you can chat or comment around tasks to keep the workflow documented. Your team will then get alerts every time a task has been updated, so they know when new activity has occurred.

File Sharing

It’s important as you collaborate to also be able to attach files, images, videos or other notes to document the task progress and keep all the task information together. That way, you always know where to look to find the files related to the tasks you’re scheduling on your Gantt diagram.

Planned vs. Actual Progress

This is represented in a couple different ways on the Gantt diagram. Shading on the bar indicates how complete the planned work is. When the bar is shaded, the task is finished. You can also see just a view of the actual progress anytime in the settings. Don’t forget to set a baseline for the best tracking experience.

How to Make a Gantt Chart Online With Gantt Chart Software

Onboarding your team members with ProjectManager’s Gantt chart maker allows you to better plan, schedule and track all types of projects . Once you’ve invited your team members to the new Gantt chart tool, you can start improving the way you manage tasks, resources and timelines. But before we get to the benefits of using online Gantt chart software, let’s go through a step-by-step guide to making a Gantt chart in ProjectManager.

It’s easy for anyone to create a Gantt chart online in ProjectManager. You can import a task list from a CSV file, an Excel Gantt chart template, or a Microsoft Project file or create one from scratch. Unlike Gantt chart Excel templates, our Gantt chart maker does the heavy lifting so you can focus on what’s important.

Simply add project tasks to the tool, fill in the information and a fully-fledged Gantt chart will generate automatically. Our Gantt chart has advanced project management features that’ll let you set task dependencies, identify the critical path and use timesheets for resource tracking, just to name a few.

Also, since it’s an online Gantt chart maker, you and your team members can build the Gantt chart together in real time while you share files and documents with unlimited storage.

Now, without further ado, here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a Gantt chart with ProjectManager , one of the best Gantt chart software available in the market.

1. Create a New Project

When you first log in, you simply enter a project name and select “Create.” You’ll be directed to the Gantt chart view.

2. Add Project Tasks to Your Gantt Chart

As you add tasks, the default date will be today. Since you haven’t added a longer due date than today, the tasks appear in the Gantt chart tool to the right as circles, representing that they start and end today. The dotted line represents today’s date.

3. Assign Tasks to Team Members

You can easily assign or re-assign tasks to team members based on their availability in real time, which is ideal for workload management . When people are assigned tasks, their name appears above the taskbar on the Gantt chart. The Gantt chart maker lets you know whether your team members are available, or if they’re already scheduled for other tasks.

4. Add Due Dates to Your Gantt Chart

As you extend the start and end dates, the task bars on the Gantt chart view extend too, showing you how long each task will take. Add those dates under the planned start and planned finish columns.

5. Prioritize Your Project Tasks

The Gantt chart maker has a task prioritization feature that allows you to establish a priority level for each task so you and your team can focus your efforts on the most important activities. Best of all, this priority tag can also be used in other project views, like task lists and kanban boards for better task tracking.

6. Estimate Task Costs

Add the estimated costs for each task. Our Gantt chart maker helps you estimate labor costs for each project task based on how many team members are working on it and their hourly rate. On top of that, these labor costs are also updated on timesheets you can easily share with your team members.

7. Link Task Dependencies Using the Gantt Chart Timeline

Linking task dependencies is an advanced project planning feature that lets you create a realistic project schedule. There are four types of task dependencies that allow you to understand how your projects’ task sequences are interrelated. In the picture below, you can see how Gantt chart bars are connected by arrows, which indicates there’s a dependency between tasks.

8. Identify Critical Path Activities & Project Milestones

The Gantt chart maker automatically identifies the critical path of your project, which helps you focus on the critical tasks or the tasks that must be completed on time so that your project is completed on time. In addition, you can mark any project task as a milestone, which lets you pinpoint an important achievement, deliverable or the end of a project stage for detailed project tracking .

9. Customize Your Gantt Chart

You can customize your Gantt charts in whatever way suits your team. Here, you can see that different people are represented by different colors on the Gantt taskbars so it’s easy to see at a glance who is responsible for which tasks. Others might use colors on the stacked bar chart to represent different phases of a project or different teams responsible for a group of tasks.

10. Attach Files, Comments or Notes

When your team works collaboratively on an online Gantt chart maker, you can do so much more than just plan tasks. You can add images, videos, links, notes or comments right at the task level, so all the relevant task work is captured and easily accessible in one place.

11. Track Your Team’s Progress

All the updates on the Gantt diagram can be seen in one view. You can see what the team is working on and when tasks have been updated. Team collaboration is easy with online Gantt charts.

It used to be that Gantt charts were the exclusive tool of formally trained project managers. These were people planning complex projects of all different types: construction , engineering, military, manufacturing, infrastructure, IT and more. Creating long task lists and complex project schedules with lots of moving parts, required training in the art and science of task management, critical path analysis, baselining and so on.

Today, nearly everyone can use a Gantt chart to help them visualize their tasks. Because all the difficult work is now done by project management software, anyone can just create a simple task list , add start and end dates, and the software does the work instantly by displaying your tasks over a project timeline.

Gantt charts can be used by all kinds of teams, such as:

• IT & software development teams
• Project management teams
• Marketing teams
• Professional services teams
• Engineering & architectural teams
• Construction teams
• Manufacturing teams
• Product development teams

Here are some examples of potential users of Gantt charts:

• Project managers
• General managers
• Team leaders
• Operations managers
• Scheduling managers
• Marketing managers
• Executives such as CEOs & CTOs
• Anyone who wants an instant view of a project timeline

If you still need help setting up and understanding your Gantt chart, watch this video by Jennifer Bridges, PMP.

If you still have questions about Gantt charts, they should be answered in the following frequently asked questions.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart Online?

Yes, there are online Gantt chart tools such as ProjectManager that allow you to create a Gantt chart online without having to install any software on your Mac or PC.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in Excel?

Microsoft Excel doesn’t have a Gantt chart feature but you can create one by customizing the stacked bar chart or using one of the free Gantt chart templates available online.

We’ve created a how-to guide with detailed instructions on how to make a Gantt chart in Excel from scratch. Learning to do so allows you to better understand how an Excel Gantt chart works as well as its key features and limitations.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart In Word?

Making a Gantt chart in Word can be very useful as most project teams use Word for creating their project documents. You can create a Gantt chart in Word by inserting a stacked bar chart into a document, adding your project schedule information (such as start, end dates and duration) and customizing the Gantt diagram for greater readability.

Then, once you’ve created your Gantt diagram in Word , you can copy and paste it into any project document you’d like such as a project plan or project proposal.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in PowerPoint?

Like Word or Excel, PowerPoint allows you to insert stacked bar charts which can be transformed into a Gantt chart. We’ve created a how-to guide with detailed instructions you can follow along if you’d like to make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint.

The best part is that once you create a PowerPoint Gantt chart , you can use it for all your project presentations. Simply copy and paste the PowerPoint Gantt chart into a new presentation and edit its data.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in Microsoft Project?

Yes, Microsoft Project is project management software equipped with a Gantt chart tool. Some of the key features of Microsoft Project’s Gantt chart are its cost and resource monitoring, critical path analysis, task dependency mapping and milestone tracking.

If you’d like to try Microsoft Project’s Gantt diagram, but need help to get started with this tool, check out our blog on how to make a Gantt chart in Microsoft Project . This blog also goes over the key features, pros and cons of a Microsoft Project Gantt chart.

Can You Make a Gantt Chart in Google Sheets?

To make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets, open a new blank spreadsheet, add the tasks data for your project (including duration, start and end dates), insert a stacked bar graph and then transform the bar graph into a Gantt chart. There are Gantt chart templates for Google Sheets too.

We also have a blog that explains how to make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets , with easy-to-understand steps and images, which makes it ideal for sharing with your team members.

