Step 13: Update the Schedule
Program updates are about the forecast, not the history. The schedule is a dynamic model and must accurately reflect the project's current status and future plan.
The schedule needs to be updated at regular intervals by recording the status of activities. The update frequency will depend on the project type and phase. A clear update and reporting process should be established early on.
What Progress Updates Should Include
- Physical progress of works (e.g. 4 out of 10 footings complete = 40% physical completion)
- Time-related progress: actual start date, actual finish date, remaining duration or expected finish date
Physical progress and remaining duration should be de-linked in the program — many activities do not involve linear production, so a physical % complete does not directly dictate the remaining duration or expected finish.
- Variances to key milestones and the specific reasons for variances, with proposed mitigation actions
- Ongoing productivity and progress trends, and their impacts on future durations
- Validation of — and changes to — previous assumptions
- Key issues, risks, and time-saving opportunities related to the program
How to Gather Progress Information
Program inputs and status updates should always be done in face-to-face meetings with those who are closest to the information.
- Check progress updates against physical deliverables wherever possible.
- Regular site walks are the best way of verifying actual progress of construction activities — to identify, understand, and report current issues, slippages, mitigation measures, assumptions, opportunities, and risks.
Program Revisions
No significant impact on the overall program. Typical causes: more detailed information becoming available, subcontract letting with alternative sequences, minor variations, or minor mitigation actions with no cost impact. Minor revisions typically do not require re-baselining, unless they significantly alter the critical/near-critical path or end dates.
Definite impact on the overall program and/or significantly changes the schedule methodology. Causes include: significant scope changes, major variations, changes to contract completion dates, major delays, or instructed acceleration. Major revisions require re-establishment of a revised Baseline program.