There are a lot of software program options to make a Gantt chart, from easy information visualization instruments to specialised Gantt chart software program outfitted with superior venture planning, scheduling and monitoring instruments.
Every of those options has distinctive execs and cons relying on the business, enterprise dimension and the extent of performance anticipated from a Gantt chart software, which is why it’s essential to know Gantt chart software program to know which Gantt chart options are essentially the most helpful for the venture and its workforce.
On this weblog, we’ll go over the principle execs and cons of constructing a Confluence Gantt chart, in addition to some options that can be utilized. We just lately reviewed one of the best Gantt chart software program options and highlighted their key options, pricing and different essential particulars to think about when selecting a software for a venture workforce.
What Is Confluence?
Confluence is a workforce collaboration and productiveness software that enables distant workforce members to work collectively on-line. For instance, customers could make, retailer and handle paperwork on-line in actual time, set up a communication channel for sharing bulletins and paperwork on the enterprise and workforce ranges and brainstorm utilizing whiteboards, posts, information visualization instruments and messaging options.
Does Confluence Have a Gantt Chart?
Confluence will get groups collectively to allow them to work extra productively. Does it use a Gantt chart? Gantt charts are important venture administration instruments that schedule work and share that work with the entire workforce. Managers can monitor their progress in addition to get an outline of your entire venture on a timeline.
That seems like productiveness software. However a Gantt chart is greater than that. It’s a sophisticated scheduling function that hyperlinks dependencies that may delay progress and result in price overruns that threaten the finances. Many can do extra, comparable to filtering for the important path, which identifies these duties that have to be accomplished to ship a profitable venture.
A Confluence Gantt chart would do loads for groups collaborating on venture work, assigning them duties and giving managers transparency into their work. Appears like an essential software that Confluence ought to have. However does it?
Brief Reply: No, Confluence Doesn’t Have a Gantt Chart
No, Confluence doesn’t have a built-in Gantt chart function. It has a timeline software that appears like a Gantt chart at first look as a result of it makes use of a bar chart to map duties on a timeline. Nevertheless, on nearer inspection it’s clear it’s not a Gantt chart. First, it lacks a desk, spreadsheet or grid to indicate venture process particulars as each Gantt chart does. On high of that, it lacks fundamental Gantt chart features, comparable to visualizing process progress, figuring out important path actions or mapping process dependencies.
Lengthy Reply: Confluence’s Gantt Chart Alternate options Lack Key Challenge Administration Options
Confluence has a timeline software, which is form of like a workaround for a Gantt chart. It’s a bar chart, however a Gantt chart isn’t just a easy bar chart. Gantt charts are made up of two distinct halves. We talked about the visible timeline, however there’s additionally a spreadsheet the place begin and finish dates, length and should extra are collected. That information mechanically populates the timeline. Confluence doesn’t have this desk.
It can not additionally visualize complicated process dependencies, detailed process progress monitoring, important path identification and strong options for managing giant venture complexities. It’s a timeline, sure, however a far cry from a totally practical Gantt chart. To entry extra highly effective Gantt chart performance, customers want to put in third-party plugins or combine with devoted venture administration instruments.
ProjectManager, an award-winning venture and portfolio administration software program, has a strong Gantt chart software for managing tasks that makes interactive venture schedules, balances workforce member’s workload, tracks process progress and prices, hyperlinks 4 kinds of process dependencies and identifies the important path of your tasks. These and different options make ProjectManager’s Gantt chart an excellent answer for managing tasks throughout industries. Get began with ProjectManager free of charge at this time.
How one can Make a Confluence Gantt Chart Higher With ProjectManager
When you’re caught utilizing Confluence however wish to expertise the total capabilities of what a Gantt chart can do, there’s a useful workaround. It can save you your Confluence venture as an Excel or CSV file. From there, you’ll be able to import that information into ProjectManager and use the Gantt chart the best way it needs to be used. First, make sure that to start out a free 30-day trial.
1. Export & Import Your Confluence Challenge
Select the Confluence venture that you just wish to export and reserve it as a CSV or Excel file. From there, it’s able to import. When you begin your ProjectManager trial, navigate to the Gantt chart view and click on the import button. Click on “Choose File” and discover the venture you wish to import.
2. Choose Choices
At this level, determine if you wish to add the Confluence information to a brand new or current venture. When you’re including the info to an current venture, determine whether or not you wish to hold the present information or delete it.
3. Select What Knowledge to Import
You may both import all information out of your Confluence file or solely the duty record. Choose which information you wish to import and click on subsequent.