What Does Gantt Stand For?

The Gantt chart was named after Henry Gantt , and many think he was the one who first had the idea of project planning on bar charts. This isn’t entirely true.

Left: Henry Gantt | Right: Karol Adamiecki

Karol Adamiecki devised the first Gantt diagram back in 1896. He was a Polish engineer turned management professor who came up with the idea of displaying processes visually so that he could make it easier to see production schedules. (He did most of his work in the steel industry.) He called it the harmonogram (a much better word) but Adamiecki published his articles on it in Polish and Russian, so the English-speaking world didn’t know much about it.

Henry Gantt had the same idea as Karol Adamiecki, but about 15 years later. In 1910, Gantt started planning visually with bar charts to allow supervisors in the steelworks to see if production was on track or behind schedule. It was Gantt’s name that got attached to this way of project planning, but today it’s generally recognized that Adamiecki had the idea first.

Gantt Chart Resources

• Gantt Chart Software
• Project Scheduling Software
• Project Planning Software
• Project Management Templates
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Template
• Gantt Chart Template for Excel
• Gantt Chart Template for PowerPoint
• Project Plan Template
• Best Gantt Chart Software: Paid & Free Options Ranked
• Gantt Chart Task Dependencies
• Easy Ways to Make a Gantt Chart with Google Sheets
• How to Make a Gantt Chart on Mac
• How to Make a Gantt Chart In PowerPoint
• How to Make a Project Schedule
• How to Make a Project Plan
• The Ultimate Guide to the Critical Path Method
• The Ultimate Guide to Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Start your free 30-day trial

Deliver faster, collaborate better, innovate more effectively — without the high prices and months-long implementation and extensive training required by other products.

• Product overview
• All features
• App integrations

CAPABILITIES

• project icon Project management
• Project views
• Custom fields
• Status updates
• goal icon Goals and reporting
• Reporting dashboards
• workflow icon Workflows and automation
• portfolio icon Resource management
• Time tracking
• my-task icon Admin and security
• Admin console
• asana-intelligence icon Asana Intelligence
• list icon Personal
• premium icon Starter
• briefcase icon Advanced
• Goal management
• Organizational planning
• Campaign management
• Creative production
• Content calendars
• Marketing strategic planning
• Resource planning
• Project intake
• Product launches
• Employee onboarding
• View all uses arrow-right icon
• Project plans
• Team goals & objectives
• Team continuity
• Meeting agenda
• View all templates arrow-right icon
• Work management resources Discover best practices, watch webinars, get insights
• What's new Learn about the latest and greatest from Asana
• Customer stories See how the world's best organizations drive work innovation with Asana
• Help Center Get lots of tips, tricks, and advice to get the most from Asana
• Asana Academy Sign up for interactive courses and webinars to learn Asana
• Developers Learn more about building apps on the Asana platform
• Community programs Connect with and learn from Asana customers around the world
• Events Find out about upcoming events near you
• Partners Learn more about our partner programs
• Support Need help? Contact the Asana support team
• Asana for nonprofits Get more information on our nonprofit discount program, and apply.

Featured Reads

• Product management |

Gantt chart template

Every aspect of your project is interconnected—and your Gantt chart shows how. Build a custom Gantt chart template to map tasks, roles, and deadlines on a timeline for every project.

Sign up to create your own template.

INTEGRATED FEATURES

Recommended apps.

What is a Gantt chart template?

In short, Gantt chart templates are a visual display of your project plan with a clearly defined timeline, as opposed to a more detailed, text-heavy project plan with no confirmed start or end dates. Because of their accessible format, Gantt charts give stakeholders at-a-glance insight into project status and details. Creating your Gantt chart template means you can have new project information for them whenever they need it.

How to create a Gantt chart template

To create your own Gantt chart template, consider the use case and complexity of your typical projects. Is this going to serve as your project schedule , or will this template be your real-time project information source once the work begins? Depending on what you need the chart for, you might include more or less detail. For example, if you’re using this as a project schedule, focus on building out ways to assign tasks and delegate work. If it’s a project information source, templatize the way your team will attach documents and track processes. Often, you’ll use it for both. 

Once you decide how you’ll use your template, begin the process of building it:

Brainstorm the elements you need to map and track in a project. These will be your inputs, and you’ll want to include space for each category in your templates. For complex projects, you need more inputs than others. Possible inputs include:start dates, end dates, independent and dependent tasks, milestones, roles, subtasks, and descriptions.

Gather information and relevant resources. Attach recurring worksheets, relevant roadmaps , documents, analysis results, reporting dashboards, goals, assigned roles and processes.

Input your information into one central source of truth , such as a project management software . Be sure to include recurring dependencies and roles. For example, if the same team member always manages the budget, you can keep them assigned to the budget deliverables in your template. The more thought you put into constructing your template, the less work you’ll have when it comes time to launch your next project.

Add integrations and apps to support your work. If you’re in a project management tool, you can directly attach your Google sheets, Kanban boards , and references (like tutorial PowerPoints) directly to your project timeline.

For more complex projects, a simple spreadsheet likely won’t offer enough customization options. Instead, you might want to consider project management software with more functionality—for example, a tool that lets you manipulate data and input information in a space that’s accessible by all stakeholders .

How to use your Gantt chart template for project planning

Building your template is the more time-consuming part. But once it’s done, all you need to do is duplicate the template and fill in the blanks. Like any project management resource, your Gantt chart template will have best case scenarios and limitations. Some of this will depend on the tool you use.  If you’ve ever seen or used Gantt chart templates in a spreadsheet before, you’ve seen how manual and time consuming it can be to change them. But if you create your template in a dynamic tool, you can make updates and see changes in real time. For example:

Your Gantt chart template can…

Give all stakeholders a quick, bird’s-eye view of your project.

Keep your project on track with easy-to-reference, clearly defined deadlines.

Reduce confusion and miscommunication.

Automate processes through dependencies and robust customization, especially when it’s made with supporting software .

Your Gantt chart template can’t…

If your Gantt chart template is made in a non-dynamic format, you won’t be able to adjust it as easily once you create it. Note: you can prevent this by creating your Gantt chart template with project management software .

Take the place of project management once the project goes live. Gantt chart templates are most useful during the project planning stage. 

Integrated features

Timeline View . Timeline View is a Gantt-style project view that displays all of your tasks in a horizontal bar chart. Not only can you see each task’s start and end date, but you can also see dependencies between tasks. With Timeline View, you can easily track how the pieces of your plan fit together. Plus, when you can see all of your work in one place, it’s easy to identify and address dependency conflicts before they start, so you can hit all of your goals on schedule.

Subtasks . Sometimes a to-do is too big to capture in one task. If a task has more than one contributor, a broad due date, or stakeholders that need to review and approve before it can go live, subtasks can help. Subtasks are a powerful way to distribute work and split tasks into individual components—while keeping the small to-dos connected to the overarching context of the parent task. Break tasks into smaller components or capture the individual components of a multi-step process with subtasks.

Milestones . Milestones represent important project checkpoints. By setting milestones throughout your project, you can let your team members and project stakeholders know how you’re pacing towards your goal. Use milestones as a chance to celebrate the little wins on the path towards the big project goal. 

Dependencies . Mark a task as waiting on another task with task dependencies. Know when your work is blocking someone else’s work, so you can prioritize accordingly. Teams with collaborative workflows can easily see what tasks they’re waiting on from others, and know when to get started on their portion of work. When the first task is completed, the assignee will be notified that they can get started on their dependent task. Or, if the task your work is dependent on is rescheduled, Asana will notify you—letting you know if you need to adjust your dependent due date as well. 

Google Workplace . Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Google Workplace file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.

OneDrive . Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Microsoft OneDrive file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach files from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.

