Professional Documents
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Guideline to develop and review baseline schedules
Part 1: The Planning Process
Prepared by Alberto Sanchez 1
Alberto Sanchez
BEng, MsCLog, MIntBus, GradCertEnSt
Prepared by A. Sanchez
• Resource loaded schedules and resource leveling
• Some factors impacting the baseline schedule
• Part 2: Schedule Assurance Review
• Schedule quality review
• Schedule risk review
• Schedule benchmark review
• Conclusion 3
Common planning problems
Pre‐Award Post‐Award
Bid / No‐Bid Phase Bid Phase Initiation Phase Execution Phase
• Schedule benchmark is not • Proposal schedule is • Baseline schedule does not • Delay in payment
applicable or incorrect developed without clear reflect the final negotiated milestones leading to
(e.g. different country) execution strategies scope negative project cash flows
• Proposal schedule does • Poor identification and • Extra costs to avoid
not fully reflect the project quantification of schedule schedule penalties (e.g.
scope risks and opportunities overtime, additional
• Failure to develop during the baseline workforces, extra
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unbiased proposal schedule development supervision, etc.)
schedules (over optimistic • Baseline schedule is • Difficulties to demonstrate
schedule) developed by valid extension of time
• Proposal schedule is planners/schedulers with claims to clients
developed by limited experience • Lack of centralised
planners/schedulers with • Difficulties to transfer database with productivity
limited experience schedule liabilities to rates and project historical
• Durations are estimated subcontractors and data
without key info such as suppliers
quantities, local content, • Lack of knowledge and/or
construction methods, etc. understanding of
• Lack of centralised contractual obligations
database with productivity
rates and project historical
data
• Poor identification and
quantification of schedule 4
risks and opportunities
during the proposal
schedule development
The planning process
Poor planning is project management mistake
number one”…Tom Mochal
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Planning Scheduling
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Planning vs. Scheduling
• Do you know the difference between planning and
scheduling?
• Many companies think that the two are the same
• Planning should always be before scheduling
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• Before we attempt to develop our proposal or baseline
schedule, we must have a clear understanding of the
project plan
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The schedule basis (1 of 3)
Before developing the proposal or baseline schedule important elements
such as assumptions, exclusions, constraints, etc. must be defined and
understood. These elements form the schedule basis, such as:
• Sectors of construction or industry – e.g. oil & gas production facilities,
chemical plant, power plant, highways and roads, etc.
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• Location of the construction site(s) – e.g. distance to borrow pits and
quarry, location of labor accommodation camp, etc.
• Local codes, standards and permits
• Site access and weather restrictions – e.g. rainy season, cold weather
• Temporary construction activities – e.g. temporary access roads,
temporary utilities, relocation of existing overhead or underground lines
• Construction priorities, logic and sequences
• Interfaces with existing facilities in operation – e.g. revamps,
shutdowns, modernisation, expansions 8
• Interfaces with other contractors – e.g. site preparation, drilling, utilities
The schedule basis (2 of 3)
• Interfaces with local communities and regulatory bodies – e.g. traffic
and local roads, noise levels, etc.
• Working calendars – e.g. 6‐day calendar, 7‐day calendar, crew calendars,
weather calendars, rotation calendars, public holidays
• Construction methods and procedures – e.g. modular components, stick‐
built or traditional, prefabricated elements, pre‐cast concrete
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• Special construction equipment requirements – e.g. heavy‐lift cranes,
barges, pipelayer, concrete batch plant, etc.
• Expected productivity rates (NORMs)
• Labor requirements – e.g. local content laws, labor union requirements
• Labor availability and possible overtime, rosters
• Construction subcontract arrangements
• Establish construction camp, material laydown area and storage
facilities
• Completion of approved drawings and design documents for 9
construction
The schedule basis (3 of 3)
• Material and equipment deliveries
• Manufacturer or supplier scope – e.g. on‐site assembly, transportation,
preservation and storage, supervision, site testing
• Fabrication shop versus field fabrication
• Safety requirements – e.g. confined spaces
• Protection of completed work(s)
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• Client requirements – e.g. hold points and key inspection dates
• Others
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Different construction sectors
Productivity rates, design codes, safety and quality
requirements, construction techniques, legal aspects, approval
processes and other factors can vary dramatically depending
on the sector for which the construction is required.
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Oil & gas Textile mills Chemical plants Pharmaceutical Steel / aluminum Power plants
production plants mills
facilities
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Plant
upgrade/retrofit
Construction priorities, logic
and sequences
Before developing the schedule, other key planning elements
must be defined such as:
• Priorities or phases – design phase, temporary construction
phase, early production phase, pre‐shutdown phase, pre‐
commissioning phase, etc.
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• Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) – the project schedule
must be broken down into its component parts (e.g. process
unit, utilities, storage, etc.) and/or work packages (e.g.
substructure works, mechanical works, piping works, electrical
works, etc.)
• Logic and sequences – construction activities must follow a
determined logic to deliver the project in the right sequence
depending on the proposed construction method(s) 12
Construction priorities, logic
and sequences Example: WBS or work
• Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) packages of industrial
process plant
1000
Industrial Plant
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1000 2000 3000 4000
Utilities Storage and Handling Process Support
4100 ‐ Office and
1100 ‐ Potable water 2100 ‐ Warehouse 310 ‐ Process train
admin buildings
1400 ‐ Plant air
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Construction priorities, logic
and sequences Example: construction
sequence of industrial
process plant
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Labor productivity rates
• Labor productivity rate is the number of labor hours
(work effort) required to complete a defined
construction activity (NORM or benchmark)
• Each productivity rate is a typical or average number of
labor hours required by the group of all individuals (i.e.
