CPM Schedule

That´s what I wanted to discuss: I don´t think it´s fair to state that the owner should compensate his own delays to the contractor only when they affect critical activities. That’s just the same as denying the fact that float is actually a management tool.



Delaying non critical activities is a way to manage scarce resources, which given a low availability must be assigned to critical activities first. Therefore, when the owner consumes the contractor´s scheduled floats, he is constraining his ability to manage resources, and should account for it.

On some jobs I have been on, the client sort tries to own the float time to some degree.



The contract would state something to the effect that if there is delay caused by the client, it was only compensable to the contractor if it was no delay equal to that by the contractor, and only if it delayed the whole job (was critical).





GC

The question raised by the forum Guest:

If any avtivity delay, does this impact on whole Project in CPM schedule.?



If any delay occurs to any activity which is having zero total float(which means the activity is on the critical path) will impact the project completion time certainly.



If any delay occurs to any activity which is not having zero total float may have a chance to affect the critical path(let us say if the total float is only 3days or so)if the activity is keep on experiencing delay.

LUCA and Shahzad



I have read your threads on different topics. Yours opinions and arguments are really prcaticable and implemented. I appreciate it. KEEP it up

My point of view is same as of LUCA that



a)If one activity on the critical path is delayed, the project completion will be affected



b)if a non critical activity having duration less han total float, it will not impact on completion period but having more than total float will impact the comptelion date.

Obviously contractor has the right to use slack time if he can.

Ernesto,

The cynical answer is "whoever gets to it first!!"



The realistic answer, however, I think, is the Contractor!



Cheers,

Stuart



www.rosmartin.com

This line of discussion leads to an old question: who owns the slack time, the contractor or the owner?

It is a matter of degree (see earlier Forum reference to the length of a piece of string ;-) )



If the activity delay is relatively insignificant and if the activity in question is not, at that time, already on the CP then the consequences are likely to be that only that activity (and perhaps those immediately related thereto) is impacted. This is likely to take the form of simply taking longer to execute and complete the activity/activities. This therefore represents localised disruption, which in turn may cause resultant additional "disruption costs", which the Contractor may claim if he is not responsible for the cause of the initial delay.



If, however, the delay is significant such that it causes an effect on the CP (or has a greater impact thereon if the delayed activity is already on the CP), then the Contractor may be entitled to an EOT, which in turn (if it is an excusable delay which is not his fault) may allow him to claim both "prolongation costs" as well as "disruption costs".



However, as to whether or not the whole CPM Schedule is affected, will also depend upon the Contractor’s obligation to mitigate the effect of any delayed activity. This may require the Contractor to reschedule and/or alter his sequences of work in order to minimise the impact of any delayed activity (and in the process be required to consume his own float for the good of the project!).



Do not, therefore, assume that if the CP is not impacted that there is no additional cost (apologies for the triple negative!).



Cheers,

Stuart Ness

www.rosmartin.com

It depends if the activity is part of the critical path.

Maybe the delay is within his free float so than it has no effect on project and even on his successor.



If the activity is part of the critical path then the delay will cause extension of the project finish date (that’s wy they call this the critical path.

PS.

I think this discussion should be posted in the Project Management section.



[ Moved by moderator ]

In a single calendar schedule, you may have different scenarios:

- one activity on the critical path is delaied. The project completion will be delaied;

- one activity non critical is delayied.

You have two different sub scenario. the activity is delayied of a quantrity of unit of time period less than its float so the completion data is not affected. If the delay is bigger than its float the results will be in a new critical path and delaied completion date. If the delay is euqal to its float you could have two parallel critical path.



In a multicalendar project the completion data could be follewed by the longest path and not the critical one.