Construction Scheduling Computer Software, Scheduling

Construction Scheduling

Computer Software, Scheduling Methods,

and their Importance to Construction Scheduling

Computer Software, Scheduling Methods,

and their Importance to Construction Scheduling

The scheduling of a construction project is one of the most important aspects of the entire process, as without accurate, organized, and reliable scheduling, a project will cease to exist, or even worse, be constructed in a way that goes against what is actually required, forcing individuals involved in the project to essentially start from scratch. One misstep in scheduling has the capacity to damage a project in its entirety, and it is because of this, that construction scheduling as a skill has risen to the forefront of requirements for work in the field. Construction scheduling is an aspect of the job that requires designers and contractors to fully understand construction plans and be able to execute these plans efficiently in a way that minimized disruptions. In understanding this facet of the job, one can better understand how certain computer software programs and scheduling methods can improve the task in order to make things run as smoothly as possible and should not be overlooked in beginning a project.

Critical Path Method and Construction Scheduling

The critical path method (CPM) is an algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities, and has been widely-regarded as an important tool for effective project management (Kelley, 2003, p. 22). The essential technique for using CPM is to construct a model of the project at hand that includes: a list of activities required to complete the project (typically categorized within a work breakdown structure), the time/duration that each activity will take to reach completion, and the dependencies between the activities (Baker, 2004, p.1).

In addition to its organizational scheduling features, CPM has become widely utilized as an analytical tool in the evaluation, negotiation, resolution and litigation of construction claims, which has proven a massive strength to construction teams who have utilized this tool in the past (O'Brien and Plotnick, 2009, p. 13). In providing streamlined scheduling, and therefore streamlined records of the tasks completed, construction teams have been able to utilize the tool in many circumstances to avoid many issues that have arisen during the construction process. This facet, along with the tool's reliability, makes it an essential method of scheduling that has proved beneficial to the field.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique and Construction Scheduling

Program evaluation and review technique, commonly abbreviated PERT, is a statistical tool, used in project management that is designed to analyze and represent the tasks involved in completing a given project. PERT is a method to analyze the involved tasks in completing a project, especially the time needed to complete each task, in order to identify the minimum time needed to complete the total project, and PERT is often utilized to simplify the planning and scheduling of large and complex projects, such as the Navy's Polaris nuclear submarine project for which it was developed (Clark, Malcolm and Roseboom, 1959, p. 646).

PERT, as seen, has been utilized in scheduling tasks as significant as U.S. military operations, but has further shown to be significantly useful in the construction field. Not only has PERT proven a viable tool in the scheduling of construction projects, but it has been noted to aid significantly in the research and development of projects. Even with an extensive experience base, construction operations have enough uncertainly that the construction manager can learn several important lessons from a brief overview of the PERT procedure including proper estimates of modal duration in terms of probability of accomplishing certain activities within the time period specified (Clough, Sears and Sears, 2008, pp. 366-67).

Gantt Charts and Construction Scheduling