Project Schedule Activities
All project schedule activities should have sufficient detail, but not too detailed, and a consultant should have it scheduled. The keys to successful activity development include the following criteria.
- Definable scope of work
- One primary trade per activity
- Definable geographical boundary:
-
- By Floor / Area / Building or
- Work Type: Design / Permitting
- Between 1-20 workdays
- Continues work within the activity
- No Starts and Stops
- Use smart numbering and descriptions that are clear in any report (with or without organization)
Project Schedule Activity IDs
All activities should have smart IDs that one can distinguish easily with or without organization.
Suggested Activity IDs definitions
- PREFIX: First 2-5 letters of the specific trade + area/floor (example: GWBL1, STEELL1, CONCL5, ROOF, SITE, PROC)
- SUFFIX: Recommended to start from number 100.
- Increment Value: Increment value can be defined at 10 for procurement activities. It is recommended to have an increment value of 4 for all physical construction activities.
Some Examples:
-
- MILE-10, MILE-20, MILE-30 (for Milestones); sometimes it is preferred to have the definition of the exact milestones as an ID also ( example: NTP as a unique ID for Activity “Notice to Proceed”, or SC as an ID for Activity “Substantial Completion”, or END or FC as an ID for Activity “Final Completion”)
- SITE-100, SITE-110, SITE-120
- FOUND-100, FOUND-110, FOUND-120, FOUND-130, FOUND 140
- STRUC-100, STRUC-110, STRUC-120
- ELEV-100, ELEV-110, ELEV-120
- ROOF-100, ROOF-110, ROOF-120
- CLOSE-100, CLOSE-110, CLOSE-120
Activity Codes: Why Activity Codes?
- Activity codes are needed to assign responsibility to an activity
- Every activity should have a responsible party assigned to it
- For larger and more complex projects, codes are necessary to better parse through the information
- Codes can mirror the WBS at times but are a much more powerful way to filter information
See how Task Suspensions can shift your schedule in our focused guide, complementing your Primavera P6 strategy.
Suggested Activity Codes
Activity codes should be arranged from general to specific. It is often a good practice to number them so that they can be easily located throughout the project’s duration. Here are suggested headings for your Activity Codes:
- 01_PROJECT PHASE
- 02-AREA
- 03-PHASE OF WORK
- 04 FLOOR
- 05 SUB-AREA
01_PROJECT PHASE
- ADMINISTRATION
- DESIGN & PERMITS
- PROCUREMENT
- CONSTRUCTION
02_AREA
- PARCEL #
- MILESTONES
03_PHASE OF WORK
- DEMOLITION
- SITE WORK
- EXCAVATION
- UTILITIES
- BELOW GRADE CONSTRUCTION
- ABOVE GRADE CONSTRUCTION
- ENVELOPE
- RISERS & ROUGH-INS
- FINISHES
04_FLOOR
- P2
- P1
- L1
- L2
05_SUB AREA
- UNITS
- CORRIDOR
- ELECTRICAL / MECHANICAL ROOM
06_ DIVISION
- CONCRETE
- MASONRY
- METALS
- THERMAL & MOISTURE PROTECT
- FINISHES
- SPECIALTIES
To further enhance your project scheduling efficiency, explore our Compression Techniques in the Primavera P6 post, where we discuss advanced methods for optimizing timelines.
Another suggested way for activity codes definitions can be the following
- GENERAL AREA
- DETAILED AREA
- TRADES
- FRAGNETS
- RESPONSIBILITIES
To further refine your scheduling techniques, consider exploring our insights on Agile Scheduling in Primavera P6.
BREAKDOWN OF EACH CATEGORY
01: GENERAL AREA
ADMINISTRATION, MILESTONE, PROCUREMENT, SITE WORK, CONSTRUCTION, CLOSE-OUT
02: DETAILED AREA
SUBMITTALS, REVIEW AND APPROVE, FAB & DELIVER, INITIAL SITE WORK, FINAL SITE WORK, SUPPORT OF EXCAVATION, FOUNDATION, STRUCTURE (P2- THROUGH ROOF), EXTERIOR SKIN, ROUGH-INS & FINISHES… AND ETC
03: TRADES
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS, SITE WORK, CONC, STEEL, ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, OPENINGS, SPECIALTIES, AND SO FORTH
04: FRAGNETS
FRAG # 1 (DESCRIPTIONS), FRAG # 2 (DESCRIPTIONS), AND SO FORTH
05: RESPONSIBILITIES
JOHN, MICHEAL, MOHAMMAD, MIKE, SOFIA, AND SO FORTH
Effective construction scheduling is key to keeping projects on track and ensuring timely completion within budget constraints.
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SEYAR AZADANI, PMP
PRESIDENT & CEO
Seyar Azadani has over 20 years of CPM scheduling and construction management experience working with general contractors and project owners, including the USACE, DOT, VA, Meta, QTS, Turner, Donohoe Construction, and Whiting-Turner company. As a Construction CPM Scheduling Consultant, Seyar has provided Primavera P6 CPM Scheduling services for government agencies and the private sector, representing owners, general contractors, construction managers, and architects.
Seyar has proven knowledge, expertise, and experience in utilizing Oracle Primavera P6, Primavera P6 Team Member, Primavera Unifier, Bluebeam, MS Project, Procore, eBuilder, Tableau, Navisworks, and Autodesk Revit. As a project controls specialist, Seyar has assisted Meta and QTS with Data Center projects, including new build projects, retrofit projects, and leased spaces.
Seyar has provided project controls services to projects ranging from civil to industrial to high-rise construction, including hospitals and healthcare facilities, roads and highways, high-rise apartment buildings, and commercial projects, utilizing Primavera and MS Project CPM scheduling tools to create and maintain the CPM schedules for his clients. With the US Army Corps of Engineers projects, as a contractor and construction manager, Seyar has built military facilities, including completing the construction of a USACE training facility, a $200+ million project in the capacity of project construction director.
Seyar has a Master of Science degree in Construction Management from New York University (NYU) in Jan of 2012 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 2004.
