Understanding Time Slice or Windows Method Delay Analysis

Discover insights from a professional Project Management Advisor with over 30 years of experience advising on complex projects.

*Subscribe to be the first to get each new project management tip every week*

You are progressing through your project and find you have been delayed. Unfortunately sometimes it is not clear to you where these delays have occurred or the extent of the delay.

The time slice or windows method is one of six delay methodologies we can use to identify and assess project delays.

To identify the delay using this method, we compare project time schedules that have been statused or updated as the project has progressed. By comparing the statused schedules we identify activities that have been delayed and can determine the impact on the completion date. Once we know where the delays have occurred, we can then look into the project records to identify the cause of these delays.

This method of delay assessment requires good record keeping and regular updates of project schedules that include good progress information. This methodology is difficult, if not impossible, to carry out if you do not have a project schedule that has been regularly been statused and updated with reliable progress information. Apart from identifying delays, one of the other benefits of the windows method is that it relies on actual information making it easier to comprehend and justify, rather than a hypothetical model.

The windows analysis can also be used to identify changes to the critical path, and is one method that I rely on when preparing for another delay methodology, which is the retrospective longest path, or what I use to know as, the As-built Critical Path method.

I will introduce you to the retrospective longest path method in Core Project Advisory’s next video, so until then why not share this video with your network, and let me know in the comments how you handle project delays.

#projectmanagement #delayassessment #delayanalysis #timeslicewindows