Other ways to say a project is ahead of schedule?

Question

I'm looking for ways to say a business project is (or will be) completed ahead of schedule. Obviously, there are plenty of phrases for delayed or on-time statuses, but what are some phrases for describing those rare situations when a project is actually ready ahead of time?

This is what I've come up with so far:

• completed sooner than expected
• have some time to spare
• done ahead of schedule

Are there any other ways to say that Murphy's Law didn't apply this one time, and things actually went better than expected?

Answer 1

Metaphorically, the concept "ahead of schedule" can be communicated with a sense of tentative optimism:

We've enjoyed favorable winds on this project so far, and the forecast seems encouraging.

Answer 2

First, a human nature note.

You never know what might go haywire at the tail end of a project. So always under-promise. :-)

That said, try the following:

"Tasks are progressing under the more optimistic time estimates." "We are likely to complete the project earlier than anticipated." "Contingencies built into the project plan are likely to remain un-needed." "Fewer then expected changes and challenges have facilitated rapid progress."

Answer 3

Focusing on what's most important to the client, I'd go with this:

"The project seems to be ahead of schedule. Though there's always the possibility of an unanticipated delay, we'll remain diligent yet optimistic."