By having a clear construction project scheduling method, you can ensure that the project milestones and objectives are constantly met and that the project is completed on time. It also helps to prevent disputes, conflicts, inconvenience, and inefficiency in the construction project process.
Having the proper scheduling methods helps to guide your construction project, improve the efficiency of the team, streamline workflows and processes, increase transparency and accountability, and track key metrics and milestones.
Depending on your project requirements and needs, there are various scheduling methods to choose from. Each scheduling method has its pros and cons and you should choose wisely to determine which scheduling method works best for your project.
Resource-Oriented Scheduling
Resource-oriented scheduling involves scheduling the construction based on the project’s resources. This is because various teams and departments in the construction may be competing for limited resources. Resource-oriented scheduling ensures that all teams in the construction project can gain access to the necessary resources when required.
Resource-oriented scheduling takes into account the various resources all teams utilize. The relevant resources are then assigned to the different teams ahead of schedule and are done consistently throughout the entire duration of the project to ensure that their work will not be disrupted. Resources in this scenario refer to machinery, equipment, specialized tools, labor, or anything necessary for the completion of the project.
Resource-oriented scheduling thus prevents delays in the form of bottlenecks and waiting time for resources. The productivity of the workers is also increased. However, resource-oriented scheduling may not be suitable for construction projects which have too many resources to allocate. The calculation and allocation of resources may also be very challenging and the complexity of this will be multiplied if the resources have to constantly be tracked throughout the project duration.
Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
PERT pays attention to analyzing the key events and connections along the timeline of the project to ensure the project’s success. PERT thus helps to lay out the milestones for an indication of the project progress. This scheduling method is not just limited to the construction sector but is also widely used in other industries.
PERT thus constantly evaluates and analyzes the performance and timeline of the project. This ensures that contractors are constantly reminded of fixed deadlines while providing a comprehensive analysis of independent events and the combination of events that make up the construction project.
PERT is very deadline-based and facilitates improved coordination between different teams that allows for better decision-making and risk mitigation. However, PERT is very labor-intensive and some of the predictions may be inaccurate. If there are any sudden changes to the sequence and timeline of activities, PERT may also fail.
Gantt Charts
Gantt charts are one of the most common and popular construction project scheduling methods. Gannt charts are a type of bar chart that encourages the relevant stakeholders to structure and plan the project in a detailed manner and consider the connections between various tasks.
Gantt charts help you to identify the best path for completing the project and allow you to identify any overlapping activities, thereby simplifying the management of the project. While Gantt charts are easy to build and provide good organization, they tend to get very complicated especially if the project has numerous activities.
