For more than a century, the humble Gantt chart has been a staple of project management. Its appeal is simple: a clear, time-based view of tasks, dependencies and milestones. Yet in today’s data-rich, fast-moving project environment, project managers have an unprecedented array of visualisation tools at their fingertips.
Understanding how to combine Gantt charts with other visual techniques is now a must-have skill for anyone serious about delivering projects efficiently and effectively.
Why Gantt Charts Still Matter
Gantt charts remain the go-to visual for understanding “what happens when.” They let teams:
- Visualise project timelines: see the duration of each task and how they fit together.
- Spot dependencies: know which tasks must finish before others begin.
- Track progress: compare actual performance against the plan.
- Allocate resources: quickly identify who’s doing what and when.
Modern Gantt chart tools have evolved far beyond static bars on a page. Cloud-based platforms now offer real-time collaboration, automatic dependency management, and integration with resource, risk and cost data. This means your Gantt chart can become the living heartbeat of your project rather than a static snapshot.
Expanding the Visual Toolkit
While Gantt charts excel at showing time and sequencing, other visualisation methods can reveal different dimensions of your project. Combining them gives a fuller picture and drives better decisions:
- Kanban boards (like Trello or Jira): Great for visualising work in progress, especially in Agile or hybrid environments.
- Network diagrams: Ideal for seeing critical paths and complex dependencies at a glance.
- Dashboards: Aggregate key metrics – budget, schedule performance, risk status—into one page for executives.
- Heatmaps: Show resource loading, risk concentration or issue severity across the project.
- Milestone trend charts: Track how key dates are moving over time to spot early warning signs.
These tools don’t replace the Gantt chart – they complement it. A well-run project might use a Gantt for long-term planning, a Kanban board for day-to-day task management, and a dashboard to keep stakeholders aligned.
Best Practices for Modern Visualisation
Whether you’re using a Gantt chart or another visual tool, a few principles will help you get the most value:
- Start with a clear work breakdown structure (WBS): Break work into manageable pieces before you visualise it.
- Identify the critical path and dependencies: These drive your timeline and should be visible in your visuals.
- Tailor views to your audience: Executives may want a milestone dashboard; team members may need a detailed two-week lookahead.
- Keep visuals live and current: Out-of-date charts are worse than no charts at all. Update regularly and share through collaborative platforms rather than static PDFs.
Advanced Tips for Experienced Managers
Once you’re comfortable with the basics, you can take visualisation to the next level:
- Use conditional formatting and colour-coding to flag risks, late tasks or overloaded resources.
- Create multiple Gantt views—by phase, by contractor, or by workstream – to provide tailored perspectives.
- Integrate your Gantt chart with risk or cost tools to see the knock-on effects of changes.
- Experiment with baseline planning, earned value and resource leveling features built into modern tools.
Leading Tools in the Market
Many SaaS platforms now combine Gantt charts with other visualisation modes, AI and automation. A few to explore:
- Smartsheet – AI-driven task suggestions and predictive analytics.
- Asana & Monday.com – Blend Gantt-style timelines with boards and dashboards.
- GanttPRO – A dedicated Gantt tool with resource and dependency tracking.
- Microsoft Project – A classic with deep integration into Microsoft 365.
- Zoho Projects & Workfront – Comprehensive suites with multiple visualisation modes and integrations.
When choosing a tool, consider your project’s size and complexity, your team’s collaboration needs, your existing software ecosystem, and of course your budget.
The Bottom Line
Gantt charts are far from obsolete. They’re still the foundation of effective time-based planning—but today’s project managers can go much further. By combining Gantt charts with dashboards, Kanban boards, network diagrams and other visuals, you can create a richer, more dynamic picture of your project’s health. This not only improves communication but also gives you the early warnings and insights you need to deliver on time and on budget.
Master the fundamentals of Gantt charts. Add complementary visual tools. And you’ll transform your schedule from a static chart into a strategic asset that drives project success.
