Visual Scheduling Technology Is Aiding Construction Project Productivity in 2025

‍Nitin Bhandari, CEO at Planera Inc., sat down with Construction Executive to share insights on optimizing management techniques for the construction industry. One of the primary techniques he revealed—visual scheduling—is sure to be a trending topic throughout 2025. Bhandari explains how Planera employs visual scheduling and how it has had real world impacts on its employees, operations and company as a whole. “We recently hit a major milestone,” he says. Over 25 million project days—including large-scale and complex projects—have been scheduled using this technology. But what exactly is it?

What is visual scheduling?

Visual scheduling is a powerful management technique that uses graphical representations to display tasks, timelines and resources in a clear format. In the construction industry, where projects often involve multiple stakeholders and highly interdependent activities, visual scheduling plays a crucial role in coordinating efforts between various participants.

Planera.io specializes in visual scheduling solutions designed to give project managers, contractors and subcontractors a comprehensive view of the entire project timeline at a glance. The platform employs intuitive elements like color-coded shapes, bars and icons to represent tasks, durations and relationships, making it simple to spot conflicts, identify bottlenecks and address potential delays early.

This visual approach fosters better communication by eliminating ambiguities often found in traditional text-based schedules. It bridges language barriers, reduces misunderstandings and ensures that all team members and stakeholders are on the same page.

The advantages of visual scheduling in construction are far-reaching, including enhanced project coordination, improved resource management, increased efficiency and the ability to adapt swiftly to changes.

How does an individual or a team use a 3D scheduling whiteboard? How is this different than collaborating on a platform for Google Meet or Microsoft Teams?

While tools like Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are designed primarily for real-time communication and virtual meetings, a 3D scheduling whiteboard is purpose-built for collaborative construction scheduling. It goes beyond generic communication or collaboration tools, like Google Docs or Microsoft 365, which are better suited for working on spreadsheets, documents or presentations.

A 3D scheduling whiteboard focuses exclusively on the complexities of construction planning. It provides an intuitive, visual interface that mirrors the familiar “sticky notes on a trailer wall” method. This approach makes it easy for teams to visualize timelines, dependencies and project milestones in a way that feels natural for construction professionals.

What sets it apart is the ability for team members to collaborate in real time, adding, editing or rearranging tasks directly on the virtual board while simultaneously communicating and leaving comments. The platform is tailored to enhance productivity by bridging the gap between traditional methods and digital tools, making construction scheduling more dynamic, efficient and accessible to everyone involved.

What was the prototype / testing process of this technology?

This technology emerged from a clear need to make the process of construction scheduling simpler and more collaborative. Traditional scheduling tools rely on Gantt charts to communicate information, a format that is common, yet not intuitive. These tools can be complex and difficult to navigate, restricting their use to a small group of specialized experts, such as dedicated construction schedulers. By focusing on visual scheduling, our goal was to democratize the process, creating a tool that is not only easier to use but also accessible to a broader range of project stakeholders, fostering greater collaboration and adoption across teams.

What are some upcoming iterations of future plans for this type of tech?

We have been focused on making our scheduling solution powerful, but extremely easy to use. This sounds like a simple goal, yet it is always a challenge with technology to combine power with ease of use. Without tipping our hand, I can say that we have an ambitious 2025 product development plan—and that continuing to emphasize this fusion of power and simplicity remains the core of our mission.

Why do contractors prefer visual scheduling as opposed to tabular?

Visual scheduling is easier to learn. Its results are easier to understand. And scheduling with visual solutions is faster than with traditional scheduling solutions.

Cal State East Bay recently released a study in “Building” that confirms these advantages. You can find the details of their research here.

What does this shift signify for the future of digital scheduling practices and tools?

Tools and processes should develop in sync. With the adoption of new scheduling tools that are easier to use than their traditional counterparts, these solutions will now be used by a wider set of construction project team members. How schedules are created, who is involved, how these schedules are reviewed and updated—all of these processes will change as scheduling is democratized. The result will be schedules that are more accurate and projects that are delivered on time and on budget.

How easy/difficult is this tech to learn? How expensive is it to acquire?

Visual scheduling is easy to learn, as it is intuitive and resembles the pull-planning process that is common in contracting today. But rather than using sticky notes pasted to the wall of a jobsite trailer, software-powered visual scheduling provides a similar look-and-feel online. This user-friendly design bridges generational gaps, appealing to tech-savvy young professionals new to the industry while remaining familiar and approachable to seasoned veterans. By combining traditional visual planning methods with modern technology, this tech effectively addresses the construction skills gap, attracting a broader range of talent and enabling the industry to adapt and thrive despite an aging workforce and advancing technological demands. What’s more, the technology is not expensive, and users will likely pay less for the new visual scheduling solutions than they would for first-generation scheduling tools.

How does the process of sceudling affect all other project processes?

A good schedule is at the heart of a project’s success. With a realistic, well-crafted schedule, different subcontractor teams will work in sync rather than getting in one another’s way. The schedule is the master plan that drives the project—the key to efficiency and, thus, to project profitability. In visual, collaborative scheduling, construction scheduling becomes a team sport, an activity that pulls in a wider range of contributors from within the project team. And with more good minds on the task, the resulting schedule is of higher quality.

by Construction Executive

Construction Executive, an award-winning magazine published by Associated Builders and Contractors, is the leading source for news, market developments and business issues impacting the construction industry. CE helps its more than 50,000 print readers understand and manage risk, technology, economics, legal challenges and more to run more profitable and productive businesses. Link to original article.