project management glossary

earliest start

 The earliest day that the work item can start provided every preceding work item starts at its earliest start day and is completed in its expected time.

 In a network diagram schedule, the earliest time at which an activity can be started.

earliest start time

 See Earliest Start above.

early dates

 Calculated in the forward pass of time analysis, early dates are the earliest dates on which an activity can start and finish.

early finish

 The earliest calculated date on which an activity can end. It is based on the activity's Early Start which depends on the finish of predecessor activities and the activity's duration. (See Early Start). Most PM software calculates early dates with a forward pass from the beginning of the project to the end.