About Slack Time Calculator (Formula)
Slack time, in project management, refers to the amount of time a task can be delayed without causing a delay to the project’s overall completion. It helps in identifying tasks that have flexibility in their start and end dates.
The formula to calculate slack time is:
ST=LST−EST
Where:
- Late Start () is the latest possible time a task can start without delaying the project.
- Early Start () is the earliest possible time a task can start based on the project schedule.
The difference between the late start and early start times gives you the slack time for a particular task. If the slack time is zero, it means the task is on the critical path, meaning any delay in this task will directly impact the project’s overall timeline.
It’s important for project managers to monitor slack time to effectively allocate resources and manage dependencies between tasks.
Keep in mind that this formula is used in the context of the Critical Path Method (CPM) and Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) for project scheduling.