contractors tricks in baseline schedule

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folks,

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About soft logic links,

"For your knowledge I am not against so called "soft links" when they represent a human decision not necessarily based on technologies. I am against their use to artificially solve resource constraints.  The use of soft links based on human decision is common in linear jobs such as when you decided to build a road from A to B when you had other options such as to build from B to A, from both sides, etc. But you selected an option and create dependencies that support your decision."

"In any case these links shall be easy to change, so it is necessary to be able to filter them. Spider as well as Asta PP provide for you to label these and filter them. I do not believe MSP nor Primavera allow you to do so."

Anoon,

Even when I am against the scheduler explicitly creating resource dependencies at times is appropriate to use some soft links to force some prioritization and keep some order, it shall be limited and like all "soft links" easy to change. Scheduling is not a perfect science but this does not means cause and effect cannot be proved.

Among the forensic methods seems the baseline is among the most common requirements. Is of utmost importance and so the evaluation of it.

Just take a look at the following document to see how the Baseline or the As-Planned Schedule is the basis of most delay analysis.

http://www.benthamscience.com/open/tobctj/articles/V003/81TOBCTJ.pdf  

Mike,

Please take a look at the Isolated Delay Type method as per the above reference, I am considering its use on a claim. I believe the author missed a third party who is always guilty but only allows for EOT and no monetary compensation. I believe the impact of his delays must always be considered, fortunately he is always responsible for his acts, the well known "acts of god", rain delays, storms, earthquakes ... I hope in a few days we can debate how to apply such procedure.

Regards,

Rafael

Hi Mike,

Here, allow me to relate Rafael's "changeable soft logic" (though I don't really understand what it means) and your "FS only - properly constructed Plan".

I guess with Rafael's "soft logic", you might develop multiple critical paths (depending on your approach), for example: You created your Plan as a project group with several projects under it. And you can schedule each individual project (using different status dates).

So I supposed, a "Reasonable Plan" for Rafael may not represent your "Properly Constructed Plan".

For me, there is no such thing as "Tricks"; Your Plan will be dependent on your competence as a Planner (and the one checking it) and how you are going to sell it.

Best regards,

Edgar

Hi Anoon

I have never yet come across a properly constructed programme that had more than one critical path.

The number of variables are immense so if you do find multiple critical paths then they have been constructed artificially.

It is always a good starting point for the Employer to assume that the contractor is trying to pull tricks but you need to know what the tricks are to discover them.

I am well qualified for this task because I invented most of tricks currently used.

Best regards

Mike Testro

The basic rule for acceptance of a Baseline is that it shall represent a reasonable plan as there is no such thing as a single correct plan for a job.

After checking the activities represent the total of the work then you shall investigate logic and activity durations. If you know what you are checking after a few clarifications by the contractor on the specific means and methods he has on plan logic shall not be an issue, then comes the question of durations.

Durations are activity durations as well as links lag, the best way to check for the reasonableness of these is by requiring the schedule to be resource loaded and to provide some physical measure of work as best fit. For form-work activities the measure of work shall be contact area while for excavation shall be volume of earth. You shall be able to verify the quantities and to determine if the duration corresponds to the assigned resources. If you do not know how to estimate your work ask for the help of an estimator but this check cannot be bypassed. If you cannot build it you cannot schedule it, if you cannot schedule it you cannot check it.

Then you shall go to the hidden tricks listed on the references supplied, your evaluation shall be complete and exhaustive especially on the baseline, after the baseline is checked usually the required changes as the work progress can be evaluated one by one, these can be easier if done on time as they will pass much scrutiny for the changes be agreed.

Try uploading the schedule into Acumen Fuse to identify these "tricks" automatically.  You can even bring in updates from the contractor and compare them to the baseline schedule to pinpoint the changes they have made.  There is a free trial of the software at http://www.projectacumen.com/fuse/trial. 

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Hi Mike,

"6. As a general rule:  If there is more than one critical path, it has been rigged." What do you mean? Kindly explain...

I always thought that all plans are rigged, (dependent on builder's strategy).

cheers!

Hi Moh

There are many tricks that the contractor may use to either show a shortened programme or distort the critical path.

There is a difference between incompetent planning and trickery so I will only deal with blatent trickery - see my thread on "Ban these planning abominations" to get my views on incompetence - if it is incompetent send it back for redrafting.

The intent is usually to create a future EoT claim.

You can only discover them by studying an electronic version of the programme.

Apart from the usual tricks such as deliberately shortnening the early tasks and lengethening the later ones - things to look for are:

1.  Constraint Flags in mid cascade - take them all out and reschedule.

2.  A longer set of working hpurs than specified - if the contract requires an 8 hr day and the programme is on 8.5 then the durations will be shorter.

3.  A critical task set to a shorter duration by say 3.5 hours will take the cascade off the critical path - check the duration column for both date and time.

4.  Look out for tasks set ALAP when it is not necessary - they become critical even if there is plenty of float.

5.  Check that the correct calendar has been applied to the task - a different calendar will generate a different duration - also check that the resources have the same calendar as the task.

6.  As a general rule if there is more than 1 critical path it has been rigged.

Finally use your own experience and common sense - if it looks wrong then it propbably is.

Best regards

Mike Testro 

Hi moh ham

Check the following links

http://www.ronwinterconsulting.com/raupdate.htm

http://www.ronwinterconsulting.com/DCMA_14-Point_Assessment.pdf

Regards

Shahul