:AACE CERTIFICATION 2009-2010:

While updating the weekly report for the Project Controller of the AACE project, notice that there is a indication of -7 in the float measurement of my Project "Mapping" project. It catches my eyes as the number shows a negative figure and it became a interest to me how it got there ...

"Negative float means that the project end date cannot be met base on the current plan of accomplishing the work." - Humphreys's Project Management Using Earned Value, Chapter 17.

We have lost 2 weeks even before project starts, and in this first week, things are moving slowly due to the first time activity and unfamiliar process. I strongly believe this will becomes better in coming week when everyone is over the start-up stage. It was originally plan for each member to have complete processes, but to mitigate the risk of over run of time, I have adjusted the plan last week for some part of the process to be re-assigned to other use who's process will ends earlier. Identifying the critical path of any particular team member, sharing the workload and transferring work to member that has lesser activity. Few options to resolve negative float in a project:
- Expediting critical activities
- Revising the schedule logic
- Redefine procurement packages
- Reschedule
- No Action

Since in this project situation, there is no additional resource to expedite any activities, cannot ignore with no action due to the "Client" is from "Hell" and letting the date slip will not be a solution as the date is too close to the exam time, no procurement process to look into. The only sensible and logical resolution is to revise the schedule logic. To re-align the schedule in a way to maximize the use of all available resource. As shown in the below graph on re-allocating of work loads to balance among team members.