Directive schedule
The directive schedule is a frame, not a crew's work plan. Its role is to fix the points against which delay is measured — not to describe every activity.
The operational problem starts where the directive schedule lives in one file, the detailed schedules in another, and actual progress in a third. Then the answer to "are we late?" depends on whom you ask and which file they open.
What it takes to compute progress automatically
Schedule items and the progress register describe the same work front.
Progress computed from the as-built measurement, not from an eyeballed percentage.
We record when something happened — not when someone got around to typing it in.
Without these three conditions, every progress dashboard is a nicely formatted opinion.
Sources
The substantive basis of this text. Items marked as own practice do not come from a document — they are delivery experience that cannot be verified with a publisher.
- DocumentPKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.PFU (TOM III SWZ) (PKP PLK employer's requirements, in Polish) — „Harmonogram rzeczowo-finansowy” (the works-and-payments schedule) approved by the Employer, plus a track closure schedule covering the entire works period (p. 99)
- Own practiceThe distinction between the master schedule and detailed schedules comes from works-organization practice — the name „harmonogram dyrektywny” (directive schedule) itself does not appear in the analyzed tender corpus
Where we write about this
Construction dashboard: 12 data points that need an owner
A ready list of fields without which a construction management dashboard shows opinions instead of state. For each field: responsible role, source, and update frequency.
Excel or a custom application — where the break-even point lies
When a spreadsheet stops being enough in a construction process and how to tell. Decision criteria, hidden spreadsheet costs, and when a custom application pays off.