Construction project managers often encounter problems when it comes to scheduling. Only one out of three contractors complete their tasks according to schedule and budget. It is not uncommon that time and cost overruns occur due to inefficient scheduling and planning practices. 

It is imperative that contractors and project managers improve their scheduling and planning strategies. Once improved and streamlined, they can avoid missed deadlines on their projects. If you are looking for tips to help you craft an effective construction schedule, this blog article is for you.  

Invest in Construction Management Software

Utilizing the best of technology is the secret sauce in many industries today. In construction, you can use management software that fosters effective communication with your crew, monitors project progress, and keeps everything organized. Handling resources, identifying potential issues, and tracking costs are much easier by going digital. 

Poor coordination on the job site is one of the reasons contractors fail to finish their projects on schedule. Thus, it is crucial to use a digital solution to keep contractors and subcontractors updated, whether online or offline. Important actors on the team should have access to the software to track the real-time progress of tasks.

Using construction management software also helps contractors create weekly reports and capture real-time images of the project. Lastly, it can eliminate inefficiencies and minimize admin time. 

Review All Details of the Scope of Work

Reviewing and documenting every detail affecting the construction schedule is vital to complete the project on time. You must check your construction drawings, spec sheet, and other documents. Crafting an efficient construction schedule requires understanding every detail of the project’s scope of work. 

• Ensure communication lines with material suppliers are open to ensure the accurate quantities of materials arrive on the job site on time. 

• Utilize site drawings to determine the best possible placement of material and equipment access points and storage areas. 

• Learn the best ways to allocate time and resources for different tasks by looking at historical data of similar projects. 

• Ensure your subcontractors also review all the paperwork that affects their tasks. Get their feedback and collaborate with them to craft an efficient construction schedule. 

Have Contingency Plans

Some issues may come up in a project that derails your construction schedule. The good thing is you can recognize potential risks and make contingency plans to lessen their impact on the project. 

Every potential risk should have a contingency plan, even if you might not need all of them. Round up project stakeholders and discuss ideas to create a solid backup plan for every project issue. 

Go over your project reports to identify problems and implement your contingency plans to avoid messing up your construction schedule. Typically, minor issues are to blame for schedule derailment. 

Create a Master Schedule to Organize Tasks

A master schedule serves as a guide to ensure your construction project sticks to its goals. There should be stages in your project, and you must list individual tasks and activities in every phase. This way, you can oversee and be in charge of the process. Please take note of the following to coordinate tasks using your master schedule. 

• Analyze the estimated time needed for each activity. 

• Subcontractors should be assigned start and completion dates for their tasks. 

• Classify activities that must be done concurrently with other tasks and those that must happen sequentially. 

Measure the Performance of Tasks and Activities

It is vital to look at the project progress relative to your schedule. There are activities that are ahead of schedule, and there are those that are lagging behind. 

Improving construction scheduling and planning starts with identifying inconsistencies between the progress of a project and your schedule. The findings will give you ideas to create a standard to measure performance in the future. 

Foster Better Communication Practices

At the very start, encourage every team member to communicate everything that will push the project to its completion. You should be notified of constraints or delays right away. You can mitigate issues if they are identified early. Then, you can implement your contingency plan and adjust your schedule. 

Every member of your crew should also collaborate to finish the project on time. Stakeholders should share ideas on how to solve issues and make quick and effective decisions. With better communication and collaboration practices, the more chances your construction project will succeed. 

Final Thoughts

If the progress of your project matches that of your construction schedule, you are likely to finish the project on time. There are many best practices on how to succeed at this goal. You should use construction management software, go over the details of the scope of work, have contingency plans, create a master schedule to organize tasks, foster better communication, and measure the performance of tasks and activities.