How to Create A Work program with Microsoft Excel version 2010

Creating a simple work program and display it as a Bar chat is relative cheap. This can be done by doing it with Microsoft Excel. However It is very tough to display the critical path and it seems to be impossible to show the logic link between bars. Another disadvantage of this is that it might only practical and applicable to a small scale project that having not more than ten (10) activities. It is due to the complexity of the process in creating the bar chart and it is very time consuming. Below are free step by step guidance to produce a simple work program using Microsoft Excel.

Step 1.
 Open the Microsoft Excel Program and create table as picture below (table can be customized according to what information you want to display.

Step 2:
Insert your the task in the task column and task ID  in the ID column and arrange it according to level of work or in words it shall be the work breakdown code.

Step 3:
Set the DURATION column by highlighting the column and right click. The dialogue box will appear. from the dialogue box, select "format cell". I should appear like picture below.

After selecting the "format Cells", a dialogue box will appear as below.

 Now Under category, Select Number. I set the decimal point to "0" decimal places. then click OK.

Step 4:
Now start Insert Number of duration. See the following Picture.

Step 5:
In this stage or step 5, for column level as " Start " and " finish", highlight both column, Right click and select " Format cells", a dialogue will appear and under the " Category" select Date and set the " date format". See picture below.

Step 6:
After you select your date format which is shown under the "type" tab. Click "OK". Than Start by inserting the start date as per sequence of work. As a guide you can fill the sequence number base on the ID into the "Predecessor" and "Successor Column". Picture below.

For the "Start", "Finish", "Predecessor" and "Successor" column, If you are familiar with Excel Function or Formula, it is better to use the features since with that Features you can easily create links between cells. Or else you will have to fill and calculate it manually.

Step 7:
Next step is to group task under a major task. To do this, First select "Data Tab". See Picture Below.

Then, identify which is the major task. Next highlight the "Rows" which represent minor tasks that form the major task. Picture Below

 After Highlighting the minor task, Click on the " Group" Icon under " Data Tab". It will automatically display the Sheet Like picture below.

The finish product is as picture below.

After you fill in all the data you needed in the table. It is now we can start to create the " Bar Chart".

Step 8

To create the “bar Chart” , First highlight the Row and column that contained the “ Task”, “Duration”, “start” and “Finish”. Next, Click on the “Insert tab” , then go to “ bar”  then click the icon “ Stacked Bar”. See picture below.

Once you click on the icon “ Staked Bar”, a Bar chart will automatically appear in your work Sheet. It shall look like the picture below.

Step 9:

Next, in the Start and finish Column, Identified the Earliest date to start work. Right Click on that cell, then click “ format cell”. A dialogue box like below will appear.

Inside the dialogue box, under category, click on “number”. Once you click on the “number”, under the sample, you will see a set of number. In this example the number is  41703.00. This number is actually represent the date of 05/03/2014. See picture below. Write down this number on a piece of paper. After you done with this step, Click the “cancel” tab. The dialogue box will close by itself. Next, do the same thing to the last date which you are going to complete your work or task. You will need those number to customized the date axis range on your chart later on.

Step 10.

Right Click on the “X” axis and then Click “ format axis”. Refer to picture below.

After you click the “format axis” a dialogue box will appear as below.

Inside the axis option check the minimum value to fixed and insert the number for start date which you write down earlier  in step 9. Do the same for maximum Value but inset the number which will represent the last completion date of the work.

Still on the dialogue box, click on the number, then go to the category And choose “ date” and choose the date format type which you want to display on your chart. After that step, you can choose the alignment tab in the dialogue box to align the position of your date. See Picture below.

One you done with it, click “Close”. Your Chart Should appear like this.

Step 11

Right click on the “Y” Axis and click Format Axis. A dialogue box like below will appear.

Inside this dialogue box, look for the “ Category in reverse order”.  “Checked “ the box and next Close the dialogue. Your chart should be displayed as below.

Step 12

In the Chart, Right click in between two bars. Then Click “select data” . See picture below.

One you had click on the “select data” a dialogue box as below will appear.

Click on the “Duration” follow by clicking on the “move down” button. This will change the position of your “Duration”.  Once you done with that, Click “ OK” tab. It will close the Dialogue box. This action will make your Chart look as this following picture.

Step 13

Still on the chart. Right Click on any of the green bar. 

