In project management, lead refers to a relationship between two activities, where the start of one activity depends on the start of another activity. Specifically, lead is the amount of time by which the dependent activity can be advanced, or started earlier than originally planned, to avoid delaying the overall project timeline.
Lead time can be used to accelerate the schedule for the dependent activity. For example, if an activity has a four-day lead time, it means that it can be started four days earlier than its original planned start date. This allows the project team to complete the activity earlier, which can help to shorten the overall project duration.
Lead time is often used in conjunction with lag time, which is the opposite of lead time. Lag time is the amount of time by which the dependent activity must be delayed to ensure that it starts at the appropriate time. In other words, lag time is a waiting period between the completion of one activity and the start of the next activity.
Using lead and lag times effectively can help project managers to optimize project schedules and ensure that activities are completed on time and within budget. However, it’s important to carefully consider the impact of lead time on the overall project timeline, as starting activities too early may lead to resource constraints or other issues that could cause delays down the line.
Overall, lead is a useful concept in project management that allows project managers to adjust schedules and optimize timelines to meet project goals and objectives.
Usage
It is used in schedule management
