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If you focus on these priorities that we’re going to talk about, hopefully, you will avoid wasting any of your time. So what should you do first when scheduling? What is the main approach you can take, and what should you never do as a scheduler? We’ll cover all that right now. 

Key Steps to Becoming a Construction Scheduler

We’ve already discussed the key steps to becoming a construction scheduler. Some of the things that I want to repeat quickly here are that you’ll learn lean, takt planning, last planner, and Scrum. If you have those basic tools, then, when you learn about Gantt charts and CPM schedules, it’ll all come together. You’ll have a good base, a good reference, and hopefully, you’ll have standards that you live by as a scheduler.

Where to Start When Making a Construction Schedule

When you start on a project and begin working with your project team, always start with connection. You’ll figure out who your main points of contact are—typically, the superintendent, project manager, project engineer, and some assistant supers. Build trust by creating rapport with them. Once you have that rapport, there is nothing better for a construction professional than to be listened to. Ask questions like, “What’s the vision for this? How can I help? What is your overall strategy? What meeting system are you looking into? How do you want to build this project?” By doing so, you create a collaborative strategy where they feel listened to.

Importance of Studying the Plans and Specifications

After building rapport with the team and understanding their vision, study the plans and specifications. There’s nothing worse than a scheduler who doesn’t really know anything about the project, hasn’t studied the drawings, and is just listening to the superintendent to do updates. As a scheduler, you will do so much better by giving the leaders’ vision, studying the plans and specs, and actually getting in and doing some builder scheduling of your own so that you’re ready and able to respond quickly.

Creating a Macro-Level Takt Plan

The absolute first thing you will do after studying the drawings is create a macro-level takt plan. This plan will be shown on one page and will illustrate the structure for the overall project, including the phases, zones, general sequence durations, and how each phase ties together. This plan is key before anything else happens, ensuring that the overall total project duration is correct.

Creating Zone Maps and Drafting the Logistics Plan

The next step is to create your zone map so that your schedule and zone maps are together. The entire team can see the time and space that includes another step, which is to draft the logistics plan. Logistics is a crucial part of your scheduling system because we have to get things to the point of install for them to be installed on the date shown on the schedule.

Important Documents and Requirements to Read and Take Care Of

Immediately after, read the division one specs or the prime agreement, contract language, and take care of any CPM requirements. You can use resources like techguide.com for CPM contract language if needed. Summarize your macro-level takt plan at a high level in CPM to deliver what the owner wants, take care of their contract requirements, updates, reports, and monthly narratives.

Implementing the Last Planner System

Engage the last planner system for specific phases. Start helping the team pull plan, work on the norm-level Takt plan, six-week make-ready look-ahead planning, weekly work planning, and day planning. You’ll assist the project teams with implementing these plans, including designing their trailers, providing tools, helping with meetings, and training trade partners.

How to Be an Effective Construction Scheduler

Being an effective scheduler means working with the team and supporting them. Avoid being a scheduler who hides information, burdens trades, stacks everything at the end, and sets up the team for a hard situation. Instead, partner with the superintendent, study the plans, create a macro-level takt plan, structure a high-level CPM from that plan, issue $0 change orders to trades once approved, and get everyone back into a rhythm. This approach can help the team finish projects early.

Managing Scheduling for a Construction Project

Once you have a solid schedule and plan and have helped the team with their last planner system, you can summarize that into any corporate reporting, manage scheduling KPIs, scheduling reports, and scheduling data at a corporate level. Find trends with schedules, log historical production rates to enable future schedules, and keep those schedules coming out accurately from pre-construction.

Conclusion

Remember, as a scheduler, you work through people. Ensure you have a great first plan, schedule, and have helped the team with their last planner system. As long as you had a correct total project duration target locked into the contracts, you should be set. Work through people, not for them, and create real value. I hope you follow these steps and principles to have a great experience with your project team.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

On we go!