Features

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is a very powerful, easy to use and is one of the most widely used scheduling software available. We do not provide Microsoft Project – our goal is to empower you with Templates, Tools, Systems, Support & Training using Microsoft Project to help you successfully schedule, manage and control your projects. We will, however, help and guide you for the most economical version of Microsoft Project that will fit your needs.

All our Templates, Guides, Support and Training are based upon using Microsoft Project 2000 through 2019 (Standard or Professional Version) as your core Scheduling Software. All our Template Features and Functionality will work with either the Standard or Professional version.

Microsoft Project Standard and Professional Versions are the same with the exception that the Professional Version requires Microsoft Project Server to allow a Multi User Network Environment. With Microsoft Project Server the cost will nearly double. Microsoft Project Standard is sufficient for most all cases. You can also still find great deals and use Microsoft Project Professional without Microsoft Project Server.

If you want to get started right away and do not have Microsoft Project installed on your computer, you can download a Free 30 Day Trial from Microsoft for the current version of Microsoft Project. During this 30 Day Free Trial Period you can use any of our Templates and Systems with the full functioning program while you search for your best deal on Microsoft Project for any version from Microsoft Project 2000 through 2019.

You should save any files you create in the Microsoft Project version that you purchase. All newly created files will be available for you to work on with the newly installed version. If you purchase a prior version from Microsoft Project 2019 you can then delete the trial version.

Microsoft Project is invaluable and well worth the investment.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Scheduling Templates

Everyone needs to have basic tools to work with to make work and life easier. Templates are your framework to help you save time, guide you’re planning and to serve as a checklist to ensure that you use and do not miss any required steps to get the job done.

In construction we deal with similar tasks, resources and information across all the projects that we work on. All our templates are customized so that you can see and communicate just the information that you and your team members want and need to see.

All new project files should be created using templates. Using templates for the creation of your project files will add consistency, save a tremendous amount of time and will serve as a foundation of a system that will provide the potential power to gain insight and the ability to control all your projects.

All Scheduling Templates work with Microsoft Project Versions 2000 through Version 2019 and will work the same for either the Standard or Professional Versions.

All Construction Scheduling Templates are Optimized as follows:

Pre-Formatted Task Lists
Each template file includes a pre-formatted task list for the project type. The tasks are organized in accordance with the Construction Specifications Institute coding structure. You can add, edit and delete tasks as required. New templates are added regularly.

Pre-Construction Checklists
Each template file has a Pre-Construction summary task with a typical pre-construction task listing for each project. You can add, edit or delete tasks and necessary for your project needs.

Pre-Linked Templates
A represents a pre-linked template with assumed durations. These pre-linked files will save you time with standard linking for project types. You can add, edit, delete or unlink any task items and modify the task durations as needed. By changing the start date for the project or critical task, the entire schedule will move accordingly.

CSI Task Coding
All tasks are pre-coded with CSI Task Coding in accordance with the ‘Master Format 2018 Update’. Using CSI coding you can filter, view, and sort by a CSI code or any combination of them. You can also create your own codes in other available fields.

CSI Division Coding
All summary division tasks are pre-coded with CSI Division Coding in accordance with the ‘Master Format 2011 Update’. You can filter, view and sort by CSI code # to display groups of work or items by CSI Division # 1-48 or for combinations of them.

Custom Filters
Each template and file is customized with filters for Tasks, CSI Codes, Typical Resources, Groups & Trades within the construction industry. Each filter has two types of filters set up for each: A standard filter that filters out all completed tasks or work and a Date Range filter that allows you to filter for each type in a Date Range that you specify.

Customized Fields
Each template has the same custom fields for Tasks, CSI Codes, Typical Resources, Groups & Trades that allow you to view, filter, sort and report on a single project or group of projects. These fields can be displayed or hidden as required for your viewing. These fields also are the foundation for the custom filters.

Summary View
The summary view displays a structured view that displays the summary tasks in priority by CSI Division # and sorts the subtasks by start date. This is a great view to use when you want an orderly view and see items grouped by Construction Division.

