In this video, I will answer the question, what is float? Or, if you prefer, what is Slack? (not the software).
This video is safe for viewing in the workplace.
This is learning, so, sit back and enjoy
Float
Float is schedule flexibility
It is the amount of time a project activity can slip before it has an adverse effect on another scheduled activity.
Slack
Float = slack
Except, somepeople reserve float to mean how long you can over-run a task without implications. While they use slack to refer to how long you can delay the start of a task without implications. However, these amount to the same thing, so it is no wonder that almost everybody uses them interchangeably!
Free float
The amount of time that a scheduled activity can be delayed without affecting the start of successor activities – aka task float or activity float
FF = ES(b) – EF(a)
Total float
The amount of time that a scheduled activity can be delayed without affecting the end of the project – aka project float
TF = LF – EF or LS – ES
Although…
Project float
This can also refer to the amount of time a project can be delayed without affecting the end-user or client
Negative float
If your project will be delayed, this is the time between when you can finish a task and when you need it finished to assure completion on schedule.
Critical Path
The Critical Path is the longest path through a network. Will have the least float – possibly zero
All activities on the critical path should have zero float – UNLESS you schedule in a float as a deliberate risk mitigation measure.
Why is Float Important?
It’s about:
Risk Where you have less float, you have more risk
Prioritization Focus your resource allocation and your management attention on lower float activities – and hence, on the critical path activities
Monitoring and evaluation Keep a close eye on low-float activities
Morale Float gives team members some relief from the constant pressure of tight (low- or zero-float) deadlines
I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own.
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Dr Mike Clayton is one of the most successful and in-demand project management trainers in the UK. He is author of 14 best-selling books, including four about project management. He is also a prolific blogger and contributor to ProjectManager.com and Project, the journal of the Association for Project Management. Between 1990 and 2002, Mike was a successful project manager, leading large project teams and delivering complex projects. In 2016, Mike launched OnlinePMCourses.
