Construction Project Planning and Scheduling: A Complete Guide

Large construction projects are likely to fail if there isn’t an effective project plan

or schedule in place from the beginning. Construction management software can

aid efficient planning and scheduling by creating an integrated work environment

to stay on the same page with stakeholders and take tasks head-on without fear of

some risks.

Essentially, construction planning overviews the act of choosing relevant

policies, processes, and procedures that achieve the project’s

goals. Construction scheduling software  allows action plans for cost,

scope, time, and quality into a detailed calendar. Proper planning and

scheduling specify resources (materials, labor, equipment, etc.), risks, and

communications into a productive operational workflow. With a detailed

construction project plan and budget, your schedule is an essential tool to

manage projects. 
 Why are Construction Project
Planning and Scheduling so
Important? 
Preparing a construction schedule that is both specific and put together

ahead of time ensures efficiency and productivity. Construction scheduling

allows you and the project team to control quality measures, as well as

manage resource allocation in each phase of construction.

Time is money; a reliable schedule gives each party the opportunity to

allocate time to all activities to avoid delays and cost overruns.

Planning 
The planning process is a key component that continues through project

closeout and requires much thought from all parties. Project construction

is complicated, extensive, and varies in size and type. The range goes from

agricultural, civil, commercial, environmental, and industrial. PMP, Project

Management Planning is crucial because it defines the process and the

completion of the project in specifics. The construction project plan acts as

a map that helps the team complete the steps of a project. Always, the PM
must consider the client’s requirements and wishes, so the plan stays

aligned with the project. PMs might also consider basing the planning

process off of a construction project planning checklist to ensure that they

dot their i’s and cross their t’s.

Types of Construction Project Planning

— Strategic planning: Corporate planners of the project owner usually go

over strategic planning. You want to satisfy both the end-user and the

owner, so the strategic planner develops a master construction delivery

plan that specifies guidelines agreed upon in the strategic and contracting

plans. 

— Operational planning: going off of strategic planning, operational

planning involves the construction teams coming together with detailed

plans to meet the strategic goals. Some questions from The

Constructor  to help prepare a construction plan 

In addition, there are many categories of planning than go into the overall

construction plan. 

Components of a Project Plan:

 
— Baselines (performance measures): are the construction project’s

approved starting points (cost baselines, scope, baseline schedule) that

determine if the project is on “track.”

— Baseline management plan: projects deviate from course, and baseline

management plans include the documentation on how the baselines vary

and how to handle them. With additional planning, management will

determine the acts that the team will do when variances to the baseline

arise. 

— Documentation: Documents and drawings are advantageous in the

planning stage because they provide a representation of what’s going to be

constructed. Some examples of construction planning documents are

Blueprint drawings and specifications, submittals and

approvals, scope documentation, permits, fees, and licenses.

 Steps to Create a Construction Project Plan:
1. With stakeholders, discuss key components of the project
Commonly, the plan is mistaken as the project timeline, but the project plan

is almost the entire planning process. It is important to keep the

stakeholders in the loop of the project. Often, the project’s stakeholders

don’t understand the project plan to its full extent. Stakeholders are

affected by the project and its end result. Explaining the plan to the

stakeholders can potentially lead to the project getting commitment and

bids. Documentation is crucial in all parts of a project plan because

stakeholders approve and evaluate those that associate with them. 

2. Designate roles and responsibilities

— Project sponsor

— Defined business exports

— Project manager

— Project team

— End users

— Others

3. Hold kickoff meeting

Holding a kickoff meeting is a practical step to bring stakeholders together

to go over the project in depth. In this process, trust is built among team

members because everyone’s input is on the table. Topics to discuss in a

kickoff meeting follow:

— Ground rules

— Roles and responsibilities

— Team commitments

— How to make decisions

4. Develop scope statement

The scope statement is arguably one of the most vital parts of a project

plan. It determines the final outcome of the construction project.

Throughout the project, the scope will change and develop.

5. Create baseline management plans
Deliverables from the scope statement need to be developed into a work

breakdown structure (WBS), which breaks down the deliverables and forms

the scope baseline. Scope baselines identify what work needs to be done

and break down deliverables into a hierarchy upon levels of detail for

activities and tasks.

6. Develop Schedule 
The construction project schedule is a timeline created by the project

manager, and team members use it as a visual plan for building projects.

Project schedules allow teams to split up the whole plan into smaller, more

manageable phases. Construction project planning and scheduling keep

the team on track and organized. They also facilitate communication with

subcontractors and employees by providing detailed explanations of team

members’ specific timelines concerning the overall project timeline. In the

schedule, it is vital to create a cost baseline, which is the cost by time

period.

There are many different types of scheduling techniques to choose from in

the construction industry. Two of the most common scheduling methods

are the CPM schedule and the Q schedule. CPM scheduling, or critical path
scheduling, calculates the minimum completion time factoring in a range

of possible start and finishing times for individual activities. Q scheduling,

or quantitative scheduling, uses a form of a gantt chart to indicate

quantities of materials that will be used at different locations and at

different times during a project.

7. Develop staffing plan

Staffing plans show which resources that flow in and out of the project in

specific time periods, usually monthly, quarterly, or annually.  Staffing plans

are similar to Gantt charts, except they do not show the begin/end dates,

tasks, estimates, or critical path of development.

8. Analyze project quality and risk plans

Project quality involves the acts that ensure the final product suits

customer’s expectations as well as the sponsor. Preventing errors is what

project quality as all about, not just inspecting the product and fixing them

at the end. Implementing quality plans includes setting metrics, standards,

and acceptance criteria to ensure that quality reviews and inspections are

organized. 

Risk mitigation is crucial in project management because, without proper

procedures, projects will face delays, incur extra costs, and even face
litigation. Risk mitigation is not just assessing risks; it is communication

and training team members for responses to high-risk possibilities.

Tips for the Five Stages of Project

Management
1. Conception and Initiation
Carry out a high level of risk analysis during the initiation phase. Identifying

key risks at the beginning of the project will help your team prepare for

anything that may occur.

2. Definition/Planning
Think deeply about who you want on your team. Do they have the skills and

certifications required to carry out the role and task? If not, you need to

make sure they have the proper training.

3. Launch/Execution
Execution is where the magic happens, and the project comes to life.

Consider using a cloud-based construction software to ensure that the

project is on track and collaboration is available at every aspect of the

project’s life cycle. Project management software is beneficial because it

keeps the whole team is on the same page.

4. Performance/Control
Communicate and stay flexible. Successful project managers know how to

adapt and modify problems. Go into a project with the mindset that not

everything will go to plan and will change.

5. Close
Consolidate a list of anything left incomplete and assign a team member to

complete these items. Communication is key to inform stakeholders.

Remember, the satisfaction of the owner determines the overall success of

the project.