TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
From the fine minds of those who came before me, for the benefit of those
who'll search the archive after me, a summary of information on Gantt
charts:
Gantt Chart -- a horizontal bar chart that graphically displays
time relationships. In effect, it is a "scale" model of time because the
bars are different lengths depending upon the amount of time they represent.
Gantt charts are the linear representation of a project schedule, usually
laid out on a horizontal plane, that show the time relationships between the
different tasks in a project and tracks the progress of a project from
beginning to end, indicating tasks, task dependencies, status, resources,
milestones, the contributions of all members of a team, etc.
It is named after Henry Laurence Gantt, the American engineer and social
scientist who first developed it. Gantt charts have been around since the
early 1900s and are frequently used in business to plan and manage large
projects. From http://www.eob.org/gantt.htm
Small colleges like Stephen F. Austin University, Texas Agricultural,
University of North Dakota give excellent information about Gantt charts.
The information is detailed and introductory because it's written for
college students. These are also great resources for RFP outlines, workflow
diagrams, etc. If you do a web search, type in "Gantt chart."
Another suggested reference--the college textbook: "Systems Analysis and
Design," by Shih Yen Wu and Margaret S. Wu
MS Project was the leading name mentioned in creating Gantt charts, creating
the chart from project schedule text information.
Thanks to everyone who replied, and those who sent pictures. Now that I
know about the power of Gantt charts, I think they're really nifty; can't
wait to start making them. The only problem is I keep spelling it
Gnatt--pesky.
Cheers,
Mandy
