# How much planning/scheduling...



## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

How much planning/scheduling do you actually do on your projects, or do you tend more to "wing" it or simply work as you go?

If you do plan/schedule a lot - how do you approach it?

I realize everyone's doing a variety of different types of work/projects - maybe address that as well.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Krummholz said:


> How much planning/scheduling do you actually do on your projects, or do you tend more to "wing" it or simply work as you go?
> 
> If you do plan/schedule a lot - how do you approach it?
> 
> I realize everyone's doing a variety of different types of work/projects - maybe address that as well.


 That depends on how big the progect is...


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

HARRY304E said:


> That depends on how big the progect is...


It does. But even small jobs / projects need some sort of planning and scheduling, don't you think?


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

Krummholz said:


> It does. But even small jobs / projects need some sort of planning and scheduling, don't you think?


 
Are you asking the question from the perspective of a one dude shop, or from the perspective of a larger organization?


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Krummholz said:


> It does. But even small jobs / projects need some sort of planning and scheduling, don't you think?


Yes they do and there is always time involved in the planing.


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

doubleoh7 said:


> Are you asking the question from the perspective of a one dude shop, or from the perspective of a larger organization?


Actually, I'd like to get input on how it pertains to whatever you're doing or however big you are. Trying to get a feel for how important it is to everyone and then what differences there are whether due to size, type of work, etc.


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

HARRY304E said:


> Yes they do and there is always time involved in the planing.


Yeah, that's true. My boss handed us an article today he wanted us to read on "Sort Interval Scheduling" which I found intriguing (my masters is in operations management) - but it's one of many different concepts. Just trying to get a flavor for how important it is/isn't to people...


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

Krummholz said:


> Actually, I'd like to get input on how it pertains to whatever you're doing or however big you are. Trying to get a feel for how important it is to everyone and then what differences there are whether due to size, type of work, etc.


My business is just me alone. It is VERY important to stay on top of things so that you can do what you say you will do. I have to be very careful when doing service changes, whether residential or commercial, to minimize downtime. This means scheduling with the POCO and making sure that I have EVERYTHING I need on site and ready. My nearest supply house is 50 miles and my nearest big box store is 40 miles. I have to think everything through.

Even on smaller jobs, I can't take anything for granted. I have scheduled work and the supply house has dropped off materials the day before. Twice, I have not looked and verified that they delivered everything. Both times I have been at a customers home in the morning and had to tell them I needed to reschedule because I was short parts. It don't take much to eff up a whole day.


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

doubleoh7 said:


> My business is just me alone. It is VERY important to stay on top of things so that you can do what you say you will do. I have to be very careful when doing service changes, whether residential or commercial, to minimize downtime. This means scheduling with the POCO and making sure that I have EVERYTHING I need on site and ready. My nearest supply house is 50 miles and my nearest big box store is 40 miles. I have to think everything through.
> 
> Even on smaller jobs, I can't take anything for granted. I have scheduled work and the supply house has dropped off materials the day before. Twice, I have not looked and verified that they delivered everything. Both times I have been at a customers home in the morning and had to tell them I needed to reschedule because I was short parts. It don't take much to eff up a whole day.


Wow, being that far away from supply houses definitely needs coordinating. We're doing a job that's about 40 miles away in the mountains - same sort of issues - and none of them trivial. When I drove a van I tried to have at least some of everything I might need - hated having to leave to go get something, however small or large...


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

Krummholz said:


> Wow, being that far away from supply houses definitely needs coordinating. We're doing a job that's about 40 miles away in the mountains - same sort of issues - and none of them trivial. When I drove a van I tried to have at least some of everything I might need - hated having to leave to go get something, however small or large...


I do keep a lot of inventory, and work out of a 6 x 12 trailer. It only takes one little damn thing missing to mess up your whole day. Try doing a 200 amp service when you are missing the 2" hub for the meterbase. Working for myself, I never feel like I am ever "off". 

I take a steno pad and pen to bed with me. If I think of something in the middle of the night, I can write it down. If I can't write it down, I don't sleep for fear I will forget.


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

doubleoh7 said:


> I do keep a lot of inventory, and work out of a 6 x 12 trailer. It only takes one little damn thing missing to mess up your whole day. Try doing a 200 amp service when you are missing the 2" hub for the meterbase. Working for myself, I never feel like I am ever "off".
> 
> I take a steno pad and pen to bed with me. If I think of something in the middle of the night, I can write it down. If I can't write it down, I don't sleep for fear I will forget.


Yep, I know what you mean. Do that too on my job - it really sucks sometimes.

I'd scheduled a difficult service change - swapped out a 2000a switchboard in a facility that couldn't be shut down. Had two crews working round the clock to effect the change - feeders, gear, everything. Took me 3 weeks of detailed planning to have enough of everything and then some. Speaking of 2" hubs (well, in my case it was a 2" gnd bushing)... We had to come back the next day to shut down a panel (again) so we could install the bushing. That was one expensive bushing...


