Production, Planning, Scheduling and Control

Module 1:

Project Scheduling & Contingency Planning Skills

Day 1: Project Scope Planning and Definition (Fundamentals)

• Scope Planning
• Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)
• Work Packages
• Statement of Work (SOW) - Technical Baseline
• Scope Execution Plan
• Triple Constraints - Time, Cost, Scope
• Project Quality Issues
• Project Risk Analysis
• Project Deliverables
• Resource Requirements

Day 2: Project Schedule Planning and Critical Path Method

• Precedence Network Diagramming
• Job Logic Relationship Chart
• Critical Path Analysis
• Project Float Analysis
• Lead and Lag Scheduling
• Activity Duration Estimation
• Milestone Charts
• Gantt Chart - Schedule Baseline
• Project Estimating Processes
• Production and Productivity Planning
• Resource and Cost Allocation

Day 3: Resource Allocation and Resource Levelling

• Management of Resources
• Planning and Scheduling Limited Resources
• Resource Allocation Algorithms for Resource Prioritisation
• Solving Resource Contention
• Resource Levelling when Project Duration is Fixed
• The Brooks Method of Resource Allocation
• Increasing the Workforce
• Solving Interruptions to the Schedule
• Scheduling Overtime

Accelerating the Project Schedule

• Circumstances Requiring Project Acceleration
• Time-Cost-Scope Trade-off
• Project Time Reduction
• Direct Project Costs
• Indirect Project Costs
• Options for Accelerating the Schedule
• Crashing the Schedule - How?
• Pre-Accelerated Schedule
• Developing a Crash Cost Table
• Acceleration in Practice
• The Optimal Acceleration Point
• Gantt Chart for Accelerated Schedule
• Network Activity Risk Profiles
• Additional Considerations
• Multiple Critical Paths
• Project Cost Reduction

Day 4: Project Contingency Planning

• Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
• Path Convergence Analysis
• Solving the Path Convergence Problem
• Network Risk Profile Types
• Normal Distribution
• PERT, Probability and Standard Deviation Formulae
• Calculating the Standard Deviation
• Standard Deviation for Critical Path
  • Z-Values: The Probability of Project Completion at a Required Date
• True Critical Path
• Network Activity Risk Profiles
• Application: Estimating Project Duration

Line of Balance Scheduling - The Planning of Recurring Activities

• Preparing a Line of Balance Schedule
• Velocity Diagrams and Linear Scheduling
• Velocity Diagram Production Rate Calculations
• Linear Sequence of Activities as a Series of Velocity Diagrams
• Balancing the Schedule
• Calculations for a Line of Balance Schedule
• Line of Balance Formulae
  • Target Units per Week
  • Determining Crew Size
  • Actual Rate of Output
  • Time to Complete One Activity
  • Elapsed Time for Recurring Activity
• The slope of Line from Activity Start to Activity Finish
• Balanced Project Schedule without Buffers (Finish-Start)
• Inserting Buffers
• Comparison of Unbalanced with Balanced Schedules
• Measuring Planned Progress on Schedule
• Velocity Diagram Reflecting Expected Conditions
• Actual Progress and Work Conditions
• Variable Conditions

Day 5: Project Execution Management, Control, and Reporting

• Progress Tracking and Monitoring
• Project Cost Management
• Earned Value Control Process
• Schedule Variances
• Cost Variances
• Progress Control Charts - Trend Analysis
• Schedule and Cost Variance Forecasting
• Labour Management and Cost Control
• Materials Management and Cost Control
• Earned Value Analysis
• Earned Value Reporting

Project Recovery Plan Development

• Project Variance Analysis and Quantification
• Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
• Cost Performance Index (CPI)
• Setting Schedule and Cost Control Limits
• Project Recovery Data Assessment
• Schedule and Cost Recovery Analysis
• Schedule and Cost Recovery Plan
• Project Recovery Baselines and Controls

Module 2:

Project Cost Estimating Skills

Day 6: Cost Estimating Basics

• The estimating life cycle
• Phases of the Design Process
  • Programming phase
  • Schematic design
  • Design development
  • Construction documents
• Estimating accuracy by phase
• Conceptual Cost Estimates
• Rough Order of Magnitude Estimates (Broad Scope Estimates)
• Assemblies cost estimates
• Cost indices
• Semi-detailed Estimates (Narrow Scope Estimates)
• Definitive Estimates (Detailed Scope Estimates)
• Basic procedures
• Lump-sum contracts
• Unit-price contracts
• Cost-plus contracts
• Cost-plus contract with a guaranteed maximum price (GMP)
• Time-and-materials contracts
• Bid method
• Negotiated method
• Quantity take-off
• Types of construction contracts
• Procurement methods
• Pre-construction services
• Risk analysis and contingencies

