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Choosing scheduling & planning software

Scheduling tools range from simple look-aheads to full critical-path and simulation software. Pick for the complexity of your jobs.

Our own general advice, not a recommendation of any product.

Questions to ask on every demo

  • Does it import and export the schedule formats my owners and GCs ask for?
  • How do field crews see and update the schedule?
  • Can it show who is waiting on whom, not just dates?
  • How does it handle changes: can I compare the new schedule to the baseline?
  • Who will build the first schedule, me or the vendor?

What to watch for

  • Powerful scheduling software is only as good as the data entered. Budget time for it.
  • Look-ahead and pull-planning tools suit trade coordination; critical-path tools suit contract schedules. They are not the same thing.

If you are a small firm

A shared calendar or the scheduling module in your project software is often enough until you run several concurrent jobs.

Terms you will hear

Critical path method (CPM)
A scheduling technique that identifies the chain of dependent tasks that determines the earliest finish date. A delay to any task on that chain delays the project.
Pull planning
A collaborative scheduling method where trades work backward from a milestone to agree what each needs from the others and when.

Full glossary →

The 6 tools in this category

Alphabetical. Tick “Compare” on the category page to put up to four side by side.

ALICE Technologies AI Construction planning and scheduling software that works from existing P6 or Microsoft Project schedules and BIM models to compare alternative build sequences against time and cost. Quote on request nPlan AI Schedule forecasting and risk platform for capital projects that analyzes existing schedules from tools like P6, Powerproject and Microsoft Project at project and portfolio level. Quote on request Free trial Oracle Primavera Cloud AI Oracle's cloud planning and scheduling service, related to Primavera P6, covering contract and field schedules, lean task planning, resource loading, risk management and portfolio planning. Quote on request Outbuild AI Cloud scheduling and field coordination platform covering master schedules, lookaheads, weekly work plans and roadblock tracking, with Autodesk, Procore and Trimble ProjectSight integrations. Starting price listed Free trial Planera AI Cloud CPM scheduling platform for building and managing construction schedules, with P6 and Microsoft Project import/export and integrations with Procore and Autodesk. Quote on request Touchplan AI Collaborative, cloud-based construction planning tool built around the Last Planner System, with mobile field updates and schedule sync with Primavera P6, Microsoft Project and Oracle Primavera Cloud. Quote on request Free trial