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Getting startedBeginner13 min read· Published on October 13, 2026

A Gantt chart in Power BI, from portfolio to critical path

Get started with Gantt Plume: turn a task table into a collapsible project › phase › task plan with milestones and a status date, in 15 minutes.

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In short

What the visual does. Gantt Plume turns a simple list of tasks into a project plan. On the left, a task grid (owner, dates, progress…). On the right, a timeline where each task is a bar, from its start date to its end date. Think of a site manager's wall planner: projects fold like folders, and the reader zooms in and out on their own, from hours to years.

When to use it:

  • track one or more projects broken down into phases and tasks;
  • show what blocks what (dependencies) and which tasks must not slip (critical path);
  • compare the actual plan with the plan agreed at the start;
  • see each person's workload (time off, job sites, machines).

When to use something else: for a simple task list with no dates to visualize, a table is enough (Table Plume). The visual does not move tasks with the mouse and does not reschedule the plan: it displays the dates in your data, without changing the source.

By the end, you will know how to:

  • prepare a task table and turn it into a collapsible project › phase › task plan;
  • enter dependencies in MS Project format (English or French notation) and show the critical path;
  • compare actuals with the baseline and color tasks by status;
  • switch to the Resources view to spot overloads;
  • export the whole plan to PDF on a single page.

What you need:

  • Power BI Desktop (a recent version);
  • the Gantt Plume visual installed (see the common basics, "Install a Plume visual");
  • a table with one row per task, containing at least a task name and a start date.

The data to provide

The expected shape

Gantt Plume expects one row per task (or per bar). Each piece of information is a column (a column is a field in your table, with one value per row: name, date, owner…):

  • the task name and its start date, at a minimum;
  • the end date (or a duration);
  • the groups: one column per hierarchy level (project, then phase). No "parent" column needed: the visual builds the tree from these columns;
  • a unique ID per task, if you want dependencies.

Only four fields expect a measure (a calculation written in DAX, Power BI's formula language, that returns a value depending on the context): duration, progress, bar color and tooltips. Why a measure for progress? Because it lets the visual compute the progress of a task, and also that of each group (an average weighted by task duration).

The sample dataset

A home goods retailer is tracking two projects: opening a store in Bordeaux and launching an online store. Fictitious data, as of Oct 15, 2026.

IDProjectPhaseTaskStartEndPlanned startPlanned endOwnerTeamMilestonePredecessors% completeRankNoteBudget €k
A1Bordeaux storeFeasibilityMarket study2026-04-072026-05-152026-04-072026-05-15Claire DuboisManagementNo1218
A2Bordeaux storeFeasibilityLease signed2026-05-182026-05-182026-05-182026-05-18Hugo LambertManagementYesA1120
A3Bordeaux storeFeasibilityBuilding permit2026-05-192026-07-312026-05-192026-07-10Paul MartinConstructionNoA212Neighbor's appeal6
A4Bordeaux storeConstructionStructural work2026-08-032026-09-252026-07-202026-09-11Paul MartinConstructionNoA312240
A5Bordeaux storeConstructionElectrical and lighting2026-08-242026-10-092026-08-102026-09-25Karim HaddadConstructionNoA4SS+150.72Waiting for equipment85
A6Bordeaux storeConstructionInterior fit-out2026-10-122026-11-132026-09-282026-10-30Léa MoreauConstructionNoA502120
A7Bordeaux storeOpeningTeam hiring2026-09-142026-11-062026-09-142026-11-06Sophie BernardHRNoA30.55212
A8Bordeaux storeOpeningGrand opening2026-11-162026-11-162026-11-022026-11-02Hugo LambertManagementYesA6;A70215
B1Online storeDesignMockups2026-06-012026-06-262026-06-012026-06-26Inès GarciaDigitalNo1120
B2Online storeDevelopmentSite development2026-06-292026-10-022026-06-292026-10-02Thomas PetitDigitalNoB11195
B3Online storeLaunchSales staff training2026-10-052026-10-232026-10-052026-10-23Sophie BernardHRNoB20.6110
B4Online storeLaunchGo-live2026-10-262026-10-262026-10-262026-10-26Hugo LambertManagementYesB3015

