Structure Project Phases in Gantt Charts

To structure the project into phases, use summary or hammock activities.

Using Summary Activities

Each bar line can contain only one summary activity, but also other activities.

Hammock activities are similar to summary activities, but they can summarize activities from different sub-projects that might not be related. Here is a synopsis:

  • A summary activity is a parent activity that integrates/groups multiple regular activities within a sub-project. The coordinates of a summary activity (time and distance) are always defined by the position and duration of its subordinate activities. If a summary activity is moved, all subordinate activities are moved in relation. Summary activities can be linked in the same way as regular activities.

In a time-distance cell, a summary activity can be displayed either expanded (subordinates are shown) or collapsed (subordinates are hidden). The display changes depending on the status of the summary activity.

  • A hammock activity is a parent activity that monitors activities from one or more sub-projects. The distance positioning can be calculated either from the allocated activities or freely. Hammock activities summarize only the total duration of grouped activities. Activities contained in hammock activities are not moved from their original position.

A hammock activity can also be displayed expanded or collapsed.

A summary activity is used to group related activities together within a subproject, called summary group. It can be expanded or closed. An expanded Summary Activity displays the summary group of Activities which build the Summary Activity. When it is closed, the summary group is not visible but is shown in a different Gantt form.

Inside the column 'Bar line title' a plus sign '+' appears in front of the Summary Activity symbol of the tree structure in this column. Click the plus sign to open or close the Summary Activity as needed. The Summary Activity summarizes the whole rows. The position and duration of a Summary Activity result from the position and duration of all Activities within a summary group.

Create Summary Activities

  1. Create or select an activity inside the Gantt Chart.

  2. On the tab 'General' select the from the drop-down menu the Type of Activity as 'Summary Activity'.

or

  1. Create or choose an activity Inside the Gantt Chart.

  2. Set a right mouse click at the Activity and choose from the context menu 'Activity Type'/ 'Convert to Summary Activity' to convert the selected Single Activity into a Summary Activity.

Add activities to a summary activity

After creating an empty summary activity add a new activity by drawing it directly in a row below. If the summary activity is expanded all new activities drawn directly below its summary group will be assigned to the summary activity. Close the summary activity to draw new activities which will not be taken into its structure.

To add an existing activity to a summary group, click and hold it with the left mouse click and via drag-and-ddrop add it to the required saummary Activity. The activity will be taken into the structure of a summary activity.

Another possibility is to select an activity to add it by right-clicking to access the context menu. Choose 'Activity Type'/ 'Add To Summary ...'.

The dialog 'Add Activity To Summary' appears. Choose the required Summary Activity to add it to by activating the check box of the column 'Selected'. Confirm with 'OK and the Activity will be taken into the chosen summary group.

Delete an activity from a summary group

To delete an Activity from a summary group select it and press the key 'Delete' and the selected Activity will be removed from Gantt Chart.

Alternatively, select an Activity via 'Drag and Drop' to remove it from the summary group outside this group and place it in a required row. In this case the selected Activity is still available in the Gantt Chart.

Using Hammock Activities

Hammock Activities are similar to summary Activities, but they can summarize Activities from different subprojects which might not be related. The Activities that are contained in hammock Activities are not moved from their original position.

Hammock Activities summarize only the total duration of grouped Activities. It can be expanded and closed. An expanded Hammock Activity displays the Hammock group of Activities which build the Hammock Activity. When it is closed, the group is not visible but shown in a different Gantt form.

Inside the column 'Bar line title' a plus sign '+' appears in front of the Hammock Activity symbol of the tree structure in this column. Click the plus sign to open or close the Hammock as needed. The position and duration of a Hammock results from the position and duration of all Activities within a group of collected Activities.

Creating Hammock Activities

  1. Create or select an Activity inside the Gantt Chart.

  2. On the tab 'General' select the from the drop down menu the Type of Activity as 'Hammock Activity'.

or

  1. Create or choose an Activity inside the Gantt Chart.

  2. Set a right mouse click at the Activity and choose from the context menu 'Activity Type'/ 'Convert to Hammock Activity' to convert the selected Single Activity into a Hammock Activity.

Adding Activities to Hammock Activity

After creating an empty Hammock Activity add Activities to it.

To add an existing Activity to a Hammock Activity, click and hold it with the left mouse click and via 'Drag and Drop' add it to the required Hammock Activity. The Activity will be taken into the structure of a Hammock Activity.

Another possibility is to select an Activity to add it by a right mouse click from the context menu. Choose 'Activity Type'/ 'Add To Hammock ...'.

The dialog 'Add Activity To Hammock' appears. Choose the required Hammock Activity to add it to by activating the check box of the column 'Selected'. Confirm with 'OK and the Activity will be taken into the Hammock.

To remove an Activity from a hammock, select a required Activity from a Hammock group by a right mouse click via context menu. Choose 'Activity Type'/ 'Remove Activity from Hammock ...'. In this case the selected Activity is still available in the Gantt Chart.