Schedule Health Assessment for Construction Projects

Purpose of this paper. The aim of the research is to assess the quality of the schedule of a construction project, and the characteristics that a good quality schedule should have. This can be defined as "Schedule health Assessment". Design/methodology/approach. Very few research has been found to be inherent to quality of schedules, and most of it is not construction oriented. Although a set of quality requirements applicable to a construction schedule have been defined by literature review and by experience from practical implementation. The set of quality requirements defines a metric to measure schedule quality. The schedule requirements have been classified and weighted related to their importance and a method of schedule health assessment has been developed. The method can help project planners to produce a good quality schedule since the initiating of the project and, during the execution phase, it can be used to perform a schedule health assessment to detect deficiencies and issues to be addressed for construction control purposes. Findings and value. Quality assessment of a construction project schedule is a challenging task. The paper defines a metric to measure schedule health assessment for construction projects. Research limitations/implications. A future commitment is needed to develop a semi-automated tool to perform health assessment of schedules. Practical implications. Outcomes and implication for practical implementation in a construction project team are broad. In fact construction schedule is one of the most important element needed for complex construction project management. Good quality schedule can be considered a basic element for a good quality construction process. Originality/value of paper. Few researchers have aimed at defining quality of project schedules, especially in the construction sector, due to project and process complexity. The value of the paper is in the development of a simple and practical method to produce and maintain a quality schedule for a construction project, though involving a complete schedule metrics