Clockwise . With the Clockwise + Asana integration, you can add Asana tasks as time blocks in your Google Calendar. The Clockwise + Asana integration allows you to specify the duration of tasks, when they happen, and whether Clockwise can automatically reschedule them. Add tasks to your calendar and make time to get work done.

Vimeo . Text may get the point across, but written words lack tone, emotion, and expression. With video messaging in Asana, powered by Vimeo, you can give your team all the context they need, without having to schedule another meeting. Record short video messages of yourself, your screen—or both—then embed the videos in tasks, projects, messages, and comments to provide additional clarity and context. A transcript of the recording is automatically created by Asana, making it readable and searchable. Give feedback, ask questions, and assign tasks—all without leaving Asana.

What is a Gantt chart template? .css-i4fobf{-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 200ms ease-in-out;transition:transform 200ms ease-in-out;-webkit-transform:rotateZ(0);-moz-transform:rotateZ(0);-ms-transform:rotateZ(0);transform:rotateZ(0);}

Gantt chart templates are project timelines used in project management . They show all project details, including tasks, assigned roles, and dependencies, placed on a timeline. Gantt chart templates use different colors to illustrate the tasks that make up a project. You can use these templates to show a visual display of your project plan with a clearly defined timeline, as opposed to a more detailed, text-heavy project plan with no secure start or end dates. 

Is there a Gantt chart template in Asana?

While there isn’t a free Gantt chart template premade in Asana, you can make your own Gantt chart template by creating your project in Timeline View . From there, add project tasks, dates, dependencies, and assigned roles. Share your project with stakeholders and use it to coordinate work across your team and organization.

Who should use a Gantt chart template?

Project managers who prefer a visual display for project planning should use a Gantt chart template. They’re best for projects that don’t require subtasks or finer details to be on display at all times. Instead, they’re used by managers to show the big-picture project tasks and timeline.

How do I create a Gantt chart template?

Create a Gantt chart template in a dynamic tool like project management software , so you can update and make changes as needed. Start by brainstorming the use case, gathering all necessary information, inputting all details, and using relevant integrations and apps to connect your project tech-stack.

Related templates

Product development template

Create and use a product development template to standardize your process, from idea all the way to market.

Product marketing launch

Don’t reinvent the wheel for every product launch plan. Keep goals and responsibilities clear, manage timelines, and more with our template.

Production schedule

Create a production schedule template to streamline your work and reduce delays. With a template, everyone is on the same production schedule.

Customer feedback

What if you could collect customer feedback in one place to finally figure out what they love and loathe? You’d probably have happier customers. Get started with this customer feedback template.

Usability testing plan

With our usability testing plan, you can easily create and repeat processes to save time on setting up every research session.

Product launch

How can you hit product launch deadlines, connect cross-functional teams, and see launch updates all in one place? With a product launch template.

User research sessions

Don’t let valuable user research insights fall to the wayside. Track, sort, and action feedback to delight your customers with our template.

Create templates with Asana

Learn how to create a customizable template in Asana. Get started today.

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

• Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

• Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

• Google Tag Manager
• Infographics
• Daily Infographics
• Popular Templates
• Accessibility
• Graphic Design
• Graphs and Charts
• Data Visualization
• Human Resources
• Beginner Guides

Blog Graphic Design 11 Gantt Chart Examples For Project Management

11 Gantt Chart Examples For Project Management

Written by: Bronwyn Kienapple May 10, 2023

Slack pings, client emails, subcontractor texts… it’s enough to drive anyone crazy. Stop the communication madness and make a Gantt chart .

A Gantt chart lets you communicate your project timeline visually in an easy-to-understand way. Everyone’s in the loop, so you can get work done faster and easier.

Want to see Gantt chart examples, plus get tips on how to create professional Gantt charts that are professional, attractive and simple to understand?

Stick around or check out our Gantt chart templates to start customizing right away.

Click to jump ahead :

• What is a Gantt Chart?

10 Gantt chart examples 

Why is a gantt chart important, benefits of using a gantt chart, what are the parts of a gantt chart, how to make a gantt chart, what is a gantt chart.

A Gantt chart is a timeline of a project. The top of the chart shows the time frame and the left side of the chart lists the project activities.

Here’s a Gantt chart example:

Each activity listed on the left-hand side of a Gantt chart has a colored bar next to it.

The position and length of that bar depends on the activity’s timeline and duration: when it starts and when it ends.

• For example, in the daily project status Gantt chart above, Activity 1 (Task 1) will take place from March 3 to 7 and then from March 10 to 13. The due date is Thursday of that week. Each week is color coded.

Here’s another example:

In short, a Gantt chart shows:

• What tasks need to be done to complete the project
• When these tasks need to be done

Now that you know what a Gantt chart is, let’s look at a few examples to better understand its usability and versatility.

1. Gantt charts for project management

Gantt charts can be a helpful visual to include in project management plans .

Like the previous example, this retro daily project Gantt chart example breaks down project activities day by day.

It also breaks down who’s responsible for what project activity.

• Sonya J. is responsible for it from September 3 to 14 (two weeks).
• Amir K. is responsible for it from September 17 to 21 (one week). Julia F. is in charge of Task 1/Activity 1 from September 17 to October 2. Her red bar shows that the due date is Wednesday.

The magic of a Gantt chart is that it lets you set the order in which tasks should be completed.

And since Gantt charts are in an easy-to-understand timeline format, the task order is crystal clear.

Your team and/or clients won’t need to ask you again and again when Mark is supposed to be working on link building. Phew .

Project management: simplified.

This template would work especially well for consultants , as the client can get a visual representation of the team working on their project.

Putting faces to the names creates confidence in the client and helps build your reputation.

Pro Tip : Use Venngage’s collaboration features to add team members (like your client) to your account and share your Gantt chart seamlessly. Or better yet, edit and customize your gantt charts with your team in real time with our new real-time collaboration feature!

Get feedback and approvals faster within one channel, without having to juggle Slack messages, emails, or G Suite comments.

This corporate weekly project Gantt chart example is more traditional than the previous example. The focus is on the activities and their types, not the individual people.

The types of activities, such as engineering or marketing, are color coded.

• For example, Task 3/Activity 1 is a marketing activity that will take place from the middle of week 3 to the middle of week 5. Julia K. is responsible for this activity.

This futuristic-looking Gantt chart example is perfect for teams who operate on the sprint system .

The template is divided into two-week sprints, but you can change this to a one week sprint (or longer) as needed.

The left hand side is divided by team and further divided by activity.

• For example, the engineering team will do planning from the beginning of week 3 to the end of week 5.

Pro Tip : When you’ve finished editing your Gantt chart in Venngage, click “Share” in the top right corner of the editor to email or get a link to your design.

Or click “Download” to download a PDF or PNG file to your hard drive (Premium and Business plans only).

Add your Gantt chart to your weekly team meeting presentation . Consultants can add them to their proposals or work plan templates  or integrate them into their project management tool .

2. Gantt Charts for Construction

Construction projects can suffer from “too many cooks in the kitchen” syndrome, making it really hard to meet deadlines.

Gantt charts are a great way to keep construction projects on schedule and make sure clients, crew members and subcontractors are in the loop.

This construction project Gantt chart example will make sure everyone’s on the same page. The chart’s simple format makes it easy to see what activity is due when .

You can edit the Gantt chart as the project progresses.

• For example, if an activity is taking longer than it should, extend the bar’s length and make that section red. That way, everyone is instantly aware of overtime and potential project delays.

This construction project Gantt chart example is almost the same format as the previous one, but the dots represent two day intervals.

• For example, demolition will run from Friday of week 1 to Friday of week 2 (six days).

Pro Tip : Venngage’s My Brand Kit tool lets you apply your brand colors to your Gantt chart template with one click. My Brand Kit also lets you include your logo and apply brand fonts.

