Scheduling
Three-Week Look-Ahead
A specific type of look-ahead schedule covering the next three weeks, used for detailed coordination and constraint resolution.
What is a Three-Week Look-Ahead?
A three-week look-ahead is the most common look-ahead schedule format in construction. It provides a rolling three-week window of planned activities, updated weekly.
Weekly Cycle
- **Monday/Tuesday** — update the three-week look-ahead
- **Wednesday/Thursday** — identify and resolve constraints
- **Friday** — distribute to all trades and subcontractors
- **Ongoing** — track completion and adjust
What It Shows
- Week 1 — detailed daily activities
- Week 2 — detailed daily activities
- Week 3 — daily activities with more flexibility
Constraint Resolution
The three-week look-ahead is the primary tool for identifying and resolving constraints before they become problems. If a material delivery is needed in Week 2 but hasn't been ordered, the constraint is flagged and resolved in Week 1.
Best Practices
- Update weekly without exception
- Include all trades
- Track constraints to closure
- Link to daily reports for as-built tracking
Related Terms
- Look-Ahead Schedule
A short-term schedule (typically 2–6 weeks) that provides detailed activity planning beyond the master schedule.
- Critical Path Method (CPM)
A scheduling technique that identifies the sequence of dependent activities determining the shortest possible project duration.
- Gantt Chart
A type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule, showing the dependency relationships between activities and current status.
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