Forward and Backward Scheduling

The scheduling direction determines from which anchor point a project is calculated. With forward scheduling, the start date is fixed and all activities are arranged as early as possible. The project end results from the calculation.

With backward scheduling, the end date is set instead, and the activities are scheduled as late as possible. From this follows the latest possible start date. Both methods yield the earliest and latest possible dates, whose difference makes the buffer and the critical path visible.