Then, click on the “fill colour” icon. Picture below.

Choose the “no fill” . Your chart should be as follows.

Repeat this step 13 but now do the same for the bar that is “red” in colour.The end product for this step  shall be displayed as below.

Step 14

Now identify the “Critical Path” and recoloured it into red. You should have a Bar chart as below.

Step 15

If you want to show both “ Start” and “ Finish” date, Click on the bars that represent the “Start” bar

 (already recoloured with no fill in step 13),then click the “ Add data level’. 

Your chart will look like this.

Now the start date had been inserted. However the date been displayed and overlap with other information. We don’t want this display. Hence we need to re format the “ X “ axis. To Do That we need to change the Minimum Value and the maximum value of “X” Axis. See the pictures below.  For Minimum value, entered value that is less than 41703 and for Maximum Value entered number greater than 41848.

Next, for the “finish date” do the same procedure as what had been done for “ Start Date”  but for  “ the Finish date” click on the “finish Bar” which had been recoloured earlier with “No Fill”. Your end product shall be displayed as follow.

Basically, Your work program created with Microsoft Excel is now completed. However  for a better presentation of Your  Bar Chart, you Can present it as Chart on its own or you can rearrange is such a way  to be display with full description.

a) Bar Chart represent the work program  on its own.

b) Work program with full description.

Congratulation. You just finish creating the work program by using Microsoft Excel.

Risk management and occupational Health and Safety

MSA Safety 10096486 Style 1-D Harness Vest, Standard Size

Construction site is always a dangerous place to be for a person that is not well trained. Accident can happened at any time and at any place within construction site. Below is the graphical show the fatal accident form year 1993 until 2013  publish by http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm



                                           Risk Management and Construction
                                           Construction Management

Eventhough the rate have been continueously decline but construction site still remain dangerous. The graph show above is property of HSE which more detail can be read through their website.

As contractor or construction personnel there is a great need for us to know(if not in detail) what are the risk that we are facing when we involve in construction work. Generally, in my opinion the risk are as below;

1. Accident at construction work site to site personnel due to fall from high place, accidentally contact with moving or revolving machinery and construction equipment.
2. Accident due to construction activities involving public
3. Burglaries at construction site
4. Damages to third party properties due to construction activities.

                                         Risk Management and Construction
                                         Construction Management

All the risk above involving the health and safety issue and definitely involving lost of effective working hours and money. How to prevent and minimised those problem? In term of monetary, it is a compulsory that employer covered their self and his employee(s) with insurances. There is two common type of insurance that normally being requested by Owner of the project. Those two insurance are Contractor's All Risk and Workmen's Compensation insurance. In my opinion the another element that sometime might be required is Insurance that can cover inclusive of Third Party properties. This mostly required if the construction work is adjacent to other properties or within the existing properties and the chances for the properties being damages due to construction activities is high at all the time. With the coverage of those insurance part of the monetary effect towards construction cost already being take care off.

Having covered by insurance is only part of the mitigation in alleviate the effect of risk in construction . However, the most important part is injuries or fatality that might happened with in the construction site or to the public. To address this matter there are some steps or measure that can be taken. Part of it are;

1. Create awareness among construction workers on possible danger with-in construction work place by having "Tool Box Talk " of Safety briefing every morning conducted by Safety officer or Safety Supervisor.
2. Having a proper maintenance schedule on any construction machinery, Site vehicle, plants and construction equipment to ensure that it is in good condition.
3. Provide signages or implement any suitable method to notify public and workers where ever necessary with in construction vicinity.
4. Only qualified person allowed to operate or handle construction machineries, Plant or construction equipment.
5. Appointment of qualified person or manager to oversee the safety measure that need and have been implement at construction work site.
6. Provide and maintain Personnel Protective Equipment to all construction workers.

                                         Risk Management and Construction

                                         Construction Management

Delay and Extension of time Application in construction project

Extension of time (E.O.T) is one of the contract clause which is helpful to all contractor to prevent the Liquidated and ascertained damages (L & AD) being imposed to them due to delay. Not to say that with the Extension of Time, contractor do not incurred losses, but in actual fact it did minimised it. With the granted of Extension of time, Contractor still need to extend the work insurances and other overhead cost such as rental of site office,site support staff and ect. but it do stop the L & AD being imposed.

