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Chapter 3 · Lesson 1 of 3Topic: Cost, time, contracts

Project controls in plain words

Project controls are how a project knows whether it's on time and on budget: a baseline programme and budget, regular progress updates, and reports that compare the two. BIM data feeds them, which is why controls people ask you for things.

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Kaisite manager
Even if you do this every day, watch for this: A baseline is a promise, not a forecast. Updating the plan without keeping the baseline erases the evidence of what changed and why, which is exactly what claims and recovery need. Your MIDP needs the same discipline.

Project controls answer two questions every week: are we on time, and are we on budget? They compare what was planned (the baseline) with what is happening (progress), and explain the difference. A BIM coordinator meets them through 4D, quantities, progress tracking and reporting.

Basics
TermIn plain words
Programme (schedule)Activities, durations and links, in order
BaselineThe agreed plan, kept fixed for comparison
Critical pathThe chain that sets the finish date
FloatHow far an activity can slip without moving the finish
Progress updateWhat's done, at a data date
Earned valuePlanned work vs work done vs cost of the work done

Where BIM helps controls

  • Quantities from the model for budgets and progress measurement.
  • 4D: the programme linked to elements, to check logic and show progress.
  • Progress data from site (inspections, as-built checks) linked to elements.
  • Change: model comparison shows what changed between revisions, for cost and time impact.
Story · The report that nobody believed
How it goes wrong

Progress is reported as "percent complete" estimated by each supervisor. The report says 62%; the client's advisor walks the site and thinks 50%. Arguments follow every month.

How it goes right

Progress is measured against model elements: slabs poured, walls built, systems installed, recorded on tablets during inspections. The report shows 54% by earned quantity, with the elements behind it; both sides agree in ten minutes.

Hands-on taskFind the finish day

Using the network in the exercise below (A 5 → B 8 → D 10 → G 6, with C 15 in parallel before D), on which day does the project finish?

Kaisite manager
Your turn. Give it about 15 min and work it out on your own before you open the model answer: that is where it sticks.
Exercise: Read a simple network 15 min

Activities: A Excavate (5 days) → B Footings (8) → D Erect steel (10) → G Roof (6). In parallel: C Steel fabrication (15) starts day 0 and must finish before D. What's the critical path and the finish day? How much float does A have?

Key takeaways

  • Project controls compare progress against a baseline: programme (time) and budget (cost).
  • The critical path is the chain of activities that sets the finish date; delays on it delay the project.
  • Earned value compares the work planned, the work done and what it cost, to show both schedule and cost performance.
  • Model-based quantities, 4D links and progress data make controls faster and more trustworthy.

Your notes

Related tool

Play the programme on the IFC model: see it built day by day, find late work and sequence errors.

Open 4D Simulator →

Check yourself

3 questions · 2 right to complete
  1. 1. What is a baseline?
  2. 2. An activity not on the critical path is delayed by 3 days, and it has 10 days of float. What happens to the finish date?
  3. 3. Why do project controls teams like model-based quantities?
0 of 3 answered
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