Cascading View
The cascading view filters out all the summary tasks except for Pre-Construction Requirements and Project Duration. All subtasks are sorted by start date under each of these two summary tasks. This view displays a cascading flow of work by start date which you can easily view tasks sequentially by start date.

Custom Bar Styles & Layout
All bar styles display the start date on the left, the finish date on the right and the task name on the top of the bar. All columns and rows have gridlines to separate tasks and date formats. This allows for easy viewing and navigation.

Monthly Cash Flow Reports
The Monthly Cash Flow Report is an automatic report available if you are entering selling costs and using the Schedule of Values Table. You can get cash flow reports on a single project, multiple or all your projects in a Consolidated ‘Master’ project.

Project Calendar
The default Calendar in the templates is a calendar named Construction. This calendar has all major holidays marked as non-working. You can edit this calendar as needed to suit your project or company needs.

Resource Sheet
The custom Resource Sheet allows you to effectively enter, view and report on people, groups and/or equipment.

Option Settings
The Option Settings have been configured to optimize your scheduling and viewing and how Microsoft Project calculates your schedules. All the settings can be changed to suit your scheduling needs and requirements.

Schedule Of Values Table
The Schedule Of Values Table allows you to enter and view the total selling cost for each task item. The current cost and remaining cost is automatically updated by entering the percent complete. This table can be used in preparation for a schedule of values and as a billing mechanism. It can also be used in combination with the Gantt or Tracking view to show a customer or bank a detail of costs to date to back up and/or use for billing purposes.

Master Entry Table
The Master Entry Table allows you to enter, edit and view the custom fields specific to each project all from one table. Using the same fields for entering information for all your projects – you can view, filter, sort and report on a single project or across all your projects in a Consolidated ‘Master’ project file.

All of the customizations and settings are completely customizable by you. You can use them as they are customized or edit them to suit your needs.

The whole purpose of our templates is to save you time and for you to benefit from schedules that are optimized for scheduling, communication and viewing. They will serve as a foundation to help you control and profit on your construction projects.89

Quick Schedule Guide V3

Unleash the power of Microsoft Project easily and effectively to schedule and control your Construction Projects with the Quick Schedule Guide – Version 3. This interactive scheduling guide (in PDF format) serves as a companion guide to all our Scheduling Templates. The Quick Schedule Guide V3 also comes with an online version compatible with all PC’s, Tablets & Smart phones and is available online in multiple languages.

The Quick Schedule Guide (Version 3) is designed as a Visual-Step-By-Step Guide to unlock the outline, procedures and optimizations that we have built into the Scheduling Templates. It is streamlined to give you instant learning, reference and reinforcement to help guide you through the entire scheduling process.

You will be able to schedule any project of any size, create your own templates, combine projects into a master project and communicate them effectively by any method that suits your needs. Most of all, you will be able create a system that will promote accountability, communication and enable automation in your business that will lead to greater control and increased profits.

The Quick Schedule Guide V3 is designed and will work with Microsoft Project Versions 2000 through Version 2019. The ribbon or menu may differ slightly between versions, but the procedures are the same for all versions.

Quick Schedule Guide Benefits:

Control Time & Increase Profits
Use the power of Microsoft Project
Quickly schedule your projects with our Scheduling Templates
Quickly update your Construction Schedules
Schedule any project of any size at the level of detail you need
Use our custom features optimized in our Scheduling Templates
Use schedules structured for the Construction Industry – Benefit from our experience!
Create a foundation for scheduling all your projects

Quick Schedule Guide Features:

Instant learning and reference while you are working with our scheduling templates
Use the available templates with our predefined filters, views and reports or just use the task list to save input time
Maximize and use the features that are customized and optimized into our Scheduling Templates
Complete flexibility to customize the templates and systems to your particular needs
Use CSI coding from the Construction Specification Institute or create your own
Quick reference for scheduling methods and insights on scheduling
Create a system to serve as the foundation of all of your scheduling
Customize Microsoft Project and use the power of filters and views
Share files and save input time with others using the same scheduling structure, i.e. coding, filters and views
Learn ways to communicate your project files

The Quick Schedule Guide is streamlined into the following sections:

Scheduling Basics
The Scheduling Basics section gives a brief outline and instruction on the basic scheduling methods that will be used with our systems. In Microsoft Project there are many ways of entering information. For simplicity we use certain methods, but you can also use the other methods available in Microsoft Project. If you are an experienced user, you can skip the basic entering information, but you should familiarize yourself with the basic methods that we are using. If you are new to Microsoft Project, you can use this section for entering and viewing information.

