7 Project Management Charts You Need To Know: A Comprehensive Guide

Project management charts are a project manager's best friend. They show you how your project is progressing and give you an idea of what needs to be done next in order for the project to meet its goals.

In this blog post, we will go over project management charts in detail: what they are, when to use them and how they can help your project succeed!

Project Management chart:

A project management chart is a way to visualize the data related to your project.

It breaks down project activities into manageable chunks of work, facilitating collaboration and providing team members with easy access to project information.

The most distinctive feature of project management charts is that they aid in the comprehension of complicated project data.

Need for a Project Management Chart:

1) Visual project management:

Project management charts are a great way to visualize the project's progress.

Project managers use project management charts in order to make key decisions about their project, or when resolving potential bottlenecks.

2) Communication tool :

Project management charts can be used as a communication tool between team members and stakeholders.

By providing all relevant project information in an easily understandable manner, project management charts help to reduce misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

3) Aid in project planning:

Project management charts are also very useful when it comes to project planning.

They help project managers to break down complex tasks into manageable activities, and can be used as a basis for creating project timelines and Gantt charts.

4) Monitor project progress:

Project management charts can also be used to monitor project progress.

This is done by tracking the completion of tasks and ensuring that all project deadlines are met.

5) Improve project decision-making :

Project management charts can also be used to improve project decisions.

They facilitate the process of identifying bottlenecks and making better project plans, which is especially useful for complex projects that require tight deadlines.

6) Maintain project control

Lastly, project management charts can be used to maintain project control.

This is done by tracking the project's progress and ensuring that all team members are working towards the same goal.

When Should you use a project management software ?

• When you have project data that is too complicated to understand when looking at it in table form:

Project management charts are an excellent method to visualize project development.

They aid project managers in making important decisions about their projects, such as when to stop or change a project.

• When you need to project project development in a visual manner:

Project management charts are also useful when project managers need to present their projects.

This is because project management charts can be used as an excellent means of communication with stakeholders and other key players involved in the project.

• When project data is constantly changing:

Project management charts come in particularly handy when project data changes frequently.

This is because project management charts can be updated easily, allowing project managers to keep track of the latest information at all times.

• When project team members are not located in the same place:

If your project team is spread out across different locations, then project management charts can be a useful way to communicate with them.

This is done by sending project updates and other relevant information in an easily understandable format.

Types of project management charts:

There are several different types of project management charts that can be used to represent data related to a project. Some of them are as follows:

1) Gantt Chart:

The Gantt project management chart is one of the most popular project management charts.

It depicts project timelines and helps project managers to track task progress over time.

Gantt Charts can be used as a basis for creating project schedules, which are an integral part of every project plan.

A Gantt chart is a simplified form of the bar chart that's easy to comprehend. On the vertical axis, a Gantt chart shows project tasks, while the horizontal axis depicts time in days or weeks.

Gantt charts help you streamline the information required for your project in one spot, allowing you to increase the productivity of your staff.

2) Flowchart:

A project flowchart is a diagram that shows project tasks and how they are related to each other.

It can be used as an effective project management chart, since it displays the workflow of project activities in one simple image.

A Flowchart helps you visualize your projects by organizing information into stages, so everyone involved in the project knows where they stand at all times.

This also makes it easier for them to spot any bottlenecks or issues with their work.

The main purpose of using a project flowchart is to streamline processes while ensuring compliance with company policies and industry regulations.

Flowcharts are a fantastic tool for documenting the logic your projects will employ and offering it to other people who might be members of your team, clients, stakeholders, and so on.

A flowchart outlines the project's goals and shows what will happen in each stage of the project's life cycle.

3) PERT Chart:

PERT project management charts are a specific type of project network diagram, which is an excellent way to visualize project tasks and project risks.

A PERT chart can be used as a basis for creating project schedules that help you identify the best possible solution while ensuring compliance with organizational deadlines.

