What I learned from scheduling...
In my Project Controls III: Scheduling course, I retained a multitude of useful information regarding scheduling a construction project and the many, specific aspects that affect how the project functions. When you think of a schedule, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a timeline in which a certain amount of work is complete. PC III allowed me to see beyond this assumption and realize the many variables that are not always mentioned but are crucial to the construction project. One of the most important aspects when scheduling a construction project is the order in which items are completed. Though completing certain tasks is necessary for the start of other tasks in the project, many items on the schedule can begin work during the same time another item of work is being performed. This creates a system known as fast tracking, which has the production of one work item coinciding with another to complete the construction process at a faster, more efficient pace. Fast tracking is a very useful method that I have incorporated into all of my scheduling. It’s a great alternative to utilize with projects that possess a long timeline, or with a project that’s activities have long durations. The project schedule is used to estimate what resources are needed at what time and for how long, afterall.
Using Primavera 6, construction scheduling is made easy. You begin by entering in a list of activities, their durations, the predecessor and successors to each activity, and the budgeted total cost for each item. With these tools, I can gauge an estimate of the overall project cost, and the duration of the entire project as well. These are all important aspects of scheduling a construction project because knowledge is power. Knowing how long the subcontractor will or should take on a specific item helps other subcontractors to perform their task(s) with little to no stoppages or delays in the timeline of the project. This is not only the common theme for my PC III course, but I has taught me to carry these principles to other projects as well. Efficiency is key in the construction industry, and most, if not all, of the efficiency in a project comes from mapping out its processes in a schedule. If you have not already viewed my schedule, please click on the “PC III” tab and you will find a slideshow providing pictures of a schedule I created in this course.