Use SmartPM’s Delay Analysis tool to see how your project’s schedule has shifted over time, capturing delays, gains, and how changes are influencing the critical path.

To view the Delay Analysis Dashboard:

Click the name of the project you want to analyze from the Project List.
Click Analysis from the top navigation bar.
Click Delays from the left navigation bar.
You can export the Delay Table (Excel format) to dig deeper into the data.

Metrics Captured in the Delay Table and Chart:

You can review metrics either for a single update period (based on the prior data date) or cumulatively by toggling the “Show Cumulative” button, which updates the Delay, Gains, Planned Impact, and End Date Variance columns.

Column	What it Shows
Data Date	The schedule update data dates that define each analysis window. The first (baseline) row shows the initial plan; delay metrics begin only after at least two schedules are uploaded.
Scheduled End Date	The end date (per SmartPM) for each schedule update.
Delays	The delay due to progress to the critical path during each period.
Gains (actual acceleration)	Time “recovered” during the period; actual work reported that advanced the schedule ahead of plan.
Planned Impact	Adjustments to the end date made via planned changes (logic, activity edits)
End Date Variance	The net effect of delay + gains + planned impacts for each period.
Compression	A measure of how much float has been consumed to maintain or adjust the schedule. When compression exceeds 40%, the schedule may become infeasible without major interventions.
Gains/Delay Ratio	A visual showing the balance between gains and delays in each period, to help spot trends in whether the project is losing or gaining time.

Toggle between Delay Analysis, End Date Variance, and Cumulative Delay using the toggle on the top right. Additionally, you are able to use the dropdown to filter between schedules and full schedules vs. milestones.

By using the Delay Analysis, you can:

Track true schedule drift: You can see whether your project is slipping, staying on track, or recovering over time.
Explain causes of shifts: Drilling into delay and gain contributors lets you see which activities or changes drove deviations.
Inform corrective decisions: If compression gets too high or delays accumulate, you’ll know when to intervene (re-baseline, add resources).
Enhance accountability: Stakeholders can see not only that dates shifted, but how and why.