In our work for Owners driving large, complex projects we too often identify processes that have not the resilience and consistency that would be required. This may be due to several factors and dramatically impacts the success rate of the project. In our new White Paper 2019-04 ‘How Implementing and Owning a Strong Master Schedule is Essential for Owners’ we investigate Schedule Management, in more detail with a specific focus on the overall Master Project Schedule. We describe possible reasons for oversight, consequences on the project and ways to implement a proper approach.
For most projects, the Master Schedule needs to be properly managed at Owner level. The issue is more acute when several Contractors are involved on separate sections of the scope, because interfaces between the various Contractors’ schedules multiply.
When Owners do not maintain a properly developed, technically sound Master Schedule that reflects the full scope of the project (including those activities directly or indirectly under Owner responsibility), consequences on the overall project schedule (and hence cost) can be dire. Still we often find that the schedules maintained by Owners are incomplete (they do not cover in a comprehensive manner all activities required for the project successful delivery), inaccurate, technically unsound or too complicated.
An important point is that the Master Schedule to be maintained by the Owner responds to specific Owner needs and therefore, requires a specific development. It needs to be developed early during the definition phase and updated regularly as progress information flows in from contributors and Contractors during the course of the project. Development of the Master Schedule at the right level of detail to ensure its accuracy and usefulness is an intellectual effort which requires a seasoned scheduling lead. The Owner’s overall schedule does not need to be huge in terms of size and number of activities. It needs to cover the entire scope required for the delivery of the project, identify clearly what is the critical chain and focus on interface points between contributors and Contractors.
Maintaining an accurate Master Project Schedule covering the full project scope in a comprehensive manner is indispensable for the Owner. It cannot be delegated. It is necessary to understand where lies the critical chain and where focus should be applied. Applying the right format for the Master Schedule allows to perform this activity in a fluid manner without great expenditure of resources and bringing great benefits to the team and its governance. Master Schedule management is indispensable – why is it too often overlooked by Owners? Read our new White Paper 2019-04 ‘How Implementing and Owning a Strong Master Schedule is Essential for Owners’ for some answers.
If you can’t access the link to the white paper, copy and paste the following link in your browser: http://www.projectvaluedelivery.com/_library/2019-04_Owner_Master_Schedule_Importance_v0.pdf