Day 7: Broad Scope Cost Estimating Techniques

• Adjustments to Project Cost for Broad Scope Estimates
• PERT Project Cost Analysis
  • PERT Unit Cost Estimates
    • Formulae for Cost Estimating
    • The Normal Distribution Curve
    • Z-Value Table
    • The Probability of Project Completion within Budget
    • Estimating Project Unit Cost by Using the Standard Deviation
    • Estimating the Project Unit Cost at a Required Probability
    • The Probability of Completing the Project at a Required Cost
    • PERT vs Standard Deviation & Z-Values
    • Adjustments to Estimates Based on Previous Projects
  • Adjustments for Time
  • Review: Future Value of Money
  • Review: Present Value of Money
  • Equivalent Annual Interest Rate
  • Index to Adjust for Time
  • Equivalent Compound Interest
  • Location Index for Construction
  • Adjustments for Location
  • Adjustments for Size
  • Combined Adjustments
  • Economic Price Adjustment
  • Estimating Durations based on the Learning Curve Effect
  • Estimating Costs based on the Learning Curve Effect
  • Unit-Cost Adjustments
  • Learning Curves

Day 7: Budget Estimating Process

• Estimating by a design phase
  • Programming budget estimates
  • Schematic design budget estimates
  • Design development budget estimates
• Estimating pre-construction services
• Request for proposal
• Development of pre-construction services estimate
• Pre-construction services contract
• Budget control log

Day 8: Bid Contract Estimating Process

• Pre-estimate activities
  • Estimating process
  • Solicitation of lump-sum bids
  • Order-of-Magnitude estimates
  • Work Breakdown Structure
  • Estimating team
  • Scheduling the estimating work
  • Subcontractors and major suppliers
  • Estimating forms
  • Accuracy and error prevention
• Pricing self-performed work
• Recap sheet
• Materials
• Labour
• Applying pricing factors
• Summary recap
• Subcontractor work
• Project summary schedule
• Alternative techniques
• Elements of the estimate of the general condition
• Final document review
• Completing the bid summary
• Final mark-ups
• Sales tax
• Validating the estimate
• Estimating subcontractor work
• Estimating General Conditions
• Completing the estimate

Day 9: Unit Price Estimates

• Unit price bid forms
• Direct cost estimation
  • Materials
  • Labour
  • Indirect labor
  • Subcontractors
  • Recap summary sheet
  • Direct-to-indirect cost factor
• Mark-up determination
• Variation-in-quantity contract provision
• Risk analysis
• Bid finalization

Negotiated Contract Estimating

• Guaranteed Maximum Price Estimates
  • Contract procurement process
  • Documents
  • Strategies
  • Estimating process
  • Contingencies
• Fee determination for negotiated contracts
• Reimbursable versus Non-reimbursable costs
• Home office overhead
• Risk evaluation
• Fee structure
• Cost savings split
• Strategies for responding to the Request for Proposal
• Documents to be included with the Request for Proposal
• General Contractor interview and selection process
• Negotiated subcontracts
• Cost proposals for negotiated contracts

Day 10: Contract Types and Compensation Arrangements

• Risk distribution in contracting
• Project risk profiles
• Contract types according to risk distribution
• Fixed Price Contracts
  • Firm Fixed Price
  • Fixed Price with Economic Adjustment
• Incentive Contracts
• Fixed Price Incentive
• Cost Plus Incentive
• Cost Reimbursement
• Cost Plus Award Fee
• Cost Plus Fixed Fee
• Cost-Plus Contracts
• Time-and-Materials

Narrow Scope Cost Estimating Techniques

• Power-sizing techniques (Capacity Ratios)
• Factor estimates
• Cost estimating relationships (CER)
• Design-to-cost-estimates
• Target cost estimates
• Adjusting for Project Type and Quality Level
• Features Determining the Quality Level (Grade) of a Structure
• Adjusting for Quality Level by Using a Costing Publication
• Economic Constraints
• Parametric Cost Estimating
• Analysis of Estimating Accuracy