Short Pitch
Gantt Chart Maker (Timeline Task Planner) is a native Microsoft Excel COM add-in engineered to convert standard spreadsheet task lists into dynamic, interactive Gantt charts automatically. Built for project managers, operations directors, engineers, and consultants, the software brings enterprise-grade scheduling logic directly into your .xlsx workbooks. Available for enterprise procurement on the Microsoft Store and Microsoft Marketplace, it delivers complex dependency cascading, custom resource working calendars, and target baseline variance analysis without forcing your team to surrender data control to third-party web platforms.
Maker Story / Why I Built It
Most modern project management applications force teams onto expensive SaaS cloud platforms, monthly per-seat web subscriptions, and proprietary file formats. For organizations managing confidential engineering data, client financial timelines, or internal operations, sending sensitive task structures to external web servers poses significant data privacy risks. On the other side of the spectrum, traditional Excel timeline templates rely on fragile cell formulas, complex INDEX/MATCH logic, or manual shape drawing that breaks whenever a task schedule shifts.
I built Gantt Chart Maker as a high-performance Windows COM add-in to bridge this exact gap. It integrates a dedicated, desktop-class project calculation engine straight into standard Excel workbooks. By leveraging native desktop components, users get instant visual feedback, auto-updating WBS hierarchies, and interactive timeline bars—all while keeping 100% of their project data safely stored on local disk drives, internal network shares, or private company servers.
Key Features
Automated Timeline Engine: Simply enter task titles, start dates, and durations into standard Excel rows to automatically render color-coded Gantt chart bars, milestones, and status indicators.
4-Type Dependency Cascading: Connect upstream and downstream tasks using Finish-to-Start (FS), Start-to-Start (SS), Finish-to-Finish (FF), and Start-to-Finish (SF) links. When a task is delayed, linked successor schedules automatically recalculate downstream.
Baseline Variance Analysis: Lock initial target baseline plans to visually compare original schedule estimates against real-time project execution progress, exposing scope creep and schedule drift early.
Smart Resource & Holiday Calendars: Configure custom work weeks, rest days, and regional corporate holiday schedules so net duration calculations accurately skip non-working periods.
Multi-Scale Timeline Views: Instantly toggle visual grid scales between Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Half-Yearly, and Yearly views, complete with standard ISO week numbering.
100% Local Data Control: Runs entirely within your desktop environment. All project metadata remains inside native .xlsx files and local Microsoft Access (.accdb) databases without external cloud data transmission.
Enterprise Marketplace Distribution: Easily license, deploy, and update the software across IT environments via the Microsoft Store and Microsoft Marketplace.
Presentation-Ready PDF Exports: Export high-resolution vector diagrams and formatted schedule summaries directly to PDF using native Excel printing features.
Tech Specs & System Requirements
Host Operating Systems: Windows 10, Windows 11 (32-bit and 64-bit support)
Host Application: Desktop Microsoft Excel (COM Add-in Architecture)
Data Storage Formats: Native .xlsx workbooks, local/network Microsoft Access (.accdb) database engine
Pricing Model: Desktop SaaS Subscription ($3.49 / user per month; fully functional free trial available.
