The planning process is of paramount importance in the success of construction projects. There seems to be a great deal of confusion in the construction industry between the terms of planning and scheduling. These terms are often used synonymously.
Project planning serves as a foundation for several related functions.
These functions include estimating, scheduling, and project control. Planning involves the process of selecting the one method and order of work to be used on a project from among all the various methods and sequences possible. This process provides detailed information for estimating and scheduling as well as a baseline for project control. Scheduling, in comparison, is the determination of the timing and sequence of operations in the project and their assembly to give the overall completion time. The schedule is obviously a reflection of the plan, but the plan must come first.