Pre-Construction Scheduling
The Pre-Construction process is the most important part of structuring a successful project. Too little attention is given to the Pre-Construction phase. The Pre-Construction phase and process directly affects the outcome of a project. The organization and communication at the Pre-Construction phase is critical to the project’s success. This section serves as a brief emphasis on the importance of Pre-Construction Scheduling.

Scheduling Checklist
The Scheduling Checklist is an outline of all the steps required to create your project schedules. You can print the checklist out and use for a reminder of the steps and information required to complete the scheduling process. To benefit from viewing information across several projects, your schedules need to be structured in the same way. The checklist provides quick links to each section referenced.

Part 1: Organization
The Organization process is the foundation of successful scheduling, communication and reporting. Each project is unique in its nature and requirements. This section will guide you in structuring and organizing the layout of your schedules.

Part 2: Planning
The Planning process involves estimating task durations and developing a working copy of your schedule. The Planning phase requires that you communicate with the project team members to ensure that you have accurate information. Communication is the key to preparing a realistic and successful project schedule.

Part 3: Control
The Control phase is the process of maintaining the project communication, constantly updating and distributing the schedule via email, internet or physically in a manner that is understood and used by other team members. With effective control, you will have the opportunity to foresee conflicts and problems to that you can act instead of reacting after they happen.

Part 4: Consolidated Projects
Consolidating your active projects into a master project gives you unlimited flexibility to communicate multi project information, view workloads, create reports and make intelligent business planning decisions across all your projects. This section will provide you the tools needed to use and create the necessary views and filters to use and or report to anyone who needs to see them.

Reference:
The customizations’ in this guide and in the scheduling templates are listed and outlined within the reference section at the end of the guide. You can refer to these sections for details on how each scheduling phase is structured so that you can use, modify or recreate the original template settings.

All Scheduling Templates and Files are coded with the same custom filters, views and reports to provide information for individual projects or across all your projects.

This guide is not designed or intended to take the place of all the reference books and resources on how to use Microsoft Project, rather it is a supplement to all the available resources showing how to use the software in a specific way.

To maximize results, the content has been kept concise and toward a specific objective – scheduling systems that lead to successful projects in the construction industry.

The Quick Schedule Guide V3 Will Save You Time in learning and scheduling and to give you a system to serve as a basis of scheduling for individual projects as well as a global system of communication and planning across all your projects.

Scheduling is not just for the scheduler – it is for everyone involved with the project! It must be presented in an easy to read and understandable format. Our goal is getting the job done with as little effort as possible.

Remote Support

If necessary, we can connect together remotely with screen sharing to help with your scheduling efforts using our Construction Scheduling Templates, Methods & Systems.

Remote Support Includes:

Remote PC Connection for Support & Training
Support for Our Scheduling Templates, Methods & Systems
Telephone Communication
Free Worldwide Calling – We call you – No Fees
Multiple Language Chat Support
Time Blocks Scheduled in either 30 min, 60 min, 90 min or 120 min
You Schedule your time with our Online Calendar so we can coordinate our schedules. If we are in different time zones, you can contact us so we can schedule off hours to meet your convenience.

The Value of Scheduling

Microsoft Project can be used to schedule and control your construction projects at any level required! It is a shell scheduling software that has unlimited potential power to control your projects. How much of this capability are you using?

Aside from controlling your individual projects, you can acquire insight across your all projects in order to control your workload, adjust profit margins, keep people accountable and have access to the information and reports that are necessary to look ahead and adjust accordingly.

This insight is unavailable without effective scheduling and scheduling within a system designed to provide this information.

Our Scheduling Templates, Support & Training give you the tools needed to can create fast and effective construction schedules and provide the ability to take advantage of the power in Microsoft Project without the experience and long learning curve.

