{
  "example_kind": "original synthetic manual planning case",
  "slug": "deadline-negative-slack-check",
  "title": "Check a deadline against required remaining work",
  "scenario": "Synthetic planning case: A model needs four days of preparation, three of review and one of packaging in sequence. The requested finish is day six from a ready day-zero start.",
  "layout": "network",
  "dataset": {
    "heading": "Inspect the invented case records",
    "headers": [
      "Activity",
      "Model days",
      "Dependency"
    ],
    "rows": [
      [
        "Preparation",
        "4",
        "Ready start"
      ],
      [
        "Review",
        "3",
        "After preparation"
      ],
      [
        "Packaging",
        "1",
        "After review"
      ],
      [
        "Requested finish",
        "Day 6",
        "External planning request"
      ]
    ]
  },
  "derivation": "Required chain=4+3+1=8 days; deadline allowance=6. Slack relative to that request is 6−8=−2 days.",
  "result": "The eight-day chain misses the requested day-six finish by two model days. Disclose the infeasibility and choose a scope, resource or deadline decision instead of moving labels.",
  "boundary": "The guide tests a fixed deadline against a complete remaining sequence and names the unresolved planning choice.",
  "limitations": "The durations are assumed, and resources may add further constraints. This ledger is not a forecast or a performance judgment.",
  "sources": [
    "schedule"
  ],
  "tasks": [
    [
      "Verify required sequence",
      "Receiving lead",
      "None of the three activities can overlap under the stated inputs."
    ],
    [
      "Expose the deadline shortfall",
      "Scheduler",
      "Two model days of negative slack are shown beside the requested finish."
    ],
    [
      "Request a concrete plan change",
      "Decision owner",
      "A real assumption changes or the deadline is renegotiated; no unsupported date is accepted."
    ]
  ],
  "faqs": [
    [
      "Can I set the finish field to day six?",
      "A label does not remove the eight days of required work under these assumptions."
    ],
    [
      "Does negative slack prove the team is slow?",
      "No. It describes incompatibility between this plan and the requested window."
    ]
  ],
  "method_references": [
    {
      "id": "schedule",
      "title": "GAO Schedule Assessment Guide",
      "url": "https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-16-89g",
      "scope": "General schedule-model context. All records, local policies and arithmetic are original toy examples, not a certified or optimized schedule."
    }
  ]
}