What Makes a Good Schedule?

Use the following list as a checklist to prepare a proper schedule for your construction projects.

All construction activities have at least one appropriate predecessor and successor.
Only Start Project and the End Project are open ended.
Must use an appropriate WBS & Cost Coding Structure
Must include detailing, spooling and prefabrication to support construction
installation.
The AsPlanned CPM network is based on conditions known on bidday.
Must be able to indicate work flows (crew movement requirements) and work
packages
All work scopes are covered by at least one activity package. All necessary logic
restraints are established within the schedule.
Can occur without interruption from other activities. If the activity will need to stop
so that another trades can work, then resume; the activity should further detailed.
Can be measured (1000 LF of small conduit, or 400 LF of large cable, or 650 Light
Fixtures, etc...).
Construction activity durations do not exceed 1521 work days.
Relationships are FinishtoStart, or StarttoStart AND Finish to Finish. SF relationships are not used.
Negative lags (leads) are not used.
Procurement, Submittals, Reviews, and material deliveries are identified.
Relationship Lags do not exceed the Predecessor Duration.
Weather sensitive work is properly assigned to a Weather sensitive calendar. Normal
weather is programmed into the CPM network calendar.
Contract milestones are calculated using a Finish On or Before constraint so that
backward pass calculations are properly determined.
Must include QA/QC activities as well as Testing and Commissioning.
Each activity is assigned to a responsible foreman.
Obtain input and gain formal commitment (buyin) from all project team members (foreman,
superintendants, etc).

Level of Schedule in Planning

Level 3 schedules are the most used in planning. Level of schedule is usually
decomposed into 5. The intention of decomposing schedule level is to manage and control the
project or task to the manageable level.

Level 1 Schedule is the highest level, called overall project summary level.
It includes major milestones or achievements, highlights major activities and key deliverables.
Especially, it is also used in progress reporting.
Established by the client as an initial plan and can be integrated into level 2 and level 3 schedules
which involved sub contractor and vendors in puts (commitments). Examples of level 1 element
are
(a) Engineering, Procurement and Construction (For Oil refinery plant expansion project )
(b) Engineering, Procurement and Construction (For Chemical Plant Shutdown Work)

Level 2 Schedule is

the area or system summary (roll up summary of level 3

schedule). It is also called major summary schedule. It is used to integrate into level 3 and level 4
schedules which involved detail tasks. It can be used to report the project area or trade progress
status.
Examples of level 2 element are
(a) Utility Plant Modification Project, Hydro Cracker Revamp Work ( For Oil refinery plant expansion
project)
(b) Furnace Area, Compressor Area Shutdown Work (For Chemical Plant Shutdown Work)

Level 3 Schedule is a project coordinating and project reporting schedule. Roll up

summary of level 4 schedule. It is a primary tool for the project status tracking and manpower
loading analysis. It shows the summary of each discipline. For instance, piping engineering,
mechanical engineering, civil/structure engineering, process engineering and electrical and
instrumentation engineering are level 3 elements which are the disciplines of design engineering.
Normally developed and established by EPC (engineering, procurement and construction)
contractor. Used as a proposal schedule during the process of tendering. Also is used as a guide
line for subcontractors and vendors for their bid submissions. Applied critical path method and
used as monitoring schedule during the project execution phase. Normally, level 3 schedule
represents the area of responsible manager such as engineering schedule by engineering
manager, procurement by procurement manager and construction by construction manager. Can
be integrated into level 4 and level 5 schedule. The 3 month look-ahead schedule is produced
from this level and distribute to the responsible engineer or manager to plan ahead.

Level 4 Schedule is a low level schedule. It consists of the task or work categories to
be carried out. Level 3 schedule is further broken down into level 4 as an execution schedule
(working schedule). The detail task lists and work sequence are shown in this level. Depending on
the nature of project, the level 4 schedule may be level 1 schedule of subcontractor (and/or)
vendors. For example, we have a new project that required the new pump no- P28 to be
purchased and installed. Purchasing of pump materials and manufacturing steps are apart of
pump vendors level 4 element. When the pump vendors schedule is roll-up into the highest
level , the time frame from the purchased order issued date to deliver date at site, is level 1
element of vendors schedule. That information becomes main contractors level 4 schedule
input. 6 week look-ahead schedule, 3 week look-ahead schedule are frequently produced form this
schedule by filtering the time frame, and distribute the responsible engineer or manger to plan
ahead
before
getting
close
to
the
targeted
date.

Level 5 schedule is the lowest level of schedule. The task list and work sequence is

usually developed by the task supervisor or engineer and incorporated into level 4 schedule to
monitor day to day work.