When programming a construction project, we are often asked how accurate the timeframes and milestones are. Generally, all programmes contain estimates that combine inputs from various sources:
- Our planning expertise based on past jobs we have worked on. We have worked on average of 700 to 800 projects per year across our planning and visualisation teams across the Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific regions which provides us extensive historical data and insights for determining optimal construction methodologies.
- Subcontractors’ inputs on their productivity/experience for their respective trades.
- Expected risks for the jobs based on its geographical location, current construction supply chain capacity, current labour availability and regulatory approval process.
To illustrate how these inputs work together, let’s look at specific construction activities. We consider the soil conditions, depth and size of the bored piles when scheduling durations for piling works. Similarly, the site access, ground conditions, workforce size and methodology are considered when forecasting bulk excavation durations.
It’s important to recognise that even with comprehensive inputs, the programme produced is still an educated estimate within a certain level of confidence. The proposed duration and planned methodology are based on the available information known during the tendering and contract negotiations phase. The provided timeframes accounts for the most possibilities whilst constructing the project. In other words, there is a probability that the planned works will go exactly as planned on the programme or it will be different in its duration and sequence due to unforeseen events.
In accepting that the programme is an estimate within a certain confidence level, clients and builders can expect that variations in the durations and sequences will occur during the lifetime of the project. These variations can be caused by a variety of factors, which are discussed in this article (Understanding Delay Claims in Construction). This means both parties should be coming to the table, with the expectation that the programme will need updating throughout the following stages of the project:
- Tender Phase – this is the initial version of the programme that is used for tendering purposes. It is generally high-level and is used to capture key construction milestones.
- Contract Execution – the next iteration is where adjustments are made based on contract negotiations and requirements.
- Monthly Status Updates – the programme will next be statused and updated to reflect the current progress of works on-site. If the builder has to mitigate for potential delays or methodology adjustments, the programme should reflect those changes. We discussed programme statusing and its importance in this article here.
- Delay Assessments – the programme can identify when delays are affecting the critical path of the project.
As you can see, the programming does not stop once the contract is signed. It continues throughout the lifetime of the project.
At the end of the day, the builder is responsible for the construction works and its programme should reflect the current and forecasted project status. On the other hand, the clients are responsible for reasonably approving the programme based on the current and forecasted project status.
If you need assistance in creating and reviewing your various programmes, please get in contact with us at experience@solidsupport.com.au. Our Team will be ready to assist you for your programming needs whether you are on the builder side or the client side.
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