Why calendar and resource planning is not enough to prepare a QMS

Introduction: why construction plans are often not executed

A persistent paradox has been observed in the construction industry for a long time: even well-developed calendar, network and resource plans regularly demonstrate low feasibility.

Usually, the reasons are found in the planning itself: insufficient detail, errors in calculating labor intensity, inaccuracies in rationing, or unaccounted for external factors. However, in practice, the problem lies deeper.

Calendar and network planning (KSP) should determine when, in what sequence, and with what duration construction and installation work (CMP) is performed.

Resource planning (PR) answers another question: what resources, to what extent and in what time frame are needed to complete these works.

But even together they do not provide an answer to the key question: are all the conditions really created so that the work can be started on time and performed efficiently?

The KSP sets the timing and sequence. Resource planning determines the need for materials, equipment, and personnel. Together, they create a planned model of the desired outcome. However, both tools do not cover and do not take into account all aspects of the organizational and technological preparation of the implementation of the QMS.

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For example, the plans usually do not check:

• Whether the mobilization and mandatory safety briefings have been carried out;
• Whether the team has received all the necessary materials;
• Whether permits for the equipment to enter the site have been issued;
• Whether the team is aware of the work quality requirements;
• Whether all certificates of inspection of hidden work have been drawn up.

As a result, everything is formally ready — the deadlines and resources have been planned. But in practice, it is impossible to start the work. The team is idle, the equipment is not being used, and the deadlines are being shifted.

According to the Construction Industry Institute (CII), the productive time of a construction team (tool-time) averages only 37% of the time spent on the site. Russian practice at individual projects records values of 23–25%. The rest is organizational and technological losses.

Pic. 1. The indicator of an employee’s productive time.

How does constraint management differ from calendar‑network and resource planning?

To eliminate conceptual confusion, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between three tools that do not replace but complement each other:

• Calendar‑network planning (CNP)
• Resource planning (RP)
• Limit Management (LM)

Calendar‑network planning (CNP)

Is a method for modeling the temporal and logical relationships between tasks.

CNP operates only with temporal categories. It does not verify the availability of resources, documentation, tolerances, or the confirmed readiness of preceding stages. The CSP records deviations after the fact (“actual performance is later than planned”), but does not allow them to be prevented. Even the most detailed network schedule does not provide information about why the work did not start: due to the absence of a drawing, material, tolerance, or construction readiness. Resource planning (RP) mainly covers material and technical support, labor resources, machinery and equipment, and finances.

Resource planning (RP)

The need and records the use of the resource, but does not confirm that all conditions for using the resource have been met by the time work begins. Typical gaps:

• The material has been delivered to the on‑site warehouse, but it has not passed the incoming inspection; certificates and passports are missing; it has not been handed over to the crew for installation.
• Cranes have been scheduled, but the slinger is not certified, and no technical inspection has been carried out.
• The personnel is listed in the calculations, the team has been assigned, but the IDs have not been verified, the work permits for hazardous work have not been issued, and safety briefings have not been conducted.

Resource planning (RP)

Is a methodology for proactively identifying, tracking, and eliminating obstacles that block the start or completion of construction work. It answers the question: “What exactly is preventing work from starting or being completed?”. Functions of limit management:

• Identifying constraints 6–12 weeks before the planned start of work.
• Assigning responsibility for removing each constraint, with a division by stakeholder (client, general contractor, subcontractor, designer).
• Setting deadlines for removing constraints, counting down from the start date.
• Monitoring and tracking the removal of constraints.
• Creating conditions under which, by the time the construction work begins, all necessary constraints (documentation, materials, equipment, personnel, permits, construction readiness, etc.) have been removed.

Comparative characteristics of three tools

Table 1. Comparative characteristics of CSP, PR, and UO

What needs to be taken into account when preparing a Gantt chart?

The preparation of Gantt charts must be carried out in accordance with the requirements established by the organization. Such requirements are formulated in the standard or methodology for Gantt chart planning and project control. As a rule, the methodology is fixed the following provisions:

1. The necessary initial data for creating a Gantt chart
2. Stages of creating a Gantt chart
3. Rules for creating a work breakdown structure (WBS)
4. Rules for detailing work across all areas of project activity
5. Planned and controlled work parameters
6. Description of the project planning and control process
7. Participants in the project planning and control process and the rules governing their interaction
8. Rules for updating the project and calculating the progress of work
9. Reporting forms

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Basic concepts of the constraint management methodology

A constraint is a specific and verifiable condition, without which it is impossible to legally, safely, and technologically correctly begin or complete construction and installation work.

Limitation attributes:

Measurability

A limitation always has a clear and verifiable criterion for fulfillment. For example, “the certificate of inspection of hidden work is signed” — yes or no.

Targeted

Determined by a countdown from the start date of the construction and installation works, taking into account regulatory and contractual deadlines, for example, working documentation — within 60 days, materials — within 30 days, equipment — within 10–20 days).