Above all, you will be able to create a foundation and a consistency for your schedules that will allow you to combine your construction schedules into a Master ‘Consolidated’ project file so that you can gain invaluable insight and schedule effectively across all of your projects – ‘Invaluable’!

Potential Values of Effective Scheduling…

Control Time
Increased Time
Increased Profits
Automate Your Projects
Ability To Plan Ahead
Schedule Subcontractors Effectively
Make Timely Decisions
Increased Communication
Adjust Profit Margins For Future Work
Achieve Purchasing Power
Decrease Costs Of Purchasing Materials & Subcontract Work
Minimize Liability
Create Accountability
Control Deliveries & Lead Time Problems
Know Your Cash Flow
Accurate Reporting
Forecast & Manage Your Workload
Resource Management
Create A Sense Of Control Over What Happens
Create Enthusiasm
Satisfied Customers
Relieve Stress
Freedom!!!

With our scheduling systems, you can benefit from global solutions that go beyond the success of a project. As everything affects something else, we are offering you the tools necessary to see all information required to enhance communication, control profits and establish automation within your business and projects.

Scheduling Benefits

Make your schedules work for you and give you the information you need! Without effective scheduling you are destined to reacting and working too hard.

Scheduling can provide the insight and accountability necessary to avoid the problems that every project will inherit. Effective Scheduling will also help control costs.

You can use our Scheduling Templates, Systems, Guides, Support & Training as powerful tools to provide the insight, attention and accountability needed at any level for a single project or across all of your projects.

Using Templates
Templates provide the foundation for your schedules, save input time and give you the ability to filter, view and report on a single project or across all your projects.

Scheduling Multiple Projects
By combining your projects into a ‘Master’ project, you can gain insight into planning, purchasing and management across all of your projects – very powerful!

Pre-Construction Scheduling
Pre-Construction Scheduling is critical to setting up a project for success. Without scheduling this critical phase, the project may be set up for failure and you may not know it.

Using CSI Coding
CSI Coding provides a numbering structure related to your tasks and allows you to filter, view and report on the particular code item or groups of code items.

Purchasing Power
You can use your schedules to increase your purchasing power for subcontractors, materials and lead time order items with the ability to forecast ahead.

Adjusting Profit Margins
With the ability to look ahead and view your workload you can increase your profit margins when you are busy and tighten your margins when you need work.

Fast Track Scheduling
With effective scheduling and communication you can decrease the time frames to complete your projects. Things happen as you determine instead of in their own time.

Using Views
You can use views for different purposes. A Summary View allow you to see the overall structure of the project and a Cascading View will show the tasks flowing by start date.

Using Filters
Filters are one of the most powerful features you can use in scheduling. You can apply a filter to see just the information you need to see for a single project or across all of your projects.

Schedule Updating
You can effectively update your schedules in minutes if they are structured properly. This allows you to use your schedule to drive the project instead it driving you.

Using A Schedule Of Values
You can use a Schedule of Values for billing purposes and to gain attention from the team members on your projects. This can prevent over billing and overpayment to contractors.

Cash Flow
Do you know your Cash Flow? It is directly related to the % of work complete. You can accurately know your cash for a single project or across all of your projects.

Creating Accountability
Accountability is critical to the performance of the people and groups on your projects. An effective schedule is your most powerful means to forcing action and accountability.

Communication Systems
Communication is everything! Scheduling, if effectively used, has all of the potential power to control your projects and aid in planning your business operations at any level.

Fixed Duration Scheduling
Fixed Duration scheduling allows you to control time and allow any team member to manage their own manpower and resources required to complete your schedule on time.

Coordinating Schedules With Specifications
Using a schedule with task items and coding that matches your contract specifications creates more attention, action and accountability to your schedules.

Managing Your Workload
With the ability to look ahead, you can make intelligent decisions on whether to hire additional resources or subcontract work and know what type of work to go after.

Managing Resources
You can manage YOUR resources easily and effectively for a single project or across all of your projects. You are not responsible for managing other companies’ resources.

