Best Practices Checklist: Ensuring Reasonable Total Float

• The total float values calculated by the scheduling software are reasonable and accurately reflect a schedule’s flexibility.

• The program really has the amount of schedule flexibility indicated by the levels of float.

• Remaining activities in the schedule are sorted by total float and assessed for reasonableness. Any activities that appear to have a great deal of float are examined for missing or incomplete logic.

• Total float values that appear to be excessive are documented to show that the program management team has performed an assessment and agreed that the logic and float are consistent with the plan.

• Total float is calculated to the main deliveries and milestones as well as to the program’s completion.

• Total and free float inform management as to which activities can be reassigned resources in order to mitigate slips in other activities.

• Management balances the use of float with the fact that total float is shared along a path of activities.

• Periodic reports routinely show the amount of float consumed in a period and remaining on the critical and near-critical paths.

• Date constraints causing negative float have been justified. If delay is significant, plans to recover the implied schedule slip have been evaluated and implemented.