What project management tool is best suited to show project progress and existing variances?

A Gantt chart is best suited for illustrating project progress and any variances that may arise throughout the course of a project. This visual tool displays project tasks along a timeline, allowing project managers to track the start and end dates of each task, including their duration and sequencing. As project work progresses, updates can be easily visualized on the Gantt chart, highlighting completed tasks, tasks that are on schedule, and tasks that may be delayed or ahead of schedule.

By comparing planned timelines against actual performance, project managers can quickly identify variances in the schedule. This facilitates better management decisions, enabling corrective actions to be taken when necessary to keep the project on track. The clarity and immediacy of the information presented in a Gantt chart make it an invaluable tool for project monitoring and reporting.

Other tools such as a pie chart, risk register, or project charter serve different purposes. A pie chart is typically used for showing proportions and distributions within data, while a risk register is designed to identify, assess, and manage project risks rather than showing progress. The project charter outlines the project's objectives, stakeholders, and overall scope, but does not provide ongoing progress tracking. Therefore, the Gantt chart stands out as the most effective tool for monitoring project