Line of balance template (Excel)

What is a line of balance template?

Line of balance (LOB) is a scheduling method used in construction projects to coordinate the phasing of different construction activities and maintain the flow of work. It involves creating a timeline of the activities that need to be performed and ensuring that sufficient resources and manpower are available at the right time to complete each activity as planned. 

The line of balance helps to identify potential bottlenecks and adjust the schedule accordingly to avoid delays and ensure the project is completed on time.

This is extremely useful for construction projects that consist of repetitive steps, such as building high-rise apartments, house builds, long roads, tunnels, or railways.

Download your line of balance Excel template below. 

What is the purpose of a line of balance in construction?

A line of balance has four main purposes, each of which should make project management easier and more efficient:

• To compare an objective with real progress: A line of balance allows you to see how the project is going in comparison to your original predictions, to see whether you are on track, behind, or ahead of schedule.
  
  
• Examine knock-on effects: If a project has deviated from specific plans, a line of balance can help you understand the extent of the deviation and what knock-on effects may occur. This action can help prevent issues and further delays in the future.
  
  
• Identity problem areas: A line of balance can highlight areas of your project that are causing an issue, and corrective action might be needed in a much quicker manner, which will save your project time and money in the long run.
  
  
• Forecasting: Finally, a line of balance allows you to estimate how the rest of the project will perform and offers more data for an even clearer idea of when the project will get completed.
  
  

Using a line of balance has many benefits for your project management, including:

• Optimised resource allocation: An LOB allows you to allocate resources where needed for repeated work activities and remove them where they are surplus.
  
  
• Cost-effectiveness: An LOB offers plenty of information to help your projects become cost and time-effective.
  
  
• Subcontractor management: With more information on a project's timings, you can easily manage your subcontractor timings and resources.
  
  
• Prevent issues before they occur: Thanks to the predictions you can pull from your LOB, you can identify issues in advance and prevent them before they occur.