How Can We Shorten the Overall Project Schedule?
Jun 21, 2026an overseas client asked me a question that I still remember today:
"If we increase the budget by 10%, can we finish the project two months earlier?"
At first glance, it seemed like a reasonable question.
Many people assume that project delays are caused by insufficient resources, limited production capacity, or labor shortages.
But after working on facade projects for many years, I have come to a different conclusion.
Most projects are not delayed because manufacturing is too slow.
They are delayed because too much time is lost before manufacturing even begins.
In other words, project schedules are often affected less by how fast people work and more by how long people wait.
A few years ago, we participated in a commercial development project.
The project itself was not particularly large, nor was the facade technically complex.
From a manufacturing perspective, it should have been relatively straightforward.
Yet the project was eventually delivered nearly three months later than originally planned.
When the team reviewed the causes of the delay, the issue was not production.
The issue was everything that happened before production.
The architectural design went through multiple revisions.
The facade system was not finalized early enough.
Mock-up approval took longer than expected.
Shop drawing reviews were repeatedly postponed.
By the time all key decisions had finally been made, the available time for manufacturing and installation had become extremely limited.
Everyone worked harder.
But the project still finished late.
This challenge is not unique to facade projects.
According to the McKinsey Global Institute report Reinventing Construction: A Route to Higher Productivity, project delays are often linked to design coordination issues, inefficient decision-making, and poor information flow between project participants.
Source:
McKinsey Global Institute
Reinventing Construction: A Route to Higher Productivity
From a facade engineering perspective, project schedules are often influenced by decisions made long before materials arrive at the factory.
Questions such as:
Has the facade system been selected early enough?
Have critical details been reviewed in advance?
Has the mock-up been approved on time?
Are key materials already confirmed?
Are design development and procurement progressing together?
Have different disciplines coordinated early in the process?
These decisions often have a greater impact on project duration than production itself.
Over the years, I have become increasingly convinced of one thing:
Successful projects do not shorten schedules by simply speeding up manufacturing.
They shorten schedules by reducing waiting time.
Waiting for approvals.
Waiting for decisions.
Waiting for design changes.
Waiting for coordination.
These invisible delays often consume more time than fabrication and installation combined.
Clients sometimes ask me:
"What is the fastest way to complete a project?"
My answer is usually not more workers.
It is not more machines.
And it is not longer working hours.
It is making the right decisions earlier.
Because the goal of project management is not to make everyone move faster.
It is to prevent the project from stopping unnecessarily.
Projects are rarely delayed because production is too slow.
More often, they are delayed because critical decisions arrive too late.
In many projects, delays are caused by late decisions, design revisions, and coordination issues rather than manufacturing itself.
Yes.
Early system selection, design coordination, and timely mock-up approval can significantly reduce downstream delays and improve overall project efficiency.
Not always.
Improving decision-making efficiency and reducing waiting time often has a greater impact on project schedules than simply increasing manufacturing capacity.
Kevin Zhang works at MHUA Curtain Wall Technology Co., Ltd.
LinkedIn:Connect with Kevin Zhang on LinkedIn
He specializes in facade engineering projects, including facade design development, Rhino + Grasshopper parametric modeling, curtain wall technical support, and integrated facade supply chain solutions.
The insights shared in this article are based on practical project experience and industry research.
