How to Use Gantt Charts in Agile Projects

Most mission managers don’t often affiliate Gantt charts with agile mission administration. Gantt charts are sometimes seen as inflexible planning instruments that go in opposition to agile ideas. Nevertheless, with the appropriate strategy, Gantt charts can complement agile workflows—particularly for high-level planning, roadmapping, and stakeholder communication.

On this weblog, we’ll discover why utilizing an agile Gantt chart is smart and how one can use one.

What Is a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart is a visible mission administration software that shows duties on a timeline. Every activity is represented by a bar, exhibiting its begin and finish dates, length, and any dependencies. It helps mission managers observe progress and allocate assets successfully.

Gantt charts are mostly utilized in conventional waterfall mission administration, the place phases are accomplished in a set, linear order. In these settings, a Gantt chart outlines the complete mission plan from starting to finish, with clear dependencies and milestones. This gives predictability and management, particularly in tasks the place scope and timing are comparatively steady.

Whereas Gantt charts could also be ignored in agile attributable to their linear construction, they nonetheless provide worth in iterative environments. Used appropriately, an agile Gantt chart can assist agile planning by visualizing sprints, releases, or epics over time. The subsequent part explains how Gantt charts could be utilized successfully in agile workflows.

However earlier than shifting on to the following part, let’s discover why ProjectManager’s Gantt chart is a strong software in an agile surroundings. For one, it brings construction and visibility to iterative workflows whereas remaining versatile sufficient to assist change. Whereas agile usually emphasizes brief sprints and flexibility, our Gantt chart permits groups to map out high-level timelines, arrange dash cycles and set all 4 sorts of dependencies throughout duties and milestones.

With drag-and-drop scheduling and real-time updates, groups can rapidly modify priorities, reassign work and shift deadlines as mission wants evolve. By combining the strategic overview of a Gantt chart with agile’s responsiveness—particularly when built-in with activity lists and kanban boards—our software program helps groups keep on observe whereas remaining adaptable. Get began with ProjectManager right now totally free.

The way to Use a Gantt Chart for Agile Mission Administration

Agile mission administration prioritizes adaptability, collaboration and velocity. Whereas agile groups usually depend on instruments like dash boards or product backlogs, Gantt charts can nonetheless play a precious function. When used correctly, they supply construction with out sacrificing flexibility. The sections beneath clarify how Gantt charts can improve agile practices and assist groups keep alignment with product targets, timelines and stakeholder wants.

Create Agile Roadmaps for Product Growth

Agile product improvement runs on brief sprints, however groups nonetheless want a roadmap to trace progress over time. Gantt charts are helpful for mapping epics, options and launch plans. They provide a timeline view that helps groups keep aligned whereas permitting room for iteration.

With a transparent visible of high-level targets, groups can prioritize upcoming work, adapt to new insights and talk path. These roadmaps should not inflexible schedules, however evolving plans that assist flexibility whereas protecting improvement efforts strategically targeted. A well-structured Gantt chart helps stakeholders and product house owners keep alignment from one dash to the following.

Under is an instance of a roadmap on a ProjectManager Gantt chart.

Talk Mission Progress to Stakeholders

Agile groups work in dynamic, fast-moving environments, however stakeholders usually want clear updates to grasp total progress. An agile Gantt chart gives a timeline-based view that simplifies communication with out diving into granular sprint-level particulars.

They assist groups current what’s been accomplished, what’s coming subsequent and when key releases are anticipated. This readability is very helpful for executives or purchasers who need to monitor progress with out participating in every day standups or backlogs. Utilizing Gantt charts to visualise standing builds confidence, helps transparency and ensures stakeholders really feel knowledgeable and linked all through the mission lifecycle.

Create Launch Planning Timelines

Agile sprints deal with iteration and suppleness, in order that they hardly ever contain laborious deadlines. Nevertheless, launch planning requires due dates that have to be communicated to groups and stakeholders.

