Henry Laurence Gantt

Henry Laurence Gantt, A.B., M.E. (1861 - 23 November 1919) was an American mechanical engineer and management consultant who is most famous for developing the Gantt chart in the 1910s. Gantt was born in Calvert County, Maryland. He graduated from McDonogh School in 1878 and then went on to Johns Hopkins University. He then worked as a teacher and draughtsman before becoming a mechanical engineer. In 1887, he joined Frederick W. Taylor in applying scientific management principles to their work at Midvale Steel and Bethlehem Steel working there with Taylor until 1893. In his later career as a management consultantfollowing the invention of the Gantt charthe also designed the 'task and bonus' system of wage payment and additional measurement methods worker efficiency and productivity. Henry Gantt is listed under Stevens Institute of Technology alumni and roommate to Frederick Winslow Taylor (M.E., 1883). The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) awards an annual medal in honor of Henry Laurence Gantt. Gantt was a contemporary and colleague of Taylors at the Bethlehem Steel Company. Whilst accepting many of Taylors ideas on scientific management, Gantt felt that the individual worker was not given enough consideration. Although Taylor himself was not a slave-driver in any way, his methods were used by less scrupulous employers to squeeze as much production as possible out of their workforce. This was particularly true in respect of piece-rate systems. Gantt introduced a payment system where performance below what is called for on the individuals instruction card still qualified the person for the day-rate, but performance of all the work allocated on the card qualified the individual for a handsome bonus. Gantt discovered that as soon as any one worker found that he could achieve the task, the rest quickly followed. Butter use was made of the foremen, because they were sought after by individuals who needed further instruction or help with faulty machines. As a result, supervision improved, breakdowns were minimized and delays avoided by all concerned. Eventually individual workers learned to cope on their own with routine problems. Gantts bonus system also allowed for the men to challenge the time allocated for a particular task. This was permitted because Gantt, unlike the Gilbreth, did not believe that there was a one best way, but only a way which seems to be best at the

moment. Gantts approach to scientific management left some discretion and initiative to the workers, unlike those of his colleague, Taylor and of his fellow theorists, the Gilbreths.

Although it was his ideas on the rewards for labor that made Gantt a notable figure in his day, he is best remembered nowadays for his charts. The Gantt chart was originally set up to indicate graphically the extent to which tasks had been achieved. It was divided horizontally into hours, days or weeks with the task marked out in a straight line across the appropriate numbers of hours or days etc. The amount of the task achieved was shown by another straight line parallel to original. It was easy from such a chart to assess actual from planned performance. There are many variations of the Gantt chart in use today.

The benefits arising from scientific management can be summarized as follows: Its rational approach to the organization of work enabled tasks and processes to be measured with a considerable degree of accuracy. Measurement of tasks and processes provided useful information on which to base improvements in working methods, plant design etc. By improving working methods it brought enormous increases in productivity. It enabled employees to be paid by results and to take advantage of incentive payments. It stimulated managements into adopting a more positive role in leadership at the shopfloor level. It contributed to major improvements in physical working conditions for employees. It provided the foundations on which modern work study and other quantitative techniques could be soundly based. The drawbacks to scientific management were principally the following: It reduced the workers role to that of rigid adherence to methods and procedures over which he had no discretion. It led to the fragmentation on work on account of its emphasis on the analysis and organization of individual tasks or operations. It generated a carrot-and-stick approach to the motivation of employees by enabling pay to be geared tightly to output.

It put the planning and control of workplace activities exclusively in the hands of the management. It ruled out any realistic bargaining about wage rates since every job was measured, time and rated scientifically.

Gantt created many different types of charts. He designed his charts so that foremen or other supervisors could quickly know whether production was on schedule, ahead of schedule, or behind schedule. Modern project management software includes this critical function even now. Gantt (1903) describes two types of balances: the "mans record", which shows what each worker should do and did do, and the "daily balance of work", which shows the amount of work to be done and the amount that is done.

Gantt gives an example with orders that will require many days to complete. The daily balance has rows for each day and columns for each part or each operation. At the top of each column is the amount needed. The amount entered in the appropriate cell is the number of parts done each day and the cumulative total for that part. Heavy horizontal lines indicate the starting date and the date that the order should be done. According to Gantt, the graphical daily balance is "a method of scheduling and recording work". In this 1903 article, Gantt also describes the use of:

"production cards" for assigning work to each operator and recording how much was done each day.

