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TIME TAKEN FOR SCHEDULING

17 replies [Last post]
Fri, 2005-06-03 13:37
Kris Harry
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Hi friends,

I will like to know how long it typically takes a planner to develop a schedule of 500 and 1000 activities in P3 with cost and resources loaded.

I will also like to have views on if the planner should work independently or involve team members like project manager or others in the schedule preparation process.

Kris
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Replies

Wed, 2005-06-29 13:38
#1
Kris Harry
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Thanks Suresh,

Yes, before we lay hands on activities we need to be fully abreast of specifications and contract conditions which frequently give other requirements to be incorporated in the schedule.

Kris
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Mon, 2005-06-27 10:52
#2
Suresh Devarajan
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Oh One Last Thing the key to a successful baseline schedule is Know your Specifications.....Know your Specifications....Know your Specifications coz when things go tough that is what we go after and not assumptions made. Moreover, specifications will indicate the windows of operation, shutdown period if any, testing process and quality control, submittals to be made and there approval durations, milestone and other criteria specially for the particular project. Therefore in one nut shell know your specs prior to start laying your hands on the activities and durations.
Suresh
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Mon, 2005-06-27 10:48
#3
Suresh Devarajan
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Yeah I agree with Kris. Selling your schedule and getting the commitment of the Team members is very important coz as planners we can go through the sequence of work on a overall picture but to understand the scope of work in detail and the resource needed to build the work depends solely on the knowledge of the people who are going to build the work. so take all comments and review them coz each and everyone in the team who builds one part of the work knows only there part of the work but it is the scheduler who hears all the parts completes the puzzle. Additionally, How many times we would have heard the guys who build the work out there complain that the schedule is not realistic and when there point gets proven then the baseline schedule will be a mere wall paper attractive but not purposeful.
Adios Planners,
Suresh
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Sat, 2005-06-25 04:20
#4
Kris Harry
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Thanks Bill,

I agree - that’s what I keep doing - the only problem comes when some clients demand a detailed schedule in the beginning. We have to live with it.

Kris
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Wed, 2005-06-15 22:57
#5
Bill Guthrie
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ok kRIS

Then suggest this is where you earn your pay, based on your knowledge and all informaiton available, build a high level schedule with lots of float and give client the key milestones only, and then you have to live with it. So then go to vendors and obtain info, by giving vendors your delivery milestones the project becomes schedule driven not cost driven.

good luck,bill
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Wed, 2005-06-15 20:46
#6
Sukumaran Subaram...
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Kris,

Believe the staffs are well experienced and knowledgeable. They must be able to guide you with their knowledge which they earned through their past working experiences, unless your company hire all the freshies to do the work.

If the engineers do not want to guide you, go ho ahead and develop the schedule based on your experience and once completed print it and discuss with them. Let them review the schedule, get the feedback and make a changes accordingly before submission.

Regards.
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Wed, 2005-06-15 11:51
#7
Kris Harry
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Dear Bill,

I agree that we do not wait for precise details of material deliveries or info from team members. We use our experience and best judgement. But problem comes when clients want a baseline schedule in 2-weeks after contract award and want to freeze it. It will then be used for progress comparison purposes during project execution.


Kris




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Wed, 2005-06-15 11:51
#8
Kris Harry
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Dear Bill,

I agree that we do not wait for precise details of material deliveries or info from team members. We use our experience and best judgement. But problem comes when clients want a baseline schedule in 2-weeks after contract award and want to freeze it. It will then be used for progress comparison purposes during project execution.


Kris




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Tue, 2005-06-14 22:21
#9
Bill Guthrie
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Kris

You do not wait for detailed timeframes on materials, you go ahead and build the schedule identifying the known materials, and as the REQs return,then fine tune the durations accordingly.

Build it, then flesh it out then backwards pass it with updated info.

regards bill
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Tue, 2005-06-14 21:04
#10
Ganesan Sebrenmani
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Hi Guys,

For 1000 activities it may take more than 5-6 days depending on repetiveness of each activity. ( Ex : if you are repeating a set of 200 activities for 5 types of phases than it just a copy and paste method)
If it totally ONE whole 1000 activity project, you’ll need a month or so to get all the details and input them in schedule to retain the logic and practicality.

the site team shall have a lot of details of material deliveries and other infos. please refer to them.
Sometimes it’s up to the planner to schedule a activity’s duration based on his own judgement.

Hope that’s help

regards,
ganesan
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Mon, 2005-06-06 14:38
#11
Kris Harry
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Hi Guys,

Thanks for feedback. For an buildings project - not very complex - I think 5-6 days period may not be enough. Frequently it happens that all team members are not fully knowledgeable about details in the beginning of the project when baseline is being prepared. Material deliveries may not be known, subcontractors are not finalized.

Kris
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Sun, 2005-06-05 21:13
#12
Sukumaran Subaram...
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Hi,

As Bill and Shahzad mentioned. Let your team members involve in schedule development. Get their commitment and discuss on productivity rates to prepare a realistic workable schedule.

Let they understand the work sequences when you work on detail schedule. This will help the team members especially when you start to update the schedule.

Also it will make your life easy. Not to crack your head on your own and let the team members to feel the pressure too.

Remember the motto: TOGETHER WE EXCEL or TOGETHER WE FAIL.

Regards.
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Sun, 2005-06-05 07:36
#13
Shahzad Munawar
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Hi kris

Your schedule of 1000 activities with fully resource and cost loaded will take at least five to six days.

This will also depends upon nature of activities associated with the project

As regards cooperation of your team memebers, sure , without their involvement it is not possible to prepare, execute and monitor any schedule.
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Sun, 2005-06-05 07:35
#14
Shahzad Munawar
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Hi kris

Your schedule of 1000 activities with fully resource and cost loaded will take at least five to six days.

This also depends upon nature of activities associated with the project

As regards cooperation of your team memebers, sure , without their involvement it is not possible to prepare, excute and monitor any schedule.
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Sun, 2005-06-05 05:20
#15
Sunil Kumar
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That a nice one Bill and I totally agree with you.

Sunil
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Sat, 2005-06-04 05:20
#16
MK TSE
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I agree Bill’s word.
A "successful" schedule is not the effort of scheduler, it’s an effort of the whole team.
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Sat, 2005-06-04 00:01
#17
Bill Guthrie
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Hi Kris

Your question will recive replies with lots of varables,its so broad.
Its in 2 parts.
1. Time to develop
Thats very hard to say, it depends on your experience, software used, and source data,printed or electric,etc.

2. 2nd part is easy, If you want to make a good schedule and retain your job, you had better involve all team members,and make it a OUR schedule not a MY schedule. Team member buy in is critical. Having said that, at what point you want Team buy in is up to you.
You might want to make a OUTLINE schedule, high level and let the team refine it.
The final product you will have to live with, and take advantage of everyones knowledge, get their buy ins or you will be spending more time defending your schedule then planning.
If they are involved from day one, they are champs of OUR schedule and will fight for it, not towards it.

Have fun
Regards bill
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