Introducing ICS-SCHEDULING

What ICS-Scheduling Is All About

ICS-Scheduling provides project-specific Construction PTM products and services that supply timely, accurate, insightful, and worthwhile information that works to proactively guide and deconflict the Project’s Execution Strategy. Our services further subdivide into:

  • Project Planning: We pioneered the field of Strategic Project Planning, by formalizing the processes of Feasibility Planning, Optimization Planning, Consensus Planning, and Commitment Planning.
  • Project Scheduling: We offer a full range of products and services spanning Schedule Design, Schedule Development, Schedule Maintenance, and Schedule Usage.
  • Change Management: We do more than just produce Time Impact Analyses (“TIAs”). We have developed unique ways to continuously monitor for time-impacting changes in scope or conditions, which we then analyze, quantify, and unequivocally explain.
  • Dispute Resolution: We will stack up our construction claims services against the biggest, best, and most successful construction claims consultants in the business.

All ICS-Scheduling products and services are guaranteed to (a) exceed contract requirements, (b) safeguard profitability, (c) communicate intuitively, (d) encourage harmony and synergistic collaboration, and (e) aggressively facilitate successful achievement of all time-related goals.

While ICS-Scheduling provides the same kind of traditional products and services you would expect from a conventional Scheduling Consultant for construction Project Planning, Project Scheduling, Change Management, and Dispute Resolution. Except — we offer so much more, and all with highest quality, fullest scope, and lowest cost. Guaranteed!

Why ICS-Scheduling Was Created

Numerous studies have concluded that as high as 80% of all construction projects finish more than 10% beyond their initial deadlines. To be fair, there are many suspected culprits for the systemic failure of constructors to bring projects in on time. Incomplete design, design creep, unrealistic deadline expectations, resource deficits, Mother Nature, and competitive bidding strategies are just some. But of all likely contributors, most certainly schedule overruns can be traced back to defective Schedules and Scheduling Processes.

ICS-Research estimates that 80% of all Construction Schedules are created by Project Team members (most often by the Project Manager); not by a Professional Scheduler. Few schedule writers are adequately trained in the nuances of Critical Path Method (CPM), or Schedule Design, Development, Maintenance, and Usage. If formally trained at all, most attended a one- or two-day scheduling seminar hosted by either a software house or a Project Management certification training company. These educational programs are simply too brief to provide more than the most rudimentary information, intended only to teach selected processes that lead to schedule creation.

Project Managers aren’t the only ones with their hands on the schedule’s development that are under-trained. This systemic knowledge deficiency extends to those “professional schedulers,” as well. Most of them learned their craft from either a ten-week scheduling course in a four-year degree program, from some of those same short seminars, or by osmosis on-the-job.

Through its testing of candidates for scheduling positions, ICS-Placement has noted that only 10% of such applicants score 85% or higher on our comprehensive Skills Assessments exams. To a substantial degree, we created ICS-Scheduling in response to this unacceptable state of affairs. Those who consume Construction PTM products and services should have access to fully qualified Planning/Scheduling Professionals who offer a range of support services based on level of need, cost and time considerations, and so forth. Below, see how we can be of help.

Whom ICS-Scheduling Is Intended to Serve

Our products and services are intended to serve organizations involved in Construction Project Management on any medium-to-large North American construction project. Such organizations subdivide into four Interest Clusters:

  • Construction Interest Cluster: Those who design and build for a living. Construction Managers, General Contractors, Primary Contractors, Specialty Contractors, Architects, Engineers, Vendors, and Suppliers will all find offerings of special interest.
  • Owner Interest Cluster: Those who own, occupy, o finance major capital improvements projects. Of special interest are treatment of Project Management topics from the standpoint of project overview, monitoring, and liability assessment. Also featured are special offerings that deal with troubled projects, such as when to intervene, how to monitor, how to salvage, etc.
  • Legal Interest Cluster: Those who deal with contract and legal issues, either prior to, during, or following a project’s execution, including contract managers, paralegals, consultants, lawyers, mediators, and judges.
  • Practitioner Interest Cluster: This operational cluster manages technical processes at a very detailed level. Included as such disciplines as Estimating, Planning, Scheduling, Cost Control & Accounting, Time-Based Claims Analysis, Contracts Administration, Change Management, Document Control, Documentation & Record-Keeping, Communications, and the like.

How ICS-Scheduling Is Organized and Functions

ICS-Scheduling offers a range of options, supporting any Project Management need for assistance.

  • Staff Augmentation: Under this program, we provide a qualified Construction PTM professional, at whatever level of experience you require – from Apprentice Scheduler to Master Scheduler. Appointed in a matrix arrangement, this staffer will operate as a member of the Project Team, but will also report to our Director of Scheduling Services.
  • Project Direct Support Services: Under this program, we provide comprehensive scheduling services typical of a traditional Scheduling Consultant. Tailored by your needs and wants, we will provide Planning, Scheduling, Change Management, and Dispute Resolution products and services.
  • Bottom Line Protection Programs: ICS-Scheduling appreciates the importance of Bottom Line profitability. Accordingly, we offer several programs designed to keep the Contractor’s cost of outsourcing Scheduling talent as low as possible.

Featured Programs

These programs recognize to two basic truths. First, Senior Schedulers cost a lot more than Junior Schedulers. Second, Senior Schedulers are only needed at a few critical points in the Project Time Management life cycle: for initial schedule development, time‑impact analyses, and claims.

  • SLIDE: This program provides Senior-Level, Immediately Deployable Experts to your project within 72 hours of assignment. Their mission is to slide onto a new project, set up the Project Schedule. Then, once approved by the Owner, we hand the reigns to the Contractor’s scheduling staff to maintain and use for the duration of the project.
  • LAND: An abridged version of SLIDE, under this program we provide a seasoned Scheduler to do just one thing:  Logic and Network Development.
  • Scheduler’s Lifeline: Think of the Scheduler’s Lifeline as your personal “technical help desk.” If you have any kind of question related to Schedule Design, Development, Maintenance, or Usage, we are only a phone call or email away.
  • PM Overwatch: This optional service allows our PM Mentor to be roped in on all project key communications, such as correspondence, meeting minutes, management reports, field logs, etc. If the Mentor spots anything of concern, he explores the issues with the Project Manager.