arlene trimbleAssistant IT Director| Local GovernmentAlamo, Ca, United States
Have you used MS Project (Gantt Chart) as your project plan?
What are the Pros?
What are the Cons?
I have noticed that some companies are looking for project plans and expects an MS Project chart as the deliverable.
Thank you. Saving Changes...
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Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
No way.
A GANTT chart merely represents a schedule.
A project plan (PMI PMBoK term is: Project Management Plan) covers also all other the aspects of a project: stakeholders, requirements, scope, cost, quality, resources, contracting, risks, ...
I have not seen a sincerely managed project use MS Project as a central tool, though many have tried. The organization I work for currently only uses it for time reporting. Meeeh. Saving Changes...
saurabh mahajanPMP, ITIL, PRINCE2| vodafonePune, Maharashtra, India
MPP can be used as a tool to present a KT plan to show a schedule plan. however for project management plan I doubt it can be a core tool. Saving Changes...
Rao Vasudeva GProgram Manager| Aeronautical Development AgencyBangalore, Karnataka, India
MS Project is a software scheduling tool and it can not be project management plan Saving Changes...
arlene trimbleAssistant IT Director| Local GovernmentAlamo, Ca, United States
Thank you everyone for continuing to respond to this question. I myself am puzzled as MS Project is currently being used by some local government PM's as THE project plan.
I agree with all of your responses that the MS Project is a scheduling tool. Saving Changes...
David HamilImplementation Project Manager| Imaging Business Machines, LLC (ibml)Somerville, Al, United States
I agree with all responses, in particular the details shared by Thomas Walenta.
I find many within my organization or organizations I've belonged to refer to a project plan in various conversation; they are thinking schedule and I'm thinking something that does indeed include the various facet of the PMBOK...but yet an evolving "living" document.
I've created a Project Plan - early days - using Word (with inserts) but now use a PPT for same; I've found it easier to share and also extract components if/as needed elsewhere... Saving Changes...
arlene trimbleAssistant IT Director| Local GovernmentAlamo, Ca, United States
I am glad that we are all in agreement that the MS Project is a scheduling tool not a project plan tool. Saving Changes...
Betsy GreenOnboarding Manager| TownNews.comMoline, Il, United States
The GANTT chart could be part of your project plan, but it could never be the entirety of the plan.
Honestly, if I worked for a company that considered an MS Project schedule to be a proejct plan, I'd look for a new job immediately. Saving Changes...
May be we are not using MS Project correctly, we can use MS-Project with any types of plug-in like WBS tools, @RISK, sharepoints, one note and others... Saving Changes...