How to read a few rows:

  • A2 and A8 are milestones (a milestone is a one-off event with no duration: a signing, a grand opening). They are drawn as diamonds.
  • A5 has A4SS+15 as its predecessor: electrical work starts 15 business days after the start of structural work (a Start → Start link). The format is detailed in "The visual's fields".
  • Planned start and Planned end keep the original plan: they feed the baseline (★).
  • Rank sets the order of the projects: the online store (1) comes before the Bordeaux store (2).

The same dataset, ready to paste

In Power BI Desktop, on the Modeling tab › New table, paste this code. It creates a calculated table (a table produced by a DAX formula, with no source file) named Tasks.

Tasks =
DATATABLE (
    "ID", STRING,
    "Project", STRING,
    "Phase", STRING,
    "Task", STRING,
    "Start", DATETIME,
    "End", DATETIME,
    "Planned start", DATETIME,
    "Planned end", DATETIME,
    "Owner", STRING,
    "Team", STRING,
    "Milestone", STRING,
    "Predecessors", STRING,
    "% complete", DOUBLE,
    "Rank", INTEGER,
    "Note", STRING,
    "Budget €k", DOUBLE,
    {
        { "A1", "Bordeaux store", "Feasibility", "Market study", "2026-04-07", "2026-05-15", "2026-04-07", "2026-05-15", "Claire Dubois", "Management", "No", "", 1, 2, "", 18 },
        { "A2", "Bordeaux store", "Feasibility", "Lease signed", "2026-05-18", "2026-05-18", "2026-05-18", "2026-05-18", "Hugo Lambert", "Management", "Yes", "A1", 1, 2, "", 0 },
        { "A3", "Bordeaux store", "Feasibility", "Building permit", "2026-05-19", "2026-07-31", "2026-05-19", "2026-07-10", "Paul Martin", "Construction", "No", "A2", 1, 2, "Neighbor's appeal", 6 },
        { "A4", "Bordeaux store", "Construction", "Structural work", "2026-08-03", "2026-09-25", "2026-07-20", "2026-09-11", "Paul Martin", "Construction", "No", "A3", 1, 2, "", 240 },
        { "A5", "Bordeaux store", "Construction", "Electrical and lighting", "2026-08-24", "2026-10-09", "2026-08-10", "2026-09-25", "Karim Haddad", "Construction", "No", "A4SS+15", 0.7, 2, "Waiting for equipment", 85 },
        { "A6", "Bordeaux store", "Construction", "Interior fit-out", "2026-10-12", "2026-11-13", "2026-09-28", "2026-10-30", "Léa Moreau", "Construction", "No", "A5", 0, 2, "", 120 },
        { "A7", "Bordeaux store", "Opening", "Team hiring", "2026-09-14", "2026-11-06", "2026-09-14", "2026-11-06", "Sophie Bernard", "HR", "No", "A3", 0.55, 2, "", 12 },
        { "A8", "Bordeaux store", "Opening", "Grand opening", "2026-11-16", "2026-11-16", "2026-11-02", "2026-11-02", "Hugo Lambert", "Management", "Yes", "A6;A7", 0, 2, "", 15 },
        { "B1", "Online store", "Design", "Mockups", "2026-06-01", "2026-06-26", "2026-06-01", "2026-06-26", "Inès Garcia", "Digital", "No", "", 1, 1, "", 20 },
        { "B2", "Online store", "Development", "Site development", "2026-06-29", "2026-10-02", "2026-06-29", "2026-10-02", "Thomas Petit", "Digital", "No", "B1", 1, 1, "", 95 },
        { "B3", "Online store", "Launch", "Sales staff training", "2026-10-05", "2026-10-23", "2026-10-05", "2026-10-23", "Sophie Bernard", "HR", "No", "B2", 0.6, 1, "", 10 },
        { "B4", "Online store", "Launch", "Go-live", "2026-10-26", "2026-10-26", "2026-10-26", "2026-10-26", "Hugo Lambert", "Management", "Yes", "B3", 0, 1, "", 5 }
    }
)

