Production and schedule management for construction projects is complicated — to say the least — but a proactive, disciplined approach can pay off big in the effort to control project costs and labor, not to mention on-time project completion. When a project manager does not pro-actively manage production, the project stalls; laborers and equipment sit idle, wasting time and money and jeopardizing workflow. But when the project manager can continually monitor the status of work in progress, he or she can address potential production bottlenecks, adjust materials procurement, and identify other small problems before they become major delays.
Formal scheduling is a must for success in today’s construction environment, but it is only effective if the project manager has the tools to regularly and effectively ensure that schedules are on track. Fortunately, affordable, easy-to-use technology is now available to do just that.
THE GOOD AND BAD OF SCHEDULING
Many traditional field supervisors still resist formal project scheduling, in particular the critical path method (CPM), which they regard as irrelevant to actual operations and a time-consuming distraction. These folks often resort to “seat-of-the-pants” scheduling and “gut feeling” assessment of work in progress — which sometimes works and other times results in grossly inefficient productivity.
Progressive construction professionals, on the other hand, recognize the challenge of keeping today’s complex AEC projects on track and are calling on formal scheduling procedures and tools to stay on top of production. Owners, too, are realizing the value of formal scheduling, and many are requiring detailed schedules before construction begins so they can directly assess whether work is proceeding satisfactorily.
A BETTER WAY
Assemble Systems offers production and schedule management that overcomes traditional challenges in a package that is affordable, flexible, and easy to use. By adding activity identification numbers to the building information model (BIM) over the course of the project, users can tap into Assemble to connect the project timeline with materials quantities to create highly accurate, up-to-date, resource-loaded schedules as well as deliver downstream reports of the status of work in progress.
Download the BIM workflow guide to learn more.
