News for Construction Scheduling Practitioners; Critical Path Method (CPM)

... then ICS is for You !

ICS-Placement can help you find the perfect career opportunity. With our unique Eligibility Screening, we very well may learn more about your talents than you know yourself. Our equally powerful Employer Needs Assessment assures you (and your new employer) that the match we recommend is really ideal for both of you, and will lead to greater job satisfaction and employment longevity.

ICS-Training is where you can continue your education and training, discovering the latest techniques, processes, innovations, and strategies for effective planning, scheduling, and change analysis.

ICS-Certification offers a range of scheduling credentials spanning all levels of competence: apprentice, journeyman, and master.

ICS-Research, through its scholarly studies and reports, will inform you of the latest developments in the Scheduling Practice, and provide you with empirical data to bolster your advocacy of the principles of the Scheduling Practice.

ICS-Publications will provide you the finest collection of trustworthy educational materials covering the Scheduling Practice. Remember that ICS vouches for every work it publishes or promotes.

ICS-Specifications and ICS-Scoring are your partners in a push-pull effort to improve the overall quality and effectiveness of Scheduling products and services across the entire construction spectrum. ICS-Specifications will raise the bar when it comes to what Owners require of the Scheduling Practice, and ICS-Scoring will ensure that that higher bar is cleared. That's the pull. You are the push. You will be able to produce the highest quality scheduling products and services, and your superior talent will be in greater demand thanks to ICS-Specs and ICS-Scoring.

The ICS Scheduling Compendium will silence those endless standoffs between you and your project manager, once and for all, as to what is the best way to perform Scheduling Practice processes. At last you will have an authoritative reference document to point to, that comprehensively presents Practice standards, best practices, terminology, and even role descriptions. The ICS Compendium is written by and for in-the-trenches schedulers who appreciate that there is a world of difference between textbook theories and field-tested methods.

ICS-Scheduling is a potential employer for you. If you are among the best of the best, ICS-Scheduling wants to talk with you. We have temporary and permanent assignments around the world and on virtually every type of construction project.

Convergence is your cabin in the woods, a place to "come home to." Interact with fellow Providers from around the world. Search them out, write to them, share war stories.

Scheduler's Lifeline is your personal "technical help desk" back a the home office. If you have any kind of question related to the Scheduling Practice, we are only a phone call or email away.

... then ICS is for You !
Who Is a Scheduling Provider?
It is the opinion of ICS that scheduling, as a discipline, is not a profession, per se, because it fails to meet the minimal requirements imposed by the definition of a 'profession.' We do, however, contend that it is a practice, and throughout this web site we refer to it as the Scheduling Practice. Those who perform the various roles of what are loosely called "planner/scheduler" positions are considered by ICS as Scheduling Practitioners (of the Practice). Scheduling Practitioners are further divided into either Scheduling Providers or Scheduling Consultants.
	Those who directly provide scheduling products and services are called Scheduling Providers, and are comprised of : Project Planners, who perform pre-project feasibility assessments, scenario optimization, strategic planning. Project Schedulers, who perform tactical scheduling and performance measurement.
	Those who give advice and professional support to either consumers and providers of scheduling products and services are called Scheduling Consultants. These would include consultants and trainers on project scheduling utilization, including claims.
The Scheduling Practice, as a Choice Career
We are seeing strong evidence of increased respect for the Scheduling Practice by constructor Upper Management. Gradually, the image of the scheduler as the bottom block on the totem pole is fading into the history books -- thankfully. Growth potential up the corporate ladder is no longer restricted. Scheduling Providers command impressive starting and advanced salaries, typically outpacing virtually every other member of the project team, often second only to the Project Manager. Not bad for a field that requires relatively limited training to get started. Career growth, however, does depend on consistently achieving positive results in the field. Providers need to keep abreast of the latest improvements in the Practice, and must continually develop their people- and communication-skills, always pushing themselves to excel.
How ICS Can Help You, the Scheduling Provider
ICS offers many programs that are designed to help you be the best at your game:
	ICS-Placement can help you find the perfect career opportunity. With our unique Eligibility Screening, we very well may learn more about your talents than you know yourself. Our equally powerful Employer Needs Assessment assures you (and your new employer) that the match we recommend is really ideal for both of you, and will lead to greater job satisfaction and employment longevity.
	ICS-Training is where you can continue your education and training, discovering the latest techniques, processes, innovations, and strategies for effective planning, scheduling, and change analysis.
	ICS-Certification offers a range of scheduling credentials spanning all levels of competence: apprentice, journeyman, and master.
	ICS-Research, through its scholarly studies and reports, will inform you of the latest developments in the Scheduling Practice, and provide you with empirical data to bolster your advocacy of the principles of the Scheduling Practice.
	ICS-Publications will provide you the finest collection of trustworthy educational materials covering the Scheduling Practice. Remember that ICS vouches for every work it publishes or promotes.
	ICS-Specifications and ICS-Scoring are your partners in a push-pull effort to improve the overall quality and effectiveness of Scheduling products and services across the entire construction spectrum. ICS-Specifications will raise the bar when it comes to what Owners require of the Scheduling Practice, and ICS-Scoring will ensure that that higher bar is cleared. That's the pull. You are the push. You will be able to produce the highest quality scheduling products and services, and your superior talent will be in greater demand thanks to ICS-Specs and ICS-Scoring.
	The ICS Scheduling Compendium will silence those endless standoffs between you and your project manager, once and for all, as to what is the best way to perform Scheduling Practice processes. At last you will have an authoritative reference document to point to, that comprehensively presents Practice standards, best practices, terminology, and even role descriptions. The ICS Compendium is written by and for in-the-trenches schedulers who appreciate that there is a world of difference between textbook theories and field-tested methods.
	ICS-Scheduling is a potential employer for you. If you are among the best of the best, ICS-Scheduling wants to talk with you. We have temporary and permanent assignments around the world and on virtually every type of construction project.
	Convergence is your cabin in the woods, a place to "come home to." Interact with fellow Providers from around the world. Search them out, write to them, share war stories.
	Scheduler's Lifeline is your personal "technical help desk" back a the home office. If you have any kind of question related to the Scheduling Practice, we are only a phone call or email away.