Tip: once the table is created, select the Start, End, Planned start and Planned end columns and set their type to Date (Column tools tab › Data type). The "00:00:00" times disappear from the task grid.

The DAX measures to create

Select the Tasks table, then Home › New measure, and paste each measure separately.

// Task progress, between 0 and 1 (0% to 100%)
Progress =
AVERAGE ( Tasks[% complete] )   // one row per task: the average simply returns its value

// ★ Alert color: red for a task whose end date has passed without being finished
Alert color =
IF (
    MAX ( Tasks[% complete] ) < 1                     // the task is not finished…
        && MAX ( Tasks[End] ) < DATE ( 2026, 10, 15 ), // …and it ends before the status date
    "#C0392B"                                         // then: red
)                                                     // otherwise: blank = the bar keeps its usual color

The second measure is only used by the Bar color (measure) ★ field (how-to guide "How do I color tasks by status?"). In a real report, replace DATE ( 2026, 10, 15 ) with TODAY ().

Data preparation pitfalls

  • Dates: Start and End must be real dates (Date or Date/time type). ISO text (2026-05-19, with or without a time, time zone or "Z") and dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm:ss are read too. A date outside 1900–2200 (for example 12/31/9999 for "no end") is ignored and flagged in edit mode.
  • Date Hierarchy: when you drag a date, Power BI often replaces it with a "Date Hierarchy" (Year › Quarter › Month › Day). Gantt Plume needs the date itself (see step 6 of the walkthrough).
  • IDs: one ID per task, no duplicates. The comparison ignores case (a3 = A3).
  • Same task name in the same group: by default, two rows with the same name in the same phase share a single row of the plan (several bars). Give different tasks different names, or turn off Rows and hierarchy › Same task = same row (several bars).
  • Progress: 0 to 1 or 0 to 100, both are understood. Stay consistent across the whole column.
  • Volume: 30,000 rows are loaded at once, then the visual automatically fetches more, up to 100,000. Beyond that, it stops and says so: filter the page (project, period).

Step by step: your first Gantt Plume in 15 minutes

  1. In Modeling › New table, paste the DATATABLE code from "The data to provide" and confirm. The Tasks table appears in the Data pane with 12 rows.

  2. With the Tasks table selected, click Home › New measure and paste the Progress measure. The Progress measure (calculator icon) appears in the table.

  3. In the Visualizations pane, click the Gantt Plume icon, then enlarge the visual to cover almost the whole page. The visual shows a welcome screen that lists the fields to fill in.

  4. Drag Project, then Phase, into the Groups (project, phase…) well, in that order. The order matters: the first field is the broadest level.

  5. Drag Task into the Task well.

  6. Drag Start into the Start well. If the well shows Date Hierarchy, click the arrow next to the field and choose Start. Each task appears, for now as a diamond: without an end, a task is a milestone.

  7. Drag End into the End well. The diamonds become bars, except Lease signed, Grand opening and Go-live (start = end).

  8. Fill in the other wells according to this table:

    Visual wellField
    Progress (%)Progress measure
    Owner / resourceOwner
    Color (team, type…)Team
    Milestone (yes / no)Milestone
    Task ID (for dependencies)ID
    Sort orderRank

    The bars take one color per team, progress fills each bar, and the online store comes before the Bordeaux store.

  9. In the Format pane, Layout card, type 2026-10-15 in Status date (empty = today). The "today" line moves to Oct 15, 2026: the report is "frozen" at that date.

