PlannerBuildDefine the handover between packages
Name the result required before the following trade begins. Is the area clear? Is the previous work inspected? Are dimensions confirmed and the current details available? Record these prerequisites in activity notes and link the relevant preceding activities. A dependency should describe real readiness, not merely the order in which entries were typed.
For a multi-trade refurbishment, separate service installation, testing, close-up and finishes when their interfaces need individual review. That structure allows an inspection or unresolved detail to remain visible instead of disappearing inside a long activity labelled first fix.
Distinguish a commitment from an assumption
A proposed trade start, a confirmed attendance and an actual start are not the same thing. Use the status and actual-date fields consistently and explain uncertain commitments in notes. Agree a simple convention for your own reviews so the programme is not read as more certain than it is.
Keep contractor contacts and commercial arrangements in your established business systems. Activity trade and supplier fields can identify the package being discussed without storing unnecessary personal information. Avoid entering sensitive client information into a shared-screen review.
Review deliveries and inspections together
A delivery arriving on time does not guarantee that installation can begin. There may still be storage, access, information or inspection constraints. Record the expected delivery and the relevant work activity, then check both at the coordination meeting. Where a supplier confirms a revised date, review the affected trade interface before communicating a new sequence.
PlannerBuild includes decision deadlines, inspection status, delivery information and blocking reasons alongside ordinary construction tasks. These fields support a readiness discussion. They do not certify statutory compliance, place orders or provide automatic notifications to subcontractors.
Use the programme as a meeting record
Before a coordination review, update actual progress and identify the activities that differ from the last agreed sequence. During the meeting, record the action needed to unblock each package. Afterwards, revise dates intentionally and retain a dated project backup using your own document-control routine.
The Gantt view shows activities together; the overview gives a different way to inspect their details. This is project planning software for contractors who need a clear working sequence. It is not a replacement for the contract programme, professional programme analysis or an agreed change-control process.
Worked example: coordinating a multi-trade refurbishment
A general contractor can use the programme to make handovers explicit. For example, agreeing that services work is complete is different from confirming that an area is ready to close up. Record the inspection or coordination point as its own activity, then review the next package against it.
| Interface | What the following trade needs | Useful planning record |
|---|---|---|
| Service work to close-up | Relevant work and required checks complete; unresolved details identified | A review milestone linked to the follow-on activity |
| Preparation to finishes | The area handed over in the agreed condition, with access confirmed | A named work package, readiness note and proposed start |
| Delivery to installation | The correct materials available, with storage and handling arrangements agreed | Separate delivery and installation activities |
At each review, confirm what is complete, what is blocked and who will follow up. If the access arrangement changes, review the affected packages before revising their dates. Keep formal instructions and agreements in the project's usual records.
Use the construction programme guide and dependency diagram to explain these relationships. For the readiness of an individual package, explore construction job planning software.
Questions about contractor project planning
Can it replace subcontractor agreements?
No. Record coordination information in the workspace, but keep agreements, instructions and formal changes in the appropriate contractual records.
Are dependencies automatically enforced?
Treat dependencies as recorded relationships to review. Check successor dates yourself after changes; do not assume a critical-path engine or automatic resource allocation.
Continue planning
See PlannerBuild features, demo access and project setup before starting your programme.
Use the construction project planning checklist to prepare your first review.
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