Gantt Chart Planning Board

Overview

The Gantt Chart Planning Board is a powerful visual scheduling tool that helps you plan, organize, and track work orders over time. It provides an interactive timeline view where you can manage work orders, their dependencies, and scheduling details all in one place.

Accessing the Gantt chart

Navigate to the Planning Board section in the application.
Select the Gantt View tab.
The Gantt chart will display with a collapsible sidebar on the left and the timeline on the right.

Key features

1. Work order display

Each work order is displayed as a horizontal bar on the timeline showing:

Work order name and, if an asset is assigned, the asset's external ID in bold (e.g., WT-01)
Start date and end date
Progress percentage (shown as a filled portion of the bar)
Priority indicator (color-coded left border):
- 🔴 Red: Urgent
- 🟠 Orange: High
- 🟡 Yellow: Medium
- 🟢 Green: Low
Lock icon (🔒) if the work order has a locked actual start date
Warning icon (⚠️) if the primary bar start date is before the earliest allowed start date, or if the primary bar end date is after the latest allowed finish date
Warning icon (⚠️) on the work order name if the work order overlaps with another work order on the same asset

⚠️ Important: Date locking behavior

Actual start date is automatically locked when the first activity on the work order is marked as complete. Once locked, you cannot move the task or adjust its start date in the Gantt chart.

Actual finish date is automatically locked when the work order is closed. Once closed, the end date becomes fixed.

These locks prevent accidental changes to dates that reflect actual work execution.

2. Timeline navigation & zoom controls

Zoom levels:

Level	Breakdown
Day view	Hourly breakdown
Week view	Daily breakdown
Month view	Weekly breakdown (default)
Quarter view	Monthly breakdown
Year view	Quarterly breakdown

Controls:

🔍➖ Zoom Out — See a broader time range
🔍➕ Zoom In — See more detail
↔️ Fit to Zoom — Reset to the optimal zoom level for your date range
Date Picker — Jump to a specific date range

3. Row density

The toolbar includes a Density Toggle that controls how compact the Gantt rows appear:

Mode	Row height	When to use
Default	Normal (35 px)	Standard planning view
Compact	Reduced (24 px)	When you need to see more work orders at once without scrolling

Your density preference is automatically saved and restored between sessions.

4. Work order management

Adding work orders:

Click the + Add Work Order button in the left sidebar.
Fill in the work order details in the modal.
The work order will appear in the Gantt chart.

Editing work orders:

Double-click on any work order bar to open the detailed edit modal. Modify dates, status, assignments, and other properties.

Adjusting dates:

Drag the entire bar to move the work order to different dates (only if the actual start date is not locked).
Drag the left edge to adjust the start date (only if no activities are completed).
Drag the right edge to adjust the end date (only if the work order is not closed).
Changes are automatically saved after dragging.
When you drag a task in the Gantt chart, a change log entry is automatically created recording the old and new planned dates for audit purposes.

Date modification restrictions:

Work order status	Can move task	Can adjust start	Can adjust end
Not started (no activities completed)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
In Progress (≥1 activity completed)	❌ No	❌ No (🔒 locked)	✅ Yes
Closed	❌ No	❌ No (🔒 locked)	❌ No (🔒 locked)

5. Task dependencies (links)

Creating dependencies:

Connect work orders by dragging from one task to another. Dependencies show which work orders must be completed before others can start.

Dependency types: The system supports standard project management link types (Finish-to-Start, Start-to-Start, etc.).

Viewing dependencies:

Dependencies appear as arrows connecting work orders.
Hover over a link to see it highlighted.
Critical path links are highlighted in red.

6. Auto-scheduling

The auto-scheduling feature automatically adjusts task dates based on their dependencies.

To use auto-scheduling:

Click the "Auto schedule tasks" button.
The system will recalculate dates for dependent tasks.
A modal will appear showing any date changes.
Review and confirm the changes.