Tracking Equipment
You can know and track your equipment usage at any time in the future and make decisions on whether to subcontract work, buy, lease or rent equipment.

Weekly or Regular Meetings
Weekly or regular meetings forces attention to your schedule. Using a schedule as a main agenda item at regular meetings will force action and production.

Using Checklists
Using checklists are very effective to ensure that you are using all of the steps and information that is required to structure and maintain a project.

Centralized Scheduling
Provides the insurance that schedules are prepared and updated by the people who have the experience and ability to structure, format and convey project information correctly.

Create As Built Schedules
‘As Built’ schedules provide an accurate picture of what happened and when on a project. This will add the power and attention needed to control time and the project.

Create Your Own Templates
You can use any of our Scheduling Templates as a foundation and structure to create your own. Using your scheduling templates will save time in future scheduling.

Create To Do Lists
Creating ‘To Do’ lists are invaluable for viewing and conveying specific responsibilities for any task or resource or combinations of them.

Establish A Scheduling And Reporting System
Scheduling in itself is very powerful, but if it is not integrated into a useful system that everyone uses and follows, the potential power will be lost.

Controlling Delivery Schedules
Using filters, views and reports, you can control delivery schedules for materials for individual projects or across all of your projects.

Subcontractor Scheduling
Subcontractor scheduling is critical to the overall performance on a project and have all of the basic responsibilities that the General Contractor, Construction Manager or other has.

Using Schedules To Manage A Group Or Process
Schedules can be used to manage any type of group or a process. Microsoft Project provides the ability and power to schedule and manage anything that relates to time.

Using Schedules To Manage Your Operations
Scheduling can help control your business planning and operations for a single project or for groups of projects with insight that is not available without your schedule.

Using A Communication Flow Chart
A schedule is a great tool. To make it effective, you need to provide a clear path and system of communication so there are no questions on who is supposed to communicate to who.

Scheduling Specifications
Using a scheduling specification will add the necessary action and responsibility to furnish schedules in a format that you need and require to control the construction process.

Attaching Schedules To Contracts
Attaching schedules to your contracts will provide a common plan and an expected performance to your projects. It will also increase attention and liability to the project.

Sharing & Integrating Schedules
Using our Scheduling Templates will allow you share and integrate your project schedules with anyone using same scheduling structure without additional input.

Developing A Scheduling Mindset
A scheduling mindset is the most important part in originating and maintaining a schedule. It is the view upon the way things should be completed and the attention that is required to maintain a schedule.

Using Adobe Acrobat
Using Adobe Acrobat is an invaluable tool to add to your communication ability to reach anyone with a computer regardless of their operating systems or software versions.

Using Reports
Using reports can provide the exact information that is required by the people that need to see them. You are narrowing down information into a format that is useful for a specific purpose.

Custom Solutions
We can provide insight into problems and solutions that you may not be aware of as well as save you a lot of time. There is always of doing things better and faster.

Team Websites
Team Websites provide a single point of communication where all team members can view and participate in the project right from their browser – very powerful!

Using Incentives
Incentives are a great way to ensure that your projects get the attention and production they need. Without them, your team members will focus on other priorities.

Your schedules can provide any information that you need in order to take control of your projects. Our Scheduling Templates, Support & Training give you the tools to use this power at any level required!

Scheduling Systems

Scheduling is very powerful and can provide all the power needed to run and control your business, but if it is not integrated into a useful system that everyone uses and follows, the potential power will be lost.

Our Construction Scheduling Templates & Systems are designed to save you time and money and to empower you with the tools needed to control your projects of any quantity, size and at any level while offering insight and the information needed to run, succeed and profit in your business.

Microsoft Project is a shell software product that has a lot of power and many features that most people are not aware of. We have used and integrated our experience in managing construction projects, communication and scheduling to deliver customized construction scheduling systems and solutions using:

Pre-formatted task lists
Pre-formatted task coding from the Construction Specifications Institute
Custom views, filters and reports that are designed specifically for the construction industry

We have provided scheduling templates that have all the customization and features built into them so that you can use them immediately. In addition, we provide Support & Training through our member’s site which will help you quickly learn and take advantage of the custom features provided and put you in control of a normally confusing process.

