It’s vital to know the difference between good planning
and too little or too much planning”.

Not enough planning allows the process of construction to get unruly and take on a lift of its own. Too much planning stifles the ability to adapt to changing conditions. Good planning allows the project’s manager (e.g. contractor) to have a game plan and impose order and adapt to the often chaotic process of construction.

These are our beliefs based on our experience; but first let’s define ‘planning’ and ‘programming’. These two terms are often misused.

Before you prepare a programme, you should have a plan. Planning involves detailed consideration of all the activities to complete the project; realistic estimates of how long each activity will take; and relationships, or dependant logic, between activities. On a construction project, ‘planning’ covers all aspects from overall planning, such as building ‘A’ must be completed before building ‘B’ can start, down to detailed planning, such as the activity ‘Excavate for Foundations’ has to be completed before is successor, ‘Pour Concrete in Foundations’ can start. By planning the works in detail, and linking activities in a logical manner, a Contractor creates a network of activities and their dependencies or inter-relationships as shown in the above example. If this is done in a proper manner encompassing all works and all restraints on the project, then this is the basis for a critical path network; often referred to as a ‘CPM’.

The next stage is to calculate the time each activity will take. This phase is the start of preparing the programme, or the ‘programming’ aspect, for the project. For example, for ‘Excavate for Foundations’, the Contractor will know he has 1,000 cubic metres of soil to dig out, and at a productivity rate of 100 cubic metres per day this activity will take 10 days. This is known as the activity’s ‘duration’. After completing this exercise for all activities, he then has a ‘time frame’ for the project. For example, ‘Excavate for Foundations’ will start on day 1 and because it has duration of 10 days, it will finish on day 10. It’s successor, ‘Pour Concrete in Foundations’, will start on day 11 and as it has a duration of, lets say 15 days, will finish on day 26. We now have a programme.

What is the use or benefit of a programme?
By preparing a programme in the above manner, a contractor reassures himself that he can complete all the works and achieve completion by the project by the project’s completion date. He knows when he has to have available key resources or equipment. Using the above simple example, he knows that he is going to ‘Pour Concrete in Foundations’ starting on day 11, therefore he will have to have his concrete producing equipment up and running by this date.

The benefit of a programme for the client or contract administrator, is that they are also reassured that the contractor can complete the project on time, and that he has planned the works in a reasonable and logical manner. Again using the above example, the design team knows at an early date that the contractor intends to start ‘Pour Concrete in Foundations’ on day 11 and that they have to provide the drawings for this work before this date.

A programme is also important after the project has started. At regular intervals, usually monthly, the programme is updated. That is to say the progress achieved on each activity on the programme is recorded. By carrying out a ‘time analysis’, and the contractor is either ahead or behind programme, new start and finish dates will be created for all remaining activities. For example, if the contractor is making good progress on ‘Excavate for Foundations’, then the new start date for ‘Pour Concrete in Foundations’, will be day 7. If he is making poor progress, then the new date for this activity will be day 15. By carrying out this updating at regular intervals, the contractor, client and design team are alerted to the changing requirements, or new ‘need-by’ dates for information, etc on the project.

A programme is very useful in supporting an entitlement to an extension of time.
(see ‘extensions of time’)

How can we help you?
Gibson Consulting can provide you with any of the following:

Master Planning
This is the creation of the overall project plan. First, we draft a preliminary plan, based on your requirements; e.g. financial milestones, planning approvals, construction start and, very importantly, construction completion and delivery. The second stage is to meet and discuss the preliminary plan with your project team, i.e. your design consultants, construction manager, and/or project manager. The objective of these discussions is to expand the preliminary plan into a fully integrated master plan for the project incorporating the work and tasks of the design team.
A major development of the master plan should take place after appointment of the contractor. His detailed construction schedule and design requirements should be incorporated into the master plan. You will then have a comprehensive plan for the project to achieve your delivery date and all parties should confirm, or ‘buy-into’, the master plan as being accurate and realistic. In essence, the master plan will identify and co-ordinate the contractor’s and design team’s requirements and deliverables in order to achieve your delivery date.

Tender Planning
We can provide tender planning, prepared from drawings, specifications, schedules of work or bills of quantities. This will assist you with your tender preparation, and the resulting programme can accompany your tender submission.
Alternatively, Contractor’s programmes can be considered and advised upon.

Detailed Planning & Programming
The principle function of detailed planning and programming is to clearly show the execution of the works and the efficient deployment of resources so that the contract requirements and cost objectives are met. In our experience, the best way of doing this is to create a network, commonly known as a critical path method (CPM) programme.
The CPM programme required to be carefully composed to enable both the Contractor and Employer to monitor the execution of the works. When changes arise the CPM provides the basis for making decisions which are consistent with the contract and cost requirement.

Design & Information Planning
Key tools in the success of a project are the preparation and adherence to (i) a design programme, and (ii) an information requirement schedule. Essentially, these co-ordinate the input of architects, engineers and designers with the Contractor’s programme and Employer’s objectives.

Re-programming
On many projects a re-programming exercise is necessary to bring the project back on time and within budget. It is often beneficial to appoint an external specialist organisation to carry out this exercise to provide a “fresh look” at an ongoing project.

RELATED CASE STUDIES

New City Centre Development: Re-programming
New Laboratory; M.& E.Services: Detailed Planning & Programming.

FURTHER INFORMATION & CONTACT

info@gibsonconsulting.co.uk

Gibson Consulting, 3 The Quadrant, Coventry CV1 2DY
Tel: +44 (0)24 7624 3607  Fax: +44 (0)24 7624 3608

back to the top