Google Spreadsheets Tips: Gantt Chart (Microsoft Project-like) using Widget

Google Spreadsheets is a powerful web application to do everything you do using Excel. A nice way to use it is to manage a project plan with a gantt chart (microsoft project-like) and share it on-line with your team.This is a free and versatile solution to do that. This tutorial illustrates how to use Google Spreadsheets Viewpath Gadget to implement it.

Take a look at this spreadsheet


Step 1: Project Plan structure
First step is defiing your project plan structure. I suggest you to use this basic structure:

Column A: Task ID (WBS) (an unique ID which identifyes each task with a progressive number).
Column B: Task description (a short description of the activity).
Column C: Percentage of completion (0%-100%).
Column D: Predecessor (finish-start relationships between tasks).
Column E: Start date (task start date).
Column F: Finis date (task finish date).

The result is something like this:

All previous fields are required for viewpath gadget but, if you want, you can add other columns with other infos (for example the name of a resource assigned to each task, task duration in terms of day, ecc...). When your project plan structure is completed you are ready to add Gantt Chart using Google Spreadsheets Viewpath Gadget.

Step 2: Add Gantt Gadget
Click on Chart icon and select Gadget option.

In the Gadget window find and select Gantt Chart gadget (by Viewpath) and click on Add to spreadsheet button:

In the option window assign all required parameters to the correct column of your project plan structure (for example Start dates in this example are in the column E):

After assigned all columns, click on apply button and see the result. Now you can save your project plan , publish and share it with all member of your team.


Related Content
See also the following link about this topic:

• Google Spreadsheets Tips: invert word position using formulas
  
• Google Spreadsheets: formulas tutorial
• Gantt Chart with EditGrid online spreadsheets
• Implement a Project Plan and manage activities with Google Spreadsheets
• Project Management: a project plan with Excel (template)
• Gantt Chart using Google Spreadsheets and conditional formatting
• Project Management: Excel Gantt Chart Template