Support / Updating & baselines
Check Schedule Quality with DCMA 14-Point Validation
Owners, lenders, and claims reviewers judge a schedule by its quality before they read its dates. Analysis ▾ → Validation runs the common checks and lists every problem with a link to the activity.
The DCMA 14-point table
The header shows the number of open warnings and the DCMA pass rate. The table lists each check, its result, and the metric:
| # | Check | Passes when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Logic | Nearly every activity has a predecessor and a successor |
| 2 | Leads | No negative lags |
| 3 | Lags | 5% or fewer of links have lag |
| 4 | Relationship types | At least 90% are finish-to-start |
| 5 | Hard constraints | 5% or fewer activities |
| 6 | High float | 5% or fewer activities have more than 44 days of total float |
| 7 | Negative float | None |
| 8 | High duration | 5% or fewer activities are longer than 44 days |
| 9 | Invalid dates | No actuals after the data date and no forecasts before it |
| 10 | Resources | Informational |
| 11 | Missed tasks | Informational |
| 12 | Critical path test | The critical path holds together |
| 13 | CPLI | Critical path length index |
| 14 | BEI | Informational |
Checks 10, 11, and 14 are shown for completeness and always pass. CPLI is an approximation and isn't baseline-based. Use the table as a quality screen, not a formal DCMA audit.
The blog has a full walkthrough of the DCMA 14-point assessment.
Warnings and quick fixes
Below the table, each warning has Go to, Dismiss, and often a fix button:
| Warning | Fix button |
|---|---|
| No predecessor (dangling start) | Link FS from start |
| No successor (dangling finish) | Link FS to finish |
| Start-to-finish link | Convert to FS |
| Negative lag, or lag over 20 days | Set lag to 0, or Delete link |
| Missing calendar | Assign default calendar |
| Procurement item with no successor | Link FS to install / finish |
Other warnings include negative float, long durations, in-progress work with no forecast, past finishes with no actual dates, missed deadlines, and overdue material deliveries.
Dismiss warnings you've reviewed and accept, like recurring meetings with no successor, so the list stays useful.
When to run it
Before you capture a baseline, after every update, and before you send a schedule to the owner.