Elevating Construction Takt Planning – Part ‪4

The Team That Said Takt Does Not Work Because Riddled With Problems When Problems Were Always There Now We Can Do Something About Them

There is a team implementing Takt Planning for first time. Created Takt plan showing flow. Identified Takt zones. Established rhythm. Distributed plan to all foremen. Held trades accountable to dates. And immediately problems erupted. Coordination missing. RFIs stuck. Materials delayed. Information incomplete. Permits pending. Equipment unavailable. Trade stacking in zones. Sequence conflicts everywhere. So superintendent declared: this Takt system does not work. It is riddled with problems. Look at all these roadblocks. Look at this chaos. CPM never showed this many problems. Therefore Takt must be causing problems. We should go back to CPM where things were cleaner. And consultant stopped him. Said: Takt is only riddled with problems because it shows problems that were always there. Only difference is now we can do something about them. CPM hid these problems in complexity. Made you think you had clean schedule when you had chaotic reality. Roadblocks existed. You just could not see them until you crashed into them. Coordination was always missing. RFIs were always stuck. Materials were always delayed. Information was always incomplete. Permits were always pending. Equipment was always unavailable. Trades were always stacking. Sequences were always conflicting. But CPM let you adjust logic ties and hide negative float. Let you make well-hidden changes making problems disappear from view. Let you feel falsely content until evidence that team would not finish on time became irrefutable oftentimes too late. Takt forces hard conversations early. Shows reality within two to three days of accuracy. Makes impacts visible same day or week affecting rest of Takt train and corresponding throughput. And yes that is uncomfortable. Yes that creates tension. Yes that requires accountability trades are not used to. But this is good. Problems are not a problem. Thinking there are no problems is a problem. We all know every project has problems. Teams who identify them and remove them are most successful. Takt does good job bringing problems to surface because visually compels stability. Problems cause enduring roadblocks and delays. Work does not progress as planned and entire system immediately disrupted. In Takt system problems rise to surface easily because Takt is commitment-based system wherein unaccountable people crews’ trades and companies cannot flourish. Once people feel obligated to follow flow they will begin to find reasons why they cannot. Then you can help identify roadblocks. This is good as long as contractor can then meet commitment when project team removes roadblock. This action is similar to old Nintendo game called Duck Hunt. As ducks or roadblocks rise up we shoot them and remove them. This is game we play. Many new practitioners in Takt system will declare system does not work because riddled with problems. It is only riddled with problems because it shows problems that were always there. Only difference is now we can do something about them. And team understood. Kept implementing Takt. Problems kept surfacing. But now they removed them. Used roadblock maps. Held daily focus on clearing path. Made work ready instead of reacting to chaos. And project finished on time. Under budget. With remarkable stability. Not because Takt eliminated problems. But because Takt made problems visible so team could remove them before they destroyed flow. CPM hid problems. Takt shows problems. Hiding problems does not make them go away. Just makes you crash into them when too late to recover. Showing problems early gives you fighting chance to remove them before they impact work. That is why Takt works. Not in spite of showing problems. But because it shows problems.

Here is what happens when project teams confuse crash landing with controlled landing. Project falls four months behind schedule. Team recognizes compression needed. Has two choices. Option one: crash landing. Ignore compression too long. Significant damage already incurred and unavoidable. Does not create learning environment but rather creates caustic environment where flow ceases to exist and trust erodes as team members stop holding themselves and others accountable. Previously protected resources now spent in state of panic without consideration for value being purchased. Ultimately all involved pay price personally and professionally without learning from expensive experience. Project completed but ends in Pyrrhic victory meaning takes such heavy toll on victor that positive outweighed by negative experience. Minimizes any true sense of achievement and damages long-term progress. Team does not reach out for help. Project slides into firefighting and damage control mode. Short-sighted decisions made causing more long-term problems. Personal lives regarded as expendable or term “this is how it has always been” is present. Crash landing is non-learning environment. Lack of trust exists. Option two: controlled landing. Schedule compression recognized early enough to engage full company resources. Although still difficult controlled approach creates learning environment that builds trust accountability and preserves work-life balance while strategically planning financial expenditures. Project has intentional realistic end date. Coordinated path to finish with full cleanliness. Safety and quality awareness priority. Planned resource expenditures for best possible outcomes. Thoughtful workflow. And team holds to Takt system and philosophy. Because pushing only extends end date. Takt manpower analysis. Flow systems. Realistic dates optimizing flow within project duration. False choice is pushing to finish early or staying in flow to finish later. Real choice is between pushing finishing later being fooled or staying in flow finishing on time with shortest duration. Going faster will never come from pushing but going faster can come from turning dials. Crews’ crew sizes procurement prefabrication expediting costs information any other metric allowing project to be built within duration. Team chooses controlled landing. Implements Takt fully. Removes roadblocks systematically. Finishes on time. Learns from experience. Builds trust. Preserves personal lives. And succeeds not through panic but through flow. If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

