Project Management

Look-Ahead Schedule

Also known as: Two-Week Look-Ahead, Three-Week Look-Ahead

A short-term detailed schedule (typically 2-3 weeks) showing exactly what will happen on the project in the immediate future.

A look-ahead schedule (sometimes called a two-week look-ahead or three-week look-ahead) is a short-term, detailed schedule covering the immediate upcoming period of a project. It complements the master Gantt schedule by adding day-by-day detail that the master schedule deliberately omits. Look-ahead schedules typically include daily crew assignments, sub coordination, material deliveries, inspection windows, and known constraints.

Look-aheads are typically reviewed at weekly project meetings with the GC, key subs, and sometimes the owner. They translate the master schedule into actionable daily work plans and surface conflicts before they become field problems. The discipline of producing a weekly look-ahead is one of the strongest predictors of on-time project delivery.

Frequently asked questions

What is a look-ahead schedule?+

A short-term detailed schedule covering the next 2-3 weeks with day-by-day detail on crew assignments, sub coordination, material deliveries, and inspections. Complements the master Gantt schedule.

How often should look-aheads be updated?+

Weekly. Most disciplined projects review the look-ahead at a Monday or Tuesday morning meeting and re-publish a fresh look-ahead each week. Subs receive their week-by-week assignments from the look-ahead, not from the master schedule.

Why is a look-ahead better than just the master Gantt?+

The master Gantt is too coarse for daily field decisions. Subs cannot use a 14-month Gantt to plan their crew for tomorrow. A look-ahead translates the master schedule into actionable daily work and surfaces near-term conflicts (resource contention, missing materials, inspection scheduling) before they become field problems.

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