The templates and systems we provide can be used as is or as a foundation for your customization as required to suit your specific needs. Whether you are a general contractor, construction manager, national contractor with many locations and employees, subcontractor or other related trade you can use the templates at any level desired.

We are all dealing with the same problems and similar tasks but at different levels.

Discover the Benefits of Using an Effective Scheduling System:

Use pre-formatted templates at any level that suits your needs and for any number and size of projects
Present schedules that are understandable and usable for all trades and team members
Keep everyone accountable to the a system that works automatically
Create a global system of project reporting and information across all projects
Use the Consolidated (Master) Project file and systems to track, view, filter and report for any information across all projects
Use pre-defined CSI coding to serve as a foundation and structure for your task items
Use CSI coding that the industry uses and is familiar with
Use pre-construction checklists built into the scheduling templates in order to control the tasks required to get your projects project ready for construction
Use predefined filters to narrow down view information for specific periods of time, specific trades, people, resources, equipment and/or work type
Share and integrate project information with others using the same system without additional input
Use the custom Schedule of Values table to serve as a billing and reporting mechanism
Use the custom Construction Calendar with all of the major holidays marked as non-working
Use the custom Cascading or Summary views to present easy viewing and navigation of the schedules
Track people, groups and equipment
Sort information for anything while maintaining the desired structure of the schedule
Use the custom Monthly or Weekly Cash Flow Reports
Use the tracking table and views to keep people accountable
Filter for subcontract work or any item that you define
Create an expectation of everyone using and viewing your schedule information
Control material deliveries

The greatest benefit of using our templates and systems is to save you time and to give you the tools to establish a communication and reporting system that delivers control with increase accountability from all team members.

Project Organization

Project Organization is the compiling of the structure of information, files, people, team members and any other resources you have in an organized manner and have them available as you need them.

Every project requires you to utilize and modify the organizational parts and resources that you have available in accordance with the particular nature and needs of the project(s) you are working on.

Your challenge is to organize and consolidate the limited resources that you do have and provide the infrastructure to empower all of your resources to perform to their maximum potential.

The visual organizational elements of your project(s) consist of:

The non-visual organization elements of your project(s) consist of:

The success and profit potential of your projects depends on your ability to organize and manage the visual and non-visual elements that you have available to you.

Are you or your company organized with the tools and elements needed to successfully complete your projects?

Do you need to improve any visual or non-visual elements of your organizational structure?

Project Organization is vital to your projects and business. You also need to provide effective systems that will help integrate your organizational elements so you can maximize the output with your existing resources.

We hope to be your resource to provide the insight, tools and systems so that you can continuously improve your ability to perform successfully and reap the benefits that are available to you.

Subcontractor Scheduling

Effective Scheduling is an invaluable tool that will help you manage your workload and resources for a single project or across all of your projects.

With time on your side and the use of schedules, filters, views and reports you can gain the insight to make intelligent planning decisions, minimize liability and maximize your profits.

As a subcontractor, you have specific needs and responsibilities that are different from a General Contractor, Construction Manager or Other has.

You need to create an organizational structure that provides management of Time, Manpower, Crews, Resources, Equipment and Materials.

Your scheduling is critical to the overall performance on the projects you are working on. You have all of the basic scheduling needs – the only difference is that your tasks are reduced and specific in scope relative to the specific phases you are working on.

You also have the duel responsibility to meet the project deadlines that you are working on while managing the workload and resources you have across all of your projects.

Discover the Potential Benefits of Subcontractor Scheduling:

Using Templates
Templates provide the foundation for your schedules, save input time and give you the ability to filter, view and report on any information for a single project or across all your projects.

Subcontract Work or Self-Perform?
Using filters, views and reports you can evaluate when you need to self-perform or subcontract work. Without effective planning we do not have this information available and we either over allocate our resources or subcontract work when we could perform certain tasks or phases.

Managing Your Workload
With the ability to look ahead, you can make intelligent decisions on whether to hire additional resources or subcontract work and know what type of work to go after.

Managing Resources
You can manage YOUR resources easily and effectively for a single project or across all of your projects. This can help your decisions on taking other work and adjusting profit margins.

