A three-week look-ahead that clears constraints first.

The master schedule says what has to happen. The look-ahead says who does it in the next three weeks, where, and what has to be cleared first: the RFI, the submittal, the delivery, the inspection.

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Three-week look-ahead template

os.construction · free template

Project
Week starting
Prepared by
Master schedule data date

Activities

Activity	Area	Trade / crew	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Constraints to clear	Status
L2 east interior framing (SAMPLE · delete this row)	L2 east	Framing	X	X		None	On track
L2 east MEP rough-in	L2 east	Mech / elec / plumb		X	X	RFI-212 answer; damper delivery	At risk
L1 slab-on-grade pour, area C	L1 area C	Concrete		X		Pre-pour inspection; under-slab sign-off	On track

Sample rows are illustrative and marked for deletion. Your contract, drawings and specifications govern. Template from os.construction/resources/templates/three-week-look-ahead

How to use it

Using the three-week look-ahead template

Start from the current master schedule. Pull every activity that starts, runs or finishes in the next three weeks.
Break each one down to the level a foreman plans at: an area, a crew, the days it runs.
For each activity list what must be true before it can start: answered RFIs, approved submittals, material on site, inspections passed, the previous trade out of the way.
Review it with the trades every week, in the coordination meeting, and give every constraint an owner and a date.
Roll it forward one week at a time. Anything that slipped goes back to the scheduler to update the master.

Master scheduleKept by the scheduler
Three-week look-aheadActivities by area and crew
Constraints clearedRFIs, submittals, deliveries, inspections
Weekly coordination meetingTrades commit to the week
Progress recordedSlips go back to the masterRoll forward: back to “Three-week look-ahead”

The weekly look-ahead cycle

Text version

Master schedule: Kept by the scheduler
Three-week look-ahead: Activities by area and crew
Constraints cleared: RFIs, submittals, deliveries, inspections
Weekly coordination meeting: Trades commit to the week
Progress recorded: Slips go back to the master

Roll forward: from “Progress recorded” back to “Three-week look-ahead”.

In os.construction

Do this in os.construction instead of a spreadsheet

The Schedule tool in os.construction imports a Primavera P6 XER or Microsoft Project XML file and shows it as a 3-Week Lookahead: activities grouped into This Week, Next Week and Week After, flagged Overdue or At Risk. Supers update percent complete and actual dates on each activity, submittals can be linked to the activity they feed, and each new import becomes a new revision. Import is one way: keep the master in your scheduling tool.

Try it on the sample project

Every trial workspace includes a sample project to run this workflow on. 14-day free trial. Pricing for paid plans isn't set yet.

Start free trial Read the guide: Schedule

FAQ

Questions about the three-week look-ahead template

What is a three-week look-ahead?

A short-range schedule pulled from the master schedule that shows the next three weeks of work in enough detail for the field to plan crews, deliveries and inspections.

Who prepares the look-ahead?

Usually the superintendent, with the trade foremen, from the scheduler’s current master schedule.

What are constraints?

Anything that has to be true before an activity can start: an answered RFI, an approved submittal, material on site, a passed inspection, access from the previous trade.

How is it different from the master schedule?

The master schedule covers the whole job at activity level and is the contract record. The look-ahead is a working tool for the next few weeks, at the level the field plans.

Can I edit the schedule in os.construction and send it back to P6?

No. Import is one way: keep the master in your scheduling tool and re-import each update.

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