Question

Create an Gantt chart in Excel - that's how it works

Answer 1

How can I make a Gantt chart in Excel?
1st step:
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3rd step:
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Would you like to create a Gantt chart in Excel? We'll show you step by step how to do it..

A Gantt chart is ultimately a project management plan. Time segments are drawn in as bars that show how long a phase can last. Individual phase sections can also be divided. In this way, the duration and the course of a project can be visualized very easily. We will show you how to create such a diagram using tables in Microsoft Excel.

How can I make a Gantt chart in Excel?

1st step:

Create a small Excel table in which you enter the following data sorted: Project section and the date on which it begins . In addition, you should now enter the duration and also the respective end dates . Note: The indication of the duration is not absolutely necessary for the creation of the Gantt chart, but it helps to maintain the clarity.

2nd step:

Now enter the date for the very first day of the project in the cell to the right of the heading for your end dates .

3rd step:

Now click with the right mouse button on the cell in which you have just entered the start date. Here select " Format cells ... ".

4th step:

Now you should adjust the date formatting. In the formatting window, select the " Numbers " tab and click on " Date " in the bar on the left . Here you select the format " DD.-MMM. " - that is, the current date as a number and the month as an abbreviation of three letters. Then click on " OK ".

5th step:

Now that you have adjusted the date formatting, you still have to change the text alignment. To do this, with the cell marked, click on the alignment button in the start tab and select " Rotate text upwards ".

6th step:

Now drag the little green square in the cell to the right. This is how you add more days to this row in the table. Drag in as many more day labels as you need for your project. Tip: Excel shows you per cell which date it will contain.

7th step:

Now adjust the column width by hand. To do this on the top bar of the Excel spreadsheet (where the column names are given as letters) the small limit mark with the left mouse button to move to the left . In the example here we have chosen a width of 2.00. Adjust the column width for all columns with the dates.

8th step:

If you've successfully adjusted the column width, your table should look something like the one shown here. Now mark all the small squares - that is, all cells that are assigned to a project section on the left and a date on the top.

9th step:

Now click on " Conditional Formatting " in the start tab . Select " New rule ... " here.

10th step:

Now edit the formatting rule in a new window. Select the option " Use formula to determine the cells to be formatted ". Under " Edit rule description: " you now have to enter a formula for formatting in the section " Format values ​​for which this formula is true: ". This formula is structured as follows: First enter " = AND ( ". Then click the first cell in the date line . In this example, it is cell E3. Then enter " > = " and click on the specified start date of this project section on the left (here in cell B4). Type a semicolon and then click again on the first date cell (here E3). Now enter " <= " and click on the cell with the end date for the first project section. Then close the clamp. Important: Now you need to remove some of the dollar signs that Excel automatically inserted . Remove the first dollar sign, as well as the fourth, fifth and eighth. Your formula should now resemble the formula shown here. In order to adapt the formatting (with which your bars are colored), you now have to click on " Click Format ... ".

11th step:

Click here on the " Complete " tab . Now you can select the color in which the bars of your Gantt chart will later be displayed. It is best to use a color that is as strong as possible so that it can be easily distinguished from the white background of the Excel table. Confirm your selection with a click on " OK ".

12th step:

Now when you've completed all of the steps, Excel should present you with a finished Gantt chart. This gives you an optimal overview of your project flow.

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