Tracking Equipment
You can know and track your equipment usage at any time in the future and make decisions on whether to subcontract work, buy, lease or rent equipment.

Controlling Delivery Schedules
Using filters, views and reports, you can control delivery schedules for materials for individual projects or across all of your projects.

Production Scheduling
You can assign specific resource types to different tasks and phases and get reports that will show your workload in a graph format, so you can level out your resources.

Scheduling Multiple Projects
By combining your projects into a ‘Master’ project, you can gain insight into planning, purchasing and management across all of your projects – very powerful!

Pre-Construction Scheduling
Pre-Construction Scheduling is critical to setting up your projects for success. This phase includes ordering materials, controlling lead times, managing submittals and other planning milestones.

Using CSI Coding
CSI Coding provides a numbering structure related to your tasks and allows you to filter, view and report on the particular code item or groups of code items.

Purchasing Power
You can use your schedules to increase your purchasing power for your subcontractors, materials and lead time order items with the ability to forecast ahead.

Adjusting Profit Margins
With the ability to look ahead and view your workload you can increase your profit margins when you are busy and tighten your margins when you need work.

Using Reports
Using reports can provide the exact information that is required by the people that need to see them. You are actually narrowing down information into a format that is useful for a specific purpose.

Using Incentives
Incentives are a great way to ensure that your projects get the attention and production they need. Without them, your team members will focus on other priorities.

Increase Communication
You can bridge the gap between who you are working for and the various levels of construction. Communication is the key to success. Scheduling with the available reports, views and filters can give you all the insight needed to control and manage your business.

Meeting Deadlines
Meeting deadlines eliminates the overhead of the extra costs associated with increased project completion, extensions, delays and lack of communication.

Organization
Providing an organized schedule and or system will help promote customer satisfaction, communication, feedback and ultimately the profits on your project and in your business.

Accountability
Keeping all your team members accountable to a schedule or system is the key to successful management. Establishing a system of accountability will promote increased production, enthusiasm and profits.

Managing our construction projects is a great challenge. Scheduling provides a tool that offers insight and planning that is not available without it. Volume does not equal profits – the answer is to control what we do have to the greatest profit and potential.

Everything that we do relates to time. Scheduling provides a platform to track and use time to your advantage for any purposes you need. The success or failure of each project we work on effects all other projects and the potential profits associated with them.

With an effective Scheduling System in place you can gain control over the things that are often unmanaged and provide the insight to plan your business operations in order to maximize your profit potential.

Why you need Scheduling

Scheduling creates the time to do the things you need to run and control your business. Scheduling is the most important part in organizing and maintaining control in a project.

Most people do not plan and realize the power of scheduling and consequently deal with delays, increased costs, stress, etc. Effective scheduling forces you to look ahead, plan and communicate with other team members.

Without effective scheduling you are destined to reacting instead of acting.

Your construction schedule is the most powerful tool you can use to control time, communicate your expectations and keep everyone accountable. We have customized Microsoft Project so that you can easily and effectively schedule any or all or your projects with simple tools and methods.

We can help you effectively complete the circuit of cost and quality to unleash the potential profits on your projects that are unavailable without it.

Everything we do relates to time; if you are not controlling it – it is controlling you!

Ask yourself a few questions?

Are your projects completed on time?
Do you use scheduling as a tool rather than as an exercise?
Do you know your future workload and can you adjust your profit margins accordingly?
Are people or even you following your schedules – are they accountable?
Do you have the flexibility to make timely decisions and adjust accordingly?
Do you know when you need to order materials or have materials delivered?
Do you have standard templates to create your schedules and save input time?
Can you tell what’s going on in any project or group of projects either now or in the future?

If you answered ‘No’ to any of the above questions, you can benefit from our Construction Scheduling Templates, Support & Training.

Why you need an effective schedule?

Most people do not know how to schedule effectively
People schedule in an infinite number of ways
Most people are poor communicators
Contractors provide schedules in many different formats and task breakdowns
Schedules are typically not coordinated with yours and are developed in accordance with other agendas and not yours

Many contractors are unorganized and do not work with schedules and if they do, most are not working with them as a tool to help manage, forecast and maintain a schedule and communication. They let time and the schedule run them instead of them running the schedule.

