How do you evaluate your construction schedule and plan?

This gets back to the basics - planning comes before scheduling and needs to start during the estimating phase. Ensure proper planning by starting with a well thought out Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Use the WBS to find gaps and overlaps in scope before you move on to scheduling.

Always start with scope validation. Once scope & constraints are clear, then you go to the next step of Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) including activities estimates (cost & time) for planning. Following that evaluate the path of construction strategies including systems priorities for start-up. Only then planning & schedule should be worked on.

The schedule needs to be realistic without overlapping multiple trades in the same space at the same time….. coordination of subs (trades) needs to occur where they are well defined for projected completion dates that allow the next trade to come in with minimal overlap. HVAC, Plumbers, Electricians, and for sprinkler contractors don’t play well with each other as it is, but you definitely don’t need everybody trying to work in the same space the same week- or schedule drywall the same week at MEP rough in’s.

Conducting a comprehensive ground investigation. The ground investigation may be stagged in order cover all parts of the of the site, concentrate on areas of anomalies and/or risks and then target any unforeseen ground conditions. In addition to the ground investigation, undertaking relevant filed and laboratory testing and producing accurate and representative geotechnical design parameters.

The schedule should be aligned with a well thought and developed Project Execution Plan (PEP). In this way, some relations and activities can be planned accordingly.

The article here really looks at construction scheduling from a purely CPM point of view (Critical Path Method), which tends to envision the schedule as a command and control tool, which I disagree with. I also disagree with completely abandoning CPM and jumping straight to Lean. The complexity of most construction projects dictates that you use both. Create a proper CPM schedule to properly map the complex WBS activities and generate milestones. Then use pull planning to pull to the schedule to the milestone. Evaluate your pull plan commitments weekly. Go back to the master CPM schedule to update milestone dates to see the effect on the overall schedule.

Lexicon is important and as agnostic in nature as possible. The new generation of construction management is taught to communication with an agreed upon lexicon that can be used for current projects and reviewed for lessons learned. The Construction industry is moving towards Agile terminology to attract talent into the industry thus a uniform language is critical. Here the concept is understandable, but if this information is to have any relevance moving forward as a teaching tool. Adaptation to language uses in the PMBOK should be considered.

As a manufacturer of fire and smoke dampers one of the biggest construction issues we find are incompatible wall systems. By engaging the Principal certifier early and discussing service shaft wall systems and the service penetrations on the project, with specialists in this area valuable time at the end of the project can be saved

The schedule is a living document, which needs to communicate clearly what happens, when it happens and by whom. But is like a driving plan: somethings need to adjusted along the way, as unforseen conditions arise. The important thing is to adapt it and communicate the changes to all stakeholders on time.

A long while ago sequence was king . Now it is schedule. This is always a reduction in over all quality of product. Lately I have seen projects where water lines are put in before sewer. This type of disregard for sequence demands tunneling under water lines which lessens compaction, creates hazards and slows project in those areas. Recently I compacted a road with a 3' to 5' fill ( %95) only to have it trenched down 4' to place a water main . After which the same road was then open dug 6'+ to install a sewer line and then subgrade was re-established These are not every day events, but they are becoming more comon . We are slowly teaching the interns bad practices, and cheapening the final product for fast profit. Bring back sequence!

I really don't agree with these KPI's on a construction project. Again, it envisions the CPM schedule as the central document for command and control on the job site, which we know does not work. The CPM schedule still plays a role, but use Lean principles and KPI's to evaluate performance against the agreed upon pull plan. I talk about this more on LinkedIn Learning at https://www.dhirubhai.net/learning/construction-management-lean-strategies-for-improvement/you-still-need-your-cpm-schedule

I think some KPI are valuable, but they need to come from a tack plan rather than the schedule. The schedule can not be as breakdown as the reality is, so a more detailed plan needs to be developed week by week. And the revisit the schedule an plan/correct as needed.

The most important factor in developing a good realistic schedule and whether it can or will be followed by the superintendent is: how much actual experience/training does the scheduler have or employ. Do they actually know from past experience the time required for a certain operation. Or, are they guessing or just making the operation fit. I've seen many projects that the supt. has to explain why an operation is going past the scheduled time because the scheduler really had no idea. If you don't know, ask before giving schedule to the owner, etc.