When to use:

After adding new dependencies
After modifying dates of tasks with dependencies
To optimise the project timeline

⚠️ Note: Auto-scheduling will respect locked dates. Work orders with locked actual start dates (due to completed activities) will not be moved during auto-scheduling.

7. Critical path analysis

The critical path shows the sequence of tasks that determines the minimum project duration.

To enable:

Check the "Critical Path" checkbox in the toolbar.
Tasks on the critical path will be highlighted with a red border.
Links on the critical path will be shown in red.

Why it matters:

Delays in critical path tasks will delay the entire project. Focus efforts on critical tasks to keep projects on schedule.

8. Primary bar & secondary bar ⭐

This feature gives you full control over what dates the main task bar and the comparison bar display, making it easy to compare planned, actual, and baseline dates side by side.

Primary bar

The primary bar is the main task bar shown in the timeline. Use the "Primary Bar" dropdown in the filter and grouping section to choose what dates it represents:

Option	Description
Actual (default)	Displays actual start and finish dates
Planned	Displays planned start and finish dates

If the selected primary bar dates are not set on a work order, the system automatically falls back to the alternative date pair, then to the baseline (earliest/latest) dates, so the work order is always visible when possible.

Secondary bar

The secondary bar appears as a smaller, semi-transparent bar behind the primary bar. Use the "Secondary Bar" dropdown to configure what it displays:

Option	Description
Baseline (default)	Shows the baseline (earliest start / latest finish) dates
Planned	Shows the planned start and finish dates
Off	Hides the secondary bar entirely

The two bar modes have distinct visual styles:

Baseline secondary bar: Translucent blue bar
Planned secondary bar: Translucent orange/amber bar

Overdue indicator

If the primary bar end date extends beyond the secondary bar's end date, the number of days overdue is displayed to the right of the task bar (e.g., "3 days overdue").

Setting baselines

Select one or more tasks in the Gantt chart.
Click the "Set Baseline" button.
This saves the planned dates as the baseline for future comparison.

💡 Tip: Both the primary bar mode and secondary bar mode selections are saved to your browser and restored automatically the next time you open the Gantt chart.

9. Grid columns customisation

Customise visible columns:

Click the ⚙️ Settings icon in the grid header.
Select which columns to display (maximum 5).

Available columns include:

Work Order Name
Asset Name
Planned Start Date
Planned Finish Date
Techs Required
And more...

Resizing columns:

You can drag the edge of any column header to resize it. Column widths are automatically saved to your browser and restored the next time you open the Gantt chart.

10. Filtering work orders

Use the Filter Panel on the left to narrow down displayed work orders:

Filter by site
Filter by asset
Filter by status
Filter by assigned team
Search by work order name or number

11. Tooltips

Hover over any work order to see a detailed tooltip showing:

Work order name
Asset information
Start and end dates
Completion percentage
Time spent vs. estimated time
Current status
Plan assignment

Settings: Company administrators can enable/disable:

Activity remarks in tooltips
Internal remarks in tooltips

12. Grouping

The grouping dropdown is located in the filters and grouping section above the Gantt chart. Look for the "Group By" selector.

Available grouping options:

Option	Description
None	Displays all work orders in a flat list without grouping
By Work Order Plan	Groups work orders by their associated plan; work orders without a plan appear under "No plan"
By Asset	Groups work orders by asset (label shows external ID and name, e.g., "WT-01 - Wind Turbine Alpha"); unassigned work orders appear under "Unassigned"
By Type	Groups work orders by work order type (e.g., Preventive Maintenance, Corrective Maintenance); work orders without a type appear under "No type"

How to use grouping:

Select a grouping mode from the dropdown above the Gantt chart.
The chart will automatically reorganise into collapsible groups.
Click the +/– button next to each group to expand or collapse it.
Select "None" at any time to return to the ungrouped view.

💡 Tips:

Your grouping preference is saved in local storage and remembered between sessions.

Grouping works seamlessly with pagination — your grouping preference persists as you navigate pages.

