Manufacturing Gantt Chart Templates

What Is a Manufacturing Gantt Chart?

A manufacturing Gantt chart is a diagram that illustrates the relationship between a production process and a production schedule. This is common among businesses that deal with the manufacture of new products such as automotive industries, clothing stores, and many more.

How to Design a Manufacturing Gantt Chart

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, 11.4% of the US economy is contributed by manufacturing industries. Stand out from the competition by ensuring clients you can get things done according to schedule, which you can do by using a Gantt chart. Below is a list of guidelines to help you make one for your business.

1. Determine How Much Time You Have

Gantt charts are all about managing tasks and getting them done within the allotted time. With that said, how can you set schedules if you don’t even know how much time you’re given? Before you get into the tasks and the chart itself, check how much time is available.

2. Identify the Different Manufacturing Processes

After determining the availability of time, start identifying the stages in the manufacturing process. Write these down in a list for future references. In most cases, this will involve production planning, resource management, implementation, and maintenance.

3. Assign Specific Schedules for Each Process

As mentioned earlier, Gantt charts involve scheduling tasks or processes. After preparing the list of processes, you can start allocating your available time among them. Make sure heavier tasks get more time than lighter ones, and more important tasks get done first before others.

4. Start Creating Your Gantt Chart

Whatever tool you’re comfortable with, use it to design your Gantt chart. While most prefer to use Microsoft Excel to make their Gantt charts, you can use other software applications as well. Use whichever works for you, what matters is that the chart ends up catchy and informative.

5. Add Minor Tweaks and Enhancements to the Layout

And finally, add colors to your Gantt chart, especially on the progress bars. This will make each progress bar distinguishable from the others. If you must, feel free to tweak the layout by adding a background image or color gradient. Doing this will make your Gantt chart look attention-grabbing.

General FAQs

• Who is responsible for creating Gantt charts?

  Henry Gantt is the person responsible for developing the Gantt chart, hence the name. He was an American mechanical engineer and management consultant.

• What was the reason why Gantt-style diagrams were created?

  These diagrams were created to help construction workers see if they need to pick up their pace, or if their progress is within schedule. Gantt charts were used in many construction projects in the early 1900s, most particularly the construction of the Hoover Dam

• What should be written in Gantt charts?

  1. A timeline with dates.
  2. A list of tasks, activities, or events.
  3. Progress bars.
  4. Milestones.
  5. Resources needed.

• How many manufacturing firms are in the United States?

  According to the Manufacturing Institute, there are currently around 254,941 manufacturing companies in the United States.

• How many US workers are employed in manufacturing firms?

  According to data shown on the National Association of Manufacturers, there are over 12.8 million manufacturing workers in the US. This accounts for 8.5% of the overall US workforce.