Precise scheduling with Ten Brinke
in KYP PLAN
Ten Brinke moves to KYP PLAN to plan complex construction projects. Previously, using different scheduling tools often led to wasted time. With KYP PLAN, there is a clear improvement in efficient scheduling and team collaboration. Read about Ten Brinke’s experience with KYP PLAN.
Which construction projects are suitable for KYP PLAN?
Large projects are well suited for KYP PLAN, mainly because of their repetitive nature. By having repetition in the construction activities, you can create a constant amount of staffing on the construction site and organise the planning with batches (also called activities or taktbereich). This also applies to housing projects with a lot of repetition, as well as other projects such as hotels, offices, schools and retirement centres.
“On the previous project, there was only one week deviation from the initial schedule and the final detailed schedule. This shows how accurately we can predict the actual construction time.”
What did your working method look like during this project in KYP PLAN and how was it different from before?
Before, we used to create a schedule with Excel, where we kept track of standard lead times. With PLAN, you can manage your standards in one place, eliminating the coexistence of different Excel files and versions.
In PLAN, we work together as the project manager, foreman and planner. The project manager lays the foundation with an initial schedule, which is shared with the foreman. We base this initial schedule on insights from previous projects. By analysing the lead times of standard activities and the number of batches used in previous projects, we are able to estimate the time required, without knowing every detail of the executed tasks. By using data in this way, the project manager can set up the schedule in just half a day.
This approach does not only save time during the planning process, but also increases the accuracy of our planning. After having set up the initial schedule, we develop the detailed schedule together. Remarkably, on the previous project, there was only one week difference between our initial schedule and the final detailed schedule. This demonstrates how accurately we can predict the actual construction time with the initial planning, showing that the knowledge and experience from completed projects provide us with a reliable basis for future project planning.
What advantage do you get from using KYP PLAN?
A better planning overview compared to Excel and you can shift the schedule more quickly. The staffing of subcontractors can be planned more efficiently and continuous. By planning your subcontractors in PLAN, you are more certain that they can meet the schedule. Using the capacity planning, we gain more insight, which we do not have in Excel.
Another advantage is that after having exported your project from KYP PLAN to KYP PROJECT, you also know how many workers should be present on site. This information can be used to check whether subcontractors fulfil their agreements, and signal in time if they do not.
“KYP PLAN offers more overview and flexibility than Excel. It optimises the use of subcontractors and ensures continuity with insights that Excel lacks”
Do you have any advice for other builders who want to start working with KYP PLAN?
Create standard lists using actual lead times for the construction activities, which should be based upon the experience of your previous projects. We don’t see how you can create a schedule without it.
In addition, we would recommend handling buffer time properly. It is smarter to schedule buffer time behind each activity rather than one month behind your entire project. Our experience tells us we can schedule 80% of the time to execute tasks. It is an utopia that the tasks are always finished at the end of the day. You need to make sure that the batches (activities) can run uninterrupted, because of this it is smart to plan a small buffer between the different activities. With PLAN you can visualize the buffers clearly.