The Clean and Steady Rally Cry

Clean and steady is call to action for entire project site especially when using Takt. If workers and crews can work in clean and steady environment they can work in flow. For project teams to realize full potential of system there needs to be common vocabulary common vision well-communicated goals and rally cry to galvanize actions of team. Clean and steady or limpio y constante. Why is this important? Goal of Takt system is not efficiency or production in silos. Goal is throughput of system efficiency of entire system success of entire project site. We are not clean just to be clean. We clean to find problems and see what we need to see. It brings problems to surface.

To accomplish this goal and focus we need to plan it first build it right and finish as you go. Instead of working in mad rush in CPM world that drives us as early as possible so we can fix everything we did not have time to build right first time better solution is to plan work first build it right within our durations and finish work as we go not waiting until later. Takt enables this because creates predictable rhythm that stimulates planning building and finishing. When schedule is chaotic no one knows when to plan it or has time to build it much less build it right. Conversely Takt enables team to make plan and stick to plan. Allows you to find and see roadblocks as first priority and to finish as you go as second.

All planning and design is predictable and in flow. If we are able to plan properly then we can build project correctly with right quality expectations. If people able to work in flow they know when next activity will begin and will have assurance they have time to finish their work. Chaos puts people in continual cycle of feeling they are behind and forces quick and shoddy work. Takt is ultimate finishing tool because all supportive elements are in place to enable success even iterative design.

The Meeting System That Scales Communication to Workers

Meeting system designed to scale communication from first planners through to and past last planners to workers. No plan is well supported unless there is system to get it all way to people installing work. Strategic Planning and Procurement Meeting: enact long-term strategic planning for project team to check manage update Takt plan prepare make-ready schedules from pull plans ensure procurement tracking to right dates. Manage delays and impacts. Update status of last week activities. Update Procurement Alignment. Analyze bottlenecks. Check Milestone Alignment. 3-12 week look-ahead review.

Trade Partner Weekly Tactical: plan for Takt production taking place next week. Very effective because Takt plan can be reviewed among team and focus can be on removal of roadblocks and roadblock maps in meeting. Key is to plan for next week by clearing path. Agenda includes positive shout outs. Lightning Round described in Patrick Lencioni’s Death by Meeting consisting of collection of bullet point agenda items obtained by going around room giving each person 30 seconds to make agenda additions. General Safety. Review Takt Plan. Review Last Week. Review Current Progress. Review Roadblock Maps reviewing all areas where work taking place next week focusing as team on removal of roadblocks. Review Key Milestones. Review Plus Delta.

Afternoon Foreman Huddle: plan next day with all last planners onsite. Make sure path to success for next day is 100% clear and represented visually for entire project. Positive shout outs. Lightning Round. Roadblock Review. How did we do yesterday and today? Discuss what winning looks like for tomorrow. Review Weekly Work Plan detailing every portion of tomorrow’s general plan for foreman and superintendents communicated visually. Safety focus for tomorrow. Logistics what is coming when where will it go. Inspections. Safety Observations. Permits. Weather. Plus Deltas.

