Site manager makes an effective work schedule easily
January 15, 2025
8 min

In construction, how do you create an effective work schedule, effortlessly?

In the construction and building sector, setting up work schedules for each site quickly becomes essential as soon as you start to combine projects. However, choosing the right software for your business can be more complicated than expected. But before that, let's see together what are the steps to create a precise and realistic schedule for your next project.

What are the key steps to establish an optimal work schedule?

  1. La creation of an effective work schedule participates actively in the success of the customer project and the smooth running of the construction site. To do this, a clear definition of the project and its objectives is required, in particular by carefully identifying all the constraints and deadlines imposed. This includes not only the start and end dates of the project, but also regulatory constraints such as obtaining building permits and various permits. Climatic and seasonal conditions, as well as budgetary constraints and the requirements of the contracting authority, must also be taken into account from the start to establish a realistic and feasible schedule. In particular, you can use the SMART framework for this stage.
  1. Once these elements have been identified, theestablishment of key milestones makes it possible to set benchmarks, marking the end of an important phase or the achievement of a major project objective. They may include the finalization of studies and the design, the obtaining of the building permit, the completion of the structural work, the removal of water and air, the completion of the finishing work, and finally the reception of the work. These milestones will guide the entire project and measure its progress.
  1. La Breakdown of the project into tasks is the next step. The aim is to draw up a detailed list of all the activities necessary to carry out the project, generally by profession. This approach ensures that no task is forgotten, from earthworks and foundations to finishes and exterior fittings, including structural work, roofing, carpentry, plumbing, electricity, and all other construction trades. For each of these activities, a precise estimate of the time required must be made. This estimate should be based on the experience of similar projects, the recommendations of the manufacturers, the capacities of the teams, and the conditions of the site. It is crucial to be realistic in these estimates and to allow for the unexpected.
  1. Sequencing and scheduling tasks allows you to determine the logical relationships between the various tasks, identify which tasks should be carried out in sequence and which tasks can be carried out in parallel. For example, the installation of exterior carpentry can only begin once the structural work is complete. Creating a Gantt chart is a powerful visual tool to represent this sequencing. It allows you to visualize the duration of each task,identify the critical path of the project and to adjust the schedule to optimize deadlines.
  1. Finally, l'resource allocation completes the development of the schedule. Each task should be assigned to a specific manager or team, thus clarifying the roles of each and facilitating follow-up and coordination. This stage also involves planning the availability of teams on the construction site, the use of materials and equipment, and the delivery of materials. Indeed, effective resource management makes it possible to avoid conflicts and downtime on the construction site.

Why use a tool for monitoring and managing the schedule for your work?

Specialized planning software for construction is essential to effectively manage a work schedule in the construction sector. Solutions like MS Project, Primavera and PlanningPME offer functionalities adapted to the needs of the sector. The choice of software depends on factors such as the size and complexity of projects, ease of use, features specific to construction, compatibility with other tools, and cost and licensing model. Regular monitoring of the schedule, ideally weekly, is crucial to reflect the real progress of the work and to adjust the forecasts.

The use of performance indicators such as SPI, CPI and the rate of compliance with milestones makes it possible to effectively assess the progress of the project. Communication and information sharing are also essential, requiring regular coordination meetings and the use of collaborative tools such as Trello, Asana or Slack. These practices and tools promote dynamic and responsive planning management, facilitate informed decision-making and ensure smooth communication between all project stakeholders.

Each solution mentioned here is interesting, but if you are looking for an all-in-one software with a schedule in the format of Gantt chart and integrated messaging, it is more interesting to turn to a solution like Civalgo. Indeed, this software covers project management as well as replaces construction site monitoring on Excel, the calendar and progress on the ground in real time,...

How to manage unforeseen events and have a flexible schedule?

Effective management of unexpected events and flexible planning are subjects that must be mastered in order to ensure the success of construction projects. Anticipating potential risks is the first crucial step. It is important to identify common hazards such as bad weather, delivery delays, unexpected technical issues, and staff absences. Carrying out this step makes it possible to implement preventive strategies and to integrate safety margins into the initial planning. These margins offer valuable flexibility to absorb minor delays without compromising the overall project.

When unforeseen events occur despite these precautions, it is crucial to have strategies for adjusting the schedule. Scheduling compression techniques, such as speeding up certain tasks or completing them in parallel, can be used to catch up. The rapid reallocation of resources and the establishment of clear procedures for managing project changes are also essential. These approaches require a global vision of the project and an ability to adapt quickly to changes, while maintaining a effective communication with all stakeholders.

How can you manage to coordinate the various teams effectively?

The effective coordination of teams in a construction project is mainly based on the central role of the construction manager. He is responsible for developing and monitoring the general schedule, coordinating stakeholders and managing between the various works. He actively participates in ensuring smooth communication between all trades, including architects, design offices, construction companies and suppliers. These exchanges make it possible to anticipate problems, to quickly resolve conflicts and to ensure the planned progress of the project.

To do this, you need to have close collaboration and fluid communication with your subcontractors and suppliers. Having an interface that centralizes interactions between all team members is therefore particularly important to avoid delays. In addition, transparent and proactive communication with the project manager implies regular reporting on the progress of the project and the involvement of the latter in important decisions. This approach maintains trust and makes it easier to make quick decisions when problems arise.

In conclusion, effective management of contingencies, flexible planning and close coordination between all stakeholders are key elements for successfully completing your construction projects. These practices not only make it possible to respect deadlines and budgets, but also to ensure the quality and safety of the project, while maintaining good relationships between all the actors involved.

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