Project Management

  Understanding Forensic Delay Analysis: Why Primavera Variance Does Not Tell the Full Delay Story Introduction One of the most misunderstood concepts in project scheduling is the difference between schedule variance and delay analysis . Many planners and project managers assume that if an activity shows a variance in Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project, that variance represents the delay caused to the project. Unfortunately, that assumption is incorrect. Variance simply measures the difference between planned dates and actual dates. It does not quantify the impact of a delay on project completion. To determine the true effect of a delay on a project's finish date, project controls professionals perform Forensic Delay Analysis . What is Schedule Variance? In Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project: Schedule Variance = Actual Date – Baseline Date Examples: Planned Start: 01-Jan Actual Start: 10-Jan Variance = 9 Days Similarly: Planned Finish: 30-Jan Actual Finish: 10-Feb Variance = 11 Day...