Project Management Glossary
Project Management Terms, Defined
Clear definitions of the terms that matter most in project scheduling — critical path, float, WBS, baselines, and more — with direct context for how each concept works in Maverick Project Scheduler.
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Scheduling Basics
Core concepts every project manager encounters on day one.
Gantt Chart
A horizontal bar chart that displays project tasks against a calendar timeline, showing start dates, durations, dependencies, and the critical path at a glance.
Read the Gantt chart definitionProject Schedule
The complete time model of a project — tasks, durations, dependencies, assigned resources, and milestones — integrated into a single living plan.
Read the project schedule definitionMilestone
A zero-duration task that marks a significant point in the project — a deliverable handoff, phase boundary, or approval — with no work effort attached.
Read the milestone definitionTask Dependency
A logical relationship between two tasks that controls their sequence — which must finish or start before the other can proceed, including all four link types and lag.
Read the task dependency definitionWork Breakdown Structure
A hierarchical decomposition of project work into phases, deliverables, and tasks — the foundation that makes scope visible and scheduling possible.
Read the WBS definitionPredecessor
A task that must begin or finish before a dependent task can proceed. Predecessor links define the sequence network that drives critical path calculations.
Read the predecessor definitionWaterfall
A sequential project methodology where each phase completes and is approved before the next begins — initiation, planning, execution, testing, closure — with gate reviews between phases.
Read the waterfall definitionLag
A positive delay added to a task dependency link — the mandatory waiting period between a predecessor reaching its trigger event and a successor being allowed to start or finish.
Read the lag definitionTask Duration
The working-time span assigned to a project task from its scheduled start to its finish — the length of the bar on the Gantt chart, used with resource calendars to compute finish dates.
Read the duration definitionProject Calendar
The definition of which days and hours count as working time — the foundation that converts task duration into real start and finish dates, taking weekends, holidays, and shift patterns into account.
Read the project calendar definitionCritical Path Method
The concepts behind CPM scheduling — how Maverick calculates your finish date and identifies where you have flexibility.
Critical Path
The longest chain of dependent tasks in your schedule — it determines the minimum project duration and has zero float. Any delay on a critical task directly delays the project end date.
Read the critical path definitionFloat
The amount of time a task can be delayed without affecting the project end date. Also called slack. Tasks on the critical path have zero float.
Read the float definitionProject Baseline
A frozen snapshot of the approved schedule — task start dates, finish dates, and durations — saved before work begins and used to measure how much the project has drifted.
Read the baseline definitionSchedule Compression
Techniques that shorten the project end date without reducing scope — crashing adds resources to critical tasks, fast-tracking overlaps tasks that were planned as sequential.
Read the schedule compression definitionNetwork Diagram
A visual logic map of all tasks and their dependency links — the underlying structure the scheduling engine traverses to calculate the critical path and earliest possible project completion.
Read the network diagram definitionFree Float
The time a task can be delayed without delaying any of its immediate successors — distinct from total float, which measures delay tolerance against the overall project end date.
Read the free float definitionCrashing
A schedule compression technique that shortens the critical path by adding resources to critical tasks — trading increased cost for a reduced project end date.
Read the crashing definitionResources & Performance
Concepts for managing people, equipment, and measuring whether the project is on track.
Resource Leveling
The process of adjusting task dates to resolve resource over-allocation — when a person or machine is assigned more work than they can handle in the same time period.
Read the resource leveling definitionEarned Value Management
A technique that integrates scope, schedule, and cost into a single performance measurement — comparing planned value, earned value, and actual cost to reveal variance.
Read the EVM definitionResource Allocation
Assigning people, equipment, and materials to tasks and balancing their workload — ensuring the schedule reflects what the team can actually deliver, not just what is theoretically planned.
Read the resource allocation definitionResource Utilization
The percentage of a resource's available capacity assigned to project tasks — the measure that reveals whether team members are over-allocated, under-allocated, or balanced across the schedule.
Read the resource utilization definitionPercent Complete
A numeric record of how much of a task's work is done, displayed as a progress fill inside the Gantt chart bar and used as the primary input for earned value calculations.
Read the percent complete definitionProject Foundations
The concepts that frame a project before scheduling begins — authorization, scope, people, and lifecycle structure.
Project Charter
The document that formally authorizes a project, names the project manager, and records high-level objectives, scope, budget constraints, and stakeholder roles before work begins.
Read the project charter definitionProject Lifecycle
The sequence of phases a project passes through from initiation to closure — each with defined deliverables and a gate review before the next phase begins.
Read the project lifecycle definitionProject Scope
The defined boundary of what the project will and will not deliver — the work required to produce all approved deliverables, plus explicit exclusions that prevent scope creep.
Read the project scope definitionDeliverable
Any tangible, verifiable output the project is required to produce — a document, system, structure, or product — that can be handed over and accepted by the customer or sponsor.
Read the deliverable definitionStakeholder
Any person or group with an interest in a project's outcome — sponsor, customer, team, regulator, or end user. Identifying stakeholders early prevents late-stage surprises.
Read the stakeholder definitionScope Creep
The gradual, uncontrolled expansion of project work beyond its approved boundaries — without adjustments to schedule, budget, or resources. The leading cause of project overruns.
Read the scope creep definitionRisk Register
A living log of identified project risks — each with a probability score, impact rating, owner, and response plan — used to manage uncertainty and prevent surprises throughout delivery.
Read the risk register definitionChange Request
A formal proposal to modify a project's approved scope, schedule, or budget — requiring evaluation and approval before any baseline change takes effect, preventing uncontrolled scope creep.
Read the change request definition