4. Success!
Once you see the “Success!” window pop up, you’re completed. The Confluence file has been imported and also you’re now prepared to make use of a fully-fledged Gantt chart in ProjectManager.
How one can Create a Gantt Chart in Confluence
Whereas Confluence doesn’t have a Gantt chart, there are two various options or workarounds to make a Gantt chart utilizing Confluence. One is embedding a Gantt chart from Jira. The second is getting a Gantt chart app from the Confluence app market.
Technique 1: Jira, a venture administration software that’s additionally made by Atlassian, makes it simple to make use of with Confluence. Jira has two instruments that may make a Gantt chart: timelines and plans.
Import the Jira Gantt chart into Confluence to share it with workforce members. The principle benefit of this technique is that Jira timelines could be embedded in a Confluence workspace.
Technique 2: There are numerous free and paid Confluence market apps and integrations to make a fundamental Gantt chart. Every has its execs and cons, however usually, the principle benefit of those apps is that they’re easy to make use of and are particularly designed for making Gantt charts, not like Confluence or Jira.
Nevertheless, none of those strategies will make a fully-fledged Gantt chart, which leaves many customers searching for another for making a Confluence Gantt chart. Discover out why by making a Gantt chart in ProjectManager. Higher perceive what an actual Gantt chart can do when seamlessly built-in with important venture administration instruments.
How one can Make a Gantt Chart With ProjectManager
ProjectManager’s Gantt chart affords superior venture administration options, however it’s nonetheless an easy-to-use software due to its intuitive person interface. It’s an excellent answer for each starting and skilled venture administration software program customers. That’s as a result of it’s a flexible software for managing tasks: planning, scheduling and monitoring duties, workflows or enterprise processes, all in actual time.
Get began by taking ProjectManager’s 30-day free trial. Then observe these steps to make a Gantt chart.
1. Make a New Challenge
Click on the New icon after which choose Challenge. A window will pop up.
Choose whether or not to make a Gantt chart from scratch by itemizing venture duties and coming into their particulars manually or by importing an Excel, CSV or Microsoft Challenge file to make use of its information to populate the Gantt chart.
2. Select the Gantt Chart View and Enter Challenge Knowledge
Choose the Gantt chart by clicking the icon proven within the picture beneath. On the left aspect, there’s a grid or spreadsheet with columns to enter particulars about venture duties, comparable to process names, estimated length, due dates, assignee, prices and rather more.
The data entered in these columns will mechanically populate the visible timeline on the fitting aspect. This Gantt chart timeline will present such particulars as who’s accountable for every process, its proportion of completion, venture milestones and process dependencies. As well as, it would spotlight the important path for the venture schedule.
3. Assign Duties to Group Members and Collaborate On-line
As soon as the venture duties have been mapped on the Gantt chart, they are often assigned to workforce members. As well as, ProjectManager has timesheets, workload administration charts and different time administration options to assist monitor the work hours of every workforce member, their labor prices and present availability.
ProjectManager has limitless file storage to carry all venture documentation, which could be shared with the venture workforce. To additional collaboration, kanban boards can share messages and recordsdata in actual time on the process stage. Groups are at all times updated on adjustments and updates with electronic mail notifications and in-app alerts.
4. Monitor Challenge Progress, Schedule, Sources & Prices
Actual-time dashboards mechanically accumulate dwell information from the Gantt chart and show venture metrics, comparable to time, price, workload and extra, in easy-to-read graphs and charts for a high-level overview of progress. Customizable reviews get extra detailed info on venture and portfolio standing, workload, timesheets, variance and extra.
Useful resource administration instruments, such because the color-coded workload chart and workforce web page present useful resource allocation and might stability workload to maintain groups working at capability and improve productiveness.
Prime 3 Confluence Gantt Chart Integrations, Key Options, Costs and Rankings
Whereas not as strong as ProjectManager, there are Confluence Gant chart integrations. Right here’s a fast overview of the highest three Confluence Gantt chart integrations and their present worth and scores within the Confluence apps market.
1. Smartsheet for Confluence
This integration permits customers to entry a few of Smartsheet’s venture administration instruments within the Confluence workspace, comparable to Gantt charts, worksheets, dashboards and calendars.
Value: $12 per thirty days
Free Trial: 30-day free trial
Score/Person Evaluations: 4/4
2. Desk Filter, Charts & Spreadsheets for Confluence by Stiltsoft Europe OÜ
This app affords fundamental information visualization instruments that flip Confluence tables into Gantt charts. By itemizing duties, their begin and end dates, this Confluence Gantt chart integration will mechanically make a Gantt chart based mostly on that info.
