How the Gantt chart works
A Gantt chart is a visual aid from project management. It shows all tasks of a project on a timeline, with their duration and how they depend on each other. In Robaws every project has its own Gantt chart. It is separate from the project planning: what you plan here does not appear in the overview of the project planning and does not count towards the forecast. The Gantt chart is included in the Pro licence.
Creating a Gantt chart
You open the Gantt chart via the Project planning action button on the project file.
You can add various levels. Click the + sign next to the column names to add a main level, or the + sign next to a level to create a sub-level below it.
For every level you choose the type:
- Project: an overarching chapter, with various tasks below it.
- Task: work that has to be done. A task usually falls under a project.
- Milestone: a moment the project works towards, for example the handover.
On the Gantt chart you see these columns:
Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
Task name | What has to be done in this phase. |
Start time | When the phase starts. |
Workdays | The approximate number of workdays you foresee. This is for information only; Robaws does not calculate with it. |
Duration (d) | How many days the phase lasts. |
Duration (h) | That same duration in hours, at 8 hours per day. |
The duration only counts working hours: Robaws takes into account the default Weekly schedule from the employees settings and the leave periods. Non-working days are marked. With the two zoom buttons you view the planning per hour, per day or per week.
Relationships
The phases of a Gantt chart can depend on each other. To do so, connect the dots at the start and the end of the phases. If a phase moves, the phases that depend on it move along automatically.
Example: the shell works of a complete renovation can only start once the demolition works have been fully completed.
For every phase you can also set a Constraint, for example Start No Earlier Than or Must Finish On a certain date. Robaws takes it into account when it moves the phases automatically.
Inserting a standard planning
Do you often work with the same steps? Then make a template of them via Settings > Project planning > Project planning templates. In the Gantt chart of a project you then click the Add action button, choose the template and fill in the start date at From. With Paste Robaws adds the phases and relationships of the template, from that date.
If you create a new project from a template or another project, Robaws automatically takes over its Gantt chart, starting today.
Exporting
You can also export the Gantt chart:
- Export pdf: in the window, choose the period at From and Up to and including. How far you zoom in or out also determines what the pdf looks like.
- Export excel: you get the complete Gantt chart in Excel.
Example
Below is a complete example for a complete renovation. It contains various projects with tasks below them, and finally a milestone (handover). The phases are attached to each other via relationships and so move together.
- Project: Demolition and structural work
- Task: Demolition, brickwork, roofing, external joinery
- Project: Building services
- Task: Electrics, plumbing and heating, ventilation
- Project: Finishing
- Task: Plastering, screed, floors, kitchen and bathroom, interior joinery
- Milestone: Handover
Updated on: 16/10/2026
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