PlannerBuildUse dates with an explained basis
Enter start and finish dates that reflect the scope, working arrangements and current information. Add notes where a date is provisional. Check supplier commitments, inspections and access constraints before treating a proposed start as a confirmed booking.
An illustrative six-week programme is not a promise that a similar project will finish in six weeks. Duration depends on the work and conditions. PlannerBuild lets you record the project-specific dates rather than relying on a generic timeline for every extension or renovation.
Read the overlaps, not just the bars
The Gantt view shows activities together. Use it to discuss whether overlapping packages can genuinely take place at the same time, in the available areas, with the required access. A chart can display an overlap that the site cannot safely accommodate. Resolve that through the project team’s normal planning and safety arrangements.
Dependencies help record relationships between activities. They do not remove the need to check dates after a change. The workspace is not presented as a critical-path calculation engine, automatic resource leveller or labour availability checker.
Keep a short-term readiness review
Look ahead to the next work period and identify the prerequisites for each planned activity. Confirm drawings, decisions, materials, access and preceding work. Record blockers and follow-up actions. The short-term review should explain whether the programme is achievable, not merely repeat the dates already shown.
Use delivery and decision fields alongside the Gantt. An expected delivery later than its related installation is a useful prompt to investigate. A decision deadline helps show that a client approval may be needed well before the site activity.
Update progress before forecasting
Record actual start and finish dates and review progress before moving future activities. Separate completed work from work that has simply reached its planned end date. Explain the reason for a change in notes and check successor activities deliberately.
Keep dated backups at agreed review points so your own records distinguish earlier assumptions from current plans. Formal contract programmes and delay analysis may require specialist processes beyond this workspace. Start in the demo and review the available account plans when you need full PlannerBuild access.
Questions about construction scheduling
Does it automatically calculate the critical path?
Do not assume critical-path analysis or automatic rescheduling. The current workspace shows recorded dates and dependencies for review.
What is the difference between scheduling and programme planning?
Scheduling focuses on dates and overlaps. Programme planning also defines the stages, milestones and logic that those dates represent. Use both together.
Continue planning
Use the construction project planning checklist to prepare your first review.
Plan Your Next Job ↗