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition (PMBOK Guides)

Enterprise Contract Management: A Practical Guide to Successfully Implementing an ECM Solution

Practical Contract Management

Application of  Extension of time, base on the contract clauses is always base on what does it allow for. Some of the reason that allow are as follows;

1. Delay due to Superintending Officer instruction which was issued under certain clause in the contract

2. Exceptionally increment weather,

3. By force majeure

4. Delay in giving site possession to contractor,

5 Delay by other contractor engaged by employer in executing parts of the work which for part of the contract

6. by the contractor in ability for reason beyond his control and which he could not reasonably have foreseen at the date of closing of tender of his contract,

7. by reason of  any action due to civil disturbance

and any reason allow in the particular contract.

However to make an application,  normally, there are clauses in the contract that contractor need to satisfy or follow. For example, Delay due to Superintending Officer instruction (which was issued not due to contractor negligence), in which a stop work order was issued due to design change for certain works which affecting other works and will resulted in delay of the project completion. This reason, for sure it is not due to contractor negligence. As such contractor is entitle for extension of time and also possibly entitle to claim loss and expense ( if allow in the contract).

Also part and parcel of the application is the supporting document. As contractor, all the significant event shall be properly documented and recorded. For example, some of the following document might be necessary.

1. Master and detailed work program (A work program in which shows the sequence and logic of works) before the event.

2. Revised work program ( Work program which show when will the new expected completion date for the project after incorporated the event)

3. Official instruction from Superintending officer (letter)

4. Notice from contractor with regard to the event which mentioned that the event will caused delay.( if the instruction is going to be issued after or few days before the date of start work for the particular work as planned or schedule in original master work program or original detailed work program)

5. The event chronology

6. Photos (if any)

7. calculation on number of days that contractor entitled for.

8. Site diary 

9. minutes of meeting

10. contract clause which mentioned that contractor are entitle for the Extension of time.

However, contractor need to be aware on the other clauses in the contract in which contractor need to fulfilled. For example; notice to superintending officer shall be submitted with-in 7 days from the date of the event.

Not all contract having the same clauses or requirements, thus. contractor need to know what is allow in their contract. For instant, time frame to submit notice to superintending officer due to an event. Some contract might specified that the notice shall be submitted with in 14 days from the even occurred, some might be 30 days but other might be 7 days. Hence we need to be aware of those clauses.

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition (PMBOK Guides)

Enterprise Contract Management: A Practical Guide to Successfully Implementing an ECM Solution Practical Contract Management

Construction Project: Subcontracting partial of the works.

Sub-contracting a road project to more than one contractor for the same scope of work but different location can be tricky and some time could resulted in disaster for the main contractor if things being dome base on assumption only. Why is this so?

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition (PMBOK Guides)

Enterprise Contract Management: A Practical Guide to Successfully Implementing an ECM Solution

Practical Contract Management

First let we asked our self. Do the whole stretch of road is design as typical cross-section? What being meant here is do the whole stretch of road was designed with the same dimension ( road width, Shoulder, sub-base and road-base thickness and ect.) regardless which chainage it is. The answer is Yes and No. Then, the next question is how long is the road? let say the road is 1(one) Kilometer. Now we come to the issue of sub-contracting.

This is the scenario.  At Beginning of the project we awarded the whole project to contractor A, however after a certain period the progress is to slow and we are far behind schedule. we decide to engage another contractor, that is contractor B and we wanted them to do the next stretch of the project which the length is 600 meters. By looking at the length we assume that the subcontract of the project is 60% of the total construction Project.Then we told contractor B that from the total construction project, 60% of the scope of works shall belong to them. However there is no proper agreement or contract was executed because we are now desperate to finish the work we ask them to start immediately. However the contractor B give the condition that the work shall be measured by quantity and the rates applied shall be as the rate between main contractor and the project owner. We agreed to the condition imposed by Contractor B and Contractor A also agreed that theirs contract is lump sum that is 40% of the original contract sum. As the project progressing we had being paying the contractor base on the factor of 60:40. The contractor B is not happy because they claim that they do more than 60% of work. and they prove that they are correct by doing all calculation and providing the actual evidence. However for contractor A, a proper contract had been executed after the division was done. Bingo!!!! we are now having problem in paying Contractor B. All of the earlier understanding with Contractor B is base on verbal discussion but there is an official letter being issue by Contractor B with regards to their condition before they start doing the work. we assume that the quantity is 60:40 and the original contract rates was applied. 

