A schedule, says Jerry Householder,
is like a list, except that it shows you
the flow between items. In Scheduling
for Builders, Householder shows how
to use bar charts, arrow diagrams and
"precedence networks" to plan and
schedule your work, and monitor inprocess
tasks. The benefits include
lower overhead (when construction is
sped up), less interest payments, and
better relations with your subs.
According to Householder, planning
means outlining required steps and
noting such variables as long lead
times. Based on your plan, you can
schedule events using any technique.
Bar charts use a calendar format and
therefore require a time estimate for
each phase. Arrow diagrams show the
relationships between elements, and
allow differentiation between "hard"
constraints (such as not