In order to create a PERT Chart, you'll need three things: A list of your project's tasks (with estimated durations), task dependencies between each other, and expected completion dates for all project activities .

The result is an easy-to-follow flowchart that shows how different parts of the project depend on one another in terms of time or resources required.

This makes it easier to spot any bottlenecks or potential project delays.

A PERT Chart can also be helpful in detecting project problems early on so they can be dealt with swiftly.

4) Pareto Chart:

A Pareto chart is a form of bar graph and line graph combined. You may use this chart to highlight certain aspects of your project.

Pareto charts are typically employed to diagnose problems and difficulties in a project.

The problem-solving method is a type of positive thinking that focuses on preventing errors rather than changing things after they have occurred.

It allows you to pinpoint the most typical causes for issues, allowing you to take appropriate actions to fix them.

Pareto charts, like other project management tools, can be used to track progress and identify the most prevalent issues.

For project managers, they might assist in identifying the most prevalent problems so that they may take action to address them.

5) Bar Chart:

A project bar chart is a graphical representation of the resources required to complete project tasks.

It's also known as a resource allocation chart and it can be used as an effective project management tool to help identify potential problems with task dependencies or resource shortages.

The main advantage of using a project bar chart is that it allows you to see at-a-glance which tasks are consuming the most resources, so you can make better decisions about how to allocate your team's time and effort.

You can also use this information to renegotiate deadlines with clients or stakeholders if necessary.

Bar charts are easy for everyone involved in the project to understand and they offer a high-level overview of all project activities .

Bar charts are often used in project management since they are simple, versatile, and easy to comprehend.

Bar graphs are employed in project management to visualize a wide range of data, including the billable and non-billable working hours, as well as the number of completed and pending tasks.

A bar chart is a graphical representation of data in which the vertical and horizontal axes represent two different categories.

Although the bars on a horizontal bar chart may be plotted both horizontally and vertically, the horizontal bar charts are significantly more popular.

6) Pie Chart:

A project pie chart is a circular graph that illustrates how different project resources contribute to the overall project.

Pie charts are often used for project planning and tracking, as they provide an effective way to display project progress in relation to planned activities .

For example, we can use this type of project management tool if we want show our team members' percentage contribution towards completing their tasks on time (or within budget).

A pie chart will allow you to visually illustrate each person's share in your project success.

The main purpose of using a pie chart is to illustrate the numeric proportions of different categories that form a collective whole. This type of chart is among the most basic data visualization tools that you can use for managing projects for all levels of complexities.

Pie charts, on the other hand, appear to be ideal for any scenario. There is, however, one limitation that restricts their use.

When there are too many categories, the pie chart becomes congested, and it's impossible to grasp the ratios just based on appearance.

7) Burn Up Chart:

A project burn up chart is also known as a cumulative flow diagram. This project management tool allows you to monitor project progress by making it easy for managers and team members to identify potential issues before they escalate .

The main purpose of using this type of project planning software is to track work items throughout the development process, including their start date, end date, percentage complete , etc.

This project management spreadsheet allows you to track the amount of time you've invested in each activity or task over time.

You may use your produced burn-up charts on a regular basis, both at the milestone level and within individual tasks, so you can quickly see which areas need extra focus and resources and where delays might be anticipated with.

You may use a burn-down chart to see the entire quantity of work and completed work in one view.

The vertical axis of the graph typically depicts the number of tasks or amount of labor, while the horizontal axis depicts time duration, which can be hours, days, or weeks.

Burn-up charts are extremely valuable for monitoring how quickly tasks are completed as a manager.

Furthermore, the information will assist you in making improvements to your project plan and ensuring that it is more successful.

Conclusion:

Project management charts help project managers stay organized and make better decisions.

There are many project management tools that can enhance your project's success, but using project planning software is the most reliable way to do it.

With this in mind, keep in mind these simple tips when you're trying to find the right project plan template for your needs: