CPM CPM ACTIVITY ACTIVITY ACTIVITY …...Construction CPM Conference 3 Introduction • Types of statusing problems – Statused to have begun when not – Failure to note actual start

2017 Construction CPM ConferenceRon Winter, PSP, FAACE

Schedule Analyzer Software

CPM CPM CPM CPM ACTIVITY ACTIVITY ACTIVITY ACTIVITY STATUSSTATUSSTATUSSTATUS

Ron Winter, PSP, FAACE

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering

• Construction Scheduler

• US Air Force Navigator


• Master of Science in Systems Management• Master of Science in Systems Management

• Programmer, Project Manager, Customer

Support, and Industrial Trainer


• Developer of Schedule Analyzer Software

2Construction CPM Conference

Introduction

• Documenting activity status really matters

• Improper or imprecise statusing often causes

problems

– Cause conflict between project stakeholders

– Affect critical path of project schedule– Affect critical path of project schedule

– Affect time and cost in delay situations

• Most CM textbooks devote very little space to

this subject

• Definitions of status needs to be standardized

• Rules for applying status needs to be developed


Introduction

• Types of statusing problems

– Statused to have begun when not

– Failure to note actual start

– In-progress status incorrect

– Statused to have finished when not– Statused to have finished when not

– Failure to status as finished

– Changing or restating period status

– Disagreement on current status


ACTIVITY STATUSACTIVITY STATUSACTIVITY STATUSACTIVITY STATUS5

Reasons to Update

• Reasons for Updating Status

– Reflect best estimate of project completion

– Maintain schedule’s usefulness as management tool

– Evaluate work procedures and performance– Evaluate work procedures and performance

– Contractual requirement


Issues

Not Started In-Progress FinishedCompleted

Work


− No Actual Start− No Actual Finish

− Actual Start− No Actual Finish

− Actual Start− Actual Finish

Projected

Work

Activity Start

• Two constraining forces to activity start

– Logical predecessors

• Hard constraint

• Soft constraint

– Administrative requirements– Administrative requirements

• Appropriate workers showing-up

• Required common materials and tools present

• Required minor tools and support equipment

• Access to the work area

• Availability of required utilities

• Useable plans

• Supervision 8Construction CPM Conference

In-Progress Activity

• Accurate knowledge of work scope is essential

to assess status

– If scope changes, then status can change non-linearly

• Work to be completed better understood

• Unexpected additional work discovered

• Damage to completed work


Status In-Progress Act

• Numerically estimated using Remaining Duration

– Estimate made by working party

• Working party gets the benefit of doubt

• Can request backup verification if seriously in doubt

– Might be called Estimated Remaining Duration

• Planned productivity

• Current resource availability

– Uncouple the RD and Percent Complete to

track Cost Percent Complete


Status In-Progress Act

• Using Percent Complete is problematic

– Some scheduling programs use Percent Complete

• Recommend converting RD into Percent Complete and inputting

– Can result in fractional days for RD

• Activity may start on the same day predecessor • Activity may start on the same day predecessor finishes

– Leaving PC at 99% to cover punchlist is poor

• If activity is substantially complete then 100%

• Retained logic can cause late starts for successors

• Confusing to view in Gantt Chart

• Typical retainage will cover the costs being tracked11Construction CPM Conference

Status Relationship Lag

• Activities experience non-linear progress

• Relationship lags typically based on time

• Status determination requires lag re-evaluation

• Other than remaining lag estimates,

– Activity statusing does not involve logic changes– Activity statusing does not involve logic changes

– Statusing the project involves logic changes

• Using Oracle® Primavera P6™, Start-to-Start

lags can be statused

– Based on Actual Start

– Based on Data Date


Status Front-Loading

• Un-proportionally large status ‘earned’ at start

• Many do not allow this practice

– Progress payment is larger

• Reasons to front-load

– Fund small sub-contractor’s early outlays– Fund small sub-contractor’s early outlays

– Major equipment only compensated after install

• Reasons for uneven progress

– Learning curve

– Interruptible work

– Delays


– Technical difficulties

– Varying manpower

Frequency of Statusing

• Open question that should be discussed

• Status at least as often as contractually required

reporting period

• More often than published involves

– Bad:– Bad:

• Wasted effort

• More chances to corrupt the schedule

– Good:

• Status is more accurate

• Status is more granular

• Allows for better productivity analysis14Construction CPM Conference

Frequency of Statusing

• Other than by contract, frequency depends on

– Occurrence of specific control events

– Degree of uncertainty

– Magnitude of the project

– Time to completion– Time to completion

– Troubles encountered

– PM’s ability to process updates

• Unplanned status updates occur when

– Unexpected revision in work sequence

– Delivery problems

– Change in activity duration estimates 15Construction CPM Conference

Status Involvement

• Absent contract language, contractor responsible

– May be just the contractor’s scheduler

– Better if both PMs, Suncontractors, and scheduler ‘walk the job’ together

• Agree on status

• Person responsible for work should estimate RD

– May involve superintendent of follow-on work

• How complete is necessary to begin next task

• Networked scheduling systems sometimes allow

for status updating by Primary Resource

– Someone responsible for allowing the update16Construction CPM Conference

Parts of Activity Status














SCHEDULE UPDATE SCHEDULE UPDATE SCHEDULE UPDATE SCHEDULE UPDATE PROGRESSPROGRESSPROGRESSPROGRESS 24

Update Process

• Two types of schedule updates

– Status of planned work

– Revisions to schedule to indicate plan changes

• Status discrete activities from schedule

• Create Update Report from likely activities• Create Update Report from likely activities

