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Help-U-Plan is your free, simple, powerful, online service            to create and store timelines  (Gantt Charts)

why register/login? collaborative version

(new chart name & timescale)               About the Workspace         (of how the Workspace works)    contribute a history timeline    templates & timescales    backward planning    tutorials and videos    notes on usability    about the Gantt Chart    Gantt Chart terms

see 'Bath Remodel' full size        optional chart features

project mgmt info       project management       project planning       project mgmt software       project manager       Gantt Chart            related businesses

Template examples Business Plan U.S. history timeline Grant Application School Schedule Template Groups Construction Public Works Business Non-Profits Students History Timelines More Help How do I Start? Steps to a New Chart About Templates Creating a New Chart Printing a Chart Saving a Chart Questions FAQ's Login Questions Browser Support Cookies Backward Planning Definitions Information About Help-U-Plan About the Gantt Chart About Timescales Gantt Chart Data About Strategy About Planning About Scheduling What Help-U-Plan is What Help-U-Plan isn't Privacy

•  this page:    how this system can help you                              the Help-U-Plan idea                              optional Gantt Chart features                              personalize your chart                              why login?                              about the Gantt Chart •  how this system can help you Better graphic The clear, simple Gantt Chart has long proven useful for communicating a plan.  When it is important to communicate clearly,  reinforce your oral or written presentation with a Gantt Chart graphic.  Because our Timescale labels are based on text rather than on specific dates/times,  the Help-U-Plan Gantt Chart is more versatile.  You have the freedom to create a graphic that shows just what you want it to show. Easy to learn The Help-U-Plan process was developed to make the Gantt Chart available to many users,  regardless of their technical background.  We do much of the formatting for you.  Why spend 2 weeks and $400 to learn MS Project if you only need a Gantt Chart?  Many users can produce a usable Chart here the first time in 30 - 40 minutes. Less expensive Help-U-Plan can be your least expensive option for custom Gantt Charts (see prices below). Don't buy software Let Help-U-Plan keep your Gantt Chart software up-to-date.  You will never have to buy upgrades, or download, or install complicated software packages. •  The Help-U-Plan idea The Help-U-Plan service produces a clear,  concise timeline,  technically known as a Gantt Chart.  Our emphasis is on the appearance and legibility of the Chart.  It is the graphical presentation of your project information.  We try to make this process as simple as possible.  You shouldn't have to spend valuable time learning a program,  if all you need is a simple graphic. The idea for the development of this simple Gantt Chart tool came from Ron's experience in the scheduling department at Rancho Seco,  Sacramento's nuclear power facility.  In crisis and other ad hoc situations,  senior plant management used a similar graphic to communicate the proposed schedule to department heads and engineers.  By providing a copy of the schedule  (the Gantt Chart)  to each person in the meeting,  management was able to convey just what was expected to happen;  when;  and in what order.  The graphic,  accompanied by oral discussion,  produced more realistic schedules in time-critical situations.

•  Optional Chart features                        to top As well as showing Tasks,  Milestones, and Dependencies against a Timescale, your chart can show: Notebox (upper right of chart) Legend (lower left of chart) Progress/Tracking (illustrates present status) 'Cloud' or special color for a Milestone    ('clouding' is used in the Construction industry    to draw attention to a particular part) Upper Timescale Backward Planning    (start with a specific date and work backward) Add a graph    (show the effects of certain Tasks    or Milestones with an integrated line graph)

•  Personalize it! Enter your 'nickname' as the author  (appears at bottom-left of Chart) And,  select from among 35 colors for your Chart and Timescale backgrounds Do this in the    folder  (in the Workspace) Any of these 35 colors can be selected as background for a Note or the Legend -  found in the   folder Select one of these 35 colors as background for an Upper Timescale -  found in the    folder •  Why login (register)? You are welcome to use all parts of the Help-U-Plan service free of charge,  without registering.  Registered users are able to save their charts on our server for further use.  You can then access these stored charts at any time in the future by logging in.  Registration is free. Collaborative groups (collaborative version in Beta) can also use the application free of charge and store their charts.  We are still developing this collaboration feature.  We encourage you to try the collaborative version,  and see if you find it useful.   Feedback is always welcome. •   About the Gantt Chart                        to top The Gantt Chart was the invention of Henry Gantt in the early 1900's, to assist in the management of large projects.  This chart may be used as a presentation plan,  a timeline,  a proposal,  a project plan,  an organization chart,  a master plan,  or a schedule. A distinction between the Gantt Chart and other forms of timelines,  is that the Gantt Chart implies dependencies between Tasks/Milestones.  Help-U-Plan's Gantt Chart product uses an arrow/link to indicate these dependencies. A dependency means that the start of some Task depends on the progress of a preceding Task.  A clear example is that the concrete foundation for a house must be completed before the walls can be built.  This is very important information,  shown in a clear,  simple way in the Gantt Chart. The clean, clear Gantt Chart produced by the Help-U-Plan process is designed to communicate vital information at a glance.  For simplicity,  we do much of the formatting for you. Get your concepts down on paper.  Get organized.  Communicate important goals. Take copies of your plan to meetings for collaboration with your colleagues.  Ensure that others understand the plan.  Encourage feedback,  and  'buy-in'  for the successful completion of your project.

		Email:  ronc@helpuplan.com              bob@helpuplan.com
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