The success of every construction project heavily relies on proper planning, without which the entire operation may be headed down the drains. You need an effective construction project timeline to ensure that things run according to plan. Any mistakes in the timeline could have dire consequences on the entire project. To avoid such disappointments, check out the following tips on how to create an effective construction project timeline.
Outline the Work Breakdown Structure
In developing a proper construction schedule, you should start by laying out all the tasks or activities that will be conducted during the project’s execution. Break down the responsibilities into smaller packages and allocate the tasks to your teams. That will enable you to easily formulate a timeline for each task based on the nature of work.
Identify Priorities
Of all the tasks outlined in the Work Breakdown Structure, you will find out that most of them depend on one another. That means some tasks must be completed to give a room or create the desired platform for other activities. Therefore, developing an effective construction project timeline requires you to identify the tasks that need prioritizing and those that can be handled simultaneously alongside others.
Assess the Availability of Resources
Your construction project can only go as planned if you have all the needed resources including finances, labor, and building materials. Resource constraints can impact delays and other shortcomings of the project. Thus, it is also important that you know the particular resources that will be available to develop a convenient schedule.
Give Realistic Durations
Based on the expected construction activities, prevailing weather and climatic conditions, resource availability, and your objectives, you should also assign reasonable start and finish dates for each task. Talk to your contractor for help on how to estimate the duration of each task.
Developing a construction project timeline may not be a walk in the park, especially if you are planning a bigger project. However, the above ideas can enable you to easily avoid common mistakes and create proper schedules for different kinds of construction projects.