A second opinion before you sign.
Independent schedule reviews that test logic, float, durations and constraints against DCMA 14-point checks and the GAO Schedule Assessment Guide, then tell you in plain words whether the date can be believed.
What a review catches.
Constraints holding the date
A finish-no-later-than on the last milestone makes any schedule look on time. Remove it and the real date appears.
Float that is not real
Negative float hidden by constraints, positive float created by open ends. Either way, the number on the screen is not the margin you have.
Durations nobody tested
Commissioning in two weeks, a permit in ten days, equipment arriving the day it is needed. Each looks harmless alone.
How we review.
- 01
Score the file
Every activity is run through DCMA-style tests: missing logic, leads, lags, relationship types, hard constraints, high float, negative float and high duration.
- 02
Trace the critical path
We follow the driving path from data date to finish and check that it runs through work, not through constraints or lags.
- 03
Test against the contract
Milestones, access dates, owner obligations and calendars are checked against what was actually signed.
- 04
Ask the field
Key durations and sequences are tested with the people who will build them. A schedule can pass every check and still be impossible.
- 05
Write it plainly
A short report that leads with the answer, then lists each finding with its effect on the date and the fix.
What you get.
Scoped to your project and delivered in native files your team owns.
The answer first: can this date be believed? Then each finding, its effect on the finish and how to fix it.
Scored results against each check, with every failing activity listed by ID.
The real driving path from data date to finish, and where it differs from the path the schedule claims.
Specific changes the scheduler should make, ready to send back to the contractor as review comments.
The finish date the schedule produces once false constraints are removed and open ends tied.
On time, until we removed one constraint.
A baseline arrives showing the contract finish to the day. The scores look acceptable at a glance. A trace of the driving path shows it ends at a mandatory finish constraint. Removed, the schedule finishes weeks late. The owner returns the baseline with comments, instead of approving a date that was never real.
- 14
- DCMA-style checks
- 1
- Answer, stated first
- Days
- Typical turnaround on a single file
See it in the work.
Confidential projects where these controls apply, and a live instrument you can run on the shared Controls Lab schedule.
Questions owners ask us.
What do you need from us?
The native schedule file (XER or MPP), the contract milestones and any narrative. A PDF tells us very little; the file tells us almost everything.
How fast is a review?
A single schedule review usually takes days, not weeks. Larger programs take longer. You get a firm date when we see the file.
Can we score our own file first?
Yes. Upload it to the Schedule Health Check in our Controls Lab for a DCMA-style score in your browser.
Will you tell us if the schedule is fine?
Yes. If the schedule is sound, the report says so in the first line. That answer is worth having too.
Related services
Send the file. Get the answer first.
Share the project, the latest schedule and the date that matters. A senior project controls lead replies within one business day.