How do you align slack and float with your project objectives and priorities?

1 Identify critical and non-critical paths

The first step is to identify the critical and non-critical paths of your project. The critical path is the longest sequence of activities that determines the project duration. It has zero slack or float, meaning any delay on the critical path will delay the project. The non-critical paths are the alternative sequences of activities that have some slack or float, meaning they can be delayed without affecting the project duration. You can use tools such as network diagrams, Gantt charts, or critical path method (CPM) to identify the critical and non-critical paths of your project.

2 Analyze slack and float values

The next step is to analyze the slack and float values of the activities and paths in your project. Slack and float can be calculated in different ways, depending on whether you are using a deterministic or a probabilistic approach to estimate the activity durations. The most common methods are total slack or float, free slack or float, and independent slack or float. Total slack or float is the amount of time that an activity or a path can be delayed without affecting the project end date. Free slack or float is the amount of time that an activity can be delayed without affecting the start date of its successor activity. Independent slack or float is the amount of time that an activity can be delayed without affecting the start or end dates of any other activity. You can use formulas, software, or algorithms to calculate the slack and float values of your project.

3 Align slack and float with project objectives and priorities

The final step is to align the slack and float values with your project objectives and priorities. This means using the slack and float information to make informed decisions about resource allocation, risk management, scope changes, quality control, and stakeholder communication. For example, you may want to assign more resources to the critical path activities to reduce the risk of delays, or use the free slack or float to accommodate scope changes without affecting the project end date. You may also want to communicate the slack and float values to your team and stakeholders to set realistic expectations and avoid unnecessary pressure or conflicts. You should also monitor and update the slack and float values regularly to reflect any changes in the project schedule.

4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?