Microsoft Project

By audience

Construction Management

• Builds CPM construction schedules with task dependencies, durations, and critical-path identification to drive the master program
• Develops resource-loaded Gantt charts to plan crews, equipment, and material deliveries against the timeline
• Sets and tracks baseline schedules, then measures actual progress and slippage against planned dates
• Manages milestone gates (permits, inspections, substantial completion) and float to keep the project on track
• Produces lookahead and progress reports for project controls and schedule-of-values coordination

General Contracting

• Maintains the master project schedule and rolls up subcontractor activities into a single CPM network
• Coordinates trade sequencing and handoffs by linking predecessor/successor tasks across packages
• Runs what-if and delay analyses on the critical path to evaluate acceleration or recovery options
• Allocates labor and equipment resources, leveling overallocations across concurrent activities
• Tracks percent-complete and updates the schedule for owner and lender progress reporting

Owner/Developer

• Reviews the contractor's baseline Gantt schedule and milestone dates to validate the delivery timeline
• Monitors progress against baseline to flag delays affecting occupancy, financing, or lease commitments
• Models phasing and milestone dependencies across multi-building or multi-phase developments
• Uses schedule data to align design, procurement, and construction milestones in the overall program

By phase

Pre-Construction

• Builds the initial CPM baseline schedule and Gantt chart from the WBS during planning and bid
• Sequences design, permitting, procurement, and long-lead material activities with dependencies
• Defines milestones (NTP, mobilization, permit approvals) and float to set realistic completion dates
• Resource-loads the plan to forecast crew, equipment, and budget needs before mobilization
• Runs schedule scenarios to evaluate phasing options and constructability before construction starts

Construction

• Updates actual start/finish and percent-complete against the baseline to track on-site progress
• Recalculates the critical path as field conditions change to identify and mitigate schedule slippage
• Generates weekly/three-week lookahead schedules to coordinate trades and deliveries
• Levels resources and reschedules to manage overallocations and concurrent activity conflicts
• Documents delays and produces progress reports for owner, lender, and claims support