How to perform a schedule update

Prior to being able to successfully provide schedule updates, your organization should become familiar with the process. Your field personnel should have a list of their activity numbers and know what they mean. They will need to understand the importance of documenting the starting and finishing of an activity. Click here for some scheduling basics.

For the purpose of CPM scheduling you and your field personnel should understand the following;              

An activity ACTUALLY becomes complete or 100% when it ceases to PREVENT the start of the successor or following dependant activity. FOR EXAMPLE: A drywall partition is all done except for a small area for a drinking fountain. The painting of the wall has started and completed all except the area at the drinking fountain. For the purpose of the schedule this activity is 100% because it is no longer preventing the successor from starting. However, you should not take the liberty of 100% an activity that is incomplete without remarking to the scheduler that a work-around is in progress.

 STEP 1: Gather the necessary information and resources. Including Original schedule or last updated schedule, field reports, material delivery information, submittal approval information, etc. 

STEP 2: Obtain/Use the data date from the Contractor or Lead Contractor. This is the date that is the SNAPSHOT of the project progress. All information is to be relative to that date. 

STEP 3: Using a ruler draw a vertical line on the schedule that coincides with the data date using the time-scale that is at the top of the schedule.  Click here for an illustration.

STEP 4: The activities that are on  the  LEFT of the line  should  have  been  completed  by  the   data date. Using the activities on the LEFT as a LIST of MUST UPDATE, gather and report  the information on these first.  Then proceed to determine if other activities need to be updated. Click here for a flowchart.

        For activities that have started and finished before the data date, you need three (3) items. The activity number and two dates. Record the activity number and  the two dates on the update form. You do not have to insert 100% in the percentage since you have start and finish dates. The software will know it’s 100%. It is important for liability sake that you have accurate dates. The state of Ohio contracting rules require a weekly update to be provided to the lead contractor. If your field people go much beyond a week the information is likely to be suspect. The web based update uses each Monday of a week for a data date. Very important actual start and finish dates can only be equal to or earlier than the data date.  Do not try to figure out and project when an activity will be completed. That is the computers job. The format for dates is YYYYMMDD, or 20070101 for January 1, 2007.

       For activities that have started but are not finished, you need four (4) items. These are activity no., start date, remaining duration and percentage complete. The remaining duration is the days after the data date. The percentage has nothing to do with time only units. When reporting remaining duration do not report a longer duration that the original duration assigned to the activity. If you find that there is a problem, contact the scheduler and report the problem.

       For activities that have neither started nor finished, record nothing.

       For activities that you wish to revise the duration, record the activity no., and remaining duration. Provide an explanation to justify the change.

         If you want a logic change you will need to provide a drawing that shows the original and revised logic. You will need to provide all information on affected activities. This would entail changes to the successors and predecessors for activities.   Change order work is likely to require such schedule changes.  

STEP 5: After completing the SCHEDULE UPDATE FORM, either fax or email it to the lead contractor.  

STEP 6: It may be that when your information is entered that a new critical path will be identified. The schedule still may show you as late and will require more information from you. An interim schedule will be provided by the LEAD CONTRACTOR to identify the areas of concern. Need more information: Contact the LEAD CONTRACTOR. If there is inconsistence in your reporting it will come back to haunt you. You should keep records of what you have already submitted and your current update should not indicate negative progress.

Update form definitions:

Data Date: This is the date selected for the time 'snap-shot' of the project.

Activity Number: This is a unique number that identifies a construction activity.

% Complete: This is the percentage of completion of the units that are assigned to the resources. It does not apply to time, unless it is a time related activity such as SUBMIT, APPROVE FAB & DELIVER.

Remaining Duration: This is the number of work days needed to complete an activity after the data date.

Actual Start Date: This is exactly what is says.

Actual Finish Date: This is exactly what is says.