In his 1916 book "Work, Wages, and Profits" Gantt explicitly discusses scheduling, especially in the job shop environment. He proposes giving to the foreman each day an "order of work" that is an ordered list of jobs to be done that day. Moreover, he discusses the need to coordinate activities to avoid "interferences". However, he also warns that the most elegant schedules

created by planning offices are useless if they are ignored, a situation that he observed. In his 1919 book "Organizing for Work" Gantt gives two principles for his charts:

one, measure activities by the amount of time needed to complete them; two, the space on the chart can be used the represent the amount of the activity that should have been done in that time.

Gantt shows a progress chart that indicates for each month of the year, using a thin horizontal line, the number of items produced during that month. In addition, a thick horizontal line indicates the number of items produced during the year. Each row in the chart corresponds to an order for parts from a specific contractor, and each row indicates the starting month and ending month of the deliveries. It is the closest thing to the Gantt charts typically used today in scheduling systems, though it is at a higher level than machine scheduling.

The Use of Gantt Charts in the Management of Health Organizations

Gantt Charts are useful tools for analyzing and planning complex projects. They:

1. Help in planning out the tasks that need to be completed 2. Give a basis for scheduling when these tasks will be carried out 3. Allow to plan the allocation of resources needed to complete the project, and 4. Help you to work out the critical path for a project where you must complete it by a particular date.

When a project is under way, Gantt Charts help to monitor whether the project is on schedule. A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart developed as a production control tool in 1917 by Henry L. Gantt, an American engineer and social scientist. Frequently used in project management, a Gantt chart provides a graphical illustration of a schedule that helps to plan, coordinate, and track specific tasks in a project.

Gantt charts are useful tools for planning and scheduling projects. They allow you to assess how long a project should take, determine the resources needed, and lay out the order in which tasks need to be carried out. They are useful in managing the dependencies between tasks.

When a project is under way, Gantt charts are useful for monitoring its progress. You can immediately see what should have been achieved at a point in time, and can therefore take remedial action to bring the project back on course. This can be essential for the successful and profitable implementation of the project.

To draw up a Gantt chart, it must follow these steps:

1. List all activities in the plan. For each task, show the earliest start date, estimated length of time it will take, and whether it is parallel or sequential. If tasks are sequential, show which stages they depend on. 2. Head up graph paper with the days or weeks through to task completion. 3. Plot the tasks onto the graph paper. Next draw up a rough draft of the Gantt chart. Plot each task on the graph paper, showing it starting on the earliest possible date. Draw it as a bar, with the length of the bar being the length of the task. Above the task bars, mark the time taken to complete them. 4. Schedule activities. Now take the draft Gantt chart, and use it to schedule actions. Schedule them in such a way that sequential actions are carried out in the required sequence. Ensure that dependent activities do not start until the activities they depend on have been completed. While scheduling, ensure that you make best use of the resources you have available, and do not over-commit resource. 5. Presenting the analysis. The final stage in this process is to prepare a final version of the Gantt chart. This should combine the draft analysis (see above) with your scheduling and analysis of resources. This chart will show when you anticipate that jobs should start and finish.

Benefits

Gives a clear illustration of project status. May be adjusted frequently to reflect the actual status of project tasks. Helps manage the temporal dependencies between tasks.

Prerequisites

Gantt chart forces group members to think clearly about what must be done to accomplish their goal. Computer software can simplify constructing and updating a chart.

The Benefits of a Gantt chart in Project Management

Complex tasks require fantastic project management software in addition to tools meant for scheduling such as PERT and Gantt charts, however scores of less demanding projects that necessitate few personnel in a short time period can also indicate a less demanding methodology to achieve. This indicates that, more often than not, a straightforward undertaking will merely use a handful of steps. These work elements will frequently be dependent on every one of the other steps that come before them. They might furthermore be rather effortless to manage for the leadership in charge of these tasks.

A Gantt chart is a tool currently in use by project managers for tasks which are not overly complex and also on other projects. An example of such an activity could be creating and executing an advertising and marketing plan. A sole owner business could make a plan using the Gantt chart. However, it should be noted a Gantt chart could make a simple project more complicated. It is possible that using the Gantt chart would be overkill for a simple planning job.

All the project members should thoroughly understand a tool like a Gantt chart so that good communication is maintained with involved parties. It may be much more useful to simply use an action plan or a time timetable for simple planning needs. As long as all those involved get their time table and plan things should go smoothly. Members may need to be involved in

motivating the project stakeholders to adjust the time table and the management may want to use calendars or diaries for records.

