CrunchTime
Meticulous Project Scheduling Is Fundamental to Success
By Nicole Achs Freeling
Coming up with a well-designed constructionschedule is a complex part of projectmanagement, yet few things are morevital to success. From start to finish, the scheduleplays a crucial role on the job each day. Theschedule is used for specifying tasks, settingtimelines, providing a logical and efficient worksequence, and helping to ensure that jobs arecompleted without delays and within budget.
Despite the central role of schedules in the building process, construction companies vary widely in how they develop them. Most contractors agree, however, that creating a good working schedule involves anticipating challenges, gathering detailed input from subcontractors, and developing a good strategy for handling potential delays.
The Electrical Connection spoke with four general contractors to find out how each tackles project scheduling: Tom Hannasch of McGough Construction, Tim Johnson, Director of Project Management Controls at M.A. Mortenson Company, Todd Schilling, Vice President of Operations at Knutson Construction Services, and Doug Jaeger, Vice President of Kraus-Anderson Construction Company’s Building Division.
What software program does your company use for project scheduling?
Hannasch: Primavera P3 and Microsoft Project.
Johnson: We use Primavera P3 now but are changing over to P3 EC (Engineering & Construction), Primavera’s newest program.
Schilling: We also use Primavera products — P3 and Suretrak.
Jaeger: Microsoft Project and Primavera. We’ve adapted our system to our customers’ needs.
Who takes responsibility for scheduling on your construction projects?
Hannasch: Initially, we work out a schedule with the owner and include that schedule on the front end. That effort may include input from the subcontractors with significant activity and/or potential impact, including long lead items. Responsibility for the management of the schedule and subsequent revisions falls to the project team. Individual responsibility for updating the master schedule depends on the team and project size.
Johnson: The responsibility has several levels. Ultimately, the project manager ensures we have a good working schedule. Often the detailed [schedule] work falls to project engineers. The project superintendent takes the overall schedule and makes a detailed daily plan for the crews.
Schilling: The project manager and project superintendent create the initial schedule. That’s key because you need buy-in from the project management side and the field side. After we produce the initial master schedule, the schedule is updated on a monthly basis or more frequently based on changes, delays, etc. We also do two- or three-week project “lookahead” schedules. We discuss these at the weekly on-site progress meetings, as they are byproducts of the master schedule.
Jaeger: Typically, each project manager takes responsibility for his or her own project, with input from the field. As you put the schedule together, you have the building in your mind. So once project managers have done the schedule, they’ve built the whole building from soup to nuts. They understand it and they understand the schedule. If they have a schedule someone else put together, they might not get [the other person’s] thought process.
We are always talking about the schedule and updating it twice a week. I look at the schedule as a living tool. It moves and changes as the project goes along. If the drywaller says he will finish on Tuesday and it’s actually Thursday, the schedule reflects that. I look at it as a road map, but it’s a guide only. It comes down to the guys in the field trying to take it and make it better where they can.
What level of input does your scheduler have with subcontractors?
Hannasch: We collaborate with subcontractors to get a schedule that works for everyone to the extent possible. It may not be the very best for everyone involved, but it’s something everyone can live with while still meeting our end date and important intermediate milestones.
Johnson: We think it’s really important to get a lot of input from subs. Sometimes we put together an initial schedule before we even have subs, but the first thing we do once the subs are on board is have them go through and either concur, add detail to, or change the schedule as they see fit. We want them to bring their insight into their side of the work.
Schilling: We encourage our project managers and superintendents to solicit accurate information from the subs right away. Sometimes people want a little padding built in, but we don’t have time for fluff. We really respect subs that give us a detailed, accurate portrait of how quickly they can get the job done.
Jaeger: We come up with a rough draft first. Then we tell each subcontractor, “Please look at the tasks, and if I’m short or long on something, let me know.”We use their information to refine the schedule before sending it out or distribution.
How does your project team handle delays?
Hannasch: We try to develop a recovery plan that minimizes the end-date impact. You get together with the subs that caused the delay or are affected by it and try to make a workaround plan. That might mean overtime, or moving to another project area, or working out of the intended sequence. In some cases, you just may have to extend the end date, but you try not to go there.
Johnson: We’ll produce a fragnet of what happened. We put the additional activities [that caused or resulted from the problem] on the schedule to demonstrate the reason for delay. At that point, we use the [revised] schedule to look for ways to mitigate the interruption.
Schilling: When a delay occurs, we try to decipher what parties are affected. We focus on what we can do looking ahead rather than blame. In putting together a recovery schedule, we may look at overtime, additional resources and staff, and/or alternate construction means and methods. The recovery schedule has to come from all parties affected, and the only way to do that is to sit down and talk.
Jaeger: You’ve still got that end date. The owners have to move in and occupy the building. So you have to figure out a way to work within that. I think you have to have open communication with the subcontractors, the field personnel, and the owners.
