Construction Scheduling Services
Construction Science (CnS) consultants have created hundreds of construction schedules and have performed thousands of updates to schedules. Whatever the situation, we have already "been there, done that" many times. The advantages of using CnS include:
Targeted help - use our consultants as much, or little, as needed
Flexible pricing - hourly and flat rate services available
Inexpensive experience - our expert services cost less than hiring a full-time scheduler
Risk management - our ability to recognize and respond to potential bottlenecks and delays is unparalleled
Mentoring - we can teach your staff the proper way to schedule projects and utilize scheduling software
Our basic construction scheduling services are detailed below:
Baseline Construction Schedules
Construction Science can prepare your baseline construction schedule for you, relying upon our experience on hundreds of construction schedules built from "scratch". Once we have discussed general sequences with you, CnS will create the detailed logic and suggest activity durations. The construction schedule will be delivered to you in compliance with the contract requirements and proper scheduling techniques. Resource and cost loading assistance, if desired, can also be provided. The end result is a schedule that reflects how you intend to build the project - something that is often lacking in baseline schedules.
Already have a baseline construction schedule started and looking for a little advice? We can do that too! Let us show you how to avoid the common pitfalls found in many baseline construction schedules. The tight deadlines in many contracts for submitting baseline schedules often result in schedules that are not quite ready for publication. Don't be fooled by the owner's acceptance of your schedule; chances are whatever shortcomings are present will only work against you.
Construction Science recently introduced a Primavera P6 "Quick Fix" program that will ensure your schedule is properly built and ready for submission. The complexity of Primavera P6 has introduced scheduling errors that in the past were easier to avoid in programs such as SureTrak and P3. Visit our
Primavera Training page for more information on this very affordable, fixed price, program.
Resource Loading and Analysis
Most construction schedules in the United States are not resource loaded, meaning that cost data and/or hours have not been assigned to the activities. When cost data is provided, it is often utilized for payment purposes or to develop cash flow projections. The owner has a vested interest in knowing in advance how much money the contractor might expect to be paid each month if the project goes according to plan. Beyond this, having cost data in the construction schedule does not create many advantages for the contractor. Cost-loaded schedules have a tendency to be viewed as payment tools wherein progress is constantly disputed by the owner and the contractor finds it very difficult to update the schedule without interference.
Resource loading is an entirely different matter. There are techniques for restricting the amount of work being performed by any particular trade that are understood by seasoned schedulers that can avoid the additional step of assigning labor hours (not to mention, equipment) to each activity.
Even when these techniques are not employed the problem is generally not that the baseline CPM schedule is unrealistic but that slippage to non-critical activities once the project has started changes the dynamics of the expected labor.
Resources are always finite, meaning there is always a practical limit to how many workers are available in a given time period and can be utilized effectively within the confines of the project site. If the schedule is not "tight" the delta between early and late dates in the schedule creates a wide range of possible dates on which any particular task might be performed. Activities slip and begin to overlap with work that initially (in the baseline CPM schedule) would have started much later. While it is true that critical path activities can also slip, it is the secondary (non-critical) tasks that often slip more and are ignored as a result of the available float.
Construction Science noted the problem with schedules that assume unlimited resources many years ago and developed techniques for dealing with this very significant issue. Putting resources into the schedule is certainly a very good idea, but in our experience there are other methods that are also very effective. We primarily utilize resource loading to help our subcontractor clients understand how updates to the master schedule is impacting their work. Comparing resource curves from one update to the next is the best way to summarize how the master schedule has changed.
Construction Schedule Updates
Proper construction scheduling does not stop with the baseline schedule. A poorly maintained schedule can easily undo even the best-laid plan. Ill-advised and unexplained logic changes begin creeping into the schedule. Pretty soon the schedule no longer resembles the baseline schedule at all. And while the blame is often placed on change orders and other events not anticipated in the baseline schedule, the problem becomes how to distinguish owner-driven logic changes from contractor-driven logic changes. No project gets built exactly as-planned, but without strict discipline the project updates may obfuscate impacts caused by other parties.
Very few construction projects have full-time schedulers - and this makes sense, because only very large projects have the need for continuous scheduling oversight. The disadvantage of this approach is that scheduling falls into the hands of one or more individuals who have other primary responsibilities. This is to say, these individuals were not hired specifically for their scheduling prowess. As a result, no one pays too much attention to how the schedule is being updated as long as something is being produced each month.
Construction Science can update your baseline construction schedule in the proper fashion and monitor progress each month, letting your personnel concentrate on other tasks. The project receives the benefit of a full-time scheduler's experience at a substantially lower cost. As change orders are issued and other unexpected events occur, we will quickly advise you on whether more time should be requested. No more waiting until the project is over to sort things out.
Because we are experts in proper construction scheduling techniques, potential bottlenecks and delays will always be addressed quickly and efficiently.