Consolidated "Master" Schedule

Hi Roland

Prepare a realistic programme by salvaging as much as you can from both schedules and ensure that the logic is correct.

Issue it to the design team and ask for comments.

If the new schedule makes the design process more onerous then you may have to re negotiate the deal.

It is unlikely that the designer will make a big fuss at the early stages of the project so the sooner it is done the better.

Best regards

Mike Testro

Hey Mike this is what I am planning to do and what I've basically almost done.

But I can't help myself get worried because I can already see that we will be getting claims through the door real soon. The owner and whoever did the scheduling job for him created a real mess . 

This is not a great way to start one's involvement in a project.

I was planning to suggest to the owner to proceed and renegotiate something with the consultant based on the master schedule after we get the consultant's comments in. The problem is that I've already been informed that the consultant is asking for an extension of time. This complicates things even more.

At the same time,  I can't help myself not to admit that the consultants's schedule which was approved by the owner , included in the contract ,  is far from being a proper CPM schedule . It has dozens of open ended activities. Constraints causing negative float ...

Even though it was approved by whoever (no comment) , I think we should be able to use that fact as a leverage during negotiations due to the fact that even though it was approved this doesn't really relieve the consultant from its obligation of submit a proper schedule. The consultant not being that versed in CPM and scheduling in general doesn't help in this case either.

One more thing,

Whats your favourite strategy in integrating contractors' schedules into a master schedule and into the whole project control process? in such a way as to preserve their structural integrity and the critical path's integrity in specific between Master and differing contractual schedules.

It seems to me that there are some organizations who after issuing a summary level milestone to the contractors in their bid packages , they get in all the submitted detailed CPM contractor schedules integrate them into a Project Master Schedule and make that final master schedule the contractual schedule for those contractors. This seems convenient  only in case the owner is providing the server platform through which all contractors login with their assigned usernames to update the sections which they are responsible for. This is not the case.

Some others have suggested providing the whole Summary Master schedule to each contractor in the bid package and requiring them to integrate those summary activities which relate to other trades and have an effect on the whole project critical path in their own submitted CPM schedules. So you actually force some activities to become critical in one contractor's schedule due to the way its linked in the master schedule..

Regards,

Roland

Hi Roland,

you are on the right way. Create good schedule and try to meet major contractual milestones then negotiate and make it approved.

In Spider Project it is easy to distribute and consolidate subprojects. There is such command and if you selected this option subprojects will be sent to your contractors as separate projects. Consolidating you will update master schedule by their results.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Hey Vlad thanks,

So if your concrete contractor's work links midway through Activity X (on concrete contractor's schedule) to the finishes contractor tasks and the finishes contractor completes his work later than the concrete contractor ie longest path lies through the finishes contractor activities.

This will make the rest of the concrete contractor's activity after Activity X probably non critical  in the master schedule while in the concrete contractor's the critical path runs through the longest path in his network.

Whats the best practice to fix this divergence between contractor specific critical path and master schedule critical path.

do you use constraints in your master schedule? (I dont like using constraints)

or do you ask the concrete contractor at tender time to include the finishes contractor work scope as one big bar to illustrate the change in the critical path but still constrain his own work's milestone task?

How do you usually proceed with such an issue?

Master schedule includes the links between activities of different subprojets.

Each week subcontractors submit their actuals and all changes that appeared in their schedules. Master schedule is updated and updated subprojects are sent to subcontractors. These updated schedules take into account interproject links.

Leveling options include taking into account portfolio schedule. If this option is selected all subprojects will be scheduled taking into account portfolio dependencies and constraints even if in the current schedule they are not visible.

I also don't like time constraints on activity dates. We suggest to use these constraints only applied to milestones that represent events external to current project. So these milestones shall be included in the schedule (usually in the separate phase) and linked with the activities that depend on them.

I think that without Spider Project you shall use this approach: If activities of one subproject depend on activities of other subproject link them through these milestones. Submitting contractual schedules include these milestones in the schedules of your subcontractors. Each update will show new dates of these milestones. Their dates are defined by other schedules and will inform subcontractors on external changes.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Should the contractor be asked to put a constraint on the A10 Activity so that its critical on both his schedule and the master schedule?

I would not supply each contractor with Master schedule where their work is a small part. One of potential decisions - give t hem an access through some Viewer.

The external links to and from activities of subproject schedules shall be done through milestones.

Time constraints may be applied to these milestone (Finish no Later Then their late finish in Master schedule).

With each update these constraints shall be reconsidered.

Submitting the whole Master schedule may be used if to import into Master schedule only those data that belong to Contractor subproject. Spider Project has this option.

Best Regards,

Vladimir

Hey Vladimir,

Thanks. 

Thats what I am actually doing. I was just hoping there was a better way.

So I understand you are against having one Project Master Schedule that is also the "contractual" schedule for each participating contractor?

Regards,

Roland

Actually I would recommend to create some contingency reserves in the working Master schedule. This working schedule shall not be the same as contractual. Subcontractors shall get tighter schedules than required by the contract dates.

Having some contingency reserves is necessary for successful meeting contract targets.

Best Regards,

Vladimir