Free float, on the other hand, is the amount of time a task can take before it impacts the next task of the project. In this article, we\u2019re going to look in-depth at what is a free float in project management.<\/p>\n
![\"Understand](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Understand-Free-Float.png\")
<\/p>\n
<\/span>Why You Need to Understand Free Float<\/span><\/h2>\nSometimes referred to as \u201cslack,\u201d understanding how much allowance you have in the float makes managing delays much easier. It\u2019s good to share this information with your team or outside contractors so they are aware of the time constraints they must adhere to. You will be able to offer soft and hard deadlines which can help to ensure your project stays on schedule.<\/p>\n
Knowledge of free and total float can also help with resource allocation and scheduling. There will be room to redistribute resources as needed within the limits of the float. By approaching projects with more flexibility you can avoid putting your staff under the pressure of crunch.<\/p>\n
![\"Work](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Work-Out-the-Free-Float-in-Project-Management.png\")
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<\/span>How Do You Work Out the Free Float in Project Management?<\/span><\/h2>\nNow that you understand free float meaning in project management, how do you work it out for your tasks? Firstly, you\u2019ll need to work out what the critical path for your project is. These are the tasks that have to happen, in order, to deliver the project to the stakeholders on time.<\/p>\n
Alongside the critical path, you should identify the non-critical tasks that belong to the project. Depending on the complexity of your project there may be more than one critical path and overlap between tasks.<\/p>\n
To calculate the free float for your non-critical tasks, there\u2019s a simple equation you need to do. All you need to do is workout out the earliest finish date and subtract it from the earliest start date. This is your free float, the amount of time you have to play with before a project will be delayed.<\/p>\n
Earliest finish – earliest start = free float.<\/p>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/How-to-Implement-Free-Float-In-Project-Management.png\")
<\/p>\n
<\/span>How to Implement Free Float In Project Management<\/span><\/h2>\nUnderstanding your free float availability is beneficial to project managers no matter what project management framework you are following. Whether it\u2019s PMP or Agile, free float helps to inform your project parameters and is something that should be shared with your team.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re running Agile sprints for your project, you\u2019ll be splitting projects into 2-week sections with hard deadlines. However, free float will let your team members know how long they can delay a certain task before it impacts the work their colleagues are doing. This can help to manage stress and allow people the time to ensure their work is perfect.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, there will not be any free float allotted to the critical path tasks, which means contractors and employees will need to prioritize the work on these. It\u2019s the non-critical tasks that offer the flexibility of free float. As long as the critical tasks are being worked on according to the schedule, there is less stress for the non-critical tasks that need to be completed before the project deadline.<\/p>\n
If you use things like Kanban boards, Waterfall, or Gantt charts you\u2019ll be able to easily monitor the progress of your projects. Project managers can refer to these to be able to know exactly what state the project is in. For example, if a team member comes to you and reveals they need more time on a certain task, you\u2019ll look at the Gantt charts and know exactly how much slack they have before there will be delays.<\/p>\n
<\/span>What\u2019s the Difference Between Total Float and Free Float?<\/span><\/h2>\nFree float is only really relevant when you\u2019re dealing with the non-critical aspects of the project. By design, these tasks have more flexibility to them and are secondary to the tasks in the critical, although they still need to be completed before the due date.<\/p>\n
Total float works the same way as free float but is about the overall project start and finish date. If you need more time to work on something along the critical path, you\u2019ll need to look at the total float as there won\u2019t be any free float.<\/p>\n
Critical and near-critical tasks are typically dependent on each other. Team members won\u2019t be able to start on the next task until the first task has been completed. Therefore, there usually isn\u2019t a lot of slack offered with the critical path. However, if more time is needed, project managers will need to look at the total float to work out how to proceed without delaying the project due date.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nNow that you understand free float meaning in project management, how do you work it out for your tasks? Firstly, you\u2019ll need to work out what the critical path for your project is. These are the tasks that have to happen, in order, to deliver the project to the stakeholders on time.<\/p>\n
Alongside the critical path, you should identify the non-critical tasks that belong to the project. Depending on the complexity of your project there may be more than one critical path and overlap between tasks.<\/p>\n
To calculate the free float for your non-critical tasks, there\u2019s a simple equation you need to do. All you need to do is workout out the earliest finish date and subtract it from the earliest start date. This is your free float, the amount of time you have to play with before a project will be delayed.<\/p>\n
Earliest finish – earliest start = free float.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/span>How to Implement Free Float In Project Management<\/span><\/h2>\nUnderstanding your free float availability is beneficial to project managers no matter what project management framework you are following. Whether it\u2019s PMP or Agile, free float helps to inform your project parameters and is something that should be shared with your team.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re running Agile sprints for your project, you\u2019ll be splitting projects into 2-week sections with hard deadlines. However, free float will let your team members know how long they can delay a certain task before it impacts the work their colleagues are doing. This can help to manage stress and allow people the time to ensure their work is perfect.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, there will not be any free float allotted to the critical path tasks, which means contractors and employees will need to prioritize the work on these. It\u2019s the non-critical tasks that offer the flexibility of free float. As long as the critical tasks are being worked on according to the schedule, there is less stress for the non-critical tasks that need to be completed before the project deadline.<\/p>\n
If you use things like Kanban boards, Waterfall, or Gantt charts you\u2019ll be able to easily monitor the progress of your projects. Project managers can refer to these to be able to know exactly what state the project is in. For example, if a team member comes to you and reveals they need more time on a certain task, you\u2019ll look at the Gantt charts and know exactly how much slack they have before there will be delays.<\/p>\n
<\/span>What\u2019s the Difference Between Total Float and Free Float?<\/span><\/h2>\nFree float is only really relevant when you\u2019re dealing with the non-critical aspects of the project. By design, these tasks have more flexibility to them and are secondary to the tasks in the critical, although they still need to be completed before the due date.<\/p>\n
Total float works the same way as free float but is about the overall project start and finish date. If you need more time to work on something along the critical path, you\u2019ll need to look at the total float as there won\u2019t be any free float.<\/p>\n
Critical and near-critical tasks are typically dependent on each other. Team members won\u2019t be able to start on the next task until the first task has been completed. Therefore, there usually isn\u2019t a lot of slack offered with the critical path. However, if more time is needed, project managers will need to look at the total float to work out how to proceed without delaying the project due date.<\/p>\n
Free float is only really relevant when you\u2019re dealing with the non-critical aspects of the project. By design, these tasks have more flexibility to them and are secondary to the tasks in the critical, although they still need to be completed before the due date.<\/p>\n
Total float works the same way as free float but is about the overall project start and finish date. If you need more time to work on something along the critical path, you\u2019ll need to look at the total float as there won\u2019t be any free float.<\/p>\n
Critical and near-critical tasks are typically dependent on each other. Team members won\u2019t be able to start on the next task until the first task has been completed. Therefore, there usually isn\u2019t a lot of slack offered with the critical path. However, if more time is needed, project managers will need to look at the total float to work out how to proceed without delaying the project due date.<\/p>\n