Three ways to do it
| Method | Good for | Drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Shapes by hand | A one-off picture | Every date change means moving bars |
| Stacked bar chart | No add-in available | Date axes and milestones are awkward |
| Deckcell | Plans that change | Needs the add-in |
With Deckcell
- Open Deckcell and choose Gantt.
- Paste three columns: activity, start date and end date. Leave the end date empty for a milestone.
- Optionally set a today date and the time scale (day, week, month or quarter).
- Click Insert. To keep it in step with a plan in Excel, link the range instead of pasting.
Tips
- Keep it to the activities the audience decides on; detail belongs in the project plan.
- Highlight the current phase and show a today line in status reports.
- Use milestones for decisions and go-lives, not for every task end.