Value: $27 per thirty days
Free Trial: 30-day free trial
Score/Person Evaluations: 3.9/4
3. Mermaid Charts & Diagrams for Confluence by weweave UG
Mermaid Charts & Diagrams make numerous diagrams, together with Gantt charts, to visualise the info from the Confluence pages.
Value: $9.20 per thirty days
Free Trial: 30-day free trial
Score/Person Evaluations: 3.7/4
Free Gantt Chart Template for Excel
This free Gantt chart template for Excel is a good various to the Confluence Gantt chart apps described above. It mechanically generates a Gantt chart for tasks based mostly on an inventory of duties, their due dates and estimated length. Merely fill out the columns after which customise the Gantt chart as wanted.
Nevertheless, for one of the best Gantt chart expertise for venture managers and their groups, use ProjectManager.
Why ProjectManager Is the Finest Confluence Gantt Chart Different
We’ve already talked about some benefits of utilizing ProjectManager’s Gantt chart. Nevertheless, ProjectManager affords many different venture administration instruments and options apart from Gantt charts. Listed here are some principal causes that make ProjectManager one of the best Confluence Gantt chart various.
A number of Challenge Administration Instruments
Gantt charts are solely certainly one of a number of venture views, all up to date concurrently so everyone seems to be at all times engaged on essentially the most present venture information. There may be the visible workflow of kanban boards, venture calendars, process lists and a sheet view, which is sort of a Gantt chart with out the timeline. Managers, groups and stakeholders can select the software that finest serves their wants. For instance, kanban boards give a extra detailed view of every of the duties within the Gantt chart. Customers can edit process particulars and collaborate with the workforce as properly. Any adjustments made in any of the venture instruments are mirrored throughout all views.
On-line Group Collaboration Options
Like Confluence, ProjectManager has workforce collaboration options; There’s doc administration with limitless file storage, which permits workforce members to entry recordsdata wherever and at any time. There are additionally built-in messaging and file sharing options, electronic mail notifications to remain up to date on adjustments and the venture workforce can tag each other. Group administration options embrace dashboards, workload charts and the workforce web page to observe the exercise of all workforce members and monitor their progress, workload and labor prices on safe timesheets.
Superior Gantt Chart Software program Options
ProjectManager Gantt charts give customers superior options that almost all Gantt chart instruments lack, comparable to figuring out the important path, linking all 4 kinds of process dependencies to keep away from pricey delays, work breakdown construction hierarchy ranges, evaluating price estimates vs. precise venture prices and extra.
Disadvantages of Making a Confluence Gantt Chart Utilizing Jira
As we’ve hinted at, the principle drawback of utilizing Jira to make a Gantt chart that may be shared in a Confluence workspace is that it merely doesn’t have a Gantt chart software. As an alternative, it has a process record and a timeline view, which can be utilized to make the 2 principal parts of a Gantt chart, a desk or grid with venture duties and a stacked bar chart that works as a venture timeline.
Moreover, these instruments have some Gantt chart options comparable to fundamental process dependency mapping and progress monitoring. Nevertheless, these instruments are designed to make a product roadmap for software program improvement groups, in order that they’re not one of the best various for these searching for a Gantt chart software for process or venture administration.
On high of those drawbacks, getting access to Jira’s timeline and plans requires a month-to-month price of $12.50 per person.
Disadvantages of Making a Gantt Chart Utilizing Confluence Market Apps
Whereas Confluence is a good software for managing venture paperwork and streamlining your workforce communication, it’s not Gantt chart software program. To make issues worse, its integrations are very restricted when it comes to venture administration performance.
Sadly, most Confluence Gantt chart integrations solely visualize information in a Gantt chart format. They lack superior options comparable to useful resource allocation, price monitoring, schedule baselining, important path administration and lots of extra.
Most of those apps aren’t free. Meaning paying for a number of Confluence integrations to get the identical performance {that a} single Gantt chart software program like ProjectManager can present.
However these strategies can’t compete with the venture administration performance offered by software program outfitted with totally featured Gantt charts, comparable to ProjectManager. On high of that, ProjectManager integrates with Jira, which permits information to circulate between ProjectManager, Jira and Confluence.
Associated Gantt Chart Content material
We’ve reviewed one of the best Gantt chart software program options to assist perceive what are the important thing options to think about when selecting a software for the venture workforce. Listed here are a few of them.
ProjectManager is on-line venture and portfolio administration software program that connects groups within the workplace, out within the subject and wherever in between. They’ll share recordsdata, remark on the process stage and keep up to date with electronic mail and in-app notifications. Be part of groups at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software to ship profitable tasks. Get began with ProjectManager at this time free of charge.