Combine grouping with date filters, site filters, and other filter options for maximum insight.

Advanced features

Multi-select

Hold Ctrl/Cmd and click multiple tasks to select them. Perform batch operations (e.g., Set Baseline) on selected tasks.

Weekend highlighting

Weekends are automatically highlighted in a darker shade to distinguish them from working days.

Read-only mode

Some work orders may be read-only based on permissions or status. These cannot be modified in the Gantt chart.

Understanding date locks

The system automatically locks dates to maintain data integrity once work has begun or completed.

Actual start date lock (🔒)


Triggers when	The first activity/checklist item on the work order is marked as complete
Prevents	Moving the entire task bar; resizing from the left edge (adjusting start date)
Reason	Once work has actually started, the start date reflects reality and should not be changed in planning
How to identify	A lock icon (🔒) appears on the task bar

Actual finish date lock (🔒)


Triggers when	The work order status is set to "Closed"
Prevents	Resizing from the right edge (adjusting end date); moving the task to extend beyond its closed date
Reason	Closed work orders represent completed work with actual finish dates
Impact	The end date becomes a fixed historical record

💡 Planning tip: Keep these locking behaviours in mind when planning:

Schedule work orders with some buffer time before dependencies.

Update planned dates before starting work on activities.

Use the primary/secondary bar configuration to compare planned vs. actual dates.

Best practices

Use dependencies to show relationships between tasks.
Enable critical path when managing complex projects with many dependencies.
Regularly auto-schedule after making changes to ensure dates remain consistent.
Set baselines before project execution to track performance.
Use appropriate zoom levels — Month view is the default and works well for most planning scenarios.
Use the Primary Bar / Secondary Bar settings to compare actual progress against your baseline or planned dates.
Switch to Compact density when you need to review a large number of work orders at once.
Filter and group strategically when working with large numbers of work orders.
Plan before executing — Adjust dates before starting activities to avoid locked dates.
Monitor lock icons — 🔒 indicates work has begun and dates are now actual, not planned.

Keyboard & mouse tips

Action	Result
Double-click a task bar	Open edit modal
Drag task bar	Move dates (only if not locked)
Drag task edge	Resize (change duration, respecting locks)
Click and drag from one task to another	Create dependency
Scroll wheel	Scroll timeline horizontally
Shift + Scroll wheel	Scroll timeline horizontally (alternative)
Ctrl/Cmd + Click	Multi-select tasks

Troubleshooting

Work order won't move

Check if the actual start date is locked (🔒 icon visible).
Cause: At least one activity has been completed.
Solution: Dates must be edited in the work order detail view, not the Gantt chart.
Verify you have edit permissions.

Can't adjust start date

The actual start date is locked because work has begun.
Locked when: First activity marked as complete.
Workaround: If dates need correction, contact an administrator or use the work order edit modal.

Can't adjust end date

The work order is closed, locking the actual finish date.
Locked when: Work order status set to "Closed".
Workaround: Reopen the work order if dates need adjustment.

Warning icon (⚠️) appears on a task bar

The primary bar dates fall outside the allowed date window (earliest start / latest finish) set on the work order, or the work order overlaps with another on the same asset.
Hover over the warning icon for a detailed message.
Adjust the work order dates or the allowed date window to resolve the conflict.

Task bar shows overdue label

The primary bar end date is later than the secondary bar end date.
The number shown is the difference in days.
Review the work order's actual or planned dates against the baseline.

Dependencies won't create

Ensure the link would not create a circular dependency.
Check that both tasks are visible and not filtered out.

Auto-scheduling doesn't work

Ensure tasks have proper dependency links.
Check that tasks have valid dates.
Note: Tasks with locked actual start dates will not be rescheduled.

Column widths reset unexpectedly

Column widths are saved to your browser's local storage. Clearing your browser cache or local storage will reset them to their defaults.

Changes not saving

Check your internet connection.
Verify you have the necessary permissions.
Look for error messages in the bottom-right corner.