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Kylee Samuels, PresidentBefore schedule development begins, The Samuels Group works alongside client teams, reviewing drawings, specifications and contract documents to align the project plan with how the team intends to build it. Through that process, teams develop a shared understanding of the project before the plan is incorporated into scheduling software.
Building the project on paper helps validate the plan while identifying constructability challenges and high-risk activities before construction.
“We pride ourselves on planning because the better the projects are planned, the easier they are to execute,” says Kylee Samuels, president.
Turning Planning into a Buildable Schedule
The Samuels Group translates the planning process into a construction schedule. Reviews begin with industry scheduling standards before examining critical paths, near-critical paths and overall project logic. Every review determines whether the schedule represents a project that can realistically be built.
Constructability remains a primary focus throughout that process. Activities within the schedule still have to reflect how the work will actually be performed in the field. Evaluating project logic through a construction perspective helps confirm that sequencing, durations and workflows align with the realities of project execution, ensuring it is both practical and buildable.
The same philosophy extends to technology. Rather than recommending a single scheduling platform, The Samuels Group works with Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, ASTA Powerproject, Phoenix Project Manager and other scheduling applications, recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It helps clients use technology that aligns with their existing workflows and experience, recognizing that project teams are most effective when working within software they can comfortably maintain.
Aligning Every Project Stakeholder
Construction schedules connect every participant on a project, providing a shared plan that owners, general contractors and subcontractors can work from. It becomes the first opportunity to evaluate whether the proposed approach works for everyone involved.
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We pride ourselves on planning because the better the projects are planned, the easier they are to execute.
The Samuels Group communicates that schedule from each stakeholder's perspective. Whether discussing milestones with an owner or reviewing upcoming work with field personnel, the company focuses on ensuring the schedule remains understandable, actionable and aligned with how the project will actually be built.
Building Internal Scheduling Capability
Not every organization requires ongoing scheduling consulting. Many instead want to develop internal scheduling capabilities by equipping project managers, engineers and superintendents to create, update and maintain schedules themselves. To support that need, The Samuels Group provides training covering scheduling fundamentals, advanced concepts, delay analysis and the practical application of those principles within the scheduling software each organization uses.
Training begins with executive leadership discussions to identify strategic goals, current scheduling practices and areas for improvement. Then programs are tailored to those priorities, allowing organizations to improve scheduling processes that fit their operations. One client illustrates this approach. The Samuels Group worked with a contractor that had never invested in formal scheduling training, helping create schedules before moving into a primarily review and consulting role. Today, the contractor independently develops robust schedules while the company provides review and consulting support. Scheduling became embedded throughout the organization, with commitment extending from executive leadership to the teams putting work in place.
The Samuels Group deliberately maintains a small, carefully selected team with construction experience, strong constructability knowledge, scheduling expertise and the ability to communicate effectively with owners, contractors and field teams. Most of the team has worked together for more than 15 years, providing continuity across consulting, training and project engagements.
As it expands consulting, training and online learning, The Samuels Group continues to emphasize that projects are easier to execute when they are thoroughly planned before scheduling begins.
Building Schedules That Hold Up on Site
A contract schedule can meet a submission deadline and still fail a project. Too many schedules before teams have fully planned how the project will be built, leaving execution risks undiscovered until construction is underway. Executives evaluating scheduling consultants should look past software fluency.
Early planning separates a credible schedule from a reporting exercise. Drawings and specifications need to be examined against contract requirements and the intended construction approach. That review should expose logic gaps before crews arrive, not after a missed handoff or design change. A useful consultant slows the process long enough to challenge assumptions and map dependencies before identifying where the plan is most likely to break. The schedule then becomes evidence of how the project is expected to proceed rather than a calendar produced for compliance.
Constructability should remain central throughout schedule development and review. Activity relationships can satisfy technical standards while still describing work that cannot be executed in the field. Buyers should expect scrutiny of the critical path and near-critical work, followed by a practical reading of the next reporting period. The consultant should be able to explain the same timeline to an owner and a field supervisor without changing its meaning. That translation matters when progress slips or responsibilities overlap, especially when a recovery plan must be accepted across the project team.
Software choice deserves less weight than software fit. Construction teams work across Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, ASTA Powerproject and other platforms, each carrying different burdens for setup, maintenance, reporting and user adoption. Forcing a familiar team onto an unfamiliar system can weaken schedule upkeep instead of improving it. A qualified adviser should work across platforms and judge whether the selected tool matches the team's experience level and maintenance responsibilities. Technical range matters because the schedule must survive routine use after the consultant leaves the room.
Training quality is another dividing line. Some firms need outsourced schedule development, while others need project managers or superintendents to manage updates internally. Effective training should connect scheduling principles to the company's own practices rather than teach software commands in isolation. Executive goals and current weaknesses should shape the curriculum, alongside recurring delay patterns and field reporting habits. Basic instruction may be enough for one group, while another may need advanced logic review or delay analysis. The useful test is whether participants can maintain the schedule and explain its assumptions, then apply the same discipline to the next project.
The Samuels Group stands out as a strong choice because it combines front-end planning with schedule development, integrity review and tailored training. It integrates with client teams to examine plans and specifications before reviewing contract documents and converting the agreed approach into a working schedule. Its consultants are not tied to one software platform, allowing clients to retain tools that their teams can maintain. Training spans core principles and advanced concepts, including delay analysis tied to the client's chosen system. For executives seeking both immediate scheduling expertise and long-term internal capability, The Samuels Group offers a practical and well-rounded solution.
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