For example, in the above template, using My Brand Kit would change the blue, yellow and green background color scheme to your brand’s color scheme. You can then click “shuffle” to cycle through the color combination options.

3. Gantt Chart Example for Project Proposals

New product in the works? Use this dark new product project Gantt chart example.

The far left hand column maps out the activities, while the far right column lists what department is responsible for each activity.

Product development typically involves multiple departments or teams of people. There may be no one project leader, or only multiple managers, on multiple teams.

A Gantt chart is the perfect way to manage tasks between multiple teams as all the information is in one place, in a crystal-clear format.

It eliminates confusion about dependencies i.e. who needs to finish what before another team can begin their task.

Pro Tip : You can also include the chart in your business report or presentation .  Download your finished Gantt chart as a PNG file (Premium and Business plans only). Choose a presentation template from our library. Once you’re in the editor, click the “Image Upload” tab to upload the Gantt chart and add it to your slides.

4. Gantt Chart Example for Business Plans

A business plan tends to contain a lot of information and can quickly become overwhelming to potential investors.

Visualizing schedules, research or data will help break up all the text and quickly communicate key deliverables.

Investors need to see that you have a concrete plan in place that will let you achieve your revenue goals. 

One strategy is to use a Gantt chart to visualize your business plan’s growth strategy or marketing plan .

Use the Gantt chart example above to plot your business strategy and major milestones. Edit the time frame on the bottom to plot out stages by quarter–over several years, if you like.

You can also include this Gantt chart in your project plan .

5. Gantt Chart Example for Consultants

Your client’s hired you to help them achieve their goals. But, let’s say they’re a new client and they need a little more reassurance that you, the consultant, is on top of things.

Show your client that you have a workable roadmap to success with a Gantt chart.

Edit the above Gantt chart example and divide tasks–between your team, any subcontractors and your client’s team.

Refer back to the chart during your weekly calls with the client to make sure you’re both on the same page.

If you’re overwhelmed by admin work, check out our job proposal templates , business proposal templates and consulting report templates and get important documents out the door a lot faster.

Find a hard time creating business proposals fast? Read our in-depth business proposal guide to whip up proposals quickly. 

They’ll also look plenty better than those Word documents you usually churn out!

Pro Tip : Love your Gantt chart’s layout and want to use it again for other consulting projects? Save it as a template in Venngage. That way, you can reuse it whenever you need to make a Gantt chart for another client.

Gantt charts are important because they make scheduling, planning and executing on projects easier. They also help a lot with general time management .

Projects often involve multiple stakeholders, activities and deadlines. Gantt charts visualize all these factors so that project managers and their teams can quickly understand who needs to do what and when .

This will help make sure each deliverable is completed on time.

Which in turn will prevent a snowball effect of missed deadlines, causing the  project price to go up and the completion date to be pushed back.

And no one wants that.

The benefits of a Gantt chart include:

• Scheduling and planning projects and tasks
• Plan work in sprints
• Visualizing how projects and tasks evolve over time
• Collaborate with your team
• Comparing planned versus actual timelines

Gantt charts are incredibly versatile — they’re useful for multiple roles, such as:

• Project managers
• Marketing managers
• Team leaders
• Operations managers
• Consultants

Gantt charts aren’t industry-specific, either. They’re a critical tool for anyone managing a long-term project that has lots of tasks and a complex schedule and that requires collaboration.

• For example, the Gantt chart example below can be adapted for any project simply by changing the tasks and milestones:

Industries that can benefit from Gantt charts include:

• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Product development
• Engineering
• Infrastructure
• Oil and gas
• Telecommunications
• Professional services and consultants

Telecommuting has risen 140 percent since 2005, according to Globa l Workplace Analytics .

As this number continues to skyrocket, a Gantt chart becomes even more critical for team management and to effectively plan and track work as a team.

When you first look at a Gantt chart, it might seem overwhelming.

What do the bars or lines mean? How do they relate to the x and y axes?

But, on second glance you’ll see that the beauty of a Gantt chart is actually in its simplicity.

A Gantt chart only has three main parts:

• Activities and/or tasks (left axis)
• Milestones (top or bottom axis)
• Activity and/or task bars

Take a look at this simple Gantt chart example:

Not intimidating at all.

• Tasks on the left axis
• Milestones on the bottom axis
• And bars that show when each task should begin and end

Of course, more complex projects, such as the construction of large urban infrastructures or complex software engineering services, require more complex Gantt charts.

The Gantt chart example below takes things a step further by dividing activities into smaller tasks.

• For example, “Planning” is divided into: needs assessment, project agreement and site map.

This Gantt chart also lists (on the right) who’s responsible for each task.

The good news is that you can now create a Gantt chart with Venngage in five steps:

1. Choose a Template

Choices, choices. Open our Gantt chart templates gallery .

Then, select the template for you by:

• Ex. Dark Home Construction Project Gantt Chart Template
• Ex. Dark New Product Project Gantt Chart Template
• Corporate Weekly Project Gantt Chart
• Ex. Detailed Project Gantt Chart

Hover over the template you like and click “Create.”

2. Lay Out Your Timeline From Left to Right

Start by laying out the timeline of your from left to right, creating divisions by day, week, month, or quarter.

In this Gantt chart template, click the text box you want to edit and start typing.

Or delete the days of the week and add months or quarters, instead.

Made a mistake? You can click “undo” in the top toolbar at any time.

To add a new column to the right, click “Resize” and increase the width of the custom page size. Try adding 200 more pixels and readjust as needed.

Then, drag and select all the orange icons to move them to the right at the same time.

Drag to select the entire dates section and click “copy” and move into place. Edit the dates.

Now, drag to extend the beige bars. Use the “snap to guide” feature to help you align everything perfectly.

3. Add Tasks From Top to Bottom

Click the tasks and activities to edit the text. Use the top navigation bar to change the font style, size, color etc.

If you need to add a new row, follow the same steps for adding a new column as above. Just adjust the height of the page size instead of the width. Then, copy the last row by dragging to select and pressing “copy.”

4. Adjust Each Bar Accordingly

Adjust each bar so it begins at the task’s start date and extend it to the end of the expected task deadline.

Click each bar to move it or drag it. The snap-to-guide feature will help you align the bar with the specific day of the week above.

Copy other bars with the right color and move them into place to extend the timeline of a task.

You can also click the orange circles to assign each task to a different person–in the above Gantt chart template they’re indicated by initials.

5. Brand Your Gantt Chart

Brand your Gantt chart with one click by opening the My Brand Kit tab. Drag your logo into place.

Then, click a “My Brand Colors” palette to apply these colors to the entire template. Click “Shuffle” to scroll through different color combinations. Very cool.

Want a different type of design? Discover even more Gantt chart templates .

Pro Tip : Struggling to customize your Gantt chart just the way you want it? Venngage offers priority support via email, chat and phone and 1-on-1 consultations to Business plan members. Ask our designers for tips on how to present your idea visually — whether in a Gantt chart or a presentation, report, white paper etc.

What’s your number one struggle with managing projects right now? Let us know in the comments below!

You might also enjoy:

20+ Stunning Consulting Proposal Templates That Will Convert Prospects to Clients

20+ Page-Turning White Paper Examples [Design Guide + White Paper Templates]

Discover popular designs

Infographic maker

Brochure maker

White paper online

Newsletter creator

Flyer maker

Timeline maker

Letterhead maker

Mind map maker

Ebook maker

Gantt Chart Template for Excel

A Gantt chart is a tool for project management developed originally by Henry Gantt in the early 1900s. It is a type of bar chart that shows the start and end times for each task in a project schedule. The tasks are usually categorized using a work breakdown structure with summary tasks for the main project deliverables and sub-tasks that break the project down into a detailed and manageable task hierarchy. If you use Excel or Google Sheets, you can create this type of project schedule with almost no learning curve by downloading Vertex42's free Gantt Chart Template.

