Word of the Week #4

3 Week Look Ahead



Sometimes we just call it the short term schedule or the 3 week, this is the schedule that the job is actually built from. This isn't the pretty schedule with the bar graphs, it is a list of very detailed activiities that must occur over the following three weeks to meet the dates we have committed to on the contract schedule.



The site superintendent spends most of his time revising and adjusting the short term schedule prior to distributing it on a weekly basis. Activities that don't occur as planned impact others and we use this weekly update to alert everyone of the changes. Somteimes things go well and we are able to make positive adjustments, sometimes we experience rain delays, material shortages, undermanned crews, etc. and need to push dates back.



When Rusty publishes a 3 week, he has already made contact with those on the schedule and alerted them to the upcoming activities. When a date is missed on the 3 week, the responsible party can expect a "follow up" from Rusty. There are so many variables that go into the planning and execution of a days work that one small hiccup can start a chain of events that impact many companies and crews.



Believe it or not, some crews show up to work unannounced. The work shown on the 3 week always takes precedence and is given an umbrella of protection. If two workers are working in the same area, the person that is working according to the short term plan is accomodated. If they are both working according to the plan, Rusty gets a "follow up" call.