Talk us through the process of Network diagrams?
Network diagrams are graphical representations of activities and events of a project they show how each activity relates to others in the project and the sequence of activities and the need to perform some task before others.
What is a Gannt chart and how do these help in monitoring projects?
Gannt chart show key task timelines and dependencies the timeline for each task at displayed on a horizontal bar with their respective length representing the duration of the task dependencies are demonstrated by the use of connecting lines to show the relationship between the tasks markers can also be incorporated into the chart to demonstrate key milestones phase completion or approval
How do software in particular help monitor progress?
Tools like drop lines and clear critical path.
Talk us through critical path?
The critical path is the longest sequence of activities that must be completed to successfully conclude a project.
- It is essentially the route which represents the bottleneck of the project.
- A reduction of the duration of the project is only possible if the critical path activities can be shortened.
- Activities on the critical path are known as critical activities because if they are delayed the whole project will be delayed.
Talk us through float?
- Programme float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without impacting on the project’s critical path.
- This can also be referred to as programme contingency.
-Total Float: The maximum allowable delay for an activity without impacting the overall project completion date
-Free Float: The excess time available over the activity’s duration, allowing for delay without affecting the early start of subsequent activities.
-Project float: is the amount of time that the project or programme can be delayed or extended without affecting the client’s or the stakeholder’s deadline or expectation
Talk us through dependencies?
Dependencies define the relationships between tasks, dictating the sequence in which they must be performed they include:
- Finish to Start- ency. Task B cannot start until Task A is complete. This functionality is common in the Waterfall project management methodology.
- Finish to Finish (FtF): Task B cannot finish until Task A is also completed. This type of finish dependency is common with tasks that have subtasks within them; if the subtasks are not completed, you cannot complete the parent task.
- Start to Start (StS): Task B cannot start before Task A starts. These are for tasks that are required to run in parallel with each other.
How might you speed up the programme due to delay or a requested earlier completion?
- This would be done by undertaking a critical path analysis to focus on the critical activities and determine whether they can be accelerated sufficiently to achieve the revised programme.
- With input from the Contractor, I would look to seek different options to accelerate including:
- Fast-Tracking – The performing of tasks in parallel that were initially planned sequentially. For example commencement of construction while design details are being finalised for noncritical areas.
- Crashing – Adding additional resources to critical path activities to reduce task durations by hiring additional labour or use of specialised equipment to speed up construction.
- Re-sequencing – Reordering of non-critical tasks or adjustment of task dependencies to prioritise critical activities for example commencing procurement earlier to ensure materials are ready when needed.
- Adjusting Shift Patterns Introduction of overtime, double shifts, or night shifts to increase
daily working hours
What is meant by acceleration?
- Acceleration is where the construction activities are completed within a shorter duration than originally set out within the contract programme.
- The client or contractor may have to pay for additional accelerations costs depending on the circumstances why acceleration is required.
- Acceleration may involve utilising additional resources for the project, working longer hours for example twilight and weekend working.
What is relocating resources?
It may be possible to temporarily divert labour or equipment from non-critical path activities to the delayed critical path activity in order to negate the period of delay. A key risk here may be the subsequent delay to the non critical path items which may cause compounding of these activities later on in the programme.
What are some typical gateways/ project milestones that you have had to pass through and how have you ensured you have reached these on time?
- Client sign of at the end of each stage. have made sure that the client is well informaed and invoved so they can make decisions quickly
- Fixed checkpoints that represent the completion of major project phases. Milestones allow teams to measure progress against program targets and respond quickly when timelines shift. When delays occur, milestone tracking helps project managers identify the impact and reallocate resources or resequence work accordingly.
- They are often on the critical path
What is the process of using a dropline?
- The drop line is drawn down the programme on a selected reporting date.
- The purpose of this is to identify the tasks that are ahead or behind schedule.
- Delayed tasks are identified when the drop line deviates to the left.
- Activities that are ahead of programme are identified when the line turns to the right.
How would you advise the client is they requested to push back sign off?
