How Important is Keeping an Up-to-Date Schedule?

Hopefully you are putting together a project schedule for all of your projects from the start.  If not, you should be.  Whether you are doing them on paper, Excel or in one of the scheduling programs such as Microsoft Project or Suretrak, you need a schedule.

A schedule will give your project a baseline of what you anticipate for progress and an idea of where you want your project to be at certain bench marks.  Setting up a schedule is an important step in setting up a project for success.  Without a schedule in place, you have nothing to shoot for as deadlines and the planning of your project is always going to be off.  The more complex the project, the more you need a schedule.  You may not need a schedule for putting in a sidewalk but building anything should have one.

Schedules can also help keep track of long lead items and special systems installations.  Your baseline schedule should be shared with all of your subcontractors and suppliers at the beginning of your project so that any necessary changes can be adjusted early.  Anytime there is a change in schedules, you should re-share your revised schedule with your subcontractors and suppliers.  Email will help make these changes easier to share.  You should also always keep a revised schedule posted at the jobsite for reference.

If you need help putting together schedules for your projects, please feel free to contact me and we can set one up for you or we can teach you how to implement schedules in your projects.  If you don't have one of the software scheduling programs, we can set you up with a GANTT Chart in Excel.

Also, If you are in construction, you need my book. If you know someone in construction, tell them about my book. This is the book that you will take into the trenches with you. It's easier to run a business when you have all the right information from the start. The 'Construction Administrators Handbook' will help you get through all of your construction projects with ease. The book includes everything from contracting to accounting to closing out your project.  Go see the book at www.myconstructionoffice.com. I have marked the book down to almost 1/2 of it's original price to help get it into your hands.

If you are in the greater Phoenix area, we also offer on site services for consulting, accounting, training and custom spreadsheets. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for new posts that are relevant to the construction industry. Contact us if there is a topic you would like covered. We look forward to working with you to help make your company more profitable and run more efficiently.

Charlene S. Reed, Author
Construction Administration Handbook
Owner - Responsible Business Services
"We only succeed when you succeed."