After a thorough check base on the drawing and verification on evidence provided by Contractor B, we discover that, their claim is valid, where the total quantity for contractor A is actually less and the factor of 60:40 is wrong. However we need to honour our contract with contractor A.

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition (PMBOK Guides)

Enterprise Contract Management: A Practical Guide to Successfully Implementing an ECM Solution

Practical Contract Management

Base on this scenario, The Main Contractor now have to subsidised the work done by Contractor B until all the profit that main contractor expected is gone by the wind.
What is the mistake that being done by Main contractor until they are loosing money? These is it.

1. All thing was done on a basis of ASSUMING.
2. Agreed to something that they did not really know.

As a contractor, lets take the above scenario as a lesson. Before we accept any contract in a construction project, We need to do our own estimation by do some quantity take-off work. By doing that even if we need to absorb some construction cost, we might still making some money but at a lower profit rate.

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition (PMBOK Guides)

Enterprise Contract Management: A Practical Guide to Successfully Implementing an ECM Solution

Practical Contract Management

Construction Industry in year 2014

Year 2013 is a year that full of challenges to all of the construction industry players. Some might have it as a nice Year but for some it is not a prosperous year. Whatever it is, soon the year of 2013 will become history.

As we are approaching the new year, 2014, let we start equip our self with fresh strategy to tackle new challenges in this construction field. Embrace the technology and  increase our knowledge in construction. We might need to refurbish our machinery, plant and Equipment for 2014. We might need to increase our manpower to fulfils the next year commitment. We might need to start looking for new strategy to secure more contract.

The bottom line is, how good have we done in year 2013 in solving any issue that we facing with regards to this construction work. It will always be good to look back on what we had done and learn from there for betterment. For the year to come let us refresh our knowledge in this industry. Here, in this blog, There are articles that are useful for next year planning. Just take a look at the archive and you will find it useful.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2014.

Estimating construction works

Estimating construction cost is always a tedious task to do. No how it is, this process is the most important part of the work before contractor even decide to take the work or not. However it is always a good practice to do the estimation before commitment is make to any of the construction work.

Normally there is two type of conventional contract. The two type are Contract with Bill of Quantities and Lump Sum Contract. Regardless what type of contract that contractor are dealing with, the different is Lump Sum contract normally do not include the quantity in their document because regardless of the quantity, the price that contractor offered is count. This type of contract normally do not entertained any type of claim that involve the increase in any quantity unless it increment is substantially affecting the cost. Some country have their own set of rules that need to be adhere to in order t make such claims.

Referring to the topic today, Estimating Construction Works. In general I would like to say that the overall work cost consist of three(3) major structure. The structure is The Actual cost for the physical works, The Preliminaries and general and the third structure is profit margin.

The Actual cost. What does it meant? The Actual cost is the estimation on the cost that needed to build and complete the major scope of works. Lets say it is to build a guard house. To build the guard house what are the things that involve that without those item contractor will never be able to complete the works. There are four(4) major item that must be include in this estimation. The four(4) major items are Construction Materials, Plants and Machineries, Man powers and wastage. However, for the Plants and machineries and manpower it is always tied up to the duration that needed to construct the guard house. Apart from these, the materials is always govern by the quantity and the unit price. For a Lump sum Contract, contractor have to do their own Quantity take off exercise.

The second structure is The Preliminaries and General. Among the item that always fall under this category are:-
1. Insurances
2. Performance bond
3. Site office, transport provision for the superintending Officer and site store.
4. Electricity, Water and Telecommunication,
5. Cost for compliance to Local Authorities Regulations
6. Mobilisation and demobilisation
7. As-built drawings
8. Relocation of existing Services or properties
9. Reporting and meeting expenses
10. Any other item that is not necessary required to complete the works but needed to ensure the smooth flow of the whole works.

Normally under Lump sum Contract this structure is only describe as preliminaries and general as one item. Hence contractor need to do their own breakdown item in order to have a build up cost for this Preliminaries and general total cost.

The third Structure is The profit margin.This profit margin is depend on how much contractor want to make. out from the project.

There is lots of software out there that can expedite this cost estimation work.