– Sometimes called a Turnaround Document

• Status taken at the end of the workday

• Entire project statused at the same time

• Pictures of current progress very helpful

– Recommend annotating/narrating essential issues


Comments IN a Picture


Using Windows Explorer:

Properties / Details

Update Progress

• Design drawing status can be assessed

– Weighted drawing count

– Averaged base manhours per drawing

– Percent complete

– Status calculation– Status calculation

– Evaluation by discipline

– Evaluation of % complete of earned versus spent

• Activity pacing delays should be re-affirmed

• Verify status of deliveries with every update

– Critical deliveries may legally bind supplier


Once Status is Taken

• Make a copy of current before updating

– Sometimes called Baseline Schedule

• Write a narrative or list of what was changed

• P6: Do not re-calculate until update is complete

– Early Start will change & update Planned Start– Early Start will change & update Planned Start

– Meaningless Planned Start date will be frozen

• Establish new Data Date

– First moment new/continuing work can begin

• Be careful when statusing resources

– Updating resources can change activities


Update Progress

• Update and publish status as soon as possible

– Difficulty and cost of correcting increases with time

• May need to be revised and re-published after

review

• Process must be complete prior to next update• Process must be complete prior to next update

– Two sets of updates


REVIEWING STATUSREVIEWING STATUSREVIEWING STATUSREVIEWING STATUS30

Reviewing Status

• Reviewer should verify status accuracy &

completeness

– Contractor’s estimate assumed accurate

– Reviewer can question individual instances

• Verify reasonability of actual dates• Verify reasonability of actual dates

– Especially out-of-sequence early starts

– Progress made without an Actual Start date

– Actual Start and Original = Remaining Duration

– 100% complete without Actual Finish date

• All suspended activities should be closely

reviewed31Construction CPM Conference

Reviewing Status

• Actual dates in the ‘future’

– Actual dates later than or equal to Data Date

– Incompatible for software using

• Oracle/Primavera P6™ Retained Logic setting

• P6 Progress Override setting• P6 Progress Override setting

– Less problematic for

• Microsoft Project™

• P6 Actual Dates software setting

• Actual Date equal to Data Date is ‘in the future’

– Should not be allowed


Reviewing Status

• Be wary of negative progress

– Remaining Duration increases over last update

– Started activities become ‘unstarted’

– May legitimately be the result of

• Revised workplan or scope• Revised workplan or scope

• Better understanding the scope of work

• Delay or disruption

• Damage to existing work

– All cases should be explained in the narrative


What About Delays?

• Non-scheduled status assessment upon Notice

of Potential Claim/Delay

• Status all near-critical activities, not just delayed

• Note any potential concurrent delay

• Accurate As-Built schedules essential for TIA’s• Accurate As-Built schedules essential for TIA’s

• Inaccurate As-Built dates will hamper later delay

analysis

– Actual dates verified at the time of the delay carries more weight than those researched later


Confirming Status

• Jobsite photos• Meeting minutes• Inspection logs• Certified workhour

submittals• Emails

• Installed quantities reports

• Deficiency reports

• Material receiving logs

• Transmittal logs

• Drawing logs


• Emails• Daily reports• Progress reports• Change Order files• Pay applications• Productivity reports

• Drawing logs

• Superintendent diaries

• Project correspondence

• Field notes & timeline data

• System turnover data

• Quantity records

PROJECT STATUSPROJECT STATUSPROJECT STATUSPROJECT STATUS36

Project Status

• Project status only available after activities are

statused

• Project status is latest computed,

– Early Finish date of all activities in the schedule

– Early Finish date Substantial Completion activity– Early Finish date Substantial Completion activity

• Compare this date with Baseline and last update

– Ahead of schedule

– On-Time

– Behind schedule

• Should maintain a Schedule Log


Schedule Log Entries

• Project identification name

• Data date of the update

• Project’s planned completion date

• Current early finish date

• Project critical total float• Project critical total float

• Slippage/gain project critical TF from prior period

• Number of activities in the schedule update

• Location and name of data file or database

• Update identification number or version

• Date the schedule update submitted to owner

• Date the schedule update approved by owner38Construction CPM Conference

Conclusions

• Status adds complexity to scheduling

• Regular updates essential to keep schedule

current

• Statusing should follow rules for

– Accuracy– Accuracy

– Consistency

• Time and money saved if accuracy verified

contemporaneously

• Delay analysis depends on accurate status

• Project status only viable if statused correctly


Questions?

Construction CPM Conference 40

Documents

CPM CPM ACTIVITY ACTIVITY ACTIVITY …...Construction CPM Conference 3 Introduction • Types of statusing problems – Statused to have begun when not – Failure to note actual start