With the projects being measured and monitored than they will be requiring deadlines and will have control points. It does not mean that the project will end if the deadline is missed. New time frames can be negotiated and there could be further discussions and assessment by the members in some of the cases. A Gantt Chart might be required if the deadline is regularly crossed or in case a project gets too complex, however the workforce should be well versed with the use of this tool.

A list of actions and tasks, such as an action plan, can be used to reach a single goal or outcome such as a specific project. Good action plans will focus on reaching one goal. The actions may be put into a to-do list or action calendar, though such lists may also cover more many goals. Getting a project on track once it has been derailed can be quite complicated. When a task has fallen behind or a worker has quit then management may need to make compromises to recover the overall goal. The reassigning of resources may be required. The order of tasks may be affected or the specified scope of specific tasks altered.

Even the best project managers have to deal with reallocating resources. This is one of the first challenges to be overcome by managers once they discover that there are not enough resources or tasks. Then, it becomes necessary to focus on critical tasks and provide them with resources originally assigned to other less important tasks. In addition, those resources no longer required for some tasks can be used for more difficult tasks. It may also be detected that a planned task is not needed anymore. When faced with challenges changing the sequence of tasks may be needed. It may be easier to substitute some tasks currently and leave the more challenging ones for a later time. It may also be possible to rearrange tasks to enable multitasking when things are behind. A Gantt chart can be useful in planning for the possible roadblocks a project may run into. When a manager can see the whole plan laid out before them it may help them to see where problems may arise or where time and resources may be better used. This can help to avoid problems before they arise.

Gantt Charts (Gant Charts) are useful tools for analyzing and planning more complex projects. They:

Help you to plan out the tasks that need to be completed Give you a basis for scheduling when these tasks will be carried out Allow you to plan the allocation of resources needed to complete the project, and Help you to work out the critical path for a project where you must complete it by a particular date.

When a project is under way, Gantt Charts help you to monitor whether the project is on schedule. If it is not, it allows you to pinpoint the remedial action necessary to put it back on schedule.

Henry Gantt Contributions and Theory of Scientific Management

Henry Gantt made many contributions to modern scientific management. Together with such thinkers as Frederick Taylor and Douglas McGregor, Elton Mayo, and Abraham Maslow, Henry Gantt helped shape what we now know as modern scientific management, implementing such concepts as task scheduling using his eponymous Gantt chart, and his task and bonus system for motivating employees to maintain or exceed the expectations of the schedule. In 1887, Gantt began working with Frederick Taylor applied the principles of scientific management at two steel plants: Midvale and Bethlehem Steel.

Scientific management is based upon the concept that workflow can be arranged in such as manner as to optimize throughput and efficiency. Generally, these concepts were largely Theory X in implementation, though their intent was largely to improve the working conditions of the workers as they were pushed to work in a more intelligent manner to garner greater productivity rather than simply working harder. However, as in any Theory X management style, the predominant belief of the manager is that the best way to arrange work is at the discretion of management and motivation is extrinsic, and thus workflow is arranged by managers and

bonuses were introduced to lure the workforce to adopt the most optimally efficient path toward productivity so as to claim the largest bonus possible.

At the turn of the 20th century, Frederick Taylor conducted studies of workplace operations and management techniques of employees that would later become known as scientific management. He applied the scientific method to workflow, revealing that employee work can decomposed, broken down into its smallest parts, and then optimized for maximum productivity and efficiency. Henry Gantt and Frederick Taylor conducted scientific management experiments together over the course of 14 years before Gantt left the steel industry and became a management consultant.

Gantt felt that business was a key part of the larger world community and that the success of the company needed to be based on the needs of the larger societal whole. Business, as a component of this larger community was required, he thought, to enmesh societal interests with organizational interests. Further, he believed that companies would not be ultimately successful unless they followed this fundamental premise of societal service. This management theory of Henry Gantts is not unlike the theory of Kaizen involving optimization of process while considering the workers quality of life or theory of service detailed in Think and Grow Rich, whereby businesses grow to massive successes by finding an appropriate way to contribute to society.

Henry Gantt made three key contributions to management thought, all of which are still relevant today. First, he humanized the management of workers, stressing that the work environment needed to be favorable to the worker in order to maximize their productivity. This productivity was rewarded by the second concept innovated by Gantt, the productivity bonus. Those who exceeded expectations received positive motivation for their efforts. His research also led to the Gantt chart, which has been such a useful tool in the world of project management that his chart stayed largely the same until nearly a hundred years later; lines were added between task bars to convey dependency between tasks.

