“Time and tide wait for no man.???? Indeed, according to a recent report released by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) on time management, too much precious time is still being wasted in this country’s construction projects.

Although many site managers have at their hands a wide range of planning software, they do not seem to be using these tools efficiently. Having studied 2,000 or so construction projects across the country, the CIOB report finds little evidence of effective use of short-term planning targets, not to mention any critical and methodical consideration required at the master programme level.

Industry insiders argue that these days there is a tendency for one to believe that he or she can master bar charting tools after taking a two-day software course, as opposed to a generation ago when it took at least five years to acquire concrete experience and skills in planning. The role of site manager has also been downgraded, so that the importance of time control in project planning is ignored as a side issue.

Most importantly, management of time needs to be brought in line with that of the construction project as a whole. Because every line on the master programme bar chart is related to dozens, if not hundreds, of pieces of supply chain information, advanced and integrated planning of all onsite activities is vital in one’s attempt to adequately handle time in a complex project. This means appropriate control over not only the project’s finance and resource, but also proper management and procurement of all relevant contracts and subcontracts.