Introduction - Construction Project Scheduling and Control - page 10

2. Ensure contractor's proper planning for timely finish : Owners may demand a
project schedule from the prospective or bidding contractor; however, it is
very important for the owner to review such a schedule and make sure that it
is reasonably accurate and realistic. The owner's approval of the contractor's
prepared schedule may imply a liability on the owner's side.
3. Predict and calculate the cash flow : The owner is obligated to make timely
progress payments to the contractor and other parties during the life of the
project. Failure to do so not only may delay the project and/or incur additional
cost but also may—at a certain point—be deemed a breach of contract.
4. Serve as an effective project monitoring tool : Both the owner and the contrac-
tor must monitor the progress of the work and compare the actual progress
(schedule and cost) with the baseline (as-planned) schedule and budget. The
contractor uses this process to detect and correct any deviations and also to
prepare progress payments. The owner uses this process to verify the actual
work progress and the contractor's payment requests.
5. Evaluate the effect of changes : Owners may desire or require change orders.
In many instances, owners don't expect or fully appreciate the impact these
change orders may have on the schedule and/or budget. It is wise for an owner
to determine this impact before making a decision regarding a change order.
It is also recommended that owners analyze the contractor's assessment of the
change order to make sure that it is fair and reasonable.
6. Verify delay claims : Owners use CPM schedules to analyze, verify, and/or dis-
pute contractors' delay claims. Although most delay claims are initiated by
contractors against owners, it is possible to have an owner's claim initiated
against the contractor and/or have other parties involved. In either case, a
CPM schedule is vital for the owner to prove his or her case.
Other parties involved in the project may also need a CPM schedule, such as the
designer, project management consultant, and financial (lending) institution.
The need for a CPM schedule varies with several factors. In general, it increases
with the increase in size and complexity of the project. For example, a home builder
who has built tens or hundreds of almost identical homes may not have a need for
a CPM schedule as much as a high-rise building contractor does. Project control is
still needed for all projects but may be conducted through simpler methods by the
home builder.
THE SCHEDULER
Is the scheduler a civil engineer, an architect, a computer whiz, a mathematician, a
project manager, an artist, or a communicator? In reality, the answer is a combina-
tion of all of these! Using computer software and other high-tech tools has been an
increasing trend in all industries. Software packages include generic types, such as word