Takt Steering & Control Book – Resource Constraints

Understanding Resource Constraints in Construction

Eliahu Goldratt defined constraints as anything that limits a system from achieving higher performance versus its goal.

In construction, constraints are everywhere resources, labor, environment, risks, quality, space, cost, scope, schedule, or regulations. The key is not to treat them as “acts of God” but as challenges we can anticipate, manage, and neutralize. When one limiting factor is reduced, we move to the next, continuously improving the flow.

With Takt Steering, we push the fight upstream to smooth out challenges before they ripple downstream. The goal of Takt Planning is simple: prepare the phase and manage flow at the production level.

Think of your project like a train:

• Engine: Phase planning and preparation that clears the path ahead.
• Boxcars/Wagons: Work packages aligned by takt time and zone density.
• Distance Between Wagons: Proper trade spacing to maintain flow.
• Caboose: Finishing, inspection, and demobilization completed before moving on.

When everything is aligned, trades move at the same pace, zones flow in sequence, and projects achieve remarkable efficiency. But when something’s off, constraints appear.

Let’s look at the most common resource (train) constraints and how to address them:

1. Lack of Phase Preparation

If trades show up without proper pre-construction meetings, pull planning, or look ahead planning, chaos follows scrambling for materials, wasted time, and inefficiency gaps.

• First Planners: Design pull plans, schedule pre-con meetings, and prepare trades before they step into the first zone.
• Last Planners: Stop firefighting, Reroute energy to trade preparation early and hold daily alignment sessions.

2. Varying Speeds Among Trades

When one trade moves faster or slower, it creates bottlenecks. The slowest wagon sets the pace for everyone.

• First Planners: Balance crew size, scope, and duration. Align takt times across trades.
• Last Planners: If a mismatch occurs in the field, huddle quickly, adjust crews, or isolate the delay to recover flow.

3. Improper Takt Time

Takt time sets the rhythm of work. Too much buffer wastes time; too little creates chaos.

• First Planners: Ensure 5–20% buffer within each sequence. Confirm staging, mobilization, and cleanup fit into the takt window.
• Last Planners: Adjust takt time if necessary, but confirm end dates and supply chain alignment before doing so.

4. Incorrect Sequence

Work packages in the wrong order cause delays and rework.

• First Planners: Validate sequences with historical data, involve trades in pull planning, and always run forward and backward passes.
• Last Planners: If discovered mid project, coordinate fixes quickly, redo pull plans, and realign the recovery plan across zones.

5. Missing Resources

Even if trades are ready, missing materials can stall progress. This usually stems from late procurement or lack of inventory buffers.

• First Planners: Begin procurement early, monitor logs weekly, and align delivery dates with buffers.
• Last Planners: Track procurement closely, escalate delays, and exhaust backup options to keep work flowing.

6. Lack of Buffers

Buffers whether time, materials, or resources protect against risk. Without them, projects spiral into delays.

• First Planners: Always plan with buffers, even if contracts resist it. Optimize to the norm to protect milestones.
• Last Planners: Late fixes are difficult, but rezoning or gaining time extensions may help. Never accept zero buffer planning.

Final Thoughts

Each of these constraints is like a kink in the train. By anticipating, preparing, and aligning at both the planning and execution levels, we can keep projects flowing with remarkable consistency. Tack Steering provides the framework to shift problems upstream so crews in the field can focus on building, not firefighting.

Key Takeaway

Constraints aren’t roadblocks they’re signals. By anticipating resource constraints through proper takt planning, buffers, and alignment, construction teams can smooth flow, prevent chaos, and deliver projects with greater reliability.