A method for project schedule delay analysis

Abstract

The analysis of schedule delays is a traditional problem in almost any project of some dimension and complexity. Assessing schedule delays and allocating them to responsible parties and activities is a sensitive problem in project management. In client-supplier, i.e. owner-contractor relations, the schedule delays represent a very important issue, often escalating into claims and undermining the commercial outcome of the whole project, involving lengthy negotiations and juridical cases, tracing to responsibilities and financial compensations. The present work tackles the problem of schedule delays, linking to literature already present on the subject and extending some solutions already published. In particular we introduce the concept of “float bank”, as a mean to assigning and sharing delay responsibilities between the project actors, i.e. owner, contractor and force majeure. We introduce the implementation of an algorithmic method and application of a complete case study which can be of interest to practitioners and stakeholders in the field of project management, potentially to integrate with commercial or in-house software and assist current project control, claim cases and newly so-called forensic project management.