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crew) associated with the construction activity
• Base productivity rate is adjusted by factors such as:
labor density, facility complexity, overtime, weather,
shifts, labor quality, labor availability, greenfield vs.
brownfield, elevated work, geographic location, security,
etc.
• A table should be provided in the schedule basis
showing the productivity rate applied for each type of
work (e.g. piping works, concrete works, steel works, etc.) 15
Labor productivity rates
• Comparison of labor productivity in different countries
LABOR PRODUCTIVITY RANGE (*)
COUNTRY
GOOD AVERAGE POOR
Australia 1.05 1.20 1.50
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Brazil 1.30 2.25 2.85
India 1.75 2.30 2.80
Indonesia 2.50 2.80 3.20
Iraq 2.00 ‐ 3.50
Nigeria 1.75 2.25 3.35
Russia 1.25 1.75 2.25
* Source: Global Construction
South Africa 1.20 1.40 1.95 Cost and Reference Yearbook.
2015 Annual Edition
South Korea 0.95 1.20 1.65
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Azerbaijan 1.50 ‐ 1.85
Kazakhstan 2.00 ‐ 3.00
The influence of location on productivity
and construction durations
• Example: comparison of similar industrial plant at
different locations
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Construction durations
Estimating construction activity durations (key terms)
• Effort‐driven duration – estimate based on the work volume or
bill of quantities (BOQ) and expected productivity rate
(duration = work quantity / productivity rate)
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• Fixed‐duration – estimate based on amount of calendar time
available for the activity completion (e.g. shutdown window,
track possession, weather window)
• Forward schedule – from project start to finish, calculate the
earliest each activity can start and finish according to the
sequence of work and the duration of the predecessor activity
• Back‐end driven schedule – working backward from project
finish to start, calculate the latest each activity must start and
finish to meet the project end date 18
Construction durations
Estimating effort‐driven durations
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Construction durations
• Example: estimated duration of piping work for a new
industrial plant in Uzbekistan
Location of construction site
Productivity Rates per
Quantity Quantity Duration
WBS Total Crews Crew
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(diameter‐ (Work Split) (in days)
Plant Area (diameter‐inches per day)
inches)
Shop Site Shop Site Shop Site Shop Site
Utilities 54,720 DI 33,304 DI 16,416 DI 12 14 16 6 173 195
Estimated quantity (BOQ) Productivity rate
Estimated number of crews Estimated duration
or workers
Piping Crew (based on labor density values, Quantity (BOQ)
labor resources requirements, number of crews x productivity rate per crew
1 Welder labor availability, etc.)
2 Fitter(s)
1 Helper
Resource loaded schedules
• Resource loaded schedule – consists of a timeline
with details on assigned resources (labor,
construction equipment, tools and key quantities)
• Manpower plan – this plan focuses on estimating
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the size of workforce, division in disciplines and
scheduling the deployment of required manpower
• Resource leveling – as defined by PMBOK “is a
project management technique in which start and
finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints
with the goal of balancing demand for resources with
the available supply”
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Schedules under limited
resources
• The resource leveling process
Assign resources to each construction activity in the
schedule (i.e. labor, construction equipment)
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Produce resource histograms from resource loaded
schedule
Compare required resources vs. maximum possible
amounts of resources (e.g. safety density factors,
labor availability, possible overtime, rosters, etc.)
Resolve resource conflicts (e.g. overcrowded areas, 22
shortage of skilled labor)
Schedules under limited
resources
• Resource leveling example
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Schedules under limited
resources
• Resource leveling example
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Resource loaded schedules
Benefits of resource loaded schedules and resource
leveling
• Determine dates for resources mobilisation and
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demobilisation
• Balanced resources, reducing over allocations or
unnecessary overtimes
• Validate estimated construction durations
• Sanity check of durations, logic and assigned
resources
25
Some factors impacting the
baseline schedule
PROJECT SPECIFIC FACTORS
1 Relevant design and/or construction codes and specifications
2 Completion date (normal schedule or fast track schedule*)
3 Contractual issues / type of contract / alliances (JV)
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4 Payment terms / contract milestones
5 Liquidated damages / consequential damages clauses
PROCUREMENT FACTORS
1 Long lead items – equipment or materials (free issue)
2 Freight and transport issues
3 Vendor assistances
4 Warehousing (equipment and material preservation)
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Some factors impacting the
baseline schedule
CONSTRUCTION ISSUES
1 Location of facility / access to site
2 Weather issues (cold or hot climate, weather windows)
3 Expected productivity of workforce
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4 Labor requirements (local content, union, etc.)
5 Labor availability and possible overtime, rosters
6 Establish camp, temporary facilities, site fabrication facilities, laydown areas
7 Location of quarry / concrete batch plant
8 Location of borrow pits
9 Required construction permits
10 Construction method(s)
11 Special safety issues 27
12 Protection of the completed work
Contents
• The Planning Process
• Common planning mistakes
• The planning and scheduling process
• The construction plan
• Productivity rates and construction durations
Prepared by A. Sanchez
• Resource loaded schedules and resource leveling
• Some factors impacting the baseline schedule
• Schedule Assurance Review
• Schedule quality review
• Schedule risk review
• Schedule benchmark review
• Conclusion 28
End of Part 1:
The Planning Process
Prepared by A. Sanchez
Contact:
amsanchezu@gmail.com 29