I think one of the many reasons many projects run over schedule is because teams add more confusion then needed. This is certainly one of them. Keep it as simple as possible by adding the details that are requires and stay away from the fluff.

In our "running" phase of a project, Earned Value stands as the primary metric we monitor and optimize for internally, followed by the SPI which is the primary focus of the Project owner or CM's in our case. We employ a set of internal metrics developed from tracking the handful of job types we perform. This provides us and project stakeholders with expected performance benchmarks on a per-workday basis.

This is a great way to incorporate LEAN construction in your projects! Every contractor needs to be apart of the milestones and they all need to agree and understand the goal. Total buy in is necessary and critical!

Collaboration is a central part of any successful project. Clarity and communication are its main characteristics in order to increase the efficiency and speedy solutions on the site.

We’ve used the team aspect in our projects. By incorporating Microsoft Teams you can communicate with all parties or just an individual. Communication is vital to keep a project on track.

We employ "RPM" gauge-style dashboards that draw upon our job data, for real-time monitoring. Our boring old job progress spreadsheets with raw data feed the gauges. For discussions and conference calls, the RPM gauges not only serve as an effective way of communicating progress to our construction teams, but also as a compelling element in our presentations to Stakeholders CM's and PM's.

The construction works basically involving participation from each personnel to works together in achieving the targeted completion. During the organise discussion, meeting, site visit and inspection we may observe the things needed to be tidy up, situation which needed to be smoothen and progress to be prioritised. Each personnel involve play very important roles and contribution of the works or project success.

Most requierd actions are mentioned. In addition, I think, more realistic baseline leads to easier control and evaluating. Also, an active and seeking team is Necessary.

If we foresee the actual completion progress is to much differ from the targeted progress. We need to identify the main issues which causing the delay (materials @ equipments production / manpower shortage / transportation @ delivery hiccup / SOP at the working area). We need to discuss on how to solve the above potential issues and revisit the construction schedule to meet our targeted completion. We need to have buffer zone from the actual completion and handover date to ensure we have ample or reasonable time to mitigate any issue arisen during construction period.

Project adjustments if necessary? This is a given. Contingency planning is an expectation. Community-cation or stakehokder understanding that empowers timely decision making is critical.

In my experience I’ve found that you should always plan to adjust. I’ve never been on a job where everything just runs by a set plan, because it’s never going to you have to adjust on the fly in many situations without having a plan in place.

When a preceding task on the Gantt chart experiences delays—particularly those upon which our tasks are contingent—it poses our most difficult challenge, as we often lack direct control over such variables. To effectively navigate these uncertainties, access to the most current production data, updated at the close of each workday, is imperative for timely adjustments. To maintain a comprehensive overview of each project, we mandate daily progress photographs and conduct daily briefings with foremen, ensuring we maintain the pulse of a project.

All the software programs and checklists and MBA’s in Construction Management can’t be substituted for someone who has years of field experience. Sorry but you have to have dirt on your boots and an appreciation for what a man-hour really can accomplish to develop a construction schedule that’s worth a damn. Not saying the aforementioned tools can’t help, but seeing how stuff gets or does not get done when it’s cold and rainy is more important knowledge and training for schedule makers.

Crews should utilize the schedule to stay ahead of supply chain issues. In addition to the schedule submitted to the owner which naturally stretches dates, perform an internal schedule with more aggressive dates. Take note on long lead time items and make those calls well in advance .

The construction environment is notoriously a slow adoption industry. The critical component to consider is an aging workforce. New technology and innovative work solutions are key to attracting new talent and maximizing all areas within the construction industry.

In order to properly evaluate a construction schedule and plan, various project management techniques are employed. These include critical path analysis, resource leveling, and earned value management. These techniques help to identify potential delays, allocate resources efficiently, and measure progress against established objectives. Additionally, risk management is also a vital aspect of evaluating a construction schedule and plan. Effective risk management involves identifying potential risks and implementing mitigation strategies to minimize their impact on project timelines and budgets. Construction project can be completed on time within budget, while ensuring that end product meets all quality standards.