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

Krummholz said:


> Yep, I know what you mean. Do that too on my job - it really sucks sometimes.
> 
> I'd scheduled a difficult service change - swapped out a 2000a switchboard in a facility that couldn't be shut down. Had two crews working round the clock to effect the change - feeders, gear, everything. Took me 3 weeks of detailed planning to have enough of everything and then some. Speaking of 2" hubs (well, in my case it was a 2" gnd bushing)... We had to come back the next day to shut down a panel (again) so we could install the bushing. That was one expensive bushing...


 
I, obviously, cannot get into work that large. But, it is the same principle on a 200 amp residential service change. I have underestimated jobs and screwed myself. 

Two months ago I put in a new service on a 2 unit commercial building. It included a QO 2 gang meter pak and a new main panel in each unit. I thought I could do it in 32 hours. I had closer to 50 it it when it was all said and done. I spaced the work over 2 weekends and did not have either building without power during the week. The funny thing is that on jobs I have underestimated, I was not bidding against anyone. The building I mentioned above is my accountant's, and I had the work anyway.:laughing: It's lonely at the top.

Things don't always go bad. A year ago, I rewired the 2nd floor of a home built in 1926. It had knob and tube buried in insulation that had to go. I based my proposal on 72 hours, and had 76 in it when it was done. Close enough!!


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Depends. Some of our projects are a year or more long and some are one day projects. The amount of planning depends on the length and complexity of the project.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Krummholz said:


> Speaking of 2" hubs (well, in my case it was a 2" gnd bushing)... We had to come back the next day to shut down a panel (again) so we could install the bushing. That was one expensive bushing...


They make listed split grounding bushings ... much less trouble.:thumbsup:


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Krummholz said:


> How much planning/scheduling do you actually do on your projects, or do you tend more to "wing" it or simply work as you go?
> 
> If you do plan/schedule a lot - how do you approach it?
> 
> I realize everyone's doing a variety of different types of work/projects - maybe address that as well.


I manage a service / small project division for an electrical contractor. Some jobs I do extensive planing many others I just wing it.

For instance I had a contract to install one 20 amp branch circuit and one receptacle in 350+ different locations across nine states. Between hotels, lifts, permitting, inspections, personal, vehicles, material it took a lot of planning. It ended up going very well in large part to the guys doing it.

I have planned many outages and they have all gone pretty well, I had the tools, parts and manpower needed to do the job. Stuff like this I go heavy on the manpower. 

The service calls for down equipment are much more of a wing it type response.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

I really miss Macproject. I used to run large projects with it. The supposed equal package from the "other" guys is nowhere near as good, full featured or as easy to navigate.

I also find I am a lot more organized and efficient if I stay off this and other electrical forum sites (give the mind a break from all the highly important ground up or ground down level high end topics we deal with here...)


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I hate unknowns, so I try to plan out most work, having said that I still seem to have some issues that bite me in the tushie.

On even simple jobs, such as testing eight 200-4000 amp CB's I go to the job check out the path for the test set (1200 lbs), find power (100 amp 480 single phase), review outage plans with on site personnel.

Get there that night , doors that were to be unlocked are locked, no one has a key. Finally get in hallways are blocked, in the electric room the 480 VAC power is not usable as the spare CB is defective. Go for an outage and there is an emergency in the OR and they delay transferring power.

It all works out we bill extras, but at 11:00PM this stuff frazzles you.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

Krummholz said:


> It does. But even small jobs / projects need some sort of planning and scheduling, don't you think?



I spend as much time planning and figuring out my schedule as I do working. :blink:


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

doubleoh7 said:


> I do keep a lot of inventory, and work out of a 6 x 12 trailer. It only takes one little damn thing missing to mess up your whole day. Try doing a 200 amp service when you are missing the 2" hub for the meterbase. Working for myself, I never feel like I am ever "off".
> 
> I take a steno pad and pen to bed with me. If I think of something in the middle of the night, I can write it down. If I can't write it down, I don't sleep for fear I will forget.



I don't carry half of what we used to. There is always a big box store somewhere within a few miles of where we work. Working alone I can see how that would not work as well.


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

brian john said:


> I hate unknowns, so I try to plan out most work, having said that I still seem to have some issues that bite me in the tushie.
> 
> On even simple jobs, such as testing eight 200-4000 amp CB's I go to the job check out the path for the test set (1200 lbs), find power (100 amp 480 single phase), review outage plans with on site personnel.
> 
> ...


I gave up on that, we bring our own power.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Zog said:


> I gave up on that, we bring our own power.


 
We have temp boxes and normally bring all that, but this was 4 floors down and 800' into the building and I was comftrable after scoping the job and reviewing with the customer.


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

BBQ said:


> They make listed split grounding bushings ... much less trouble.:thumbsup:


If we'd had 'em we woulda used 'em!  (Nary a supply house in town had any in stock... must've been lots of guys with similar issues that week  )


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Plan your work, work your plan!

I always spend some amount of time planning out a project before I do it. How long I spend depends on the size/scope of the project.


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

erics37 said:


> Plan your work, work your plan!
> 
> I always spend some amount of time planning out a project before I do it. How long I spend depends on the size/scope of the project.


Yep - thx.


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