But as we entered the 1990s, the industry shifted from a "finish faster" approach to one that stressed improving resource allocation and productivity.

Part of this move may have been because the wild inflation of the 1970s had been tamed, limiting the threat of cost escalation. Part of it may have been due to the consolidation of larger engineering and construction firms, whose leaders hoped to leverage the synergies of their enterprises. As a result, CPM software was changed to suit repetitive, factory-like processes.

But after Sandy, repair and recovery crews must return to operation subways, automobile tunnels, substations and other infrastructure on a "need to be finished yesterday" basis. The work of repair and recovery—and all the jobs that it will produce—will contribute more to our economy than the jobs created by any stimulus.

Demand of your scheduling software vendor the original 1956 "interruptible duration" algorithm, which is designed for speed. If your spec requires enterprise scheduling for reporting purposes, do so, but also run real CPM scheduling to accelerate the work—especially if speedy completion is vital.

Fredric L. Plotnick, P.E., is an attorney, an author and an authority on CPM planning and scheduling. Plotnick's next construction CPM conference is scheduled for Jan. 27 in New Orleans.