Construction Project Management - Tips/Tools/Techniques

In the previous chapter we have seen what could be the possible impact on the activities linked with either ‘Start to Start’ or ‘Finish to Finish’ links after updates on predecessors.   You must have also noted that in case of ‘Start to Start’ link if the predecessors are delayed then the impact is not shown on the activity and its successors, which is extremely risky. Similarly in case of ‘Finish to Finish’ link if the predecessor is delayed in start but finishes on time the technical condition for starting may not be met with. However it is not as risky as the ‘Start to Start’ link case. Now I am check the same schedule with ‘Finish to Start’ links. With ‘Finish to Start’ link; to match the technical conditions at both the start and end, I am considering that the Plastering starts after finishing block masonry but with a lead of 6 days. Similarly the Painting starts after finishing plastering but with a lead of 6 days. Choosing this particular lead has a reason with som...

Further to my Tips on ‘Activity Description’ or ‘Naming the Activity’, I am now giving some tips on linking the activities. Every planner knows that there are 4 type of links available for use; which are: Finish to Start – FS – Activity ‘B’ can start after finishing Activity ‘A’ Start to Start – SS – Activity ‘B’ can start after starting Activity ‘A’ Finish to Finish – FF – Activity ‘B’ can finish after finishing Activity ‘A’ Start to Finish – SF – Activity ‘B’ must start for finishing Activity ‘A’ Most commonly used Link is ‘FS’ and least or almost never used, is ‘SF’. The remaining 2 Links of ‘SS’ and ‘FF’ is used by some planners however not all of them are aware of the limitations which are must while using these links. Off course, there are some adjustments in terms of ‘Lead’ and ‘Lag’ which are also used along with the Links. While ‘Primavera’ allows the use of SS & FF links to same activity to give a good amount of control; Microsoft Project” does not allows the ...

This is the 4 th and final chapter in this series of simplifying construction planning process for the Construction Team Members. The sole purpose of this entire series was to create awareness in Construction Engineers about how vital their contribution is in the planning process. It was essential for them to know the meaning and use of various terms used in planning; various steps of planning & scheduling right from planning to make a plan, Logistics, Methodology, Decomposition of the whole project, Phasing and Zoning etc. and then Sequencing of works. Naturally in all of these steps the experts in construction need to give valuable inputs and contribute. Further for determining the resources and duration for any activity, their data on productivity based on past experience and the difficulty level of works to modify the productivity is indispensable as planner would have much lower exposure as compared to Construction Managers. Overall, any planning is useless if it does not tak...

Previous 2 chapters were for the construction team wherein I explained some terms of planning in simple language with examples and the vital contribution expected from the construction team. I believe; it deliberated as to why, how & what the construction team should be party to while preparing construction plan and what is in it for them as well as the planner. In this chapter, there are some simple guidelines to both planner and construction team, which must be kept in mind while preparing the construction plan. These guidelines are more for the planners to understand and act, whereas the construction team must insist for the same and support planners. Naturally there is a lot of contribution required from construction team here too. KISS – KEEP IT SHORT & SIMPLE That’s the first & most important principle for any plan. Remember, the construction plan must be understood by the junior most levels in construction team and hence naming any activity, complexity of activ...

Vital Contribution from Construction Team in Project Plan In my previous article I had explained some terms in planning to the Construction Team Members in a simple way with examples. Planners, with some experience in field as construction engineer would agree that it is essential to have a lot of contribution from construction team for any schedule to be effective. When the experienced construction team is involved in planning; not only they would contribute but also ‘own’ the schedule and the commitment level would be high. It is but natural that the schedule would be much more effective, with higher chances of success. I had earlier explained the following important terms: Planning & Scheduling Dependencies: Hard Logic / Causal, Soft Logic / Constrained, Preferential Logic Links: FS – Finish to Start, SS – Start to Start, FF – Finish to Finish, SF – Start to Finish Other: Lag, Lead, Float, Critical Path In this article I would explain the whole process of planning ...

For every project, any deliverable or even for a task one is advised to have a plan. We keep hearing that having a plan in place is like completing 40% of the task. Won’t you agree that even making a plan for the project is also a sub-project/deliverable/task in itself? If it is so, why not have a plan for making a plan? Will it not be a prolific thing to do? Yes! It is always a best approach to make a plan for making a plan. What shall we include, in this plan? Let’s explore.   We should consider to answer the following and document it for future references: 1.       Stages, WBS Elements and Level of Detailing: a)       Do we need a plan for each of the stages? Feasibility stage, Concept Stage, Design Development Stage, Execution Initiation Stage etc. b)       What should be the ‘Work Breakdown Structure’ in various stages? It is preferable to keep the WBS Structure consistent throughout the...