He came up with a unique method for paying workers for their productivity. Taylors piece work pay system paid workers only for their productivity. In Gantts pay structure, all workers were provided a basic daily wage, with bonuses if the workers completed their tasks on time and even bigger bonuses if they went above and beyond expectations. Further, managers were rewarded based upon the productivity of their teams, making the success of each individual a motivator for the manager. Gantts goal was for managers to become leaders teaching and guiding their employees, rather than pushing them for greater numbers. In some of the best cases, productivity doubled after this pay system was implemented. These results solidified Gantts theory that the holistic success of the worker was directly coupled to the success of the organization. To summarize, Henry Gantts main contributions to management were Gantt charts, the task and bonus system, improved industrial efficiency through scientific management, and Henry Gantts management theory of the social responsibility of business. We have much to thank Gantt for; he has shaped our world significantly.

Management Theory of Henry Gantt

According to Gantt theory, a Gantt chart is a bar chart showing the progression of time through the phases of a project. The charts can be simple or complex, depending on the needs of the project manager and the team. As you are deciding on how to manage a project, consider the following:

1. The management theory of Henry Gantt dictates the use of both resources and time when evaluating projects. Considering this, how many people will be needed to complete the project? 2. Henry Gantt scientific management is a theory that incorporates benchmarks in a project as a way to complete the project efficiently. What are the milestones and their deadlines in your project? 3. How much time is needed to meet each of the milestone deadlines?

The advantages of the Gantt chart are

time is explicit (and linear) all tasks visible in relationship to others deadlines are shown project status at intermediate times is shown can show progress by filling in task boxes

The unmodified Gantt chart has the following shortcomings:

tasks might not be associated with people (solution: tag tasks with the initials of the people responsible) person-hours are not indicated, only calendar time (solution: note person-hours near the task box) dependencies are not explicit (solution: imply dependencies by ordering tasks, or use extra lines and arrows) no summary of the load on a person (solution: create an additional set of horizontal task lines for each person, showing what tasks they are working on when) other resources not shown (e.g., financial) (solution: note resources in description or near task box) critical paths are not explicit (solution: use highlighting or other graphical means to indicate the sequence of tasks along the critical path) does not record difference between original plan and actual (solution: enhance the task box to show two different durationsan upper (actual) and lower (estimated))

Key Points:

Gantt charts are useful tools for planning and scheduling projects. They allow you to assess how long a project should take, determine the resources needed, and lay out the order in which tasks need to be carried out. They are useful in managing the dependencies between tasks.

When a project is under way, Gantt charts are useful for monitoring its progress. You can immediately see what should have been achieved at a point in time, and can therefore take remedial action to bring the project back on course. This can be essential for the successful and profitable implementation of the project.

Gantt's Positive Attitude Impacts Project Management's Development While Taylor earned the scorn of critics for his low opinion of the American workers intelligence, Gantt held a different philosophy that allowed his ideas to spread more readily. Instead of concerning himself with profit and efficiency, Gantt focused on the empowerment of the American worker through organized action. Like Taylor, Gantt believed that improved efficiency would lead to shorter workweeks and higher wages. However, Gantt also focused on the American ideal of worker satisfaction. Given a choice, Gantt believed, laborers would prefer to work hard as part of a team with clear goals, deadlines, and incentives. Many of his ideas about motivation and compensation still influence the HR policies at the worlds biggest corporations. Of course, Henry Gantt wasnt the only business strategist developing the nascent role of a project manager in industry. Polish economist Karol Adamiecki is widely credited with developing a charting system very similar to Gantts at about the same time. Without the benefit of English language publication and Gantts exposure to American industry, it would take a few more decades before project management professionals would start to feel his influence.

Nonetheless, Gantt laid the foundations of project management through his consulting practice and in a series of books written between 1903 and 1919. By the time his final book was published, Gantt had developed strong theories about task scheduling and professional development. He believed that minimizing interference between tasks could unlock the true potential of teams, and that tracking efficiency over time could lead to stronger productivity.

Although Gantt designed his charts with everyday tasks and quarterly evaluations in mind, a new generation of project management professionals would use his work to keep pace with the evolving nature of work in the 20th Century

Gantt Charts and Innovation Management

One of the primary concerns about the application of GC in innovation management is the fact that it encourages a one-step-approach to planning, which provides for an implicit credibility, which may lead to an unwillingness by team members and project managers alike, to challenge the chart and the project planning all together, whereby the GC may risk to take on a life of its own. Furthermore, the GC tends to, according to Maylor (2001), encourage the project manager to micro-manage, or over-control the project, rather than devolve the responsibility for the timeplan to the relevant team members.

The Search for Principles of Management