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Best Practices & Learning Center

Best Practices & Learning Center

Enhance your proficiency with SmartPM by accessing best practice guides and learning resources

Why CPM is Important

Why is CPM Important in Construction

CPM (Critical Path Methodology)

CPM Scheduling Myths and Misconceptions

Building a High-Quality Schedule

Planning vs. Scheduling

Hard Logic and Crew Logic

Steps to Build a High Quality Schedule

Why Crew Logic is Important

Crew Logic Impacts

Key Indicators to Assess Schedule Quality

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Understanding the Metrics

General Metrics - How metrics are calculated in SmartPM

Progress Report

The Progress Curve

How SmartPM Calculates Total Float

Activity Field Log

Manpower Metrics

Attributes

Cost Metrics

Factors for Schedule Quality

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SmartPM/Procore Integration

Using SmartPM with Procore

Schedule Quality Metric Deep Dives

Activities Later Than Tracked-To

Activities Riding/Sitting On the Data Date

Activity Name Changes

Activity Total Float

Issues with Backdated Activities

Changed Actual Dates

Constraint Metric Overview

Critical Path %

Dangling Activities

Decreased Percent Complete

Duplicate Activity Names

Duplicate Relationships

Future Actual Dates

High Duration Activities

Manually Scheduled Activities or Summary Tasks (.MPP Only)

Missing Actual Finish Date

One Day Activities

Out Of Sequence

Relationship: Finish to Finish

Relationship: Finish to Start

Relationship: Negative Lag

Relationship: Positive Lag

Relationship: Start to Finish

Relationship: Start to Start

Remaining Duration Discrepancy

Resource Loaded Activities

Started with 0%

Summary Bar Logic Ties (.MPP Only)

Total Relationships

Unstatused Activities

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The Basics of CPM Scheduling

Steps to Create a CPM Schedule

What is the Critical Path

The Most Important Rule in CPM Scheduling

Key Terms for CPM Scheduling

Float, Slack and the Critical Path

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Calendar for a CPM Schedule

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How SmartPM Handles Schedules with Data Integrity Issues

Activities with No Actual Start Dates that are 0% Progressed

Start to Finish Ties

Actual Dates After the Data Date (e.g. Future Actual Dates)

Critical Path Analysis

MS Project Summary Bars

Full Day vs. Partial Day

Actual Start Dates On the Data Date

Suspend and Resume Dates

Resource Loaded Milestones

% Complete

Activities with No Actual Finish Dates that are 100% Progressed

Changes to Actual Start / Actual Finish Dates

Backdated Actual Start / Actual Finish Dates

Lag Calculations

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Building a Quality Baseline Schedule

How to Build a High Quality Baseline Schedule: Introduction

Why the Critical Path Must be Accurate to have a High Quality Schedule.

What is Schedule Quality?

Step 1 - How to set up a baseline schedule

Step 2 - Conduct Working Sessions to Map Out Project Plan Schedule Activities

Step 3 - Organizational Structure

Step 4 - List Activities and Set Durations

Step 5 - Make Sure Your Plan is Thorough and Accurate

Step 5 Examples

Step 6 - Apply Necessary Constraints

Step 7 - Optimize Your Schedule

Quality Standards

Relationship Ratios

Finish to Start ties

Missing Logic

Lag Best Practices

High Duration and Float

Example of Schedule with Missing Logic and Constraints Removed.

Example of a Schedule with Repaired Logic and Finish Constraints Removed

Example of a Schedule with Long Durations

Example of how Constraints Alter the Critical Path

Guidelines to Minimize Schedule Quality Risk

Building a Quality Baseline Schedule - Video

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Schedule Updating Best Practices

Schedule Updating Best Practices - Video

The Importance of CPM Schedule Updating

Introduction to CPM Schedule Updating Best Practices

The Importance of Looking at the Critical and Near Critical Path in Schedule Updating

Part 1 - Do's and Don'ts

Part 2 - Do's and Don'ts

Part 3 - Do's and Don'ts

Step 1 - Walk the Site and Status the Job

Step 2 - Update your Schedule with Site Walk Info

Step 3 - Identify and Incorporate and Changes necessary.

Types of Changes to Make in a Schedule Update

Example of a Change Analysis

Why Schedule Compression is a Problem

Schedule Update Review Process

Why Unachievable and Poor Quality Updates are Bad.

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Microsoft Project

Best Practices with Setting up Activity Options and Updating Microsoft Project Schedules