Structure.Gantt is a Structure extension, which brings planning and resource management features to structures.
Structure.Gantt adds the power of familiar Gantt charts to Jira, so you can instantly visualize issue dependencies and timelines, and understand resource allocations on a global scale.
This document makes a few assumptions:
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If you are not familiar with Structure yet, the easiest way to create your first Gantt chart is through the Gantt Chart Template:
In just a few steps, the wizard will help you define your structure and the parameters which will be used for building the Gantt chart, including task start and finish dates, duration, dependencies and more.
To learn more about creating charts with the Gantt Chart Template and how to tailor your charts for specific project needs, see Using the Gantt Chart Template.
If you already have a structure you want to use for your Gantt chart, you can select one of the existing configurations (or create a new one) and edit the chart manually:
Note: To be able to create Gantt charts (even for existing structures) you must have permissions to create new structures.
For more information about setting up your Gantt chart, see Gantt Chart Settings.
Gantt Chart configuration defines how the chart is built, including where the chart's information comes from and what fields are used to build it.
Structure.Gantt comes with a predefined "Default" configuration, with several predefined parameters. You can begin with the default configuration and customize it as necessary, or you can create your own custom configurations.
Structure.Gantt allows you to create custom chart configurations that can be used in multiple charts.
To create a new configuration:
For more information, see Gantt Configuration in Detail.
Once you define the configuration and save the settings, the Gantt chart opens.
You can quickly navigate or focus your timeline in a variety of ways:
The project start date is indicated by a green vertical dashed line. The current date/time is indicated by an orange vertical line.
Mousing over the point at the top of either line will display the exact date.
Structure items are represented in the chart with bars.
Clicking the task bar will show the task details panel, which contains information about the task's timeline and resources.
If an element has children in a structure, it can be shown as a Group.
Dependencies are displayed as arrows between task bars.
For more information about managing dependencies, see Dependencies.
The Options menu in the Gantt toolbar allows you to select what elements should be shown in the chart.
These include:
If you have enabled Manual Scheduling and configured fields for the Start and Finish Dates in the configuration, you can adjust them by dragging a task to the desired location. You can also adjust them by changing JIRA fields, either on the issue page or right in the structure (if you have added the columns containing the date fields to your view).
As you set the Start/Finish Date, the task is considered to be scheduled manually. This means it will stay at the defined position regardless of its dependencies. To switch back to the Automatic scheduling mode, click the task to see the details panel and toggle the Scheduling option to Auto or remove the value from the corresponding field. |
For more information, see Scheduling Tasks.
You can use Time Tracking, Story Points or both to calculate task duration.
To adjust a task's duration:
For more information, see Adjusting Duration.
Dependencies are defined based on Issue Links. Changing dependencies creates or removes links between issues, and vice versa.
To create a Finish to Start dependency:
To create other types of dependencies, use the Link button in the toolbar.
To remove a dependency:
For more information about working with and configuring dependencies, see Working with Dependencies.
Tasks included in the critical path are highlighted in red. To switch off this highlighting:
Structure.Gantt highlights any scheduling conflicts with a red line (see picture). For example, for finish to start dependencies, if a task is scheduled for a date earlier than its predecessor's Finish Date, Gantt will highlight this conflict.
To deal with the conflict, click the task and select one of the following actions:
If there are any inconsistencies in the source data, the Gantt Info link will be shown on the right side of the Structure status bar (next to the Structure Info link at the bottom of the screen). Click the link to see details of the inconsistencies.
Structure.Gantt allows you to track resource usage on a project (or multiple projects). You can assign resources to issues using a Jira field (such as Assignee or a custom Team field) or a Structure attribute, such as a value calculated through Formulas. Once resources are configured, Structure.Gantt can list your resources and the number of hours assigned to each at a given time.
To set how resources are assigned:
For more information, see Resources and Working with Resources.
Once resources are assigned to tasks, Structure.Gantt can display the number of hours assigned to each resource at a given time.
To display the Resource Allocation Chart, click the Resources button or switch Layout to "Gantt + Resources."
For more information about working with resources, calendars and units, see Working with Resources.
For a more in-depth look at using Structure.Gantt, get started with our complete guide at Creating Your First Gantt Chart.