Applying lag and lead time
In contrast to naturally occurring slack, we also come across situations where the project manager intentionally injects a period of time into the schedule, because it is required (or demanded) by the nature of the project. Let's consider some examples to clearly understand this concept:
- In the civil construction industry, after concrete has been cast, it will be allowed to cure for a period of time. The succeeding task cannot be started during this curing time.
- After an employee joins the company, they are typically allowed to acclimatize to the new work environment before being assigned to a task.
Such an intentional time delay between the predecessor and the successor tasks is called lag and can easily be introduced into the schedule using Project. Consider the following screenshot of a schedule, which we will now use for our exercises:
Figure 16.3 – Schedule before application of lag
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