PROJECT SCHEDULING OR PLANNING, WHO'S RESPONSIBLILITY IS IT?

Before we proceed further let us look through the definition and the importance of project scheduling or project planning.

Definition of project scheduling: 

Project Scheduling is A Process of listing the detail breakdown of works to on how to achieve the project goal by determined the when to start and finished, what is the work sequence and who is responsible for the task.

The important of Project Scheduling:

Project scheduling is a tool that will guide a construction project from the beginning until completion and a tool to maximize the profit for a project.

In any type of planning or scheduling the crucial part of it is input that need to be as accurate as it can be. To have all the required input, the scheduler will not only need his own experience and knowledge but also input from other parties within his organization. Those parties are as the chart below.

CHART 1

Refer back to the chart 1 above, there is few parties involve. Each of this party will provide the scheduler with different type of information. By gathering all of this essential data and incorporate it into the work program or project schedule, a project will have a proper, practical and realistic target date for completion. The Table 2 below show us what are the information that we can get from each of the different parties involve.

TABLE 2

Base on Chart 1 and Table 2, a proper and realistic schedule is everybody Job. If either one of the element is missing or not captured in the project schedule it can be a misleading schedule which must be avoid. As an answer to our question “Who’s responsible is the project scheduling?” we summarized it as it is the responsible of the Project Scheduler. He or She is the key personnel that will get the project Schedule done with the input from various parties involve.

Making money or Losing money in Construction.

Why contractor loosing money when doing construction? There is few reason why contractor always mentioning that they are loosing money a particular project. If we wanted to list down all of the reason, it will be quite a number of it. However let we know some of the reason.

1. Poor Project Planning by contractor.

2. Lack of understanding or knowledge on the current market trend for resources.

3. Ignorant on the principal, "make thing right at the first attempt".

4. Fail to ascertained all necessary cost that is not reflected in the contract Bill of quantity or drawing.

5.Bidding a project for the sake of winning it without thinking and analysed the pricing that been inserted during bidding process.

6. Fail to examine each of single page of the tender document  when doing the estimation.

7. Fail to notice what is the term and condition stated in the tender document during tendering process.

First of all let we jump to the item no.6 and no.7. Item no.6 is related to item no.7. Why is this so? The reason is if the bidder do not read carefully the tender document, he will tend to lose the important information which is not clearly stated in the bill of quantity. This scenario  always happened in a Lump Sum Contract. For instant, Inside the contract there might be special condition of contract which form part of the contract. What written inside the special condition of contract is Contractor need to abide to local authority, authority body or government agency rules and regulation. Then we derive from this clause, Who are these local Authority? 

Now we go deeper. Local authority,  can be any authority that have direct involvement in your project. For example Department of Occupation Safety and Health(DOSH), Local Council, Construction Industry Board, Board of engineers, Labour Department, Board of contractor under government and National board of Environment. Each of this department or authority body have their own rules and regulation which contractor need to comply with. For instant DOSH. When you do a construction project, You must first registered your project with them. registration might be no cost implication but the set of rules that you need to follow will required you to provide enough safety equipment and precaution. As and example, You are required to hire a full time safety office. how much is the cost that you need to pay for the Safety Officer for the whole duration of the project? second, You must provide all necessary safety gear for all of your workers at site. How much will it cost? This two item will easily cost you thousands dollar per month and just if imagine if your project duration is one year. How much do you think the cost will be? I have seen lot contractor underestimate this item or ignorant to this rules. When the project awarded to them then only they start grumble that they did not priced for it. Who's mistake is this? Sometime inside the Bill of quantity it only mention as "Contractor to provide all necessary safety and heath personal,equipment and ect for the whole duration of project" or even it being lump into an item as preliminaries and General. Then when this happened in the Bill of Quantity contractor will just insert some Amount which is most of the time under estimated. At the end of the day this item alone had cost a huge some to contractor.

As for item 7. worse case scenario, the special condition of contract does not allow for any claim on lost and expense due to whatever reason and also it does not allow for any price fluctuation claim for construction material as per current market rate for the month particular month when the purchase are make. If the increase of material price is very marginal, most probably contractor still can absorb the the cost. But if it happened as the scenario during the year 2004 until 2007 where the price of steel and other construction material gone up substantially,  What will be the cost that contractor need to pay? most probably it will contribute to a huge losses to contractor. Hence it is very important that during tendering stage contractor need to know what is the basis and the content of the tender document.

