Monthly truth, not monthly optimism.
Schedule updates that report what happened, not what was hoped. Actual dates verified in the field, remaining durations challenged, and a narrative that says plainly what moved, why, and what it means for the finish.
How updates hide the slip.
Remaining durations never shrink
An activity reported fifty percent complete for three months running is not fifty percent complete. Updates that accept it are hiding a slip.
Logic quietly rewired
Ties deleted, constraints added, durations cut to hold the finish. Without a compare, nobody sees the edits that kept the date green.
A narrative written for comfort
Three pages of activity descriptions and no answer to the one question the owner asked: are we still going to make it?
How we run the update.
- 01
Walk it, then status it
Actual starts, finishes and progress are checked against the field, daily reports and pay applications before the data date moves.
- 02
Challenge every remaining duration
Each open activity gets a question: given the crew and the rate so far, is that remaining duration believable?
- 03
Compare against last month
Every logic, duration, constraint and calendar change is logged and explained. Nothing changes silently.
- 04
Track the path, not just the date
We report the critical and near-critical paths, float erosion and the milestones losing days, so trends show before they bite.
- 05
Write it for the reader
A narrative an executive can read in five minutes: what moved, why, what it threatens and what decision is needed.
What you get.
Scoped to your project and delivered in native files your team owns.
The statused schedule at the new data date, with verified actuals and challenged remaining durations.
What moved, why, what it threatens and the decisions needed, written in plain English.
Every edit to logic, durations, constraints and calendars since the last update, with the reason for each.
Total float to key milestones period over period, so erosion is visible months before the date moves.
A short-interval plan for superintendents, drawn straight from the updated schedule.
Same finish date, nine days less float.
A familiar update: the finish date has not moved in four months, so everyone relaxes. The compare tells another story. Float on the path to energization has fallen every period, and two remaining durations were cut without a reason. We put the trend on one page, and the meeting turns from status to action.
- Every
- Edit logged and explained
- 3 weeks
- Look-ahead for the field
- 5 min
- Narrative read time
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.
Do you update our contractor’s schedule or review it?
Either. We can run the update for you or review the contractor’s update and tell you what it is not saying. Many owners do both on different packages.
How often should a schedule be updated?
Monthly at a minimum, aligned with the pay application. Fast or high-risk work often needs biweekly updates and a weekly look-ahead.
Can you show what changed between two files?
Yes. A full compare of logic, durations, constraints, calendars and dates is part of every update. Update Compare in our Controls Lab shows the idea.
Related services
Send this month’s update. We will read between the bars.
Share the project, the latest schedule and the date that matters. A senior project controls lead replies within one business day.