Review: Construction Planning, Second edition

Kevin Morgan, Senior Planner, shares his thoughts on Construction Planning, Second edition.
He delves into the role this book played in refreshing and improving his technical knowledge and explains what impact it had on his work projects.

I purchased Construction Planning, Second edition a while back with a view to improving my technical knowledge in all areas of planning. Despite being in the industry for over 16 years, mostly within in a planning related role, I still picked up some useful information from the book that I can apply to my work. Having work experience is vital, but there are times when going back to basics is useful. The book is well structured and well presented with a combination of tables, diagrams, and text. The programme examples (Asta Powerproject extracts) are presented in a clear manner, ideal for those new to the topic. 
 
The information provided is a combination of facts, opinions and case studies, allowing it to be easily digested, providing just enough 'formal' facts, but not too much technical speak to confuse. The case studies are also based upon real-world scenarios, again providing real-world tools and techniques that can easily be applied to the day job.
 
Working across various project sizes from small buildings to megaprojects, I have used a range of tools and techniques, but some more than others, meaning I now have a reference point to return to when I need to refresh my memory on tools I don't use often - such as line of balance, for example. 
 
If you are new to planning as a topic or role, it provides a simple but effective insight into the day job and skillsets required, including soft skills. If you are an experienced practitioner, it provides a good reference point to return to whenever the need arises. Likewise, if you have worked within one particular area of planning, using only one or two techniques, such as bar charts, for example, moving into another area can be assisted with this book. However, unlike other books, it’s not overloaded with technical details, but if you want those details, then this is a good starting point before moving onto the other more detailed books available.