ECE 480 Gantt Charts Revisited

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ECE 480Gantt Charts Revisited
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Keys to Successful Gantt Charts

• USE the default, finish-to-start, constraints
  obtained by specifying predecessors, unless you
  KNOW you need to do something else!!!
• DONT put REPORTING tasks in the dependency
  chain, unless they are REALLY in the chain
• If boss stops work unless approves report
• If delaying report submission delays the
  completion of the project!

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Keys, cont.

• Dont block your critical path by making the last
  task scheduled be independent of other tasks
  you get NOTHING. Last task determines end of
  critical path, which works backwards from there.
• TEST your critical path EVERY task that must be
  accomplished to avoid delaying successful project
  completion should appear in a dependency chain
  that leads to final demo of your project. Thats
  NOT interim reports and presentations! You can
  ALWAYS report progress e.g., There was none.
  Thats a progress report.

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Keys, cont.

• Use Tracking Gantt mode to see critical path
  and task completion/partial completion
• Track (record) completion of tasks regularly,
  show your facilitator
• Make sure your (operating) plan shows completion
  by the due date (last Thursday of semester, or
  earlier)