For all contractor, be cautious with the term and condition in the tender document when you do your estimation. If you already gone through these scenario don't let it happened again and for those who have not come across this type of rule and regulation, let this article become and important information for you to minimised your will be loses.

Project scheduling

“I have been in this construction industries for years by now; I got the experience and knowledge. That is why I don’t really need to produce a work schedule. It’s all in my head.”

Have you ever met a person that telling you the same reason as above? If you throw me that question my answer is “YES”.

There is no doubt that those who already successfully completed construction projects already know all the sequence of works and what does it takes to complete a project. However I still want to emphasized that it is important to have a systematic work schedule. The reason is you are not going to supervised each and single task of a project by yourself. In actual fact, if you are project managers or coordinators you will have to deal with your construction supervisors, subcontractors, client, consultant and suppliers. All of these parties will be interested to know what your work schedule is. The information stated in your project will enable them to delegates, giving instruction, executing and monitoring the progress for whatever necessary works to complete the project. Without your project schedule every parties involve will be in the dark.

Why do I emphasize that it is important for you to have a proper project schedule? Here is the reason why?

Project scheduling will allow us to analysed our cash flow against our work plan whether what we plan can be achieve with the current available cash in hand, current machinery, plant and equipment and also manpower that we have. After analysed , if we found out we can’t complete the project with our current resources, then we have to explore other option on how to complete the project before we make any decision to proceed with the work schedule. In other words Project scheduling will help us to minimize our losses in term of Value.

Work without a plan is a plan to fail. Without a project schedule we will be lost. We do not know when to start, how long it take for us to complete the project, what is the sequence of work, When to start our procurement of material, when to mobilized essential machinery to start a particular task, what is the effect of public holiday and bad weather have to our plan and the list goes on. Missing the step of preparing a proper project scheduling can lead to a situation that it is too late for us to amend the damages that already happened during construction period.

 It is a compulsory requirement in most of the contract document. We are required by our client to submit our project schedule for our project for their approval.

It is a tool that will help us to defend our self when we have to stop part of the work due to the instruction by the client which leads to the delay in completion of the project.

It is very essential instrument when we decide to make a claim for extension of time and also to claim for our loss and expense (if allow in the contract). If approval to our claim is granted it can save us from the liquidated and ascertain damages which might be imposed to us as per mention inside the contract (if any).

Project Schedule will help us to monitor our project health whether we are ahead of schedule, on track, slightly delay or even fall under sick project which is bound for contract termination.

Project schedule will help us to instruct our team on what task to do, when must it start and when must it finish.

All of the reason listed above, have their impact on the monetary value. To summarize all of this we can say that a Project scheduling is a tool that will guide a construction project from the beginning until completion and a tool to maximize the profit for a project. As what business person had and will always have in their head, “The purpose of making Business is to make more money not to lose it in whatever circumstances”.

Critical Path Method in project scheduling.

Critical path is an important element in project scheduling. Every scheduler or planner officer need to identify which is the task(s) that will form the critical path of the project. Critical path always consist of series of task or work that must not be delayed, start or commencement date and must finish on a fixed date. If there is any delay occurred in commencement of any task or work that form a critical path, then there is very high possibilities that the project going to be delay in completion. When this situation happened, contractor will have to plan for a catch-up program to make sure that the project can be completed with-in the approved construction period. However in this section we will not discussing on the catch-up program or plan.

How to determine the critical path of a project? In actual fact, regardless of what scheduling software that planner(s) officer or Scheduler(s) officer used to produce a work program or work plan for a project, the basic theory of the Critical path calculation is always the same for any brand of project scheduling software.

There are two types of critical path calculation that can be used to identify a critical path. The two types of calculation are Forward pass calculation and Backward Pass calculation.

Forward pass calculation can be used to determine when or on what date a project can be completed. The calculation will start from the beginning of the project and at the end we will be able to know when a project can be completed with estimated numbers of resources that available.

Backward pass calculation can be used when we are given a fixed date on when to complete a project. This method always required us to analyze the availability of our resources and their output in order to complete the project as required. By knowing our capacity of resources we will be able to estimate the duration required to complete each and single task of a project. With this information than we start the calculation from the given finished date and we will know the latest date we must start our work which normally known as late start.

