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DO's & DON'Ts: in Construction Scheduling
DO's & DON'Ts: in Construction Scheduling
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While poor logic can be difficult to prevent, there are some steps you
can take to correct the thinking behind it. Some examples include
creating template schedules that can be modified for projects,
implementing a peer review processes, and reviewing historical statistics
of schedule durations per square foot per dollar for the particular type
of work.
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DOs & DON’Ts IN CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING 4
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FOR EXAMPLE,
permissions and permits are notorious for falling through
the cracks, especially when a builder is working in
unfamiliar territory.
EXPERIENCED SCHEDULERS
WILL HAVE A LIST
of things they automatically check at the beginning of
every scheduling job just to be sure there weren’t obvious
errors that occurred before them.
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DOs & DON’Ts IN CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING 6
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DESCRIPTIONS MATTER
Another type of error is one of not being appropriately descriptive when
describing activities.
First of all,
you’ll need to create a
very detailed schedule,
sometimes even including
items as specific as
But most importantly,
deliveries of material.
all tasks or activities have to
be described in language that is
easily understood by installers and
everyone else, and should
be referenced to other
associated tasks.
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DOs & DON’Ts IN CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING 7
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The type of fixture should be named and any critical aspects of its
installation should be explained in the lines. For example, it could be
something like:
“Rough-in plumbing
in bathroom 15a”
“Install fixtures in
bathroom 15a”
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DOs & DON’Ts IN CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING 8
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RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
When it comes to predecessors and successors, every task except
for the very first and very last must include them. Predecessors and
successors serve as the beginnings and ends to each task, and when
missing one or both, and activity becomes an orphan. The project itself
has a beginning and end, and so too must all the activities or tasks. Be
sure to link your predecessors and successors properly, or your critical
path won’t calculate correctly.
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DOs & DON’Ts IN CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING 9
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Any builder who’s done more than one project knows they are all
differrent.
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DOs & DON’Ts IN CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING 11
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EXAMPLE 1
Consider a job site that is an existing multifamily renovation project
where the buildings will be renovated in phases - one or two buildings
at a time. The job site is going to have severe limitations on how labor,
materials and equipment move about, because there will always be
adult residents, children, the elderly, the disabled, and their movements
to consider. A logistics plan should be created and approved by all
parties prior to finalizing the schedule.
EXAMPLE 2
Suppose a job requires a concrete slab that will eventually be the
ground floor of a building. Time will be required for the slab to cure
before building on it. Likewise, using epoxy to set rebar into a block
wall will require a curing time that has to be factored into the schedule.
Work should be planned and phased to account for dyeing and curing
time of various material.
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DOs & DON’Ts IN CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING 12
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TRACKING RESULTS
Finally, don’t overlook the important management function of
controlling. A schedule comes to life once it is implemented, and that
means that things are going to begin changing.
Using tracking, you need to know what’s working and what isn’t, and
you need to know where there are too many resources assigned, where
there aren’t enough, along with answers to a hundred questions.
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DOs & DON’Ts IN CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING 13
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