Construction Scheduling Course Online (Self-Paced)

The course equips you with the skills to plan, organize, and manage construction projects with Smartsheet. From understanding scheduling basics to creating detailed project timelines, this course provides experience using Smartsheet to build and maintain professional construction schedules. By the end, you’ll be prepared to confidently manage project milestones, dependencies, and updates throughout the project lifecycle.

You’ll learn how to develop a clear Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), define activities, durations, and logic ties, and build fully functional construction schedules in Smartsheet. The course also covers managing task dependencies and resources, along with best practices for maintaining schedules through regular updates, 4-week lookaheads, and pull planning techniques to keep projects on track.

By completing this course, you will have developed expertise in:

• The fundamentals of creating effective construction schedules tailored to project requirements

• Techniques for utilizing scheduling software to streamline project timelines and workflows

• Strategies for identifying and managing critical paths to avoid delays and ensure timely completion

• Best practices for resource allocation and balancing workloads across project teams

• Methods for monitoring progress and updating schedules to adapt to changing project conditions

• Tips for communicating schedules effectively with stakeholders and maintaining transparency throughout the project lifecycle

Course Curriculum

Lesson 1: Introduction to Construction Scheduling

• What is Construction Scheduling? (5m 32s)

• Types of Construction Schedules (4m 2s)

• Step to Create a Construction Schedule (5m 41s)

• Smartsheet Overview (9m 43s)

• Construction Document Review Part 1 (13m 15s)

• Construction Document Part 2 (10m 5s)

Lesson 2: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• Work Breakdown Schedule Deep Dive (8m 37s)

• Starting a Work Breakdown Structure: Tier 1 & 2 (4m 10s)

• Work Breakdown Structure Tier 3 (9m 7s)

• Work Breakdown Structure Tier 4 (20m 38s)

• Determining Durations Trade Partners (8m 39s)

• Determining Durations Past Production Rates (2m 9s)

• Determining Durations Equipment Productions Rates (2m 15s)

• Determining Durations RSMeans (3m 6s)

Lesson 3: Critical Path Method

• Critical Path Method Overview (6m 6s)

• Forward Pass Exercise (10m 25s)

• Backward Pass Exercise (4m 22s)

• Float and Critical Path Calculation (3m 6s)

• Construction Sequencing (13m 7s)

• Sequencing Exercise (7m 3s)

• Sequencing Exercise Cont'd (13m 27s)

• Sequencing Exercise Cont'd (5m 55s)

• Midterm Explanation (4m 48s)

Lesson 4: Creating a Construction Schedule in Smartsheet

• Getting Started in Smartsheet (5m 47s)

• Preparing and Starting a Schedule in Smartsheet (8m 33s)

• Adding Predecessors to your Schedule (6m 53s)

• Adding Utilities and Structural to your Schedule (8m 42s)

• Adding Foundations, Slabs and Beams (7m 32s)

• Scheduling Exterior Elements (4m 59s)

• Scheduling Storefronts, Curtainwalls, Windows and Door (6m 35s)

• Starting the Interior Scheduling (5m)

• Schedulings Wall Layout and Framing (6m 20s)

• Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Scheduling (8m 18s)

• Finishing the Schedule (3m 48s)

Lesson 5: Analyzing Schedule Logic and Progress in Smartsheet

• Critical Path & Actual Dates (10m 4s)

• Viewing and Exporting in Smartsheets (10m 51s)

Lesson 6: Best Practices for Schedule Management

• A Schedule is a Living Document (10m 31s)

• Schedule Updates (5m 3s)

• Four Week Look Ahead Schedule (3m 4s)

• Lookahead Planning and Constraints (2m 24s)

• Schedule Fragnets (4m 46s)

• Pull Planning (3m 39s)

• Meetings, Communications and Extensions (2m 39s)

• What Makes a Good Schedule? (6m 46s)

• Schedule Quality and Best Practices (3m 45s)

• Common Schedule Red Flags (3m 23s)

• Critical vs. Near Critical Paths (5m 11s)

• Updates, Narratives, and Recovery Strategies (4m 19s)

• Scheduling Tools and Roles and Responsibilities (2m 21s)

• Final Exercise Explanation (2m 22s)