Planned removal date

Determined by a countdown from the start date of the construction and installation works, taking into account regulatory and contractual deadlines, for example, working documentation — within 60 days, materials — within 30 days, equipment — within 10–20 days).

Category and group

The limitation refers to the unified classification (11 groups), which allows for their systematic management.

• Schedule network planning (SNP)
• Resource planning (RP)
• Limit Management (LM)

What does the finished CSG look like?

As a result of the development of the CSG, a clearly structured plan appears with the allocation of responsibilities and a clear, achievable result of each package of work. A detailed plan shows the need for resources, the disbursement of funds, as well as a monthly-daily schedule of work, indicating the main physical volumes.

Level 1:

Project roadmap with key milestones

Level 2:

Reflects the main stages and objects of the project.

Level 3:

Demonstrates the consolidated work of individual sections of the facility.

Level 4:

Contains detailed work with resource content, reflecting the construction technology.

Classification of restrictions (11 groups)

The entire set of potential constraints is divided into 11 groups, covering the full life cycle of preparing and carrying out construction and installation work.

Groups of restrictions for the start of CMP

Table 2. Groups of restrictions for the start of CMP

Groups of restrictions for the completion of CMP

Table 3. Groups of restrictions for the completion of CMP

Constraint management

The constraint management process consists of sequential cycles with fixed planning and control horizons.

Pic. 3. Planning horizons for CMP limitations

Pic. 4. Planning horizons for CMP limitations

Pic. 5. Planning horizons for CMP limitations

Stage 1

It is carried out in the form of an extended working meeting. Participants:

It is carried out in the form of an extended working meeting. Participants:

• Constraint Management Coordinator (CMC) from the technical customer’s side
• Construction manager from the general contractor
• Engineering and technical supervision engineers from the customer and the general contractor
• Construction control engineers (customer), specialists in occupational health and safety and industrial safety from both sides
• Chief mechanic, supply specialist
• Representatives of subcontractors (if necessary)

How the work proceeds: the team sequentially goes through all the planned types of construction and installation work (stages, structural elements). For each of them, all 11 groups of restrictions are checked using a standard checklist.

Stage 2

Development of the Restriction Removal Plan (RRP)

After the meeting, based on the protocol, the restriction management coordinator transfers all restrictions to a single register (the PLAN‑R digital environment). For each restriction, the following are determined

Responsible

Specific official and party: customer (C), general contractor (GC), subcontractor (Sub), designer (D).

Planned date of removal

Calculated by counting down from the start date of the construction and installation works, taking into account the standards, for example, design documentation — within 60 days, materials — within 30 days, equipment — within 10–20 days.

The plan for removing restrictions is approved by the project manager (from the customer) and the construction manager (from the general contractor). All responsible parties receive extracts from the PSO.

Stage 3

Weekly monitoring cycle and meeting to lift restrictions

Monitoring of PSO implementation is carried out weekly on a fixed day with the participation of all responsible parties.

Preparation

2–3 days before the meeting, responsible parties send reports to the coordinator regarding their restrictions: current status, reasons for deviations, corrective measures, and an updated forecast.

Meeting (duration: 1–1.5 hours)

• The constraint management coordinator displays the current status of the constraints with a color‑coded indication.
• For “yellow” constraints (the deadline is close) and “red” ones (the deadline has been missed), an analysis is carried out: causes, additional measures, adjustment of deadlines; if necessary, issues are escalated to the project manager’s level.

The plan for removing restrictions is approved by the project manager (from the customer) and the construction manager (from the general contractor). All responsible parties receive extracts from the PSO.

Stage 4

Control milestone (10–14 days before the planned start date of the CMP)

The coordinator, together with the engineering department engineers of the customer and the general contractor, checks:

• All restrictions for this scope of work have been lifted (or there is an approved plan to lift them before the start date)
• A complete set of documentation is available: drawings, work plans, process charts, work permits, certificates, etc.

If the check is passed, a permit is issued to include this amount of work in the monthly (weekly) plan and allow the team to enter the facility.

Stage 5

Monitoring the completion of the QMS and removing completion restrictions

After completion of the volume work, the following actions are performed:

• The actual volumes, labor costs, and machine hours are recorded and submitted to the KSP service for updating the schedule.
• The as‑built documentation is prepared: as‑built certificates of inspection of hidden works, as‑built geodetic diagrams, test reports, passports, and certificates..
• The restrictions of groups 09 (changes to the design and technical documentation), 10 (completion of work), and 11 (as‑built documentation) are checked.

After confirmation, the restrictions are transferred to the “removed” status, and the PSO for this volume of work is closed.

Monitoring the completion of the QMS

As a result of the development of the CSG, a clearly structured plan appears with the allocation of responsibilities and a clear, achievable result of each package of work. A detailed plan shows the need for resources, the disbursement of funds, as well as a monthly-daily schedule of work, indicating the main physical volumes.

Basic roles and distribution of responsibilities

For the successful implementation of the UR, it is important to clearly define the roles and areas of responsibility. Below are the key roles and their main responsibilities in the constraint management processes.

Table 4. Roles and their responsibilities in constraint management