Yes, Tableau can create a dynamic Gantt chart from rows of dates and states. Gantt charts in Tableau are commonly used to visualize project timelines, progress, or task states over time.
Steps to Create a Dynamic Gantt Chart in Tableau
1. Prepare Your Data:
• Ensure your data has rows with at least a start date, end date (or duration), and a state (e.g., “In Progress,” “Completed,” etc.) for each task or project milestone.
• For Gantt charts, Tableau expects at least a start date and duration or end date to calculate the bar lengths.
2. Connect to Your Data Source:
• Import your data into Tableau and verify that the date fields are recognized as Date types.
3. Set Up the Gantt Chart:
• Rows: Drag a unique identifier for each task (like Task ID or Task Name) to the Rows shelf.
• Columns: Drag the start date to the Columns shelf to set the starting point of each Gantt bar.
• Marks Type: Set the Marks type to Gantt Bar.
4. Define Duration (Optional):
• If your data has only a start date, you’ll need a calculated field to represent the task duration. For example:
DATEDIFF('day', [Start Date], [End Date])
• Drag this calculated duration field to the Size shelf to adjust the length of the Gantt bars based on task length.
5. Add Task States for Color Coding:
• To add states dynamically, drag the State field (e.g., “In Progress,” “Completed”) to the Color shelf. This allows each bar to reflect the task’s state dynamically.
6. Add Filters for Interactivity:
• You can add filters for date ranges, specific task categories, or state filters to make your Gantt chart dynamic, allowing users to focus on specific tasks or time periods.
7. Adjusting the Timeline:
• Use the Pages shelf or add interactive date filters to dynamically control which date range is displayed, giving a real-time update based on selected dates.
Example Use Cases
This approach allows you to track project phases, visualize timelines for ongoing tasks, and quickly assess the status across various tasks. Tableau’s flexibility with Gantt charts enables rich customization and interactive functionality for exploring complex project timelines and status indicators .