Services Provided

Contractor Scheduling

PCS provides contractor scheduling for commercial projects, hospitals, libraries, colleges, multi-residential projects, government agencies, public and private works. A CPM baseline schedule is usually required by contract on most projects and usually has very specific contractual requirements. PCS believes that the project schedule should be used as a management tool to effectively manage the project. PCS provides schedules that are well laid out and can be understood and used by all the project team.

Schedule Updates/Narratives

The schedule update represents what has happened on the project since the last update interval. Accurate updating is essential to contractors and owners alike as it represents a snapshot at a certain point in time of the project. This is the time to alert the owner of any past problems or delaying activities on the project. PCS can also provide a narrative which explains what has happened to the schedule since the last update and any logic changes that have been made.

Delay Analysis and Requests for Additional Time

PCS has performed Delay Analysis and requests for additional time on many projects and has helped contractors obtain time extensions often with payment for their General Conditions. PCS has a unique insight into delay analysis and the causes and effects of delay on Projects. This insight helps Owners as well review the Contractor's Time Impact Analysis (Fragnets) if they are inaccurate or not supported by fact.

Project Management Services

PCS staff have managed a vast array of Projects with every type of construction used in industry. PCS brings this "hands on" knowledge to your project. This in depth Project Management experience is invaluable when scheduling your project. Additionally, PCS is often engaged on troubled projects after serious problems have caused cost overruns and/or delays. In these situations, our Project Management experience has been used to advise clients of the courses of action required to get the project back on track.

Master Schedule

This is usually required on multi project sites at the Program Management level. The Master Schedule sometimes appears to be a simple bar chart but is, in fact, a rollup of all the sub -projects hierarchy and can represent a summary level of multiple CPM projects with thousands of activities.

Program Management

PCS has provided Program Management services on large and complex multi-project campuses. At the program level, consideration has to be given to the Site Logistics and Planning involved with multiple contractors accessing the site, utility coordination, lay-down and parking. Program schedules are at a high level, and can be cost loaded to determine cash flow and be used for "what if" analysis for owners and stake holders in the project.

Site Logistics Planning

On any construction project, large or small, understanding the site logistics has a huge impact on the planning and implementation of the project. By using its extensive background in Project Management, PCS has been able to assist both Contractors and Owners in its successful application, both at the Design and Preconstruction phases of projects.

Cost Estimating

PCS can provide cost estimating services at all stages of the Design process through to Bid. Estimates can be produced at a summary level, or as detailed as required, for Value Engineering and other cost control purposes.

Schedule Peer review

PCS has provided owners with Peer review of Contractor's schedules, both baseline and updates. This is essential for an Owner, as all too often; there are logic "busts" in a schedule that are not apparent until the electronic version is examined. PCS has software that can track exactly what has been done to the schedule between updates, to determine what changes have been made. PCS can also provide peer review of Contractors schedule narratives to determine their accuracy.

Cost Loading

PCS has cost load numerous schedules. Many owners (especially government agencies) are using the schedule as a payment and management tool. From the cost loading it is possible to produce an "S" curve of anticipated cost verses time. As a construction manager, we could use the monthly progress payments to determine cumulative earned value to determine if the project was on schedule.

Resource Loading

PCS has experience at resource loading schedules. It is typically easier on Civil Engineering projects where there are fewer subcontractors. On large construction projects with more subcontractors the accuracy can diminish due to the information received from multiple sources. Resource loading is especially helpful in seeing the manpower curves, especially during busy periods when there are limited resources available.

Acceleration determination

When a project is delayed for any reason and the completion date is fixed, Schedule acceleration may be required to bring the project back on track. No matter what type of acceleration - overtime, re-sequencing, increased crew size, added shifts, alternate means and methods, or a combination of these - PCS's scheduling experts can assist with the determination and/or evaluation of the acceleration proposed or claimed and its impact on the schedule.

Recovery Schedules

Most construction contracts now written require the General Contractor to recover lost time if it falls behind schedule. PCS has used its expertise in this field to assist contractors in the production of recovery schedules and to achieve this goal.

Mediation /Arbitration/Litigation support and testimony

Unfortunately, not all projects are recoverable without addressing disputed issues. When projects cannot be turned around, PCS assists its clients with documentation and strategic planning for dispute resolution. Such tools used have been animated graphics which clearly show the effect of schedule delays on a project. These have been very persuasive when presented to third parties.

Negotiation Services

As part of the dispute resolution process PCS has helped Owners and Contractors, understand the schedule impacts and demonstrate their effects on the schedule. These analyses have been successful in helped both Owners and Contractors understand their liabilities under the contract.

Claims avoidance and Training

PCS's principal, John Sims, has lectured extensively on scheduling and scheduling techniques at University of California at Berkeley. He has also set up in - house training seminars for companies to teach individuals in project management about the systems that should be in place and how they should be used to avoid future claims.