Offered By: Alpha3 Consulting LLC
Professional Development Hours: 7
Course Number: AEP7013-A202

The Critical Path Method was conceived as a way to plan and schedule projects in order to forecast and manage for timely completion, but complex schedules are often dismissed when it comes to actual management of the project. Instead, they are associated with misinformation, arguments, and claims. This one-day course is designed for owner’s representatives, engineers, construction managers, and contractors that have experience with CPM scheduling and want to improve their planning and scheduling practices. Participants will learn to develop and implement schedules that will be accepted quickly and used to manage the project efficiently. Owners and contractors will learn best practices for developing and relying on the schedule as a tool for recording progress and forecasting remaining work.

Course Outline

INTRODUCTION
ii.	Background
iii.	Learning Objectives
iiii.	Agenda
1.	CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME IN CPM IMPLEMENTATION (WHAT YOU HATE)
	1.1.	CPM schedules that take too much time/money to prepare
	1.2.	CPM schedules that are too complicated
	1.3.	CPM schedules that aren’t accurate
	1.4.	CPM schedules that aren’t necessary
2.	STRUCTURED PLANNING AND SCHEDULING PRACTICES (WHAT YOU WANT)
	2.1.	A ten-fold return on time/money spent planning and scheduling
	2.2.	Realistic schedules that are accepted quickly
	2.3.	Reliable information communicated to management and to the field
	2.4.	A way to deal with delays and changes if when they come
3.	IMPLEMENTING THE STRUCTURED APPROACH (HOW TO GET IT)
	3.1.	Maximum return on your time/money
		3.1.1.	Budgeting time / budgeting money
		3.1.2.	Identifying risks and preparing for changes
		3.1.3.	Value engineering
	3.2	Quick acceptance
		3.2.1.	Getting on the same page
		3.2.2.	Presenting the schedule
		3.2.3	Committing to the plan
	3.3	The schedule as a communication tool
		3.3.1.	Management reports and presentations
		3.3.2.	Project control
		3.3.3.	Distribution to the field
	3.4	Managing delays and changes
		3.4.1.	Defining Delay and Types of Delay
		3.4.2.	Analysis of Delays
		3.4.3.	Using the Schedule Intelligently
4.	BENCHMARKING YOUR ORGANIZATION’S P&S PROCESSES (DEFINING SUCCESS)
	4.1	Evaluating Your Current Planning and Scheduling Processes
	4.2	The PDCA Cycle
	4.3	Scheduling as part of Total Cost Management
	4.4	Calculating ROI
Note: This course focuses on the application of planning and scheduling best practices. Participants are expected to have experience in CPM scheduling and a working knowledge of their selected CPM software. Course material can be tailored upon request for use with specific packages including Primavera, Deltek/Welcom, or Microsoft.

Topic Areas and Industries

• Architecture
• Banking/Finance
• Business & Program Planning
• Chemical Process
• Claims & Dispute Resolution
• Construction
• Contract Management
• Cost Engineering
• Cost/Schedule Control
• Decision & Risk Management
• Defense
• Economic & Financial Analysis
• Engineering
• Environmental
• Facilities Management
• Finance/Economic Analysis
• Government & Public Works
• Health Care
• Information Technology
• International Projects
• Oil/Gas/Chemicals
• Pharmaceuticals
• Planning & Scheduling
• Procurement
• Productivity
• Program & Project Management
• Project Control
• Transportation
• Utilities & Energy