Just ask the Romans

If you thought standards were a modern phenomenon you couldn't be more wrong! 
As with any enterprise operation - the Romans had to embark on a huge programme of standardisation to ensure that weapons and armour could be produced at sufficient scale, and to a defined quality. Shields, swords, spears and armour all had to be produced quickly - and to specification. Standards were created and work was contracted out to local craftsmen and dedicated workshops alike in order to achieve rapid production.
Getting on for three thousand years later, businesses everywhere rely on standardisation for a variety of benefits - not just in their products, but in their processes and of course, their documents.

Why standards work

1. Instant recognition and understandingAn employee knows what their looking at when they see a standard document

2. When you ask for something, you know exactly what you'll get backManagement can ask for a standardised document with a single word
3. It takes the 'guess work' out of itIt deskills the task of producing a document that is clear and appropriate - employees neeedn't guess what a manager wants - the standard defines it. The best standard formats solve business problems and improve accessibility - yes for the recipient, but also for the creator.

Is the WideChart format right for your business?

When Henry Gantt invented the Gantt Chart in the 1915 - he designed it as a way to schedule, monitor and control complex combinations of resources. It has continued to serve this purpose well for over a century, but today, the uses for Gantt charts are much wider - they are not just for project managers. Many Timelines are produced and used, extensively, by people who are not project managers - in fact most people who make timelines are much more senior than project manager. People like consultants, CEOs and sales professionals; commercial and strategic users - not just project managers.
The problem is that timelines take a long time to make, they often require specialist software and every single one is different and complex in it's own unique (and often frustrating) way. Many people struggle through with powerpoint, but the results are never great and our research shows that the most common complaint is that changing a timeline in PowerPoint typically requires remaking the entire graphic again.
Enter the WideChart - it's a type of Gantt chart, but WideCharts feature a standardised design - optimised for the needs of commercial and strategic users - its for big thinking - its not for project managers. WideCharts have to follow rules that make them suitable for high-level communication. The rules are so good that it is impossible to make a confusing WideChart. The rules also ensure that every WideChart has to be viewable online, on a single sheet of A4 and on a single PowerPoint slide.
Standardised design doesn't mean you can't brand a WideChart. In fact, WideChart automatically gets your logo and colours from your website. It's another thing that makes WideChart the fastest and easiest timeline to make.
Stop asking your staff for "timelines" or "overviews" and start asking for a 'WideChart'. Get a high-level overview with a one word request.