Article 3: Time Slice Windows Analysis (TSA) – Breaking Down Delays, One Slice at a Time

Introduction:

?We’ve talked about analyzing delays in real-time, but what if you break down the entire project timeline into smaller windows to understand where and when delays occurred? This is where Time Slice Windows Analysis can help.

?Imagine you’re overseeing a large infrastructure project that spans multiple years. You break the timeline into quarterly slices instead of waiting until the end to analyze delays. Each slice shows how far you’ve progressed, what’s been delayed, and why.

PS: TSA often aligns with monthly progress reports, as it analyzes delays using contemporaneous schedules updated at regular intervals.

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Practical Steps:

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????????????? 1.?????????? Divide into Time Windows: Break the project into predefined periods (e.g., monthly or quarterly).

????????????? 2.?????????? Compare Plan vs. Actual: For each slice, compare what was planned against actual progress.

????????????? 3.?????????? Assess Delays: Determine which delays impacted each time slice and how they affected the critical path.

????????????? 4.?????????? Compile Results: Summarize the delays and the project’s cumulative delay impact.

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Story Context:

In a recent project, we used this method to break down a two-year project into six-month windows, allowing us to identify delay trends over time. By addressing issues in early slices, we avoided significant delays later.

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Ever wonder how your project’s planned timeline compares to reality? Next, I’ll explain how As-Planned versus As-Built Windows Analysis helps you see where things went wrong.