Faster Construction Projects with CPM Scheduling »

Murray B. Woolf, PMP, is president of the International Center for Scheduling, Inc. He founded ICS as his response to the number of challenges facing the Scheduling Practice in the United States and globally. ICS, although in its infancy, promises to change the face of the Scheduling Practice by providing coordinated support programs, products, and services to Scheduling Practitioners and their customers. Specifically, the ICS model includes education and training, job placement support, research, publications, credentialing, scheduling specifications software, objective quality scoring of schedules and scheduling programs, direct scheduling support, and consulting.

Mr. Woolf has more than 30 years of project management, project controls, training, consulting, and expert witness experience. He spent the bulk of his career providing project management and project controls services on over 125 projects worldwide, with combined value estimated at around $28 billion.

Mr. Woolf is a frequent lecturer and writer on Scheduling Practice topics, and is the inventor of numerous Scheduling Practice innovations, including Momentum Management and Dilemma Forecasting. He is a member and a vice president of the PMI College of Scheduling (CoS), and the first Managing Director of the Scheduling Excellence Initiative (a CoS endeavor to write best practice and guidelines for the Scheduling Practice).

COMPLETE YOUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FASTER - USING THE LATEST CONCEPTS IN PERFORMANCE CONTROL

A comprehensive review that gives you insight into the latest innovations in network-based project planning, scheduling, and control…saving you time and money on all construction projects.

Faster Construction Projects with CPM Scheduling contains a full explanation of the new and innovative Scheduling Practice Paradigm, and translates it into tangible steps you can use to create powerful project schedules designed to boost productivity on any job. Completely compatible with the Collaborative Model, the new Scheduling Practice Paradigm provides, commitment planning, execution scheduling, and comprehensive performance control.

Written in a friendly, conversational style, this ultimate guide explains:

• The new Scheduling Practice Paradigm: terminology, specialties, roles, and deliverables
• How dilemma forecasting can help you predict delays before they occur
• How to use change optimization processes for maximum project benefit
• How to produce a project schedule, including logic development sessions
• Helpful guidelines for performance recording
• Hundreds of “tricks of the trade” from a 30-year Scheduling veteran

Inside:

Keeping Your Eye on the Donut: The Allure of the Project Schedule • Understanding the Scheduling Theater • Why Our Schedules Disappoint Our Customers • The Changing Style of Project Management o Creating a Penchant for Change: The New Scheduling Practice Paradigm • Introduction to Dilemma Control • Introduction to Momentology • Recap of New Concepts and Terminology • The Scheduling Practice and Faster Projects • Preserving Project Schedule Integrity: Anatomy of a Schedule • Working at Cross-Purposes • Execution Scheduling and Performance Control: Schedule Design • Schedule Development • Schedule Components • Performance Reporting • Performance Control • Epilogue: Creating Schedules They'll Actually Want to Use!

Praise for Faster Construction Projects with CPM Scheduling:

“[A] very strong addition to our knowledge about construction contracting and project scheduling.” Matt Stevens, Author, Managing a Construction Firm on Just 24 Hours a Day

“This is a seminal work which will shape this industry for generations to come.” Keith Pickavance, Senior Vice President, Hill International

“Momentum Management may well be the most practical and straight-forward concept devised to date.” Mike Hopkins, Vice President, Fluor,

”I felt that the subject matter and style were appropriate for any scheduler who has “been in the trenches” more than a couple of times. After twenty plus years of scheduling, I was pleased to find that I was not out in a foxhole by myself.” Ted Douglas, President, ACTPMA, LLC

“I told my boss that we will need to purchase a copy for every scheduling person at Alpha, due to the technical and practical accuracy and clarity.” Chris Carson, Corporate Director of Project Controls, Alpha Corporation

“I was glad to see this in print. Many people monitor a schedule strictly by float and don’t understand that there is so much more involved in the analysis of a schedule that just looking at float or even earned value. I would recommend this book to all of the classes that I teach.” Jeff Huneycutt, US Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District

“I am just glad that I am not alone in the way I see the project controls business. I would like to buy a couple copies of the book for the staff to reads.” Craig Olsen, President, Scheduling Consultants, Ltd.