Theoretically, Critical path will always having the same figure for the early start and the late start. Thus there is no number of floating days allow. Mathematically the float day is equal to “0”. All series of task or works that have no float days or “0” floating days will fall in a critical path of a project.

Critical path in Microsoft project, by default is always colored with red in Gantt Chart.

WORK PROGRAM BY MICROSOFT PROJECT : STEP BY STEP GUIDE

Work program is an important element in any Construction project. It is a document where it will become a guide for those involve in the project  on when to start and complete a particular project component or task. In actual fact work program is contractor plan on when to start the project and how we plan to complete the hole project. A project without work program, in other words, is a project without target and is about to fail. As the successful person always say “ FAILURE TO PLAN IS A PLAN TO FAIL”.

There is numbers of software that can be utilized to create a work program. Among them are Microsoft Projects, Primavera and  Agile project planning. However in this article, we will show how to create a work program by using MICROSOFT PROJECT. We are using MICROSOFT PROJECT 2010 VERSION (Trial Version Copy)

.

Microsoft project can be purchase on-line through Microsoft website.

How to create the work program using Microsoft Project?  Below is basic step to step.

Step 1:

Open your Microsoft project software. Below is how the Microsoft project look like.

Under Default display you will find there is eight (8) columns available. The column named as indicator, task, duration, start, finish, predecessor, resources and add new column.

 Step 2:

Set up the working time for your calendar. This can be done by clicking on the FILE tab.

A display like this will appear on your screen. Next, click the “OPTION” button on the display page.  A “Project option” will appear as below.

At this “Project Option” page, click the “schedule” button. It will bring you to the display as below.

On this page, you can start customized your working days, working hours and many more to suite your requirement. One you done with the option you can save your file under a name.

  

 Step 3:

Start inserting all of the scope of works that necessary to complete the whole project. To do this. Click on the “TASK” tab. The window is as below.

Inside the “Task Name” column, you can start type in ever task that is needed to complete the whole Project. Below is how the completed task looks like.

After finish key-in all the task. Now you can arrange the task into level.

Step 4:

Select the task that you want it to be a sub-task to the earlier task , then click the indent task icon to make it a sub-task.

Below is how the partially complete Work Program look like after the task being arrange into different level.

  

Step 5:

Insert the Duration for each of the task in the Duration column. Below how it look like after you insert the duration.

Step 6:

Insert your start date for the first task that you plan to become the first activity for the whole project. This first task should be a task that must start in order for the project to start.  The start date must be inserted in the Start column. Your finish date for the task will be automatically calculated by Microsoft project software. Your next subsequence task start and finish date will be calculated automatically after you insert the Predecessor for each of the Task.

Below is how your partially completed work program looks like.

Step 7:

For each task in your work program, insert the predecessor task number in the predecessor column.. Predecessor is a task that starts before this task. By doing this it will link the task to another task. Below is how the work program appears on your screen after you completed this step.

Now after this step 7, your already complete the whole scheduling works. This is already a complete work program. In actual on screen display you will see it like the picture below.

From the display, you can see on your right, there is bar chart for each of the task and it is link to another task. This chart show how each of the task link to another or in another word sequence of each task. The arrow from one bar to another bar is showing the sequence of the task which automatically generated when you key-in each of the predecessor for each of the task. This chart is called Gantt chart.

In real construction project there is lot of task involve in order for contractor to complete the whole project. In this situation we need to identify which is the longest sequence of task that will be critical in the project. In other words, if one of the task is delayed it will delayed the whole project. How to Identify it by using Microsoft Project Software. Read the step 8 below.

  

Step 8:

To identify the longest critical sequence of task in a project click the “FORMAT TAB”.

Under the “Format” word (as picture above), you can see the word “Critical task”, “Slack” and “Late Task”. Click the box next to the” Critical Task”.  It will automatically generate which sequence of work is Critical. This method is called “Critical Path Method”.

Once you are done with this action, it should display a series of red bar which these are the critical task that MUST NOT BE DELAYED IT START AND FINISHED DATE. Contractor needs to Start this these critical task as planned in the work program or you will not be able to complete the whole project as planned.

 The picture below is showing the Critical task of the project and also it is the Critical path for the whole project. Delaying either one of the task within this path resulted in delay in completion of the project.

