slack time
Unused schedule margin
Slack time is the buffer in a schedule—the amount by which a task can be delayed without affecting the overall deadline.
In project management, tasks on the critical path have zero slack time; any delay pushes back completion.
We have two days of slack time before the launch date.
The term also appears in manufacturing and logistics for unused capacity in a system.
- floatBuoyant object or vehicle
- waiting periodRequired delay before proceeding
- Gantt chartProject scheduling diagram
- buffer zoneNeutral area between rivals
- milestoneNotable event marking progress
dependency · process improvement · operational efficiency · task prioritization · throughput · breathing room · catch your breath · wiggle room · elbow room · leeway · cushion · safety margin · pacing · contingency
- project schedulingcritical path, milestones, deadlines, tasks, dependencies
- off-peakoff-hours, off-season, low season, off-peak fare, shoulder season
- CPU Schedulingscheduler, round robin, round-robin, FIFO, quantum
- Operations Metricsthroughput, capacity utilization, downtime, uptime, capacity
- delaysdelays, delay, delayed, postponement, postpone
- schedulingappointments, appointment, calendar, booking, bookings
slack timecrunch time
High-pressure final stretch
deadline pressure · time crunch · time pressure · peak period · busy season
slack, time, slacks, slacked, slacking, slacker, slacken, slackness, slackly