“The book makes some very good points that the novice or even seasoned practitioner should read.” Keith Howard, Motorola Inc.

“Just two weeks ago I was asked to recommend a quality book on scheduling practices. I suggested Murray's, even though the requestor doesn't work in construction. It's the book I turn to when I want to know the ‘right’ way to assemble and manage a schedule as well as the reasoning behind that practice. It also provides a candid look at the weaknesses of our current processes and recommendations for an improved path forward.” David Kaiser, President, Schedule Associates

Foreword     xv
Preface     xxvii
Acknowledgments     xxx
Introduction     xxxiii
Keeping Your Eye on the Donut     1
The Allure of the Project Schedule     3
The Success of a Project Schedule Depends on Many Factors     3
Schedule Timing     3
Schedule Content     4
Schedule Format     4
User Resistance     4
Upper Management Support     4
Schedule Developer Expertise     5
Schedule User Training     5
Tie-In to Other Project Controls     6
The Automated Project Schedule Offers These Strengths     7
It Is a Picture     7
It Facilitates Group Consensus     7
It Creates Powerful Perceptions     8
It Seamlessly Transitions from Plan to Schedule     8
It Gives Direction     9
It Supports Resource Optimization     9
It Provides Irrefutable Evidence     10
It Is a Dynamic Model of Reality     10
Understanding the Scheduling Theater     11
The Stage: The Environment in Which Construction Takes Place     11
Each Project Is Unique     12
Each CommunityIs Unique     13
A Project Is a Dynamic Organism     13
Project Management as an Environmental Variable     15
Scheduling Software     17
The Actors and Audience: Understanding Their Roles and Characters     21
Those Who Do the Physical Work     21
Those Who Supervise the Physical Work     21
The Project Manager     22
Those Who Support the Project Manager     24
Those Who Oversee the Project Manager     24
All Other Project Stakeholders     24
Those Who Supply the Project     25
The Script: The Project Schedule's Many Uses     25
As a Planning Tool     25
As a Coordination Tool     25
As a Communication Tool     26
As a Work Organization Tool     28
As a Resource Management Tool     28
As a Performance Measurement Tool     28
As a Forecasting Tool     28
As a Reporting Tool     28
As a Contract Administration Tool     28
As a Cost Control Tool     29
As a Marketing Tool     30
As a Financial Planning Tool     31
As a Record-Keeping Tool     31
As a Dispute Resolution Tool      32
Why Our Schedules Disappoint Our Customers     33
The Terminology Quagmire     33
Distinguishing Between Internal and External Work Products     33
Distinguishing Between Different External Work Products     34
This Is My Brother Darryl, and This Is My Other Brother Darryl     34
We Are Also Confusing Ourselves     35
Consistently Inconsistent Definitions     36
The Scheduling Method/Model Notion     36
Not Serving Our Customer     51
Outdated Products and Services     52
Is the Project Schedule Intelligently Designed?     52
Is the Project Schedule Thoughtfully Developed?     52
Is the Project Schedule Skillfully Used?     53
Is the Project Schedule Attentively Maintained?     53
The Changing Style of Project Management     55
Project Management Paradigm Shift     56
The Newtonian Model     56
The New Sciences and What They Teach Management     58
Characteristics of Project Management Paradigm Shift     65
Implications for Modified Scheduling Methods     68
Management Philosophy Beliefs     69
Management Philosophy Behaviors     74
Management Philosophy Merits      78
Creating a Penchant for Change     83
The New Scheduling Practice Paradigm: Specializations, Positions, Deliverables, and Roles     85
Describing the Quagmire     85
Explaining the Urgency of the Matter     86
This Book is an Odd Place to Make Such a Proposal     88
Babbling Advisors Are Rarely Effective     89
The Scheduling Practice Lacks Cohesiveness and the Synergy Such Would Spawn     89
We Can't Fix What We Don't Acknowledge     90
Scheduling is Not a Profession     91
Current Terminology Broken Beyond Repair     92
What Is Planning?     92
