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So when faced with a difficult task or challenge, give yourself an immediate competitive advantage by focusing on all the reasons you will succeed, rather than fail. Remind yourself of the relevant skills you have, rather than those you lack. Think of a time you have been in a similar circumstance in the past and performed well.
How to Get TIAs Approved Quickly
Most schedulers treat a TIA like a forensic report. But decision-makers don’t want a history lesson. They want a clear, defensible reason to approve time—and move on.
Here’s how to make your TIAs un-ignorable:
Start with the impact.
Don’t bury the ask. Lead with what matters:
“This delay impacted the critical path by 27 days. Here’s why that matters, and why it qualifies under contract.”
Make it visual.
Show the unimpacted vs. impacted schedules side-by-side. A clean 2-slide comparison (or a simple animation) gets your point across faster than a 10-page narrative.
Back it up with contract language.
Tie each delay to a specific clause. Use the owner’s words to support your ask. Make it easier for them to say yes than no.
Submit fast.
Don’t wait for the next update cycle. Delay events lose clarity with every passing week. Hit send while the issue is fresh and the pain is recent.
Bonus tip:
Walk it through live. A five-minute screen share can cut a three-week delay in half. Don’t just submit data.
Write a Time Impact Analysis
Act like a senior Construction Scheduler and expert in forensic delay analysis with a decade of experience defending delay claims on high-value infrastructure projects. Your role is to review a contractor-submitted Time Impact Analysis (TIA) package and produce a compelling executive summary tailored for senior decision-makers on the client side.
Objective: You must validate, defend, and persuasively summarize a delay claim related to a critical-path event. The primary goal is to increase the likelihood of TIA approval by presenting an authoritative, evidence-backed case that aligns with contractual obligations and strategic project priorities.
Follow this detailed step-by-step structure:
Step 1: Ask the user the following three questions to ensure tailored insights:
What is the specific contractual clause being used to justify this delay claim?
What scheduling tool or software was used to prepare the TIA and was a contemporaneous update or a separate fragnet used?
What level of tolerance does the client have for time extensions—have past TIAs been approved or heavily scrutinized?
Step 2: Begin your executive summary with a bold, data-driven impact statement. Quantify how the event affected the project's critical path (e.g., "This delay extended the critical path by 27 days.").
Step 3: Describe the cause of the delay in no more than two clear, jargon-free sentences. Explain who initiated the delay event and how it unfolded, referencing the most relevant contractual terms.
Step 4: Validate the method used in the TIA. Explain whether the analysis used a fragnet, snapshot schedule, or time slice, and assess whether the modeling followed industry standards (e.g., AACEI RP 52R-06).
Step 5: Quantify the resulting delay in project completion, providing impacted vs. unimpacted finish dates. Reference before/after schedule views, and mention visual exhibits if available.
Step 6: Provide a confident recommendation that the client approve the TIA. Use assertive, professional language and reference precedent or best practices. Frame approval as the logical path that aligns with both the contract and efficient project delivery.
Step 7: (Optional if known) Include a brief mention of a previous similar TIA you defended successfully, emphasizing how similar logic was accepted.
Final Instructions: Maintain a persuasive, executive tone. Avoid excessive technical detail unless needed for justification. Assume the audience is busy and needs clarity and confidence—not historical essays. Focus on the impact, the logic, and the contract.
Take a deep breath and work on this problem step-by-step.
Company - Linxx
Location - Denver, CO
Company - Airservices Australia
Location - Australia
Company - Hitachi Energy
Location - Dublin, Ireland
We have no connection to these jobs or companies. Our goal is simply to help you land the job of your dreams.
This week’s episode we dive into Schedule Data. Watch or Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Youtube.
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