Difference Between Gantt and PERT Chart

Gantt vs PERT Chart

PERT and Gantt charts are visualization tools. A PERT chart stands for “Program Evaluation and Review Technique” chart. Both of these charts are used by project managers and help in displaying the tasks which are required for project completion. The charts are used for task scheduling, controlling, and administering the tasks necessary for completion of a project. The difference between them is that a Gantt chart is basically a bar chart and a PERT chart is a flow chart.

Gantt chart
The Gantt chart was first developed and introduced by Charles Gantt in 1917. It deals with the sequence of tasks needed to complete the project. In this chart, each horizontal bar represents a task. The length of the bar shows the time required to complete the task. On an X-Y chart, the X-axis stands for the time in which the project will get completed. The Gantt chart is a very effective tool in assessing a project’s status. It basically emphasizes and shows how much time is required for completing a task.

It is a linear chart. Independent tasks are connected with arrows. These arrows show the relationship existing between two independent tasks it is connecting. The relationship deals with the dependency of one task on another. One task needs to be completed before the other one can begin. Whatever resources are required for completing one task are identified and represented next on a Gantt chart.
Gantt charts are effective for projects which are straightforward and do not need any changes mid-stream. The limitations of Gantt charts are that they are unable to represent the dependency of tasks upon each other effectively.

PERT Chart
Program Evaluation and Review Technique charts were developed and introduced in 1950 by the U.S. Navy. They were developed to manage large projects which had complex tasks and a very high intertask dependency. The charts have an initiation node, and the initiation node later branches into many networks of tasks.
PERT charts represent projects which need an assembly line to complete a project. They also represent the relationship between different tasks required for the completion of a project. The PERT chart has many interconnecting or parallel networks of independent tasks.
These charts are designed for small parts of the project. They end at the main point of review. The limitation of a PERT chart is that they can be very confusing and complex; thus, they are used along with Gantt charts which are simpler and more straightforward.

Summary:

1.Gantt charts were developed and introduced in 1917 by Charles Gantt. It deals with the sequence of tasks needed to complete the project; whereas PERT charts were developed and introduced by the U.S. Navy in 1950 to manage large and complex projects.
2.Gantt charts focus on the time required to complete a task; whereas a PERT chart focuses on intertask relationships.
Gantt has linear representations or it is a bar chart; whereas a PERT chart is a flow chart and has parallel networks of individual tasks.
3.Gantt charts are straightforward and are not made for projects which need changes; whereas PERT charts are complex and are made for small portions of the project.

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