Gantt charts are perfect for this as a result of they present when a launch is scheduled and the way it aligns with ongoing improvement. This helps groups put together for deliverables, handle expectations and coordinate work throughout options, making Gantt charts a precious software for structured launch planning in agile environments.

 

Visualize Dash Schedules Throughout Groups

In giant organizations with a number of agile groups, protecting observe of dash schedules throughout the board could be difficult. A Gantt chart helps program managers and PMOs visualize how totally different groups’ sprints align and overlap on a shared timeline.

This visibility helps coordination, dependency administration and useful resource planning. An agile Gantt chart is very helpful in scaled agile frameworks, the place synchronized planning is essential to protecting initiatives shifting ahead. By centralizing dash schedules, Gantt charts make it simpler to observe progress and keep a cohesive workflow throughout the complete mission portfolio.

Plan Useful resource Allocation for Agile Groups

Even in agile environments, efficient useful resource allocation is crucial to keep away from overloading groups and guarantee well timed supply. Gantt charts assist visualize which workforce members or roles are concerned in particular duties or epics, making it simpler to steadiness workloads throughout sprints.

Mission managers can determine potential conflicts, gaps or bottlenecks earlier than they affect progress. This visibility permits groups to regulate dash planning and assign work extra effectively. By integrating useful resource availability into the timeline, Gantt charts assist be sure that agile groups stay productive, targeted and correctly supported all through the event course of. The picture beneath highlights deliberate vs. precise price columns on the Gantt chart.

Help Hybrid Agile-Waterfall Mission Plans

Some tasks mix agile and waterfall approaches, particularly in giant organizations or regulated industries. Gantt charts are uniquely fitted to managing hybrid fashions as a result of they will signify each mounted milestones and iterative work streams. Whereas agile groups function in sprints, different departments might comply with strict timelines, requiring alignment throughout planning types.

An agile Gantt chart permits groups to synchronize actions, observe progress and guarantee dependencies are revered. This hybrid visibility helps mission managers coordinate deliverables with out disrupting agile flexibility or waterfall construction, making Gantt charts a sensible resolution for managing cross-functional tasks with combined methodologies.

Associated: 18 Finest Gantt Chart Software program of 2025

Limitations of Gantt Charts for Agile Mission Administration

Now that we’ve established that Gantt charts can be utilized for agile mission administration, let’s evaluation among the limitations to remember when making an agile Gantt chart.

• Not Designed for Iterative Work: Gantt charts assume a linear sequence of duties, whereas agile makes use of iterative cycles with evolving priorities.
• Overemphasis on Dates: Agile focuses on worth supply and flexibility, however Gantt charts emphasize deadlines, which may create strain to “keep on schedule” on the expense of high quality or flexibility.
• Troublesome to Mirror Altering Scope: As person tales evolve or are reprioritized, Gantt charts rapidly turn out to be outdated and require fixed handbook updates.
• Can Discourage Group Autonomy: Gantt charts might promote top-down planning, conflicting with agile’s emphasis on self-organizing groups and bottom-up activity planning.
• Poor Match for Story-Based mostly Workflows: Agile groups usually work with person tales, which aren’t simply visualized as Gantt-style activity bars, particularly when tales fluctuate drastically in complexity.
• Encourages Untimely Planning: Gantt charts can tempt groups to overplan upfront as an alternative of embracing agile’s just-in-time planning strategy.
• Restricted Help for Backlog Administration: Gantt charts don’t combine effectively with product backlogs, dash boards, or agile artifacts except used inside specialised hybrid instruments like ProjectManager.
• Hinders Quick-Paced Changes: Making adjustments to an in depth Gantt chart each dash could be time-consuming and demotivating for agile groups.

Free Associated Mission Administration Templates

For these not able to improve to mission administration software program versatile sufficient to handle conventional to agile tasks, there’s a workaround. We’ve got over 100 free mission administration templates for Excel and Phrase that tackle all facets of managing tasks. Listed below are only a few that may assist when utilizing a Gantt chart in an agile mission.