For complicated project management activities, you may need a tool such as Microsoft Project or other specialized software. But, if you want to create a simple Gantt chart quickly and easily, you only need some basic Excel skills to use this template (such as knowing how to copy and insert rows).

Excel Gantt Chart Template

"No installation, no macros - just a simple spreadsheet" - by Jon Wittwer

License : Private Use (not for distribution or resale)

This template is the original Excel Gantt Chart created by Vertex42 over a decade ago. Over 3 million downloads so far. That is a LOT of projects.

Over 1 million downloads!

Older Versions

Description.

This template contains the core functionality needed to create a simple Gantt chart easily. Each row of the worksheet represents a separate task. All you need to do is define the start date and duration of each task.

• To add more tasks, you just copy and paste rows (or insert a row then press Ctrl + D to copy formulas down).
• To change the range of dates displayed in the chart area, just slide the scroll bar.
• To track the status of a task, edit the % Complete column. The bars in the chart show the % complete for each task.
• The vertical red line shows the current date.
• To use the automatic work breakdown structure numbering, copy the formula for the appropriate level from the bottom of the worksheet.

While planning a project, you may also want to use a yearly calendar or project budget worksheet.

• Enter Work Days, Calendar Days, or End Date
• Choose Different Colors for the Bars
• Select a Daily, Weekly, or Monthly View
• Create Task Dependencies Easily
• Exclude Holidays from Work Days

Free Gantt Chart Template

This download provides the same functionality as the original free gantt chart template above. The main difference is the formatting. The WBS, End, and Work Days columns are highlighted gray to indicate that they contain formulas.

Note : Gantt Chart Pro version 5.0 uses a design very similar to this free version.

Creating Dependent Tasks in a Gantt Chart with Excel

One of the reasons why Excel is a useful tool for creating Gantt Charts is that task dependencies can be defined by using Excel formulas. Gantt Chart Template Pro is designed to make this easier than entering your own formulas, but here are a few simple examples you can try:

1. Start a Task the Day After a Predecessor Task

   where end_date is a reference to cell (e.g. D10 ) containing the END date of the predecessor task.

2. Start a Task on the Same Day as another task

   where start_date is a reference to cell containing the START date of the other task.

3. Start a Task the next WORK day after a Predecessor task (excludes Sat & Sun)

   Use the WORKDAY.INTL() function in Excel 2010+ to define a custom work week (days other than only Sat & Sun)

The problem with only using formulas is that you can't see the dependencies between tasks when you view or print the chart. Other Gantt chart software may show dependencies as lines connecting the bars in the gantt chart, but I've never found a simple way for Excel to do that (and the lines can get really messy).

The simple approach is to list the WBS number of the Predecessor in another column , like in the critical path example above. In the CPM template and in Gantt Chart Template Pro, formulas calculate the start dates based on what you enter. If you want to try doing this on your own, here is a formula to get you started:

4. Start a Task the next day after a Predecessor task listed in another column

Gantt Chart Pro uses a formula like this, but it allows up to three predecessors and it accounts for work days.

Showing Critical Tasks in a Gantt Chart

Some Gantt charts are designed to show the critical path and available slack or float time for each task. If every task must be done in sequence, every task is critical and there is no slack time (because if one task is delayed, it delays the entire project). However, if some tasks can be done in parallel and have some available slack time, then the project manager may be able to free up some resources to devote to the more critical tasks.

Currently, the only template I have so far that uses the Critical Path Method (CPM) algorithm to show critical tasks and available float time is the CPM Template shown in the image on the left. The Gantt chart in this example shows the critical tasks in red and the available slack time in gray.

The CPM algorithm requires a fully defined task dependency structure, meaning that every task must have a successor (another task that depends on it). A simple Gantt chart may not need to have the dependencies between tasks fully defined, which is why you will see many project schedules with tasks defined only with a start and end date.

More Free Excel Gantt Chart Templates

Commercial Gantt Chart Software

There are hundreds of software applications for creating gantt charts and project schedules. Some of the most popular are those that allow easy online collaboration such as SmartSheet.com and ProjectManager.com. And of course there's Microsoft:

• Microsoft Project - products.office.com - Although a bit pricey, this really is the ultimate software for creating gantt charts and project timelines, partly because it is widely used and you can probably find someone in your office that knows how to use it if you have questions.

Other Free Gantt Chart Spreadsheets

• Simple Project Schedule - vertex42.com - This worksheet may be useful if you want to avoid formulas and just want a way to create a stylish project timeline.
• PeltierTech.com - John Peltier explains how to create a gantt chart in Excel using stacked bar graphs.
• http://hyperthot.com/pm_excel_gantt.htm by James Chapman - This page includes a few free gantt chart downloads for Excel that also calculate spend plan. This is done by including labor costs broken down by employee and the number of hours spent on each task.
• CPM / PERT Spreadsheet - vertex42.com - This template includes a gantt chart for critical path analysis.
• Gantt Chart Definition and History - wikipedia.com
• Project Management Graphics (Gantt Charts) - edwardtufte.com - A detailed academic discussion about the use of gantt charts as project management tools.

Follow Us On ...

Project management.

Filter by Keywords

10 Free Business Plan Templates in Word, Excel, & ClickUp

Praburam Srinivasan

Growth Marketing Manager

February 13, 2024

Turning your vision into a clear and coherent business plan can be confusing and tough. 

Hours of brainstorming and facing an intimidating blank page can raise more questions than answers. Are you covering everything? What should go where? How do you keep each section thorough but brief?

If these questions have kept you up at night and slowed your progress, know you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve put together the top 10 business plan templates in Word, Excel, and ClickUp—to provide answers, clarity, and a structured framework to work with. This way, you’re sure to capture all the relevant information without wasting time. 

And the best part? Business planning becomes a little less “ugh!” and a lot more “aha!” 🤩

What is a Business Plan Template?

What makes a good business plan template, 1. clickup business plan template, 2. clickup sales plan template, 3. clickup business development action plan template, 4. clickup business roadmap template, 5. clickup business continuity plan template, 6. clickup lean business plan template, 7. clickup small business action plan template, 8. clickup strategic business roadmap template , 9. microsoft word business plan template by microsoft, 10. excel business plan template by vertex42.

A business plan template is a structured framework for entrepreneurs and business executives who want to create business plans. It comes with pre-arranged sections and headings that cover key elements like the executive summary , business overview, target customers, unique value proposition, marketing plans, and financial statements.  

A good business plan template helps with thorough planning, clear documentation, and practical implementation. Here’s what to look for:

• Comprehensive structure: A good template comes with all the relevant sections to outline a business strategy, such as executive summary, market research and analysis, and financial projections 
• Clarity and guidance: A good template is easy to follow. It has brief instructions or prompts for each section, guiding you to think deeply about your business and ensuring you don’t skip important details
• Clean design: Aesthetics matter. Choose a template that’s not just functional but also professionally designed. This ensures your plan is presentable to stakeholders, partners, and potential investors
• Flexibility : Your template should easily accommodate changes without hassle, like adding or removing sections, changing content and style, and rearranging parts 🛠️ 

While a template provides the structure, it’s the information you feed it that brings it to life. These pointers will help you pick a template that aligns with your business needs and clearly showcases your vision.

10 Business Plan Templates to Use in 2024

Preparing for business success in 2024 (and beyond) requires a comprehensive and organized business plan. We’ve handpicked the best templates to help you guide your team, attract investors, and secure funding. Let’s check them out.

If you’re looking to replace a traditional business plan document, then ClickUp’s Business Plan Template is for you!