You cannot use the power and custom features available in Microsoft Project or any scheduling software if you do not have the experience and an effective system to use and follow.

Our Scheduling, Support & Training give you the tools needed to can create fast and effective construction schedules and provide the ability to take advantage of the power in Microsoft Project without the experience and long learning curve.

You may think that scheduling takes valuable time, although in reality, effective scheduling with a system creates time because tasks and activities are organized into a common plan that takes on a life of its own – without you having to react to the daily crises that arise from the lack of planning and scheduling.

CSI Coding

CSI stands for the Construction Specifications Institute. CSI provides a coding breakdown for methods, materials and tasks for all the construction activities that we typically deal with. This industry leading coding structure is the foundation of most construction specification writing, documentation and information management.

We have integrated CSI’s coding structure (Master Format 2018 Update) as a foundation for the task breakdown structure in all of our scheduling templates and files.

We are offering construction scheduling templates in different levels of detail each for Residential, Commercial & Industrial Construction as a basis of all schedules that will provide for a common structure and consistency for all your schedules.

You can choose the scheduling template or file that suits the need of your projects. Note that the greater level of detail that you use will provide increased view, filter and report information. Our goal is to save you time and to empower you with a system that will provide the information that you need to see at any level.

For scheduling and communication purposes, some task items have been renamed to familiar terms that we use within the Construction Industry.

We have also added two other major phases;

Pre-Construction Requirements
Includes all the Pre-Construction Activities required to get the project ready for construction.

Project Duration
Includes all the Construction Activities throughout the actual construction phase. These tasks should be linked directly to the Pre-Construction activities as they are directly related to their completion at various levels.

All construction activities are broken down into the following CSI Major Phases:

PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS GROUP:
Division 00 — Pre-Construction Requirements

SPECIFICATIONS GROUP:

General Requirements Subgroup:
Division 01 — General Requirements

Facility Construction Subgroup:
Division 02 — Existing Conditions
Division 03 — Concrete
Division 04 — Masonry
Division 05 — Metals
Division 06 — Wood, Plastics, and Composites
Division 07 — Thermal and Moisture Protection
Division 08 — Openings
Division 09 — Finishes
Division 10 — Specialties
Division 11 — Equipment
Division 12 — Furnishings
Division 13 — Special Construction
Division 14 — Conveying Equipment
Division 15 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 16 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 17 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 18 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 19 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Facility Services Subgroup:
Division 20 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 21 — Fire Suppression
Division 22 — Plumbing
Division 23 — Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning
Division 24 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 25 — Integrated Automation
Division 26 — Electrical
Division 27 — Communications
Division 28 — Electronic Safety and Security
Division 29 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Site and Infrastructure Subgroup:
Division 30 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 31 — Earthwork
Division 32 — Exterior Improvements
Division 33 — Utilities
Division 34 — Transportation
Division 35 — Waterway and Marine
Division 36 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 37 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 38 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 39 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Process Equipment Subgroup:
Division 40 — Process Integration
Division 41 — Material Processing and Handling Equipment
Division 42 — Process Heating, Cooling, and Drying Equipment
Division 43 — Process Gas and Liquid Handling, Purification and Storage Equipment
Division 44 — Pollution Control Equipment
Division 45 — Industry-Specific Manufacturing Equipment
Division 46 — Water and Wastewater Equipment
Division 47 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION
Division 48 — Electrical Power Generation
Division 49 — RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Listed under each major phase is a breakdown of CSI coding items at various levels of detail depending on the template or file that you are working with.

You can add, edit and delete task items as needed and use as a basis of your schedule templates or files. In addition, you can add your own code items in the other available fields.

With these pre-coded scheduling templates and files, you can filter, view and report on any information relative to CSI Division #’s or CSI Code #’s. If you use the same coding structure in all project files, you can view information across all of your projects.

You can ‘View Samples’ of the various coding structures available in our templates and files in our Scheduling Templates Page.