Like many prior posts have said, working backwards is an extremely useful strategy to help set deadlines and time lines. In addition to working backwards, one must identify their critical path as well as defining the deadlines for those major tasks that make up the critical path. Setting deadlines, will then allow you to identify the timeline each task will have to complete their work. However, one factor that has not been mentioned yet that must be taken into account while making a gantt chart are weekends and holidays. Deadlines and work days should not be scheduled on weekends and holidays of employees have off those days, therefore they can not be factored into the timeline for a task. As for my thought process when making a gantt chart, I try to think about everything I mentioned above as well as communicating with my team members to get an idea of their capabilities compared to my initial time line. Communicating with the people who will actually be doing the work is important as a project leader and will help create a more reasonable gantt chart. 

When constructing  a gantt chart the easiest way for me personally is to first just make a list of every task and the amount of time it will take. Then add to this list important personnel and or resources that are required to do the task. Once you have these key things you can decide on the order of tasks and which tasks cannot be completed at the same time due to requiring outputs of the other task or requiring personnel or resources.

As mentioned by some of my peers, my exposure to Gantt charts was primarily with Capstone 1 and 2. In creating ours, my team and I split up the tasks into different sections: research, acquiring material, designing/prototyping, testing/finalizing design, and finally optimization. As others have mentioned, it was easier to start with the final deadline for the whole project and work backwards to assign deadlines to the other tasks. We also took care to assign which tasks had precedents and it helped us realize which tasks were very important in completing and which had more slack. This was useful when one thing would go wrong, and we had to choose what we would put on the back burner to figure out the main problem. To do this, we used MS Project. A feature that I enjoyed using was the percentage completion. When a project is long and feels like it is never going to finish, it was motivating to see the percent completion for each milestone.

I think that an important thing to consider when creating the project Gantt chart is to not divide your tasks into too many subtasks, especially for a project spanning a long period of time. Doing this can lead to a lot of micromanagement, since it doesn't allow for much flexibility in what activities need to get done in order to achieve the desired goal. Plus, it simply takes a long time for the project manager to create all the different subtasks and their dependencies in the software, and this level of detail can be difficult to visually interpret. Thinking about the step-by-step subtasks that need to be completed can be useful when determining due dates, but for the actual Gantt chart that the team members will be following, it should be kept more high-level to allow for flexibility in day-to-day workloads.

For my senior capstone, we utilized Microsoft Project Professional to make a Gantt chart to depict the timeline of our project. I believe the way a team should organize tasks in a Gantt chart should be what makes sense for them and their project. In our class, some groups organized their Gantt chart based on the semesters the class would be taking place during: the first semester dedicated for planning and the second semester for building the device. Our group, however, felt that it would be more beneficial for us to divide the tasks necessary for the project into 5 main groups: Preliminary Research and Housekeeping items, Research (materials, parts), Design (preliminary designs, CAD renderings), Procurement, Assembly, and Testing. Under these groups we had specific tasks, some of which also had sub-tasks, and based our 2 semester timeline around these task groups. This method of scheduling made most sense for our group and also allowed us to know exactly which goals and tasks that needed to be accomplished. It also allowed us to see the importance of certain tasks based on how their time of completion impacted the time of completion for subsequent task. Overall, I think Gantt charts are a helpful tool especially in project planning. 

I believe the best software to use for the Gantt chart would be Microsoft Project, although I believe unlike word or PowerPoint, you need specialized authority/ account to access it, so that would be the only downside. Other than that, I would say that is the most effective software out there for this issue. As for the first question, form when I worked on my capstone project, the utilization of the Gantt chart was very iterative. Every week we would add onto the chart a prospective time for our current task to finish, and depending on how we progress throughout the current week, we can either push that date back or bring it forward. As for how ot assign roles, I think that is something you need to hash out with your group together. Ideally, you would assign the roles in the beginning stages of the project so everyone in your team knows to a certain degree what they are responsible for (clinical trial setup, pre-clinical research, FDA approvals paperwork, i.e.) so when the time comes to put it into the chart, you have to have a sit down with the team. 