Sign of is most likely a key miles stone and on the the critical path so I would explain this to the client and explain that critical path activities will directly impact the project’s completion date. This is because the follow on activity for each critical path item cannot commence prior to completion of the proceeding activity.
What actions did you take when you identified slippage in the programme, and how did you advise the client?
- Regular Progress Reviews - I would firstly look to incorporate regular progress reviews with the project team to improve accountability and gain timely updates on the progress of the project. This would involve comparing actual progress with the baseline programme to identify any variances and areas of delay. Within the reviews I would hold discussions on critical tasks, resource allocations and look to identify the areas of delay. Any actions discussed would be documented and responsibilities would be assigned with a view to recovering the programme delays where possible.
- Programme Acceleration - When the cause and extent of programme delay is determined I would look to explore the possibility of accelerating the programme subject to this being acceptable to the client. This could be achieved by extending the working hours of various works packages into evening and weekends. It could also be achieved through bringing in additional labour resources to compress critical programme areas with a view to reducing or negating the period of delay.
- Make sure and updated programme is provided
- Track Financial Implications – The cost impact of any delays, extensions of time and instructions to accelerate or resequencing of the works would also be monitored and recorded with the input of the Quantity Surveyor in order to keep the client updated via issue of an updated cost report
How do you assess and advise on resequencing works to protect the overall programme?
- Re-sequencing – Reordering of non-critical tasks or adjustment of task dependencies to prioritise critical activities for example commencing procurement earlier to ensure materials are ready when needed.
- To asses this I would have to review the programme and see if the critical tasks can be prioritised in order to mitigate the delay. I would need to be careful when doing this that I am not causing delays to other items that would push them onto the critical path
Who owns float?
-In a JCT contract the project owns the float as they way extension of times are mentioned in the project mean that a contractor can only claim if there is a delay beyond the completion date.
How did you assess what is allowable in terms of float on this project?
You do this with critical path analysis which will show the maximum amount of time a task can be delayed.
How did you manage the re-sequence of the works at 1 James street? Tell me about the advice you gave to the client in relation to potential programme and mitigations measures.
-We prioritised façade works and window replacement on accessible areas that did not need the scaffold. -THis maintaining momentum without idle resource and removed he scaffold erection from the critical path for a period of time.
-I adviced the client that this was the best solution however we had to keep on top of the waterproofing works and manage them closely so they didn’t push the scaffold back onto the critical path.
Can you outline how your reporting would deal with a deviance from the programme?
-Identify and quantify the delay. Original vs current dates, impact on critical path.
-Identify the cause and confirm whether it would entitle a delay.
-Report on the impact and mitigation.
What is concurrent delay?
-when two or more delay events take place at the same time, each caused by different parties involved in a construction project.
What is PERT?
Program evaluation and review technique
-You firs thave to establish all of the project activities, all the dependencies
-Then you can draw your pert chart/network diagram. with arrows between task showing dependencies
-You make three estimates. The optamistic, the pecamistic (longest) and then the most likely (probable)
What are the risks associated with acceleration?
-Acceleration activities don’t impact the critical path
-If using shift work; can lead to inconsistencies in the quality of work
-Night/weekend work can be expensive due to enhanced pay requirements
Imbalance between supervision, labour, plant and materials can affect productivity
-More resources means more welfare, higher risk of H&S, higher risk of one trade damaging another trades
Where have you implemented proacitve meausres to mitigate delays?
-On Imperial House the client sign-off period at the end of each stage was on the critical path.
-To mitigate the risk of this I advised the client’s team very early on that that this was the case and made sure the client was regularly reported to so there were no surprises to the client when it came to the end of the stage meaning we could achieve sign off quickly.
What other ways could you of acellerated the roof works on 1JS
-You could consider crashing but it was actually a fairly confined area so this wouldnt work
-Could of adjusted shoft paretns to increase wokring areas but this woulndt work beacuse of drying time.
-I guess there would be other ways we could of resequenced by doing the waterproofing at the end but beacuse it would then move back the waterpoofing so fat we didnt want to take the risk of water ingress in this time that could cause bing porblems with water.
