You plan time, activities, and locations simultaneously
“Try something new – or stick to the usual?”
That’s how a post on LinkedIn by Simon Grønhøj Jensen, construction manager at Eurodan-huse, begins. At the construction site Høgedalsparken in Assentoft, Simon is leading the construction of 31 homes for a private client. For the first time, Simon has implemented location-based scheduling, and it has exceeded expectations. Simon hands over the keys to phase 1 one month ahead of schedule – and phase 2 two months ahead of schedule.
Things have gone really well on site
“I had a follow-up plan where red marked ‘behind,’ and green marked ‘on time.’ We often laughed on-site that I was running out of green ink,” Simon laughs.
Everyone agrees that things have gone really well on the construction site. Both Simon’s boss, Eurodan-huse’s technical director (director of production for Eurodan-huse), and the regional director are excited.
Challenging in the past with Gantt
Many thousand lines of overwhelming schedule Simon is familiar with the flow line method (location-based scheduling) from his studies, and in his early years as a construction manager, he dreamed of trying the method on a real project.
“At my previous workplace, I was a project manager, and we worked with Gantt on 107 apartment buildings. I found it challenging to oversee the many activities with Gantt.
I had a schedule that filled four A0 sheets with thousands of lines hanging, and I only had in-house production and 20-30 people on-site. It was really difficult to maintain an overview and coordinate. So after that experience, I was ready to try something new,” says Simon.
Streamlined schedule with spaghetti…
When Simon told Eurodan-huse’s technical director about the method he learned in school, the director jokingly asked what kind of spaghetti mess he had drawn. But it quickly became apparent that the spaghetti made sense.
Simon contacted Exigo, a software provider for location-based scheduling, and got help from Kasper Rix, a specialist in location-based planning and construction production, to get started. Kasper guided Simon online and helped him connect activities and areas to the schedule from the beginning.
Simon says, “Together with Kasper, I started up correctly and reworked everything. It’s a completely different way to start a project. You plan time, activities, and locations simultaneously. It requires a bit more work at the beginning of the project, but it’s all worth it. Once you ‘get it,’ it makes a lot of sense and provides a really good overview. I had complete control over which activities started where and when.”
The spaghetti suddenly made a lot of sense
“After a month, Kasper and I could present my schedule to my technical director. And when I could tell him that I was pretty sure I could deliver the houses well before schedule, the spaghetti suddenly made a lot of sense,” Simon laughs and continues:
“It’s super exciting to work in an organization that is open to trying something new in an otherwise conservative industry.”
Better flow for good economics for everyone Christian Aakjær Jacobsen, technical director at Eurodan-huse, comments on Simon’s post on LinkedIn. “Well done, Simon. We will definitely try location-based scheduling on more projects in the new year. You proved me wrong with those spaghetti lines.” Regional director Kasper Allermann also praises Simon on LinkedIn: “Simon – you’re amazing! Great work and well done.”
Optimizing the schedule
One of the first areas Simon optimized in the schedule was the workflow related to foundation casting. The normal procedure is that the element installer comes to install aerated concrete as soon as the first slab is cast and ground. But because the element installer is a bit faster than the mason, Simon could see repeated starts and stops in his work in the schedule, and here he saw an opportunity for optimization.
“It was one of the challenges in our schedule, we suddenly became aware of using this new method. We planned for the element installer’s start to be moved 14 days. That way, he could work in a continuous flow and maintain a good pace. I could assure him that he could start at house 1 and finish at house 31 without being disturbed along the way. Just like I could promise the painter and the other subcontractors. The element installer doesn’t need to cover travel time back and forth and avoids starting up machinery and a possible new worker each time. Now he could have the same worker going until he finished number 31. There’s really good economics in that – both for subcontractors and for me,” says the young construction manager.
Safety and stability for subcontractors allow for good craftsmanship
With the method, Simon can offer greater security for his subcontractors.
“I can guarantee the painter that he doesn’t have to drive in vain because the previous contractor isn’t finished on time. He can have 3 workers consistently on-site, and they can work undisturbed from house 1 to 31 in the two months we’ve agreed upon.”
Simon also uses the method to manage his deliveries. “When I, for example, move the start of the element installer’s work by 14 days, I have 2 blocks ready for the delivery of aerated concrete at once, and the supplier saves a trip. That’s how we try to accommodate our suppliers throughout the project. Some deliveries I have been able to plan this way, and others I have informed the supplier along the way.”
Good flow, good pace and good economy for the subcontractors
Simon continues, “Certainly, subcontractors are interested in as stable a flow as possible because it makes it easier for them to maintain a good pace and a good economy. In addition to the clear benefits for all of us on-site, we also hope to impress the client, not just with buildings that are completed ahead of schedule but also with a development of extremely high quality. When it’s the same good team of craftsmen, across disciplines, working together on the project from start to finish, it also reflects positively on the quality.”
Success has fueled the desire for more
Simon is already ready to take the next step with new initiatives:
“I’m going to test the system on several upcoming projects, where I’ll also use a new management app. With the app, status and progress can be updated continuously, and I avoid fluttering papers and possible double work.”
Simon and Eurodan-huse are already working on optimizing the construction process even further: “At Eurodan-huse, we will continue to be attentive to how the latest developments can help us improve our construction process and ensure our partners and clients the best possible result.”
Interested in learning more?
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