The Construction Industry Has Pulled All Wrong

The lean community has long emphasized the concept of pull. In theory, it sounds like a powerful principle. Work is driven by demand, materials arrive just in time, and tasks begin only when the next process is ready. At first glance, it seems clean and efficient. But here is the truth: in construction, the way we talk about pull is fundamentally wrong.

The reason is simple. Construction is not like manufacturing software or even automotive assembly. We deal with long supply chains, complex procurement cycles, and multi-trade coordination. Pretending that pull alone can drive projects forward ignores the reality of how our industry actually works.

Take customer demand, for example. Lean literature often describes pull as responding to customer needs in real time. That may work in consumer markets, but in construction the customer’s demand is already locked in the moment an RFP or RFQ is awarded. The owner does not need to signal each phase of the project. They want the building finished as soon as possible, and we know this from day one. So in our context, pull is not about forecasting what the customer might need. It is about aligning the supply chain and production systems so that the next trade has exactly what they need, exactly when they need it.

This is where many interpretations of the Last Planner System get it wrong. The way it is often taught suggests that predictive planning is wasteful or anti-lean. That is a mistake. With today’s fractured scopes, long procurement cycles, and specialized trades, predictive planning is not optional. Without it, the system collapses.

Imagine electrical switchgear. Manufacturing and delivering it can take 15 to 24 months. If you wait to order until the electrical room is complete, you are already two years too late. The trigger is not the room being ready. The trigger is the decision to release procurement years earlier. Yet many Last Planner discussions in the field act as if we can wait until downstream demand pulls it forward. That approach leaves teams scrambling without materials, without information, and without alignment.

This is why we cannot rely on pull in isolation. Pull works when lead times are short, when processes are flexible, and when production is repeatable. It works in software or design, where adjustments can be made rapidly. But construction requires both predictive planning and pull. It is long-term and short-term working together. It is forecasting to align supply chains and then using pull to refine commitments in the field.

The truth is, every successful construction project is built on the foundation of strong preconstruction planning. That means first planner sessions that map out strategies, macro-level tact plans that set the rhythm, production simulations that stress-test the approach, and supply chain coordination that ensures the right materials arrive at the right time. Then and only then does pull come in. Weekly work plans, lookaheads, and daily huddles allow crews to refine the exact start dates, adjust commitments, and execute with precision.

When lean teachers dismiss predictive planning, they confuse people. They say, do not plan too much, just wait until you are closer. But this is a false choice. Construction is not new. There is nothing we build today that has not been built before. We know how long it takes to install curtain walls, we know how to sequence multifamily interiors, we know the lead times for switchgear. Pretending otherwise does not make projects leaner, it just makes them riskier.

Just-in-time delivery is another area where concepts get twisted. The phrase is often misapplied to mean materials should arrive directly at the workforce only when needed. That is a dangerous oversimplification. On many projects, a laydown yard is the only way to ensure critical materials like imported tile or exterior curtain wall are on hand well in advance. The small cost of storage is nothing compared to the chaos of missing materials on install day. Just-in-time should mean moving resources from staging to point of use at the right moment, not waiting until the last second to bring them across the ocean.

Pull has its place. It brings flexibility, collaboration, and responsiveness. It ensures trades are not forced to start before they are ready. But it is not the master principle for construction. It is a secondary concept, one that must work alongside tact planning, forecasting, and strong preconstruction strategies.

The construction industry has this concept wrong because we keep lifting it from manufacturing without translating it to our reality. When we do that, we create confusion, delays, and frustration in the field. The better path is clear: start with predictive planning, align your supply chains, build a strong tact plan, and then let pull refine commitments at the short interval. That is how we deliver projects reliably, efficiently, and without chaos.

We must stop teaching that pull replaces predictive planning. It does not. Pull and forecasting are partners, not competitors. Tact and Last Planner together create flow. Predictive planning aligns the supply chain. Pull keeps the field execution honest. Put them together, and you have a system that works.

That is the future of construction. That is how we finally get lean right.

Key Takeaway
Pull alone will not deliver construction projects. Success comes from combining predictive planning, tact, and pull so that long supply chains and short interval commitments align seamlessly.