MYTH 3:
THERE’S NO CHANGING THE STATUS QUO
Scheduling tools have changed so little in the past few decades that it's easy to assume that the status quo the only way things could possibly be done. The construction industry has experienced sweeping innovations in other disciplines. Still, whenever someone does try a different approach to scheduling, they get burned when those new “solutions” fail to meet the team’s needs. Stakeholders know they need a better solution, but don’t believe improvement is possible, thanks to the complexity of the jobs and the limitations of the tool.
And so, a myth is born: Scheduling will never change.
MYTH VARIATIONS:
Leaders believe their organization has invested too much money into product training, licensing, and specialist salaries to justify change. The status quo may have its flaws, but if it's served this well for this long, can the effort change requires be worth it?
Tired stakeholders mistakenly believe that with scheduling's many moving parts and siloed operating processes, it's simply impossible to create a schedule that satisfies every stakeholder and deliver a final plan that works for owners and in-field experts alike.
BEHIND THE MISCONCEPTION
Reluctance to change is often rooted in fear. And reasonably so—construction is a trillion-dollar industry with razor-thin profit margins. Companies follow the same playbooks and use the same equipment until there’s a clear benefit to be gained by making a shift. To change is to invite unfamiliar challenges, and familiar challenges are less daunting.
It’s clear that yesterday’s scheduling toolsets aren’t keeping up with the ambitions of today’s agile organizations, and construction leaders know the current scheduling process is unsustainable. The capital construction industry’s siloed scheduling process cannot create the consensus needed for accuracy and buy-in or deliver the transparency projects need to thrive. Even so, the status quo persists because of the fear of up-ending the entire scheduling process without a better replacement.
MOVING PAST THE MYTH
To combat the myth of the eternal status quo, capital construction teams need to make collaboration and transparency routine. Inviting expert perspectives into the planning conversation and incorporating their perspectives increases buy-in and transforms the resulting schedule into a useful communication tool. Field teams trust and rely on the schedule when they’ve had a chance to share their expertise and address concerns.
However, collaboration is painfully difficult inside the siloed scheduling process most organizations use today. Despite their best intentions, schedulers struggle to collect feedback from a range of team leads in a format that’s useful. Then they face the challenge of synthesizing all the feedback they get.
To change the scheduling status quo, experts need a clear, easy way to provide feedback on their area of expertise. Schedulers need an easy way to understand where different experts disagree, so they can resolve areas of concern before they create delays or rework. The process of gathering and analyzing expert input and updates needs to be repeatable and routine. Updates on project schedules and progress aren’t worth much if those referencing them don’t believe the information to be reliable.
4 STEPS FOR GENERATING BUY-IN
Buy-in isn't just possible; it's critical for the success of any project. These four steps shift stakeholders from doubting the schedule to believing in the schedule:
- Provide ease of use. The schedule must be easy to use, easy to assess, and easy to revise.
- Invite stakeholders into the conversation. Make it easier for non-schedulers to participate in the process.
- Hold teams accountable. When stakeholders participate in scheduling processes, they can be responsible for meeting the expectations they help set.
- Invite stakeholders to help solve scheduling problems. When contributors see their expertise included, they're more likely to invest in the final product.
Explore how an intuitive and accessible scheduling platform achieves consensus faster with InEight Schedule. See the difference for yourself.