Historical Inconsistencies in the Use of the Word Planning     93
Distinguishing between the Venerable and Current Definitions     95
Can the Venerable and Current Models Be Reconciled?     98
What Is Scheduling?     100
The Scope of Scheduling     100
The Manner of Scheduling     100
The Other Two Enigmas     105
Defining the Scheduling Practice     106
Why "Scheduling Practice"?     107
The Three Specialties of the Scheduling Practice     107
Definable Positions and Deliverables     113
The Nine Roles of Scheduling Practitioners     116
Why a Fresh Definition of the Scheduling Practice Makes Good Sense     118
Introduction to Dilemma Control     121
Risk Management and Its Distinguishing Characteristics     121
Risk Management's Traditional Processes     121
Risk Management's Distinguishing Characteristics     122
Dilemma Control, a New Project Management Methodology     127
Comparison of Risk Management and Dilemma Control     127
Brief Description of Dilemma Control     130
Benefits of Dilemma Controls     131
Introduction to Momentology     133
Brief History of Momentology     134
Notes on Scheduling Deficiencies     135
Conclusions About How to Improve Schedule Management     136
Overview of Momentum Theory     137
Duration-Day: The Numerator     137
Workdays: The Denominator     138
Performance Intensity: The Elusive Miles-Per-Hour     138
Momentum: Purposeful Performance Intensity     140
Overview of Momentum Science     140
An Interesting Story     141
Other Improvements Under the Name of Momentum     142
Three Major Innovations     143
Momentum Science, a New Set of Performance Measures     145
Momentum Science Big Picture     145
Performance Diagnostics     146
Schedule Achievement Potential     147
Schedule Credibility     149
Overview of Applied Momentum     150
Instant Compatibility     151
Momentum Control     151
Momentum Analytics     151
Management by Momentum     153
Administrative Activities     153
The New Look of CPM     154
Applied Momentum and Traditional Project Management     154
Final Thoughts on Momentology     157
Recap of New Concepts and Terminology     159
Before We Go Any Further     159
The New Scheduling Practice Paradigm     159
Dilemma Control     159
Momentology     159
Momentum Theory     161
Momentum Science     161
Applied Momentum     161
Scheduling Practice and Faster Projects     163
Commitment Planning     163
Authorization Planning     163
Execution Planning     168
Execution Plans Involve a Two-Step Process     168
The Execution Planning Heavily Influences the Execution Scheduling     169
The Consensus Plan and Resource Planning     170
Execution Scheduling     171
Performance Control     171
Preserving Project Schedule Integrity     173
Anatomy of a Schedule     175
Anatomy of an Activity     175
CPM Is a Mathematical Simulation Model     175
Elements of an Activity     175
ADM Symbolism     176
PDM Symbolism     176
Anatomy of a Relationship     177
Negative Finish-to-Start Tie     178
Time Gaps and Work Segments     182
Administrative Actions     183
The ADM-PDM Battleground     187
From the PDM Camp     187
From the ADM Camp     191
Guilty by Association     192
Working at Cross-Purposes     193
Harmful Scheduling Practices     194
Total-Float: The Only Statement of Criticality     194
Relationship-Durations and Activity-Durations Equally Important     195
Ignoring Nearby Smoke     196
Incomplete Logic     196
Competing Project Controls     196
The Benefits and Limitations of Earned Value Management System (EVMS)      197
Advantages of Earned Value     197
Limitations of Earned Value     198
How Earned Value Weakens a Schedule as a Momentum-Management Tool     201
The Benefits and Limitations of Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)     202
What's Right About CCPM     203
What's Wrong About CCPM     204
How CCPM Weakens a Schedule as a Time-Management Tool     208
Flawed Definitions     210
Two Important Trends in Scheduling Practice     211
Critiquing Existing Definitions     218
Arcane Term Meaning Clarifications     221
Execution Scheduling and Performance Control     231
Concerning Schedule Design     233
Purpose and Overall Process of Schedule Design     233
