What a look-ahead is
A look-ahead schedule is a short window, usually two to six weeks with three the most common, taken from the master schedule and broken into more detail. It is a working tool for site supervisors: it lists the work planned for each crew, day by day or week by week, and confirms that everything needed for that work will be ready.
It is not a separate plan. Dates come from the master schedule; the look-ahead adds detail and exposes problems early enough to fix them.
Build it in five steps
- Filter the master schedule. Take every activity that is in progress or due to start in the window, plus anything critical or near-critical starting just after it.
- Break activities down. A master activity such as "Area 200 piping erection, 4 weeks" becomes daily or weekly tasks by line, test pack or crew.
- Check constraints. For each task, confirm the items in the checklist below. Anything not ready gets an owner and a date.
- Assign crews. Match each task to a named supervisor and crew size, and check the total against manpower on site.
- Review weekly. Each week, drop the past week, add a new third week, record what was done and why anything was missed.
Constraint checklist
Work only goes into the "will do" list when every constraint is cleared:
- Drawings: latest revision issued for construction and on site
- Materials: delivered, inspected and available at the workface (not just "ordered")
- Predecessor work: finished and handed over, such as foundations cured before steel erection
- Permits: work permits, hot work, excavation and lifting plans approved
- Equipment: cranes, scaffolding and test equipment booked
- Manpower: the right trades and certifications available
- Access and space: no clash with other crews in the same area
- Quality and safety: inspection and test plan, method statement and risk assessment approved
Example look-ahead
| Task | Crew | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Constraint | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erect rack steel, bays 1 to 6 | Steel A (8) | ■■■■■ | ■■ | Clear | ||
| Set pumps P-201 A/B | Mech (6) | ■■■ | Grout cure sign-off | Civil supervisor | ||
| Erect spools, lines 201 to 214 | Piping B (10) | ■■■■ | ■■■■■ | Spools 207, 211 not delivered | Materials controller | |
| Hydrotest test pack TP-14 | Test crew (4) | ■■ | NDT results pending | QC inspector | ||
| Pull cables, rack tray level 2 | Elec (8) | ■■■■■ | ■■■■■ | ■■■ | Clear |
Measure the plan: percent plan complete
At the end of each week, count the tasks committed for that week and the tasks actually completed. Percent plan complete (PPC) is completed ÷ committed. A site that consistently reaches 80% or more has a reliable short-term plan; lower figures point to constraints not being cleared. Record the reason for every miss (materials, drawings, weather, manpower, previous work late) and look at the totals each month: the most common reason is where the fix is.
Common mistakes
- Copying master schedule activities without breaking them down, which gives supervisors nothing they can act on.
- Treating "materials ordered" as "materials available".
- Letting the look-ahead drift from the master schedule; actual progress must flow back into the master every week.
- Filling the week with work that cannot be done, which makes PPC meaningless.
Using Planline for look-aheads
Keep the master schedule in Planline and record progress at each status date, so the remaining dates are always current. Export the schedule to Excel and filter on start and finish dates to pull the window for the coming weeks, then add your crew and constraint columns. The Gantt chart's week zoom gives a quick visual check of what is starting.
Frequently asked questions
Why three weeks?
Three weeks is long enough to deliver missing materials, drawings or permits once a constraint is spotted, and short enough for the detail to be accurate. Shutdowns often use daily or shift-level look-aheads instead.
Who prepares the look-ahead?
Usually the area or discipline supervisors with the site planner. The planner extracts the window from the master schedule; supervisors break it down and confirm constraints.
What is a good PPC?
Around 80% or higher is generally considered a reliable short-term plan. More important than the figure is tracking why tasks are missed and fixing the common causes.
Related guides
Try it on your own schedule
Planline is free and needs no sign-up. Your schedules stay in your browser unless you choose to sign in and save them to your account. Start a blank project, import your own file, or look around the example project first.