PX360 Gantt charts can be as detailed or simple as you need them to be. We think about using Gantt charts in two ways:
Creating new tasks based on the work to be done
Keeping tasks separated by how you expect the cost invoice to be received
Using Gantt charts in this way will help you get the most accurate data analysis on your Budget vs. Actual cost comparisons.
Note: Be sure to add Cost Centres to your PX360 account prior to creating your Gantt chart. |
Included in this guide:
Structuring Your Gantt Chart
There are several important items to consider before creating your Gantt chart.
Many businesses will set up a task for project preliminaries that capture ongoing costs. Additional tasks can then be added for trade-based activity.
It is also common to keep provisional sum items separate to allow for easier adjustments during the project, as well as simpler reporting.
Working Days
It is important that Working Days are considered before your projects starts as Extensions of Time work from this setting. If applied incorrectly, you may not be considering Saturdays or Sundays as work days, or adding these to your project timeframe.
Mark Saturday and/or Sunday as Working Days using the checkbox at the top of the Gantt chart. This enables a 6 or 7-day working week if either or both are selected. This selection will carry through to Extension of Time entries on the Overview Site Diary.
Note: Working Days can only be accessed in Step 6 of Project Creation/Editing. It is not available on the Planning tab. |
Cost Centres
One task can involve multiple Cost Centres. This is best used when one task may have separate invoices and you want to group the cost centres together to keep it simple.
An example task would be: Waterproofing and Tiling. This would include cost centres 1) Waterproofing and 2) Tiling to accommodate two invoices: one from the waterproofer and one from the tiler.
For more complicated tasks, it makes more sense to split them out as separate tasks with separate cost centres.
An example would be:
Preliminary Overheads / Preliminary Equipment Cost Centres
E.G. TASK 399 Smith Street Preliminaries
Provisional Sums
E.G. TASK Air Conditioning Provisional Sum
E.G. TASK Make Good to Existing Floors Provisional Sum
The level of detail in your Gantt chart is up to you, but more tasks make it easier to track labour and supplier costs to the project budget.
Creating Your Gantt Chart
Project Gantt charts can be created in two places:
During Step 6 of the Project Creation process (or while editing)
From the Planning tab inside a project
Whichever way you choose to access your Gantt chart, the functionality remains largely the same. You can add tasks, assign cost centres, and select task dates.
The Gantt chart will automatically create a Start Project line from the date entered during Project Creation. It also has a Now line to reflect today's date.
Add or Edit A Task Row
Gantt charts are generated using the tasks you create.
Tasks can be added using the blue plus (+) button on the project Planning tab, or during Step 6 of the Project Creation process. Enter the fields and click Submit to add the task to your Gantt chart.
Task Name | Be descriptive. Be sure to follow any company-established naming conventions. |
Cost Centre | A category for assigning, tracking, and reporting costs. Cost Centres are required when creating a task. |
Start Date - End Date | Expected dates of task duration |
Lag Days | The number of days you want to set between the current task and the next task. This also automatically takes into account the Duration you've entered for that task. |
Double-click on any row to manage your budget or to delete the row. If you're editing from the Planning tab, you can also view the budget information for any task.
Note: Ensure you use either the "Submit" or "Save and Next" button before closing the task row dialog box to save any updates.
Hovering over a task will also display the exhausted spend percentage.
Caution: Once deleted, a task cannot be recovered. Only delete a task if you are absolutely sure. |
Adding/Removing Columns
The dropdown at the top left of the Gantt chart allows you to select which columns to display. You can select as many columns as you'd like to see displayed on your chart at one time.
You can include the exhausted amounts in the columns, allowing for easier tracking.
You also have the option to add another column for comments. When you click on the '+', you can add a comment. By clicking on the 'comment' icon, you can view, edit, or remove the added comment.
Gantt Chart Task Links
You can also add Task Link Arrows, indicating a connection between tasks (e.g., a Framing task linked to a Drywalling task). These arrows are purely visual and do not affect the start or end of each task.
If you've created a Task link by accident, simply double-click the arrow then click OK to delete it.
Note: Gantt charts always arrange rows/bars by date to assist with project management. If your chart is very detailed, we recommend excluding visual links to avoid date-related complications. |
Daily and Weekly View
The Gantt Chart's default view is Week view. If the user switches to Day view, this preference will be saved in the browser and remain active until the user selects Week view again.
Week View - this is the default Gantt chart view.
Day view, when the switch is on.
Approved Variation Characteristics
Approved variations, including adjustments to Existing Tasks, Prime Costs, and Provisional Sums, are now easily identifiable through distinct bar colors.
When a New Task Variation is created and approved using the Variation Template, a new row will be added to the Gantt chart. The associated task's time period will be displayed in purple bar, and the task name will be highlighted in pale blue bar for easier recognition.
For approved variations of Existing Tasks, Prime Costs, or Provisional Sum Adjustments created within the Variation Template, the task's time period will change from blue bar to purple bar, and the task name will be highlighted in pale blue bar for easier recognition.
Note: An unapproved Variation will not be added to the Gantt.
Approved EOT Characteristics
Approved EOT (Extension of Time) are now easily identifiable through distinct row colors. Once an EOT is approved, the task name will appear in light grey, and the duration will be shown in dark grey bar.
Note: EOT tasks are non-financial, meaning they do not include cost centres or financial budgets. Unlike tasks with cost centres, EOT tasks in the Gantt chart will not display an exhausted percentage when hovering over the task row. On top of that, an unapproved EOT will not be added to the Gantt.
View Analytics
This view is only available for Admin Users (except Admin Lite) within your business.
When you click on View Analytics, the following tabs will open, showing the top 5 tasks with the highest spend to the task budget ratio.
The Analytics section will remain static and will not be affected by the View at Cost or View at Price switches, displaying the same information in both options.
Creating a PDF
Click Create PDF at the top right of your Gantt chart to create and download a PDF version of your entire chart to your device.
Video Tutorial
Troubleshooting Download Blockers
If your web browser is not downloading the CSV export, here are some troubleshooting tips that may help you.
Still have questions? Email our team at support@px360.com.au and we would be happy to help!