Purpose of Schedule Design     233
Process of Schedule Design     234
Schedule Design Summit     235
Purpose of Summit     236
Who Should Attend     236
Summit Proceedings     236
Special Considerations     245
Understanding Project Priorities and Emphasis     245
Project Management Styles and Level-of-Detail     249
Schedule Granularity     254
Schedule Performance Specifications      255
Concerning Schedule Development     257
Work Breakdown Structure     257
Logic Development Session     260
Contributors     260
General Orientation     262
Content Checklist     263
Defining the Subnets     263
Construction Approach Decisions     264
Pounding Out the Logic     264
Assigning Activity-Durations     264
Adding Activity Relationships     265
Manual Forward Pass     270
Scheduling All Subnets     270
Putting It All Together     270
Logical Critical-Path     272
Assorted Other Hints     273
Schedule Components     275
Elemental Components of the Execution Schedule     275
Contract Length     275
Near-Critical Activities     277
Activity Numbering     277
Activity-Description     278
Activity-Codes     279
Manpower-Loading     279
Resource-Leveling     280
Cost-Loading     281
Powerful Software Settings     282
Retained-Logic vs. Progress-Override     283
Continuous vs. Elapsed Durations     285
Continuous vs. Interruptible Durations     286
Automated Schedule-Calendars     288
Concept of the Workday     288
Multiple Calendars     290
Workdays vs. Calendar Days     292
Holidays     292
Weather     293
Which Activities Are Affected?     293
Where Do You Place the Weather Contingency?     294
Weather Contingency in the Calendar, Not in Durations     295
Priority-Emphasis Alignment     296
When Project Length (Time) is Emphatic     296
When Manner of Performance Is Emphatic     297
When Project Cost Is Emphatic     297
Date-Constraints     298
Start Constraints     298
Finish Constraints     298
Mandatory Constraints     299
Late Constraint     299
Avoid Excessive Date-Constraint Use     300
All About Float     300
Zero-Total-Float     300
Zero-Free-Float     303
Defining Total-Float in PDM     303
Free-Float     304
Total-Float     307
Performance Recording     315
Performance Recording Issues      315
Recording Frequency     315
Who Should Participate     317
Remaining-Duration vs. Percent-Complete     319
Performance Recording and Relationship-Durations     320
Backups     320
Schedule Revisions     321
What Is a Revision?     321
What Precipitates a Revision?     321
Keep Detailed Records     322
Keep the Owner in the Loop     322
Schedule Performance Analysis     322
Performance Control     325
Performance Control, the Ultimate Objective     325
Using the Project Schedule to Understand     326
Using the Schedule to Measure Progress     327
Using the Project Schedule to Analyze Reality     330
Using the Schedule to Optimize the Future     338
Using the Schedule to Communicate     339
Using the Project Schedule to Inform     339
Using the Project Schedule to Coordinate     343
Using the Project Schedule to Direct     345
Using the Project Schedule to Control     345
The Element of Surprise     346
Delay is a Delta     347
Identifying the Sources of Divergence     347
Where Improvement Opportunities Reside     347
Epilogue     353
Creating Schedules They'll Actually Want to Use!     357
Top Ten Techniques for Sabotaging Your Scheduling Efforts     357
Disconnect the Project Schedule from All Other Project Management Support Functions     357
Don't Safeguard Duration Purity     358
Employ Poor Reporting Techniques     358
Fail to Adhere to Sound Performance Recording Practices     359
Mismanage Relationships     359
Choose Inappropriate Scheduling Software Settings     359
Ignore the Theory of Aligned Emphasis     359
Ignore Project Momentum     359
Force the Schedule to Satisfy Too Many Different Uses/Objectives     359
Entirely Omit, or Inadequately Perform, Schedule Design     360
Chapter-by-Chapter Summary of the Book's Essential Comments     360
Keeping Your Eye on the Donut     360
Creating a Penchant for Change     363
Preserving Project Schedule Integrity     366
Execution Scheduling and Performance Control     368
Glossary     371
Index     401