How do I get my critically behind linear infrastructure project schedule back on track – fast?

When a project schedule is developed, reasonable timeframes are included for activities that need to be undertaken to support the project. These timeframes are typically based on historical information, estimates and utilizing the expertise of the project team.

Sometimes issues arise, such as permitting challenges, additional right of way negotiations, environmental considerations, regulatory constraints, or disputes with contractors. Any of these have the ability to impact the project schedule and cause it to fall behind the planned schedule.

Linear infrastructure projects are well known in engineering, project management and construction circles to have their own, nuanced set of challenges that if improperly mitigated, can set a project schedule disastrously behind.

In order to clearly assess and understand what is impacting the project schedule, what the effects are, and potential mitigation opportunities, it is critical to get robust analytical information from the schedule model.

If your job, reputation and good night’s sleep depend on getting your linear infrastructure project schedule back on track, keep reading for expert tips to recover a linear project schedule.

Get an accurate status report

One of the most common reasons linear projects fall behind is because traditional project management software does not show what work has been done where, and capturing the productivity work rates for different crews in different locations. If you are an owner, you may have several contractors working in different sections. The location information for the work being executed is a critical component in linear projects.

A simplistic percentage of work done does not provide project schedulers and managers with enough detail to troubleshoot when things go awry.

Speak to your team, project managers, ground crews and get the data & reports you need to understand the project status.

If you’re finding you can’t get the details you need from GANTT charts, you may want to consider investing in specialized a linear scheduling software.

A linear scheduling software program like TILOS will show you exactly what work has been done, where along the ROW.

TILOS’ easy to understand one page view makes it virtually effortless to communicate with project stakeholders and site crews alike.

When each day a project is behind can cost 5 figures, it just makes sense to invest in a program like TILOS Linear Scheduling Software.

TILOS is purpose built to plan your work efficiently or help you get your linear infrastructure project schedule back on track if necessary.

Bring in the reserves

Adopting a new software, no matter how intuitive, does require initial resource allocation, and sometimes it’s wise to add some “bench strength” to the team.

To get your staff efficiently trained to use TILOS, and to ensure that the project set-up and schedule development plan is effective, bring in TILOS experts.

Be sure to look for TILOS experts that have real-world project experience – it can make a dramatic difference in the quality of support you recieve.

Analyze the data and identify the issues.

In TILOS, you can visually see what crews and equipment are where, and what percentage of work is done where, you can then identify how the linear infrastructure project schedule delays have occurred.

Having a clear understanding of whether the delays are caused by crews, communication issues, permitting and so on, allows you to move on to troubleshooting.

Troubleshoot & revise the plan

Once you and your team has all the data they need to understand what caused project delays, you can work to create a new linear infrastructure project schedule and develop a schedule mitigation / recovery plan.

Your new plan will now proactively avoid further clashes and identify the places in your linear infrastructure project where you can move crews and equipment closer together to make up for lost time.

Communicate with your team, project management and crews on the ground.

Now that you have an up to date project plan that is easy for crews and your team to understand, you can communicate your revised plans for bringing the project back on track and celebrate a job well done.

And, the next time you’re responsible for the project schedule, your reputation for getting the job done will precede you.

Is your linear infrastructure project schedule at risk?

If you’re using TILOS for your linear infrastructure project schedule, you’re well on your way to better outcomes.

But sometimes project schedules and status update requirements call for a rapid ramp up – outside your team’s level of expertise or manpower.

No longer have the time to teach yourselves how to best use TILOS?
- Book a private TILOS Training Course, for less than you think.

Need your project set up in TILOS now?
-  Get on-demand Project Team Support Services, for as little or as long as you need.

If you need your linear infrastructure project schedule set up in TILOS quickly, thoroughly and accurately, you need the team at Petroglyph Project Analytics.

The team at Petroglyph Project Analytics are project people with extensive experience across many industries. In addition to being TRIMBLE TILOS Certified trainers, we are project controls professionals.

Petroglyph Project Analytics will come in to your organization and work with your team to set your project up in TILOS Linear Scheduling Software and get your project controls team up to speed, fast. We can also provide support throughout the lifecycle of your project.

As TRIMBLE Certified TILOS trainers and Project Controls professionals, our team knows TILOS inside out and can provide short term or long term support to your organization.