You must be familiar with every procedure involved in order to create a Gantt chart. As a result, you will need to create a flowchart to walk through each step necessary to ensure that the project is finished. After completing these fundamental procedures, you must determine how long each task will take and what resources are required to perform it. Every good gantt chart includes the following basic parts: timeline, list of tasks, milestones, progress, and dependencies. 

Gantt charts are used in project management to plan and schedule projects. A gantt chart is very helpful because it enables you to break down complicated projects into an understandable plan and monitor the status of tasks as work is done. Gantt charts also assist you in keeping track of project milestones, deadlines, and hours spent so you can identify delays or overages and take appropriate action before they negatively impact your project.

Many of y'all point valid discussions about Gantt charts. In my experience both within Capstone and a company environment is to understand that the chart is not a schedule in the way one dominos. Weird way to say this but, one action or event doesn't activate another at the start or end, but sometimes in the middle. Furthermore a theme I've seen is to start backwards to create a Gantt Chart. It works when you have the general idea of the steps in your head but not sure how to lay them out, but sometimes what I've found easier is to form blocks of processes or procedures which ultimately spit out a common goal. A really short not exact, example of this could be your daily life. There are activities which you do during your morning routine that all contribute to the end goal of getting you ready for the day. Instead of starting to plan from night, plan in themes and build blocks within those themes to define certain tasks or adaptability/options from other assignments. Take it an actual application, in a company I saw it as part development per subsection of a product line. 

To guarantee an efficient project management procedure, a number of elements should be taken into account when arranging tasks and generating a Gantt chart. As most have indicated, timeliness is a key consideration. Another crucial piece of information that has an impact on the gantt chart is the Task Breakdown, which refers to the division of the project into smaller, more manageable jobs. When creating a gantt chart, it's crucial to ascertain which actions can be completed jointly and which must be completed in a sequential manner. Some useful applications for workflow organization may include Wrike, Smartsheet, and Microsoft Project.

Hello,

Creating a Gantt chart is an important step in project management. When organizing tasks, start by identifying the project's major milestones and breaking them down into smaller, more manageable tasks. Consider task dependencies, noting which tasks must be completed before others can begin. This helps in establishing a logical sequence of activities. Assign realistic timeframes to each task, keeping in mind factors such as resource availability, team capacity, and any potential risks or uncertainties. It's essential to strike a balance between setting challenging deadlines and ensuring feasibility. Additionally, think about task relationships – some tasks can happen concurrently, saving time and optimizing efficiency. Popular project management tools like Microsoft Project, Asana, or Trello offer Gantt chart functionalities. Microsoft Excel can also be used for a more straightforward approach. The software should allow for easy task tracking, collaboration, and real-time updates to accommodate any changes or adjustments in the project plan.

When creating a Gantt chart, consider task dependencies, resource allocation, and milestones to ensure a realistic and efficient timeline. Organize tasks by breaking them into manageable components and identifying critical paths. For workflow organization, software like Microsoft Project, Asana, or Trello can be effective, depending on the project's complexity and team preferences.

There are numerous kinds of softwares out there. I think it would be helpful to allow all key members to have access to it, so they can update it. That way, you are able to relieve some work from the Project Managers. I think smart sheets might be a tool that you might like, as well. 

When creating a Gantt chart for project management, start by defining the project scope and objectives to identify all necessary tasks. Break the project into smaller tasks, and establish their sequence and dependencies, recognizing which tasks are sequential and which can occur in parallel. Assign realistic durations to each task, considering the resources and complexity involved, and allocate the necessary personnel, equipment, and materials. Set key milestones to monitor progress and include buffer time to manage risks and potential delays. Regular review and adjustments are crucial as the project evolves. In terms of software, the choice depends on the project's complexity and team size. As far as software, Microsoft Project is ideal for complex projects, while Trello and Asana suit simpler tasks with a focus on user-friendliness.