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 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 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 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 definition