Gantt Chart Template

Obtain this free Gantt chart template to stipulate duties, durations, begin and finish date in a timeline format. In an agile mission, it may be used to map out high-level sprints, milestones and key deliverables, providing a transparent overview of how iterative work matches into broader deadlines. Whereas agile favors flexibility, a Gantt chart template helps observe dash timing, visualize overlapping duties and coordinate cross-team efforts—offering construction with out sacrificing adaptability.

Agile Dash Plan Template

Use this free agile dash plan template to plan, arrange and observe the work accomplished throughout a single dash—usually a brief, time-boxed improvement cycle. It contains key parts corresponding to dash targets, person tales or duties, assigned workforce members, estimated effort and begin and finish dates. The template helps agile groups keep targeted on delivering particular outcomes throughout the dash, observe progress by means of every day stand-ups or kanban boards and evaluation outcomes throughout dash retrospectives. By standardizing dash planning and execution, an agile dash plan template helps higher workforce alignment, clearer priorities and steady enchancment.

Kanban Board Template

This free kanban board template is a visible workflow software used to handle duties by organizing them into columns that signify totally different levels of progress. Every activity is represented by a card that may be moved throughout columns as work advances. This template helps groups visualize their workload, restrict work in progress and rapidly determine bottlenecks or delays. In each agile and conventional mission settings, a kanban board template helps transparency, improves workforce collaboration and promotes a gentle, manageable move of duties from begin to end.

ProjectManager Is Perfect for Managing Agile Initiatives

ProjectManager is way simpler than a static template as a result of it provides a dwell, interactive platform the place duties, timelines and assets replace in actual time, eliminating the necessity for handbook edits and lowering the chance of miscommunication. In agile tasks, its useful resource administration options—corresponding to workforce availability monitoring, a centralized workforce web page and a color-coded workload chart—assist groups keep adaptive and environment friendly.

Managers can rapidly reassign duties primarily based on capability, guarantee nobody is overbooked throughout sprints and visualize how work is distributed throughout the workforce. This enables agile groups to take care of momentum, steadiness workloads and constantly enhance supply with out sacrificing visibility or management.

To study extra about how ProjectManager can assist agile tasks, watch our transient video beneath.

Use A number of Mission Administration Views

ProjectManager provides a number of mission views that give agile groups the pliability to handle work within the format that most closely fits their workflow. The kanban view is good for constructing and managing a product backlog, the place person tales or duties could be simply organized by precedence and moved by means of columns. The duty record view enhances this by providing an in depth, linear breakdown—good for shaping a dash backlog with assigned house owners, due dates and standing indicators.

As soon as priorities are set, groups can swap to the Gantt chart view to schedule dash cycles, set activity dependencies, and visualize timelines throughout the complete mission. All views are absolutely synchronized, permitting groups to plan flexibly, execute effectively and observe progress in actual time.

Monitor Initiatives in Actual Time

ProjectManager combines real-time visibility with versatile instruments that far surpass conventional templates. Groups can monitor agile mission progress utilizing real-time dashboards that show activity completion, prices and workforce workload at a look. Customizable stories allow you to dive into particular metrics tailor-made to your agile workflows.

With safe timesheets, groups can precisely log time spent on every backlog merchandise, offering exact knowledge for dash evaluations and future planning. Collectively, these instruments give agile groups the perception they should adapt rapidly, keep aligned, and constantly enhance dash over dash.

Associated Gantt Chart Content material

Studying how one can make a Gantt chart timeline is just the beginning of making a Gantt schedule. For readers who need to proceed their schooling, now we have an inventory of associated articles beneath on Gantt chart software program, important path and far more.

ProjectManager is on-line mission and portfolio administration software program that connects groups whether or not they’re within the workplace or out within the area. They’ll share recordsdata, remark on the activity stage and keep up to date with e-mail and in-app notifications. Be a part of groups at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who’re utilizing our software program to ship profitable tasks. Get began with ProjectManager right now totally free.