Benjamin Franklin’s proclamation that failing to plan is planning to fail makes more sense in project management and, more importantly, IT software development. Planning ensures the delivery of applications that are of high quality, in addition to mitigating project delays and cost overruns. Project teams often utilize various tools such as the Gantt charts and work breakdown structures. Effective project management and the use of the right tools are key to mitigating project delays while promoting the delivery of efficient systems.
I have had an opportunity to use the Gantt chart to track project progress in the past. The tool was instrumental to my team in visualizing project steps from start to completion. A Gantt chart “…depicts the effort, schedule, and status of a series of tasks on a project.” In addition, the tool made it easy for me to assign each member tasks and also to allocate resources equitably. Overall, the Gantt chart is a great project management tool that makes every project deliverable trackable.
My team leveraged the Gantt chart to plan and schedule project tasks. The tool made it possible to track the project from start to finish. We remained on track, thus avoiding falling behind schedule and incurring extra costs. Recognizing the complexity of software systems is vital for effective planning. Project hitches would be eliminated with proper project management, ensuring the timely delivery of systems that meet the set objectives.