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Northeast HVAC
News
WPL Publishing Reveals Results from
Its Inaugural Construction Scheduling Software Survey.
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More than 400 professionals within the construction community
completed the 15-question survey, which sought industry feedback
about the extent to which computer-generated schedules are being
used in construction projects and about the software being used
to create those schedules. The company today published an
article reporting some of the survey results and intends to
release a report containing more detailed response information
soon for its ConstructionPro Network (https://www.ConstructionProNet.com)
membership.
More than two-thirds of construction professionals responding to
a recently completed WPL Publishing survey reported that they
have used Critical Path Method (CPM) software for more than a
decade, indicating widespread, long-term experience with the
technology within the industry.
Of 412 respondents indicating their experience -- or
non-experience -- with CPM software, only 8.7 percent of them
reported that they have not used CPM software. An even smaller
share (2.7 percent) disclosed that they have used the software
for less than a year. About one in five respondents informed WPL
that they have either 1-5 years of experience (9.2 percent) or
6-10 years of experience (11.4 percent).
Surveyed professionals gave a wide variety of reasons about why
they use CPM software. Such reasons include meeting owner
requirements for measuring payments and reporting progress as
well as meeting the requirements of general contractors and
construction managers.
These are just a few of dozens of results tallied from the
survey responses. WPL also collected responses to a slew of
other questions that the independent survey asked, including the
following:
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In the past three
years, what types of contracts have required your involvement in CPM
scheduling software or output (i.e., Primavera, Microsoft Project,
or something similar)?
If you have hands-on experience with CPM or other scheduling
software, what software have you used?
How do you do planning and scheduling if CPM software scheduling is
not used?
What are your top three “wish-list” items for construction
scheduling software?
“Our first scheduling software survey sheds some light on widely
published anecdotal comments concerning the usefulness and quality
of CPM scheduling in the construction industry,” WPL Publisher Paul
Levin said. “What jumps out as the underlying issues is a mismatch
of the functionality of the software used, often too sophisticated,
versus the skills of those using the software. This is evidenced by
the fact that only 27 percent of users consider themselves to be
scheduling professionals. The other mismatch is that CPM software,
and sometimes specific brands and versions, is being used because of
a contract requirement and not because the contractor wants to use
it for project planning and management. CPM software in the hands of
a skilled user is key to success for complex EPC contracts, but more
work is necessary to find the right mix of software features, user
skill requirements, and project necessity before CPM can realize its
full promise as a workable tool for most users engaged in managing
projects.”
WPL conducted the survey between Sept. 17 and Oct. 14, gathering key
information about the use of construction scheduling software from
project managers, construction managers, schedulers, consultants,
and various other professionals from within the industry.
An article reporting a few of the results can be accessed
https://constructionpronet.com/Content_Free/2013-10-18CPCsurvey.aspx.
On its
ConstructionPro Network website. WPL intends to release a
report presenting more detailed information from the survey
responses later this month.
WPL Publishing Co., Inc. provides expert training, education, and
development resources for the construction industry via live
webinars and its ConstructionPro Network website (https://www.ConstructionProNet.com).
Through ConstructionPro Network, WPL publishes the independent
newsletter ConstructionPro Week, providing news, analysis, and
insightful commentary about recent developments involving
construction law, green buildings, building information modeling,
and various construction managerial technologies and techniques.
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