This one-page business plan template, designed in ClickUp Docs , is neatly broken down into the following sections:

• Company description : Overview, mission, vision, and team
• Market analysis : Problem, solution, target market, competition, and competitive advantage
• Sales and marketing strategy : Products/services and marketing channels
• Operational plan : Location and facilities, equipment and tools, manpower, and financial forecasts
• Milestones and metrics: Targets and KPIs

Customize the template with your company logo and contact details, and easily navigate to different sections using the collapsible table of contents. The mini prompts under each section guide you on what to include—with suggestions on how to present the data (e.g., bullet lists, pictures, charts, and tables). 

You can share the document with anyone via URL and collaborate in real time. And when the business plan is ready, you have the option to print it or export it to PDF, HTML, or Markdown.

But that’s not all. This template is equipped with basic and enterprise project management features to streamline the business plan creation process . The Topics List view has a list of all the different sections and subsections of the template and allows you to assign it to a team member, set a due date, and attach relevant documents and references.

Switch from List to Board view to track and update task statuses according to the following: To Do, In Progress, Needs Revision, and Complete. 

This template is a comprehensive toolkit for documenting the different sections of your business plan and streamlining the creation process to ensure it’s completed on time. 🗓️

If you’re looking for a tool to kickstart or update your sales plan, ClickUp’s Sales Plan Template has got you covered. This sales plan template features a project summary list with tasks to help you craft a comprehensive and effective sales strategy. Some of these tasks include:

• Determine sales objectives and goals
• Draft positioning statement
• Perform competitive analysis
• Draft ideal customer persona
• Create a lead generation strategy

Assign each task to a specific individual or team, set priority levels , and add due dates. Specify what section of the sales plan each task belongs to (e.g., executive summary, revenue goals, team structure, etc.), deliverable type (such as document, task, or meeting), and approval state (like pending, needs revisions, and approved).

And in ClickUp style, you can switch to multiple views: List for a list of all tasks, Board for visual task management, Timeline for an overview of task durations, and Gantt to get a view of task dependencies. 

This simple business plan template is perfect for any type of business looking to create a winning sales strategy while clarifying team roles and keeping tasks organized. ✨

Thinking about scaling your business’s reach and operations but unsure where or how to start? It can be overwhelming, no doubt—you need a clear vision, measurable goals, and an actionable plan that every member of your team can rally behind. 

Thankfully, ClickUp’s Business Development Action Plan Template is designed to use automations to simplify this process so every step toward your business growth is clear, trackable, and actionable.

Start by assessing your current situation and deciding on your main growth goal. Are you aiming to increase revenue, tap into new markets, or introduce new products or services? With ClickUp Whiteboards or Docs, brainstorm and collaborate with your team on this decision.

Set and track your short- and long-term growth goals with ClickUp’s Goals , break them down into smaller targets, and assign these targets to team members, complete with due dates. Add these targets to a new ClickUp Dashboard to track real-time progress and celebrate small wins. 🎉

Whether you’re a startup or small business owner looking to hit your next major milestone or an established business exploring new avenues, this template keeps your team aligned, engaged, and informed every step of the way.

ClickUp’s Business Roadmap Template is your go-to for mapping out major strategies and initiatives in areas like revenue growth, brand awareness, community engagement, and customer satisfaction. 

Use the List view to populate tasks under each initiative. With Custom Fields, you can capture which business category (e.g., Product, Operations, Sales & Marketing, etc.) tasks fall under and which quarter they’re slated for. You can also link to relevant documents and resources and evaluate tasks by effort and impact to ensure the most critical tasks get the attention they deserve. 👀

Depending on your focus, this template provides different views to show just what you need. For example, the All Initiatives per Quarter view lets you focus on what’s ahead by seeing tasks that need completion within a specific quarter. This ensures timely execution and helps in aligning resources effectively for the short term.

This template is ideal for business executives and management teams who need to coordinate multiple short- and long-term initiatives and business strategies.

In business, unexpected threats to operations can arise at any moment. Whether it’s economic turbulence, a global health crisis, or supply chain interruptions, every company needs to be ready. ClickUp’s Business Continuity Plan Template lets you prepare proactively for these unforeseen challenges.

The template organizes tasks into three main categories:

• Priorities: Tasks that need immediate attention
• Continuity coverage: Tasks that must continue despite challenges
• Guiding principles: Resources and protocols to ensure smooth operations

The Board view makes it easy to visualize all the tasks under each of these categories. And the Priorities List sorts tasks by those that are overdue, the upcoming ones, and then the ones due later.

In times of uncertainty, being prepared is your best strategy. This template helps your business not just survive but thrive in challenging situations, keeping your customers, employees, and investors satisfied. 🤝

Looking to execute your business plan the “lean” way? Use ClickUp’s Lean Business Plan Template . It’s designed to help you optimize resource usage and cut unnecessary steps—giving you better results with less effort.

In the Plan Summary List view, list all the tasks that need to get done. Add specific details like who’s doing each task, when it’s due, and which part of the Business Model Canvas (BMC) it falls under. The By Priority view sorts this list based on priorities like Urgent, High, Normal, and Low. This makes it easy to spot the most important tasks and tackle them first.

Additionally, the Board view gives you an overview of task progression from start to finish. And the BMC view rearranges these tasks based on the various BMC components. 

Each task can further be broken down into subtasks and multiple checklists to ensure all related action items are executed. ✔️

This template is an invaluable resource for startups and large enterprises looking to maximize process efficiencies and results in a streamlined and cost-effective way.

The Small Business Action Plan Template by ClickUp is tailor-made for small businesses looking to transform their business ideas and goals into actionable steps and, eventually, into reality. 

It provides a simple and organized framework for creating, assigning, prioritizing, and tracking tasks. And in effect, it ensures that goals are not just set but achieved. Through the native dashboard and goal-setting features, you can monitor task progress and how they move you closer to achieving your goals.

Thanks to ClickUp’s robust communication features like chat, comments, and @mentions, it’s easy to get every team member on the same page and quickly address questions or concerns.

Use this action plan template to hit your business goals by streamlining your internal processes and aligning team efforts.

For larger businesses and scaling enterprises, getting different departments to work together toward a big goal can be challenging. The ClickUp Strategic Business Roadmap Template makes it easier by giving you a clear plan to follow.

This template is packaged in a folder and split into different lists for each department in your business, like Sales, Product, Marketing, and Enablement. This way, every team can focus on their tasks while collectively contributing to the bigger goal.

There are multiple viewing options available for team members. These include:

• Progress Board: Visualize tasks that are on track, those at risk, and those behind
• Gantt view: Get an overview of project timelines and dependencies
• Team view: See what each team member is working on so you can balance workloads for maximum productivity

While this template may feel overwhelming at first, the getting started guide offers a step-by-step breakdown to help you navigate it with ease. And like all ClickUp templates, you can easily customize it to suit your business needs and preferences.

Microsoft’s 20-page traditional business plan template simplifies the process of drafting comprehensive business plans. It’s made up of different sections, including:

• Executive summary : Highlights, objectives, mission statement, and keys to success
• Description of business: Company ownership and legal structure, hours of operation, products and services, suppliers, financial plans, etc.
• Marketing: Market analysis, market segmentation, competition, and pricing
• Appendix: Start-up expenses, cash flow statements, income statements, sales forecast, milestones, break-even analysis, etc.

The table of contents makes it easy to move to different sections of the document. And the text placeholders under each section provide clarity on the specific details required—making the process easier for users who may not be familiar with certain business terminology.

No business template roundup is complete without an Excel template. This business plan template lets you work on your business financials in Excel. It comes with customizable tables, formulas, and charts to help you look at the following areas:

• Highlight charts
• Market analysis
• Start-up assets and expenses
• Sales forecasts
• Profit and loss
• Balance sheet
• Cash flow projections
• Break-even analysis

This Excel template is especially useful when you want to create a clear and visual financial section for your business plan document—an essential element for attracting investors and lenders. However, there might be a steep learning curve to using this template if you’re not familiar with business financial planning and using Excel.

