Purpose
The Planner module enables project managers to plan and visualize complex projects using an interactive Gantt Chart interface. Create detailed project timelines with tasks, milestones, and dependencies to see how work items relate to each other and identify critical paths. The Gantt Chart provides a powerful visual representation of project schedules, showing task durations, overlapping activities, and sequential dependencies. Export planner data to Excel or PDF formats for sharing with stakeholders, and use zoom controls to adjust the timeline view from daily details to multi-month overviews.
Planner List
View and manage all active planner records
- Create new planner records for different projects or phases
- Edit planner names to reflect project scope
- Duplicate existing planners to reuse project templates
- Delete planners that are no longer needed
- Click any planner to view the Gantt Chart and manage tasks
List View Actions
The "+" icon in the Planner List creates a new blank planner record where you can begin building your project schedule.
| "+" icon | Create a new Planner record. Opens a blank Gantt Chart where you can add tasks and milestones. |
The Hamburger icon (≡) next to each planner provides quick access to edit, duplicate, or delete operations.
| Edit | Modify the name of the selected planner record. |
| Duplicate | Create a copy of the selected planner record, including all tasks and dependencies. Useful for creating project templates. |
| Delete | Permanently delete the selected planner record and all associated tasks. |
Selected Planner Record
Gantt Chart view with task management and export tools
When a planner is selected from the list view, the Gantt Chart displays all tasks and milestones in a visual timeline format. Use the toolbar to add tasks, manage dependencies, export data, and adjust the timeline view using zoom controls.
Gantt Chart Toolbar
The toolbar provides all essential controls for managing tasks and viewing the Gantt Chart.
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Add | Create a new task record or milestone within the planner. |
| Edit | Edit the selected task, including name, dates, duration, and dependencies. |
| Delete | Delete the selected task from the planner. |
| Expand all | Display all task dependencies for every task in the planner. |
| Collapse all | Hide all task dependencies to simplify the view. |
| Excel export | Generate an Excel export of the planner data, including all tasks, dates, and durations. |
| Pdf export | Generate a PDF export of the Gantt Chart for printing or distribution. |
| Zoom in | Decrease the number of days displayed in the timeline, showing more detail for individual tasks. |
| Zoom out | Increase the number of days displayed in the timeline, showing a broader project overview. |
| Zoom to fit | Automatically adjust the timeline to display the entire project duration from earliest start to latest finish. |
| Search | Perform a text search within the planner record to quickly find specific tasks. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions and step-by-step guidance for working with the Planner module
Getting Started
Create a new planner to begin building your project schedule.
- Navigate to Planning → Planner
- Click the "+" icon in the Planner List
- Enter a descriptive name for your planner (e.g., "Q1 Commercial Construction Project")
- Click Save to create the planner and open the Gantt Chart view
Add tasks and milestones to build your project schedule.
- Open the planner by clicking it in the Planner List
- Click the Add button in the toolbar
- Enter the task name, start date, and duration
- For milestones, set duration to 0 days
- Click Save to add the task to the Gantt Chart
Tip: Use clear, descriptive task names that identify the specific work to be completed (e.g., "Pour Foundation" instead of "Foundation Work").
Duplicate existing planners to reuse project schedules for similar work.
- Navigate to Planning → Planner
- Click the Hamburger icon (≡) next to the planner you want to copy
- Select Duplicate
- Edit the name of the new planner to reflect the new project
- Adjust task dates and details as needed for the new project
Task Dependencies
Task dependencies define which tasks must complete before others can begin, creating a sequential workflow in your project schedule.
- Open the planner and click the task you want to edit
- Click the Edit button
- Locate the Dependencies field
- Select the task(s) that must complete before this task can start
- Click Save to establish the dependency relationship
Note: When you set a dependency, the Gantt Chart will automatically draw connector lines between related tasks, showing the sequential relationship visually.
Use the Expand/Collapse controls to show or hide dependency connections for all tasks.
- Open the planner in Gantt Chart view
- Click Expand all to display all dependency lines and relationships
- Click Collapse all to hide dependency lines and simplify the view
The critical path is the sequence of dependent tasks that determines the minimum project duration. Any delay in critical path tasks will delay the entire project.
To identify the critical path:
- Click Expand all to display all task dependencies
- Trace the longest connected sequence of tasks from project start to finish
- Tasks with no scheduling flexibility (zero slack) are on the critical path
- Monitor critical path tasks closely as delays will impact project completion
Tip: Focus your project management efforts on critical path tasks. Non-critical tasks have some scheduling flexibility and can be delayed without impacting the overall project timeline.
Viewing & Navigation
Zoom controls adjust how much of the timeline is visible in the Gantt Chart, from detailed daily views to multi-month overviews.
| Control | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Zoom in | Decreases the number of days displayed, showing more detail for individual tasks. Use this when you need to see specific dates and short-duration tasks clearly. |
| Zoom out | Increases the number of days displayed, showing a broader project overview. Use this to see the entire project timeline or multiple months at once. |
| Zoom to fit | Automatically adjusts the zoom level to display the entire project from the earliest task start date to the latest finish date. Use this to see all tasks without scrolling. |
Use the Search feature to quickly locate tasks by name or keyword.
- Open the planner in Gantt Chart view
- Click the Search button in the toolbar
- Enter the task name or keyword
- The Gantt Chart will highlight matching tasks
Export & Sharing
Both export formats serve different purposes for sharing planner data.
Best for: Data manipulation, analysis, and further planning
Contains:
- Task names and descriptions
- Start dates and end dates
- Task durations
- Dependency information
- Data in spreadsheet format for sorting and filtering
Use when: You need to modify the schedule, perform calculations, or import into other project management tools.
Best for: Printing, client presentations, and visual sharing
Contains:
- Visual Gantt Chart timeline
- Task bars showing durations
- Dependency lines (if expanded)
- Date headers and milestones
- Print-ready format for documentation
Use when: You need to share the visual timeline with clients, stakeholders, or team members who don't need to edit the data.
Export your planner data to share with team members, clients, or stakeholders.
- Open the planner you want to export
- For Excel data export, click Excel export
- For visual Gantt Chart export, click Pdf export
- The file will download to your computer
- Open the file to review before sharing
Tip: Before exporting to PDF, use Zoom to fit to ensure all tasks are visible in the exported chart, and click Expand all if you want dependency lines to appear in the PDF.
Configuration & Administration
Access to the Planner module is controlled by user permissions. If you cannot see or access this module:
- Contact your system administrator
- Request the Module Access (Planner) permission (ID #1473)
- Once granted, you'll find the module in Planning → Planner
Note: Administrators can manage permissions in Settings → Users / Access → select user → Access tab.
The ability to delete planners requires a specific security permission. If you cannot delete planner records:
- Contact your system administrator
- Request the Delete Planner permission (ID #1563)
- This permission is found in the Planner section of user access settings