Free tool
Schedule slip calculator
Paste each task's baseline and current finish dates and get the slip in days, sorted biggest first, with a one-line summary for your status report.
Copy the columns straight from Excel, Microsoft Project or a CSV. Other columns (owner, notes) are skipped. It all runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
How it's calculated
Calendar slip is current finish minus baseline finish, the same as =C2-B2 in Excel. Working-day slip counts Monday to Friday between the two dates, the same as =IF(C2>=B2, NETWORKDAYS(B2, C2) - 1, -(NETWORKDAYS(C2, B2) - 1)) when the baseline falls on a weekday. Holidays aren't excluded.
Keep the baseline fixed when dates move. Update the current date, and the difference does the reporting for you. Schedule slip in days explains what to put in the report and when to re-baseline.
Getting the dates out of your tools
- Microsoft Project: add the Baseline Finish column if it isn't showing (right-click a column heading → Insert Column → Baseline Finish). Select the rows from Task Name across to the last date column you need, copy, paste here, then choose which column is the baseline finish and which is the current finish. Tasks with no saved baseline show “NA” and are skipped.
- Excel or a tracker export: copy the task name and both finish dates (other columns in between are fine). Include the header row and columns named like “Baseline finish” and “Finish” are picked for you.
Questions
What is schedule slip?
Slip is how far a task's finish date has moved from its baseline: current finish minus baseline finish. Positive means later than planned, negative means ahead.
Calendar days or working days?
Calendar days match what stakeholders hear as “a week late” and how contract dates work. Working days (Monday to Friday) match the effort the team has to make up. Pick one and say which in your report.
Why doesn't this match Microsoft Project's Finish Variance?
Project's Finish Variance is in working time on the project calendar, including its holidays and working hours. This calculator counts whole calendar days, or Monday to Friday without holidays.
Is my data uploaded?
No. The calculation runs in your browser, and nothing you paste is sent to PingCadence or anyone else.
Stop chasing the current dates
The hard part is a current date you trust. PingCadence asks each task owner on the cadence you set, shows them the planned dates, collects a new date when something's late, and keeps your baseline, so every report shows slip in days. See how it works.
Put this schedule slip calculator on your site
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