  10. In the same Layout card, set Initial position to Start of the plan. The plan opens on the first task (Apr 7, 2026) instead of today.

  11. In the Time axis card, set Initial scale to Months. The header shows months; each bar can be read to the nearest week.

  12. In the Time axis card, Calendar group, paste these 2026 French public holidays into Holidays (yyyy-mm-dd; …): 2026-01-01; 2026-04-06; 2026-05-01; 2026-05-08; 2026-05-14; 2026-05-25; 2026-07-14; 2026-08-15; 2026-11-01; 2026-11-11; 2026-12-25 Holidays are shaded like weekends and no longer count in business-day durations.

Expected result: a plan with two collapsible projects (Online store, then Bordeaux store), each broken down into phases. Each project and each phase has a summary bar that spans its tasks. The task grid shows the owner, start, end and progress; three milestones as diamonds; a vertical line at Oct 15, 2026.

Tip: to read the plan, the reader has the toolbar at the top of the visual (search for a task, scales, Fit, expand / collapse all, "Today" button). Ctrl + mouse wheel zooms around the pointer, and dragging the background scrolls through time. The chevrons to the left of the groups collapse them. Clicking a bar filters the other visuals on the page (cross-filter, see the glossary); Ctrl or Shift + click selects several. With the keyboard: ↑ ↓ to move, ← → to collapse or expand, Enter to select, Esc to clear the selection, + / − to change the scale.

Troubleshooting

What you seeLikely causeSolution
No bars, a message about the "Date Hierarchy"The date arrived as a Year › Quarter › Month › Day hierarchy.In the Start (and End) well, click the field's arrow and choose the column itself.
A task is drawn as a diamondIt has neither an end nor a duration, or the Milestone (yes / no) field is Yes (or any non-empty text).Add an end or a duration; clear the Milestone cell, or set it to "No".
A task looks longer than expectedDurations counted in is set to Business days: weekends and holidays are skipped; End date included counts the last day.Choose Calendar days, or turn off End date included.
A date is ignored and flagged in edit modeDate outside 1900–2200 (12/31/9999 for "no end", for example).Replace these values with a real date or leave the cell empty.
"Unknown predecessor" in edit modeThe ID is not in the Task ID (for dependencies) field, or the task is filtered out of the page.Check the spelling of the IDs and the page filters. The critical path stops at that link.
No critical pathCritical path ★ › Show is off by default, or the Predecessors ★ field is empty.Turn on Show and fill in Predecessors ★.
The plan does not open at the level you setSave the state in the report (edit mode) kept the groups you expanded by hand.Change Levels expanded at start or turn off this option.
The plan opens on today, an empty areaInitial position is Today (status date) by default.Choose Start of the plan, End of the plan or Chosen date.
The Resources view is emptyThe Owner / resource field is not filled in.Drag the owner column into this field.
Two different tasks end up on the same rowSame task name in the same group, with Same task = same row (several bars) turned on.Give them different names, or turn off this setting.
The visual stops and reports too many rowsMore than 100,000 rows.Filter the page (project, period).
"Premium preview" watermarkA ★ feature is used without a license key.Paste a key in Plume Studio License › License key, or turn off the ★ feature (see "Premium ★ features").

Key takeaways

  • One row per task: Task and Start are enough, End (or Duration) draws the bar, and each level of Groups becomes a collapsible level.
  • Always drag the date column itself, never its Date Hierarchy.
  • Predecessors ★ follow the MS Project format (A3, A4SS+15, A6;A7, in English or French notation) and drive the arrows, the conflicts and the critical path; the visual never moves your dates.
  • The Status date freezes the report: the "today" line, the computed status and the expected progress all refer to it.
  • To share: the Resources ★ view for workload, collapsed groups ★ for a portfolio, Whole plan in the frame (PDF export) ★ for a printable page.

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