Try a Free Business Plan Template in ClickUp

Launching and running a successful business requires a well-thought-out and carefully crafted business plan. However, the business planning process doesn’t have to be complicated, boring, or take up too much time. Use any of the above 10 free business plan formats to simplify and speed up the process.

ClickUp templates go beyond offering a solid foundation to build your business plans. They come with extensive project management features to turn your vision into reality. And that’s not all— ClickUp’s template library offers over 1,000 additional templates to help manage various aspects of your business, from decision-making to product development to resource management .

Sign up for ClickUp’s Free Forever Plan today to fast-track your business’s growth! 🏆

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.

Thanks for subscribing to our blog!

Please enter a valid email

• Free training & 24-hour support
• Serious about security & privacy
• 99.99% uptime the last 12 months

10 Powerful Excel Project Management Templates for Tracking Anything

P roject management templates are an essential tool for replicating successful projects. With Microsoft Excel's free templates, you can turn your simple spreadsheets into powerful project management tools.

In this article, you'll find some of the most useful and free Microsoft Excel project management and project tracking templates you'll want to use for your next project.

Microsoft Excel Project Timeline Templates

Let's take a look at the best Microsoft Excel project management templates.

We cover both native and third-party templates here. To find the pre-installed Excel spreadsheet templates, open Excel and search for the respective keyword from the New document screen.

If you're already in Excel, go to File > New to bring up the template search. Check the Managing Microsoft Excel Templates section below for more details.

Excel comes with several timelines and Gantt chart templates provided by Microsoft, but it also integrates templates from Vertex42, one of the most popular third-party resources for spreadsheets.

1. Work Plan Timeline

The Work Plan Timeline template is suitable for a basic project with multiple phases. When you enter your data into the worksheet, the roadmap will update automatically. This template comes pre-installed in Microsoft Excel 2016 and up.

2. Date Tracking Gantt Chart

Gantt charts are a staple in every project manager's toolset. They help you visualize the flow of your tasks and track progress.

With this template, you can create a comprehensive Gantt chart with minimal effort. Just enter each task, complete with a description, who it's assigned to, a percentage to indicate progress, a start date, and allocated days until completion. This template is a Microsoft Excel default.

3. Milestone and Task Project Timeline

If you want to integrate milestones into a basic timeline, this template provided by Vertex42 is ideal. It combines the best elements of a Gantt chart, i.e. the visualization of the task flow, with milestones hovering above the timeline.

Just fill in the respective tables to populate the visual. You can find this template by searching in Excel.

Excel Project Plan Templates

A project plan is a document that may require Excel charts, but is otherwise composed in Microsoft Word. For basic projects, however, you may get away with only a Microsoft Excel document.

4. Simple Gantt Chart

When you search Excel's template repository for project plan templates, you'll mainly find different Gantt chart variations, including this Simple Gantt Chart from Vertex42. What sets it apart from the Gantt chart above is the inclusion of project phases. This template is included in Microsoft Excel.

5. Event Planner Template

A project plan really isn't something you typically put together in Excel. However, if you are planning a small project, like a party, you just need a one-page template that lists the essential tasks and lets you define a schedule and a budget. This template from Office Templates Online is a great start.

Excel Project Tracker Template

A search for a tracker will bring up a wild mix of personal and business-related Excel spreadsheet templates for tracking. However, you can narrow down your search by selecting categories that relate to the project management task you're dealing with.

6. Activity-Based Cost Tracker

This tracking template can help you get an overview of direct, indirect, and general and administrative product costs.

7. Project Tracking Template

This Vertex42 template is essential if you are handling multiple different clients, projects, and/or deliverables. It combines project details, expenses, task statuses, and due dates.

Business Plan Templates

Microsoft Excel 2016 had its own category for business plans. You could search for the keyword business and select the Business Plans category on the right.

In Excel 2019 and onwards, you can perform either query, but the latter misses some templates, while the former might be overwhelming. We recommend looking into the following.

Business Plan Checklist

Creating a business plan can be a complex project in and of itself. This checklist will help you cover all your bases by guiding you through the process using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis.

Note that you'll find two similar templates in Excel, but they're both identical SWOT analysis checklists, differing only in their formatting.

Startup Expenses

This template is a great starting point for a budding business owner who needs some help with projecting the costs of their endeavor. The template will guide you through the most common assets and services your new business might require.

Once you've filled in all the potential expenses, you'll have a much better idea of how much funding you'll need to raise to get your business up and running. For more business plan templates , take a look at our dedicated article.

Search for Online Templates

Couldn't find the exact project management template you need in Excel? Turn to a third-party online resource for a wide selection of Excel spreadsheet templates. We recommend the following sites.

This website has a few great project management templates for Microsoft Office 2003 and up. The site notes that its templates are mostly related to project scheduling. Anything more complicated might require Microsoft Project or other project management software.

On the page dedicated to project management , you'll find a list of useful material, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Project Budgeting
• Critical Path Method

Each page contains a quick rundown of what the template does, one or more templates, and further tips and tricks for the respective project management tool. It's a great resource for budding project managers.

TidyForm has a respectable selection of Microsoft Excel project management templates. The most popular categories are listed on the homepage. If you can't immediately spot what you need, switch to the Business section or try the search feature.

When you scroll to the bottom of a section, you'll see a list of popular categories and related categories. This can be helpful when trying to find just the right template. We recommend the following pages:

• Project Budget
• Project Proposal
• Work Breakdown Structure

Still looking for the perfect template? You might have to create custom Excel templates to get exactly what you want.

Managing Microsoft Excel Templates

First, let's see what templates you already have installed in Microsoft Excel. For the purpose of this demonstration, we've used Excel 2019, but the procedure is similar in Microsoft Office 2013 and Office 2016.

Default Templates

When you start up Microsoft Excel, the first window you see will contain a search field for online templates. When you're starting from an existing workbook, go to File > New to arrive at the same view.

Microsoft Excel comes with a selection of pre-installed templates. They are listed underneath the search field. You can pin your favorite ones by clicking the respective symbol in the bottom right of the listing.

Search Online for More Project Templates (Excel 2016)

Searching for the type of template you need is the fastest way to locate it. For example, if you search for the term "project," you may also see template categories listed next to the templates that match your search. The category feature no longer appears in Excel 2019.

Narrow Down Your Search (Excel 2016)

A neat feature is that you can narrow down your search by selecting multiple categories. This helps you exclude templates that may match your keyword, but not your desired category. On the downside, you may find that the perfect template is not available in Microsoft Excel.

Preview & Create Your Template

When you click a template, you'll see a preview with a brief description of what the template provides. You can also pin the template from its preview; the symbol sits in the top right.

To download and use a template, click the Create button, which will open a new Microsoft Excel workbook with the template pre-filled.

Template Ready, Set, Go

Now that you have all the project management templates you could ever need, maybe you're interested in additional tools, tips, and tricks. For example, you could build a custom interactive Excel dashboard to manage data within your projects. The possibilities are endless.

Free Microsoft Word Project Management Templates: Project Plans, Charters, Schedules & More

By Kate Eby | June 9, 2023

• Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn

Link copied

Project management templates help you organize information, outline essential components, and enhance operations. We’ve gathered the top project management templates in Microsoft Word for project managers, project sponsors, and team members.

Microsoft Word project management templates save project managers time and effort by providing frameworks for project plans, charters, schedules, timelines, and status reports. They provide a reliable blueprint, ensuring that important project elements are included and organized effectively, while also offering customization options for unique project requirements. Additionally, these templates facilitate collaboration and communication with team members and stakeholders, streamlining the project management process and enhancing project efficiency. 

