There are many project scheduling methods and programs available out in the construction world. Depending on your age, some are more preferable than others.
Pull Planning is the current “best-dressed candidate” in the marketplace. In oversimplified terms, lean construction begins by sequentially flagging the tasks, steps and phases of the project beginning with the finish date all the way back to the start date identifying in reverse sequence those multi-contractor’s activities that can be reasonably compressed to reduce their duration period. It depends solely on the collaboration (and buy-in) of all parties to the contract, once the bid has been awarded. It incorporates the backward-pass method of pulling every contractor’s and subcontractor’s activities into the schedule starting from date of completion back to their start date. This requires multiple group meetings of all proposed contractors/subs with the steps of their work phase each itemized on colored sticky notes. Basically it is a reverse method of completing the project discussing their interface between other trades working ahead and behind them. Primavera P6 is among popular computer programs incorporating pull planning, utilizing advanced algorithms, customized to each participant’s data entry.