How Scheduling Impacts Productivity

 

How Scheduling Impacts Productivity

Scheduling plays a critical role in determining the productivity of a construction project. Here are a few scenarios where scheduling decisions can directly influence productivity:

1. Overlapping Activities:

   • To meet a fixed deadline, activities may need to overlap. If not well-organized, this can cause:
     • Workspace Conflicts: Overcrowded areas can lead to inefficiencies instead of speeding up progress.
     • Coordination Issues: Misalignment between overlapping tasks can disrupt workflows.

2. Weather Conditions:

   • Scheduling without considering seasonal factors can hinder productivity.
     • For example, concrete work in winter requires additional precautions, often leading to delays.
   • Adding unnecessary downtime to account for weather can further reduce efficiency.

3. Stakeholder Pressure:

   • Creating unrealistic schedules to appease stakeholders often results in:
     • Missed deadlines.
     • Frequent rescheduling.
     • Lower morale among teams.

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Lean Principles in Construction Scheduling

Lean principles aim to enhance productivity by minimizing waste and optimizing workflows. Let’s dive into the core ideas:

Lean Scheduling:

1. Focus: Improves the flow of activities and reduces downtime.
2. Collaboration: Involves trade partners in the planning phase to ensure reliable coordination.
3. Milestones and Pull Planning:
   • Activities are aligned backward from milestones, ensuring realistic schedules that account for all dependencies.
4. Visual Management:
   • Use visual displays and reminders to track lead times and prevent oversight.

Lean Productivity:

1. Process Improvement: Focuses on eliminating waste without sacrificing productivity.
   • Examples of waste include:
     • Waiting time.
     • Overproduction.
     • Inefficient movement of resources.
2. Coordination Among Crews:
   • Ensures teams work together seamlessly, preventing bottlenecks.

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What is Pull Planning?

Pull Planning is a collaborative approach where:

• Crew leaders work backward from a milestone to plan tasks.
• The focus is on reliability and creating commitments among teams.

Benefits of Pull Planning:

• Improves coordination between activities.
• Sets achievable milestones.
• Reduces waste and enhances overall project flow.

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Lean Principles and CPM Integration

Combining Lean Principles with the Critical Path Method (CPM) can:

• Enhance activity flow and project reliability.
• Reduce delays caused by inefficiencies in traditional scheduling methods.
• Encourage collaboration and realistic goal-setting among trade partners.

Pooja Mattapalli

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