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The Future of AI in Project Planning and Scheduling

May 21, 2024

The launch of ChatGPT-4.0 has shown us the incredible capabilities of AI, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. This innovation leads us to wonder how AI could be applied to fields like project planning and scheduling, potentially revolutionizing these areas. While there is always concern about technology replacing human jobs, AI in project planning and scheduling can be seen as a powerful tool to enhance human capabilities, reduce errors, and improve efficiency. Here are some ways AI could be integrated into existing project planning and scheduling software:

Milestone Extraction and Schedule Outline: AI could automatically extract scheduling milestones from tender or contract documents, creating an initial high-level project schedule. This schedule would respect the constraints of these milestones and provide a comprehensive view of project phases, helping project managers kickstart the planning process with a solid foundation.
Project Calendar Selection: By understanding programming specifications, AI can choose the correct project calendar type. This ensures that the schedule aligns with the specific requirements of the project, such as working days, holidays, and other time-related constraints.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Generation: AI could interpret tender or project specifications to generate a detailed WBS. This structure would outline the project phases, disciplines, systems, and components, providing a clear roadmap for the project execution.
Typical Work Sequences: AI can offer typical sequences for various types of work, streamlining the planning process. This ensures that project schedules follow industry best practices and efficient workflows, reducing the learning curve for new project managers.
Drawing Analysis and Quantity Extraction: AI-powered tools could read technical drawings and extract quantities directly from them. This capability would significantly reduce the time and effort required for quantity takeoffs and improve accuracy.
Interface Listing and Identification: AI can list and identify interfaces in project drawings. This helps in coordinating different project components and disciplines, ensuring that all interfaces are managed effectively and reducing the risk of integration issues.
Discrepancy Identification: AI could identify discrepancies between drawings and specifications, alerting project managers to potential conflicts early in the planning phase. This proactive approach helps in resolving issues before they impact the project timeline or budget.
Risk and Critical Path Identification: By analyzing the project plan, AI can identify risks and determine the critical path. This allows project managers to focus on high-risk areas and ensure that key milestones are met, enhancing the overall project control.
Historical Data Analysis: AI could compile a list of projects with similar scopes, including their corresponding costs and durations. This data-driven approach provides valuable benchmarks and insights for new projects, aiding in more accurate cost and time estimations.
Specialist Contractor Suggestions: Based on the project requirements, AI can suggest a list of specialist contractors for various works. This helps in finding the right expertise and improving the quality of the project execution.
Scenario Planning: AI enables scenario planning by evaluating different project strategies and listing the pros and cons of each. This helps project managers make informed decisions and choose the best approach for their project.
Programme Narrative Generation: AI can generate comprehensive programme narratives that explain the construction strategy, sequences, assumptions, constraints, assumed productivities, and labor histograms. This documentation is crucial for communicating the project plan to stakeholders and ensuring alignment.
Cashflow Curve Generation: AI could automatically generate cashflow curves, providing a visual representation of the project’s financial plan. This assists in managing project finances and ensuring that funding requirements are met throughout the project lifecycle.

Conclusion

Integrating AI into project planning and scheduling has the potential to significantly enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness of project management processes. While there may be concerns about AI taking over jobs, the reality is that AI can empower project managers by automating routine tasks and providing advanced insights, allowing them to focus on strategic decision-making and problem-solving. Embracing AI in project management could lead to more successful project outcomes and a more dynamic and responsive approach to planning and execution.

How long does it takes to develop a project schedule?

December 20, 2018

A project schedule is a listing of project’s milestones, activities with intended start and finish dates. It is normally in Gantt Chart format. If the number of activities in the project is small, it can be created with MS Excel. However, if the number of activities is large and need to be properly linked up to perform Critical Path Analysis, then the project schedule will need a proper project scheduling tool such as Oracle Primavera P6 or MS Project to create. The duration it takes to develop the schedule depends on many factors:

Size and Complexity of the project

The greater the size and complexity of the project, one will expect more time is needed to understand the project scope and develop the project schedule.

Granularity of the schedule

The greater the schedule’s granularity, the greater the effort required to develop the schedule. Schedule granularity is classified from level 1 to 5. Level 1 being the least detail and Level 5 being the most detail. Level 1 schedule comprises mainly of key dates and milestones and it is usually meant for giving the audience an overall view of the project timeline. Level 5 schedule being the most detailed, it is developed by the contractor to track the day to day progress of site work. To ascertain the Critical Path (the longest path) of the project, there should be sufficient details in the schedule and a level 3 schedule is warranted.

Programme Specification

Some projects schedules are required to comply with the client’s programme/schedule specification. Such specification may specify the granularity of the activities such as the minimum and maximum duration of each activity. Some specifications will also specify that the activities of the project schedules be cost or/and resource loaded.

Programme Review

Project Schedule needs the buy-in from the project team and it has to be reviewed by the team. Hence the duration required for schedule development also depends on the outcome of the review and the subsequent amendments.

Experience of the project planner/scheduler

Last but not least, the experience of the planner/scheduler is very important. An experienced planner is not only adept in using the programme planning software to develop the programme, but he also has a good understanding of project planning and scheduling methodology, the full project life cycle and the domain knowledge of the construction industry.

A good planner/scheduler should have sufficient site and project experience so that he can appreciate the project scope and constraints; understand the project risks, the processes in procurement and design, authorities permitting processes, the construction sequences, interfacing work between trades, M&E works and T&C work.

Unfortunately, there are not many planner/scheduler out there who have sufficient site experience to understand the full project lifecycle development. As such, a lot of hand-holding is required and the project planner/scheduler is doing no more than a programmer’s job!

About the Author:

Stanley Tey has more than two decades of project management experience after graduating from the National University of Singapore in Civil Engineering. He also obtained a Master Degree in Software Engineering from Institute of Systems Science, NUS where he specialized in Project Management and Systems Integration. He has worked as a Consulting Engineer, Project Planner, and Project Manager. Some of the projects he had handled are:

North East Line
Singapore 1st Desalination Water Plant at Tuas
Integrated Resort Project at Sentosa
Lonza Cell Therapy Plant at Tuas (Phase 2)
Merck Junumet plant at Tuas
Singapore Special Cable Tunnel Project

Freelance Project Schedule Planning

December 17, 2018

Are you facing bottlenecks in developing Tender/Baseline programme in Primavera P6 or MS Project and related documentation such as programme narratives, labor histogram, Cost S Curve, Time Chainage Diagram due to a lack of experience project planner/scheduler during this tight timeline?

If your answer is yes, please read on.

Pro1plan Consultants offers cost-effective Project Planning and scheduling services, starting from tender, baseline schedule, through baseline revisions, progress reporting, resource loading, analyze schedule and recommend corrective action, Extension of Time and Financial Claims.

With extensive experience in project schedule planning and implementation for projects in MRT, Commercial, Water Treatment Plant, Integrated Resorts, Pharmaceutical and Cable Tunnels using Primavera P6 or MS Project, we can customize a solution to meet your requirements.

We will work closely with your project team at any stages of the project be it in the Feasibility, Tender, Construction, Fit-out, Commissioning or Closing Up phase of the project.

Please email us at enquires@pro1plan.net or by phone at (65) 9817 6974 for an non-obligatory discussion.

Pro1plan Consultants

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