Construction Scheduling : The Basics

Effective construction scheduling is critical to every construction project.  A high quality schedule ensures that tasks are tracked & completed on time, as well as keeping budget in check. A well thought out schedule will serve as a roadmap to overall project success.  This will help show you your resource needs, it will minimize delays, and mitigate overall risk.  One of the main responsibilities a construction manager or business owner oversees is risk - the lower the risk, the higher the probability of success. In this article, we will discuss the key principles and best practices for construction scheduling.

1. Understanding Project Scope: The first step in developing a construction schedule is to clearly understand and define the project scope. Defining the project scope can be done by reviewing and understanding the drawings, specifications, and other contract documents / requirements.  As you read & digest these, you'll start to outline the broad tasks, milestones, and deliverables that need to be accomplished.  From there, you'll break those larger tasks down into smaller segments that can better track specifics within the project.  I cover drawing review in my Drawing Review Video Playlist (Click Here to Watch).

2. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): A work breakdown structure is a hierarchical decomposition of the project into the manageable sections of work. Breaking down the project into smaller tasks makes it easier to estimate timeframes, allocate resources, and track progress. Each task in the WBS should have a defined duration and relationship / task dependency with other tasks (predecessors & successors). 

3. Calculating Manpower / Duration : Figuring out durations of tasks is likely the most difficult part of scheduling to grasp - as it's based on installation quantities & productivity (which productivity is based on historical data).  To understand productivity - you first have to complete that task to see how long it takes from start to finish.  After you've completed it, you'll know how long it takes and you can base future work off this measurement.  For instance, how long does it take to swap out a toilet for a new one?  Well, the first time you ever do it - you probably won't know.  But let's say you decide to tackle it as the weekend project and now you have figured that it takes you 1 hour to swap.  So the productivity rate = 1 toilet (our install quantity) per hour.   Now let's say we have a commercial building and we need to swap out 70 toilets.  Well, at 1 toilet per hour - it would take us 70 working hours.  70 working hours divided by an 8 hour working day is 8.75 total days.  We also know can always get it faster done if we call over a friend to help - which could be the same as increasing your crew size in construction.  RS Means is a great place to start on production rates, but over time it's best to track your own for accuracy.

4. Task Sequencing: Next is the actual sequence in which tasks are scheduled, which can significantly impact the overall project timeline. Identifying task dependencies and determining the most efficient order of tasks is critical for avoiding delays and ensuring smooth project flow. Utilizing tools such as Gantt charts can help visualize task relationships and dependencies.  I cover this in depth in my CPM Scheduling Video (Click Here to Watch)

5. Resources: Knowing how and where to allocate resources effectively is essential for maintaining a realistic construction schedule.  Resources can be defined by the right people with the necessary skills, materials, and equipment to each task.  Accurately forecasting resource requirements will both tell you where you need to focus and can prevent delays to ensure that work progresses according to plan.

6. Regular Monitoring and Updates: Construction schedules are living documents that should be regularly monitored and updated throughout the project lifecycle - weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly. By tracking actual progress against planned milestones, construction project managers can identify deviations early on and take corrective actions to keep the project on track.

So... construction scheduling plays a vital role in the successful execution of construction projects. By following best practices such as defining project scope, utilizing WBS, sequencing tasks, allocating resources wisely, and monitoring progress closely, construction project managers can optimize project timelines, minimize risks, and deliver successful outcomes.

Cheers!