A look-ahead schedule zooms in on the next few weeks (three weeks is common) and lists the work each trade will do, where, and what it needs: approved submittals, materials, inspections, answered RFIs, equipment and manpower. It is updated weekly, usually in a foreman or trade coordination meeting, and checked against the master CPM schedule.
Why it matters
The master schedule says what should happen; the look-ahead is where the team makes sure it can. Most delays are visible a few weeks out as constraints: a submittal not approved, a delivery not confirmed, an RFI still open. A look-ahead turns those into action items before the crew shows up and can’t work.
Worked example
Illustrative: Riverside Medical Center’s three-week look-ahead shows Level 3 ceiling close-in starting in week 3. Constraints listed: fire dampers from CO #14 must be installed and inspected first, which depends on an approved damper submittal and delivery. With 23 open RFIs (4 overdue) on the job, the PM checks the look-ahead for any task blocked by an overdue RFI.
Common mistakes
- Making the look-ahead a copy of the master schedule with no constraints listed.
- Not involving trade foremen, who know what can actually be done.
- Ignoring the look-ahead’s slips when updating the master schedule.
How os.construction handles it
We’re building the look-ahead on the same record as RFIs, submittals and deliveries, so constraints can show up next to the task they block.