Included on this page, you’ll find an advanced Microsoft Word project plan template , a simple Microsoft Word project charter template , a Microsoft Word project proposal template , a simple Microsoft Word project status report templat e, and more.

Simple Microsoft Word Project Plan Template 

Download the Simple Project Plan Template for Microsoft Word  

Use this simple Microsoft Word project plan template to clearly organize project details, tasks, and timelines. The template streamlines the project-planning process, providing space to clearly define and document important aspects such as tasks, goals, milestones, risks, and resource allocation. This customizable template helps you track overall project progress and facilitates easy collaboration with team members and stakeholders in one shareable, centrally located document. 

To learn more about optimizing your project plans, see this collection of free Microsoft Word project plan templates .

Advanced Microsoft Word Project Plan Template

Download the Advanced Project Plan Template With Example Data for Microsoft Word  Download the Blank Advanced Project Plan Template for Microsoft Word

Exceed project expectations with this advanced Microsoft Word project plan template. The template enables you to detail your project’s scope, deliverables, and work breakdown structure (WBS). Additionally, it facilitates stakeholder analysis by setting a schedule baseline, listing milestones, creating communications and resource-management plans, ensuring quality, managing risks, and more. Use this template for comprehensive project planning, effective communication, and seamless collaboration to increase the likelihood of project success. Download the template with pre-filled example data for additional guidance, or build your project plan from scratch using a blank template.

Simple Microsoft Word Project Charter Template

Download the Simple Project Charter Template for Microsoft Word

A project charter serves as a crucial document that defines your project's objectives, scope, stakeholders, and key constraints. It acts as a foundational document that authorizes the project and provides a roadmap for successful project planning and execution. Use this simple Microsoft Word project charter template to create a concise and comprehensive project charter. The template enables you to provide a clear project overview by outlining the problem or issue that your project aims to address, as well as its purpose, business case, goals, metrics (such as KPIs), expected deliverables, scope, and tentative schedule. Customize the sections with project-specific information to ensure that you address all key project elements, resulting in efficient project initiation and stakeholder alignment. 

For more resources and detailed information, see this useful collection of Microsoft Word project charter templates .

Advanced Microsoft Word Project Charter Template

Download the Advanced Project Charter Template With Example Data for Microsoft Word Download the Blank Advanced Project Charter Template for Microsoft Word  

Optimize your project planning process with this advanced Microsoft Word project charter template. Unlike basic models, this template offers several advantages, including plenty of space to outline project scope, schedule, resources, costs, benefits, customers, risks, constraints, and assumptions. This template is available in both blank and sample-text versions and can be easily edited to fit your project needs, saving valuable time in your project documentation.

Microsoft Word Project Proposal Template

Download the Project Proposal Template for Microsoft Word

For a persuasive and well-organized project proposal, look no further than this Microsoft Word project proposal template. The template simplifies the presentation of project ideas, objectives, phases, deliverables, timeline, budget details, and measurements of success. This dynamic template is a crucial tool for effectively communicating the value of your proposed project to stakeholders or potential clients.

Simple Microsoft Word Project Status Report Template

Download the Simple Project Status Report Template for Microsoft Word

Effectively communicate your project’s status to project stakeholders and team members by using this streamlined Microsoft Word project status report template. This single-page template offers a clear and concise format for summarizing your project, reporting project progress, listing tasks, and highlighting key project risks and issues. With a visually rich timeline and user-friendly design, this template enables efficient updates and customization, ensuring consistent generation and timely sharing of project status reports.

Advanced Microsoft Word Project Status Report Template

Download the Advanced Project Status Report Template for Microsoft Word

Enhance your project reporting with this advanced Microsoft Word project status report template. It provides a comprehensive and visually appealing format to showcase project progress, milestones, and challenges. The template's advanced features, including an interactive project timeline and project report card, enable active stakeholder engagement and effective communication with team members and project sponsors. Additionally, with customizable sections and pre-designed elements, this template saves time and ensures consistency and professionalism in documenting project statuses.

Microsoft Word Gantt Chart Template

Download the Gantt Chart Template for Microsoft Word

Use this Microsoft Word Gantt chart template to visually represent project tasks, timelines, assignees, and progress in a clear, organized manner. This template simplifies project planning and tracking by allowing users to easily input and modify project tasks, durations, and milestones. Using phase-by-phase swimlanes, you and your team can effectively monitor project progress and easily share the Gantt chart with stakeholders.

Download one of these free Gantt chart templates in Microsoft Word to help ensure that your project is on track.

Microsoft Word Project Timeline Planning Template

Download the Project Timeline Planning Template for Microsoft Word

Use this Microsoft Word project timeline planning template to create a time-based framework for visualizing and organizing project tasks, priorities, statuses, and deadlines in chronological order. The template offers easy customization and editing options, enabling users to tailor the timeline to their specific project needs. By utilizing this template, project managers can effectively plan and communicate project schedules, track progress, and ensure timely completion of tasks, facilitating efficient project management.

Try one of these free Microsoft Word project timeline templates to help your project team accomplish tasks, reach key milestones, and complete deliverables.

Microsoft Word Project Scope Template

Download the Project Scope Template for Microsoft Word

Easily capture your project’s scope with this comprehensive Microsoft Word project scope template. The template offers a standardized format for defining and documenting project scope, including objectives, deliverables, tasks, out-of-scope items, assumptions, and constraints. Use this template to promote clarity and consensus among project stakeholders, mitigating the risk of scope creep and misunderstandings. 

For additional tips and resources, including templates available in other formats, see this comprehensive collection of free project scope-of-work templates for Microsoft Word .

Microsoft Word Project Schedule Template

Download the Project Schedule Template for Microsoft Word

Keep your stakeholders informed about your project’s schedule and progress with this Microsoft Word project schedule template. The template provides a structured format for planning, organizing, and tracking project tasks and timelines. It also aids project managers in visualizing task statuses, project dependencies, resource allocation, and effective timeline management. Additionally, users can easily customize the template to fit specific project requirements, resulting in a well-organized and efficient project schedule.

Microsoft Word Project Brief Template

Download the Project Brief Template for Microsoft Word

Use this Microsoft Word project brief template to establish clear project objectives, scope, deliverables, and stakeholders in a standardized layout. The template facilitates concise communication of key project details and helps align stakeholders on project expectations. It also helps teams clarify their project’s purposes, goals, audience, story, team, budget, and timeframe. Finally, this template is fully editable, allowing for easy tailoring to specific project requirements, which saves time and ensures consistency in documenting project briefs.

Microsoft Word Project Approval Form Template

Download the Project Approval Form Template for Microsoft Word

Streamline the approval process for your project proposals with this Microsoft Word project approval form template. It provides a structured format to capture key project information, such as desired outcomes, actions for completion, project benefits, projected schedule, budget, and resource requirements. Utilizing this template ensures the accurate and efficient capture of all necessary information so that project sponsors and other stakeholders are more likely to accept your project proposal.

Microsoft Word Project Initiation Template

Download the Project Initiation Template for Microsoft Word

Ensure clear project direction and alignment among team members and stakeholders with this Microsoft Word project initiation template. To kick-start your project, simply fill in the template’s sections, including Program Objectives, Establish Project Selection Criteria, Measure Project Performance, Enable Project Delivery, Build the Project Management Discipline, and Facilitate Communication . This customizable template allows for easy customization to fit specific project requirements, saving time and effort during the project initiation phase.

Take Hold of Your Project Plans With Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet

From simple task management and project planning to complex resource and portfolio management, Smartsheet helps you improve collaboration and increase work velocity -- empowering you to get more done. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed.

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Discover a better way to streamline workflows and eliminate silos for good.