Scheduling as Part of the Project Management Effort - Construction Project Scheduling and Control - page 283

provides a list of the types and quantities of materials needed for a certain activity. The
scheduling department predicts the date on which the activity will start. The procure-
ment team then makes sure that the materials are ordered and are available on time. It
also verifies the cost of these materials against the cost estimate and then provides the
actual cost to the accounting department. The contractor's project management team
is responsible for receiving and unloading the materials as well as accepting, sorting,
and storing them. The quality assurance department of both the contractor's and the
owner's organizations may become involved to ensure that the materials comply with
the specifications.
The purchase of some materials, such as ready-mix concrete, must be carefully
coordinated. This type of concrete must be installed immediately upon delivery and
cannot be stored. Some materials may be flammable, explosive, poisonous, or danger-
ous. Some materials may be fragile and need extra care in handling and storing. Other
materials may be expensive and must be secured before and after installation. Some
items may be very large or heavy, which may require special arrangement for storage
and handling. The procurement department must take care of all of the requirements
of such types of materials.
A clear distinction must be made between the procurement department and the
human resources department with regard to hiring people. The latter is responsible
for hiring staff employees, such as managers, engineers, administrators, and so forth.
MANAGEMENT OF SUBMITTALS
A submittal is a sample, manufacturer's data, a shop drawing, or another item sub-
mitted to the owner or the design professional by the contractor for approval or other
action, usually a contractual requirement. Submittals are an important part of the
schedule. In many cases, placement of a posttensioned cable, reinforcement, struc-
tural steel detail, or framing cannot proceed until the shop drawing is approved. In
the case of samples, such as types and colors of carpet or paint, the procedure includes
the submittal of the samples and the owner's selection or acceptance of one or more
of them.
In the case of shop drawings, the cycle consists of four steps:
1. Preparation of the shop drawings by the subcontractor or supplier.
2. Submittal of the drawings to the contractor, who then forwards them to the
architect or engineer, or the party responsible for reviewing them.
3. Review of the drawings by the appropriate party (architect or engineer). Typi-
cally, the drawings are accepted as is, rejected, or accepted with changes. If they
are rejected, the subcontractor or supplier must redo them and then resubmit
them.
4. After approval, fabrication of the work by the subcontractor or supplier.