Earned Value Management program controls dashboard

Budget at Completion (BAC) Explained

EVMS Fundamentals BAC, earned value management, EVMS By Noah Smith August 21, 2026

Budget at completion (BAC) is the total authorized budget assigned to complete a defined scope of work. At the total project or contract level, BAC generally represents the Performance Measurement

How the IMS Supports Earned Value Management

EVMS Fundamentals earned value management, EVMS By Noah Smith August 21, 2026

The Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) supports an Earned Value Management System (EVMS) by defining when authorized work will occur, connecting that work through schedule logic and providing the status and

Integrated Master Scheduling program controls dashboard

How to Perform Critical Path Analysis in an IMS

Critical Path & Float, IMS Fundamentals Critical Path, IMS, Integrated Master Schedule By Noah Smith August 21, 2026

IMS critical path analysis identifies the sequence of remaining activities that drives a program completion date or another key milestone. To perform it correctly, update the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)

Near-Critical Paths: What Schedulers Should Monitor

Critical Path & Float, IMS Fundamentals Critical Path, IMS, Integrated Master Schedule, Near-Critical Path By Noah Smith August 21, 2026

A near critical path schedule review identifies sequences of work that could soon control a program completion date or key milestone. These paths have more total float than the current

Critical Path Method: Guide for Program Schedulers

Critical Path & Float Critical Path, Schedule Analysis By Noah Smith August 21, 2026

The critical path method is a network-based scheduling technique that calculates the sequence of activities controlling a project or milestone finish date. It gives the program team a forecast based

What Is Total Float in Project Scheduling?

Critical Path & Float Critical Path, Schedule Analysis, total float By Noah Smith August 21, 2026

Total float is the amount of working time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish date or another controlling schedule milestone. It measures schedule flexibility relative to

What Is Negative Float and What Causes It?

Critical Path & Float Critical Path, negative float, Schedule Analysis By Noah Smith August 21, 2026

Negative float is the amount of time by which a schedule’s calculated completion date exceeds a required or targeted date. If an activity has negative 10 days of total float,

Free Float vs Total Float Explained

Critical Path & Float Critical Path, Free Float, Schedule Analysis, total float By Noah Smith August 21, 2026

Free float measures how long an activity can slip without delaying an immediate successor. Total float measures how long it can slip without delaying the project finish or another controlling

What Is a Driving Predecessor?

Critical Path & Float Critical Path, Driving Logic, Schedule Analysis By Noah Smith August 21, 2026

A driving predecessor is an immediate predecessor that currently determines the start or finish date of its successor through schedule logic. If the driving predecessor moves later, the successor will

Hard Constraints vs Soft Constraints in Scheduling

Schedule Health Critical Path, Schedule Analysis, Schedule Constraints By Noah Smith August 21, 2026

The difference between hard vs soft constraints is how severely each one restricts a schedule’s response to network logic. In a forward-scheduled network, a soft constraint prevents an activity from

Program Execution

Contracts & Reporting

Program Management

Program Lifecycle