Site management for contractor.

Site management is a very important field that shall not be neglected by any contractor. Armed your project with proper site management personnel which will help contractor to ensure a smooth work flow environment and in return will help in the success of a project.

Site management is inclusive of 

1. Site safety

2. Work place arrangement eg: site access road, storage and machinery yard and site office.

3. Site personnel

4. Sequence of works

5. Documentation

Each of the listed area above, need to be properly address and plan in order to make the site management that is going to be implement will achieve its objective.

A construction site that was operated without a well-planned site management always resulted as an unsafe site. For example, a site without proper site management, we can see construction waste is everywhere and this will pose a great danger. If accident happened, there will be lost in working hours and this lost is equal to lost in productivity which can be translate to money.

As we already know the important of site management in construction, now the question is how to put it into practice? The key to a good site management is to develop the site management plan or guideline. The content of this site management plan shall consist of all of the listed above. Personnel need to be appointed and their authority and responsibility clearly mentioned. layout of the site shall also be include to show the planned location of any important machinery yard, office, store or even where a heavy machinery shall be station during construction to ensure smooth activity.

There is some more parameter that can be included and it depends on the type of construction. If one cannot develop your site management plan it can always be out source by engaging professional.

Part of site management is the arrangement of site. The picture below can explained what site arrangement is.

Risk management in Road construction

Risk management in construction is a field that should not be put aside by any contractor. Risk management is important to help us delivered the end product with in the stipulated time frame without lost or minimum lost in our profit margin and the most important is maintaining our good reputation.

Road construction,just like other construction work, it is prone to risk. Whatever risk that involve in construction, at the end of the day, it will count as dollar and cent. In-view of this situation, contractor have to find ways to mitigate this loses.

How to minimized and address this issue? Before we discuss any further, let's take a look at what is some of the scope of work involve. Below are some of the scope of work involve.

1. Earthwork

2. Bridge

3. Sub-base

4. Road-base

5. Tar seal ( ACB,ACW,Tack coat & Prime coat)

6. Road paint or Road marking

7. Guard rail & other road furniture

8. Street lighting.

As listed above, we can see there is eight(8) trades involve to roughly complete the road.Indirectly this information is telling us that we need eight specialist team. Then how to relate this with risk management? Here how to address this. Since we already know what trade involve, The next step is doing brain storming. This is important to identify any possible risk that will involve in each of the trade. This is basic rule of risk management. It will be impossible to come out with risk management plan without knowing what possible risk to take into account. The root to risk management is " what is the risk that we expecting to occur with-in those trade". Only by knowing what is the risk that we can start working the plan that is the best management or solution to prevent or minimized the risk.

Now let we look in to the earthwork trade. What is the possible risk that we have that will prevent us from completing this task as per required time frame as agreed in the contract. Let list down some of the possible risk.

Possible risk in earthwork.

1. Bad weather
2. Machine breakdown
3. increase in fuel and diesel pricing
4. accident
5. impact to environment
6. increase in cost of material

since we already know the possible risk that will affect the work, than only we can plan on how to manage the risk. As we know, if we allow the possible risk to take place or happened, it will resulted into lost of profit or even jeopardize our reputation, what we need to do is to lay a proper plan of risk management to address these event. For example, we look in to the bad weather (rainy day), first we better look at the number of days throughout the month of previous years. Do some calculation, find out how may days is raining day of the month of the previous years. let say it is average of 10 days. This simply mean that we have a risk of non-workable day of 10 days of the same month which resulted in less productivity of the month. However we are tied by the contract that we need to complete the work at a determined date. Hence what is our choice that we have to manage this risk? May be one of the choice is increase the number of work force at the particular month. As now we have the solution to this risk, then the next step is to documented it in our risk management plan. When the event happened we already know what is the consequence and how to address it.

The easiest way out to address any risk in construction is we can always outsource this various trade with certain contract sum to others. In doing this we have the option to outsource the whole trade or only the works. This strategy will help us in a way, should there be any of the risk listed above happened, we already passed this unpredictable situation to others.Thus we can maintain our profit. However a proper agreement have to be prepared and terms and conditions must be clearly stated. One disadvantage of this type of risk management is we are putting our  reputation at a risk if the appointed team do not have a risk management plan.