What function calculates the number of days that a task can be delayed without affecting the project finish date?

The function that calculates the number of days a task can be delayed without impacting the project finish date is known as TOTALFLOAT. TOTALFLOAT, also referred to as slack, measures the amount of time that you can delay a task without delaying the project's overall completion. Understanding TOTALFLOAT is crucial in project management because it helps project managers identify which tasks are critical to the project timeline and which tasks have flexibility, allowing for more effective resource allocation and scheduling.

In practice, tasks with zero TOTALFLOAT are on the critical path, meaning any delay will directly affect the project finish date, while tasks with positive TOTALFLOAT can be rescheduled if necessary without affecting overall project timing. This insight is essential for managing risks and maintaining project schedules effectively.

The other options provided wouldn't accurately portray the function intended in the question. For example, the TOTALTIME function is not a standard term relevant to project management metrics in this context. DELAYDAYS is not an established function in Smartsheet for calculating project delays. CRITICALPATH refers to the sequence of dependent tasks that determine the minimum project duration and does not specifically quantify the number of days a task can be delayed. Thus, TOTALFLOAT is the most appropriate choice for this scenario.