Building Projects That Flow, Lessons from Hal Macomber on Takt Construction
In this blog, I sat down with one of our most insightful guests, Hal Macomber, to explore the mindset, preparation, and execution strategies that make Takt Construction not just possible, but powerful. Hal has been a mentor to our team, and this conversation dove deep into the realities of delivering flow-based construction in the real world.
We started by talking about the difference between planning and execution. As Hal explained, success in Takt Construction doesn’t come from getting the plan perfect on day one, because in reality, you’ll never have all the answers at the start. Designs evolve, supply sources shift, and teams change. The real power comes from execution at the work face, with the people holding the tools, installing materials, and directly supporting those crews.
Hal compared it to sailing from Boston to Maine, you can plot a course, but the seas, winds, and weather will constantly change. The key is steering and course correcting while keeping your destination in sight. That’s where steering and control in Takt becomes essential.
We discussed the foundation of Takt Construction: it’s built on nearly 100 years of production theory from 12 key industry “luminaries” leaders like W. Edwards Deming, Sir John Kingman, and Eliyahu Goldratt, whose work on variation, capacity, and throughput forms the backbone of sound production systems. Unlike CPM, Takt actually aligns with these proven principles.
One big takeaway from Hal: constraints are your friend if you choose them early and as a system.
That means:
- Selecting big-ticket systems (building frame, HVAC, vertical transportation, etc.) before design begins.
- Using set-based design to evaluate multiple options before committing.
- Bringing trade partners on board early ideally a year in advance and ensuring they’re trained and practiced in Takt before stepping foot on your site.
We also touched on material lead times. Instead of accepting “that’s just how long it takes,” you can design packages and choose suppliers to fit your production rhythm. In one Boston project, Hal’s team ordered the steel package before schematic design because waiting would have made their 28-month deadline impossible.
The core message? Takt Construction isn’t just a scheduling technique. It’s a project-wide production system that requires intentional design decisions, early trade involvement, and relentless focus on execution in the field.
Key Takeaway
Perfect plans don’t build projects, adaptive execution does. In Takt Construction, early constraint selection, set-based design, and trade partner preparation create the structure. Steering and control at the work face make it succeed.
If you want to learn more we have:
-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here)
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here)
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)
Discover Jason’s Expertise:
Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.
On we go
