S

scheduling formula

A representation of how Project calculates work, based on the duration and resource units of an assignment. The scheduling formula is Duration Units = Work.

scope

The products or services to be provided by a project, and the work required to deliver it. For project planning, it’s useful to distinguish between product scope and project scope. Scope is one side of the project triangle model.

ScreenTip

A short description of an item on the screen, such as a toolbar, button, or bar. To see a ScreenTip, point to an item until the ScreenTip appears.

semi-flexible constraint

A constraint type that gives Project the flexibility to change the start and finish dates of a task within one date boundary. Start No Earlier Than (SNET), Start No Later Than (SNLT), Finish No Earlier Than (FNET), and Finish No Later Than (FNLT) are all semi-flexible constraints.

sequence

The chronological order in which tasks occur. A sequence is ordered from left to right in most views that include a timescale, for example, the Gantt Chart view.

sharer plan

A project plan that is linked to a resource pool. Sharer plans use resources from a resource pool.

shortcut menu

A menu you display by pointing to an item on the screen and then right-clicking. Shortcut menus contain only the commands that apply to the item to which you are pointing.

slackThe amount of time that a task can be delayed without delaying a successor task (free slack) or the project end date (total slack). Slack is also known as float.

sorting

A way of ordering task or resource information in a view by the criteria you choose.

source program

When exchanging data between Project and another program, the program in which the data resided originally.

SPI

An earned value indicator; the acronym stands for Schedule Performance Index. In earned value analysis, this is the ratio of performed to scheduled work (SPI = BCWP / BCWS).

split

An interruption in a task, represented in the Gantt bar as a dotted line between segments of a task. You can split a task multiple times.

sponsor

An individual or organization that both provides financial support and champions the project team within the larger organization.

stakeholders

The people or organizations that might be affected by project activities (those who “have a stake” in its success). These also include the resources working on the project as well as others (such as customers) external to the project work.

Standard base calendar

A base calendar included with Project designed to accommodate an 8:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M. Monday through Friday work shift.

status date

The date you specify (not necessarily the current date) that determines how Project calculates earned value indicators.

successor

A task whose start or finish is driven by another task or tasks, called predecessor tasks.

summary task

A task that is made up of and summarizes the subtasks below it. In Project, phases of project work are represented by summary tasks.

SV

An earned value indicator; the acronym stands for Schedule Variance. In earned value analysis, this is the difference between current progress and the baseline plan (SV = BCWP – BCWS).

SV%

The ratio of schedule variance to BCWS, expressed as a percentage (SV% = [SV / BCWS] 100). This is an earned value indicator.