Morning Worker Huddle: create social group with all workers on site win them over to project standards communicate plan for day particularly safety plan. Give Shout outs. Feedback requesting feedback from workers. Review plan for day in abbreviated format. Define Safety Focus for day. Review Safety Observation from previous day’s Reflection Walk. Owner Items. Cleanliness reiterating need for cleanliness and organization. Permits. Review deliveries and strategy. Review training for day. Weather. Huddles encouraging crew preparation huddles. Pretask Planning.

Crew Preparation Huddle: prepare crew for work. If first planners prepare Takt plan foreman or last planners prepare commitments on production level then workers carry out that plan and need to be prepared. Takes place right after worker huddle on floor area or building where that crew working. Opportunity for foreman to line out workers in remarkable way to execute work. 15-25 minutes. Positive Shout out. Safety Training Topic. Share two second lean improvements from day before. Walk area of work and plan for safety. Fill out PTPs. Orient and Sign Survey. 5S work area while foreman filling out PTPs: Sort Set in order Shine or sweep Standardize Sustain or self-discipline. Set up work area for success by eliminating eight wastes particularly Excess Inventory Wasted Transport Wasted Motion Treasure Hunts. Gather all tools and needed equipment to prevent treasure hunts. Safe Off Work Areas.

The 14 Elements of Integrated Control System

Integrated control system will be discussed briefly. Main point of system is that preparation teaming good environment and accountability are fertile ground for any scheduling system. When we plan it first build it right and finish as we go we get preparation team environment and accountable systems to do just that.

Preparation: 1. Intentional pre-construction efforts, day in pre-construction will save week in field hour in pre-construction well spent will save day in field. 2. Lean in contracts, all systems you plan to implement on project should be included in contracts key because it is what is right cannot surprise trade partners with systems they did not bid and plan for cannot expect to fully hold people accountable to systems unless contractually tied to it.

The team: 3. Win over workforce, every good system starts with building team as soon as team is together workers have to feel and actually be respected need remarkable bathrooms good lunchroom horizontal communication systems worker huddles clean and safe environment in addition to barbecues positive recognitions good parking smoking areas other basic needs creating sense of reciprocity allowing environment where everyone can buy in. 4. Build project management team, must have time to improve implement lean systems comes from training on personal organization implementing team balance and health through training and coverage systems team should reach out for help if needed but must be stability and capacity within team to be successful. 5. Orient people well, orientation of project workers and leaders key consideration everyone must be shown expectations given tools and information to succeed on project.

The environment: 6. Design remarkable interaction spaces, project runs well when everyone sees as group knows as group acts as group comes from interaction spaces such as gathering areas visual signage meeting rooms office areas huddle areas all designed well. 7. Create self-sustaining logistics systems, logistics onsite must be controlled to work optimally because production gained mostly through supply lines access to work ability to bring materials just in time scheduling coordination lay-down delivery hoisting of materials must be quick and support installation of work logistics supervisor with stable remarkable logistics systems needed to succeed. 8. Use meeting system to scale communication, team weekly tactical strategic planning and procurement meeting trade partner weekly tactical afternoon foreman huddle morning worker huddle crew preparation huddles key to scaling information all way to workers matters little how well first planners can plan unless last planners weigh in and workers understand plan as fully as possible. 9. Stabilized procurement and deliveries, procurement must be managed well and early on weekly basis with superintendent made to be predictable to have integrated control procurement must be one of main focuses of team.

Accountability: 10. An effective quality program, quality at its root is that foreman and workers understand what needs to be built and building it that way in verifiable environment when quality becomes visual easily understood and followed by workers main focus of project team meeting in point of release chart project team can implement quality in remarkable way instead of separate and forgotten process. 11. A daily issue correction system, issues need to be resolved on project site on daily basis use of texting systems or other technology that is addictive useful and fast can be used to identify issues and filter assignments quickly to people who will actually care for them daily corrections systems very effective when entire project team participates with trade foreman. 12. A roadblock removal system, primary focus of team should be identification and removal of roadblocks when systems such as this exist and PM Super and Executive all work daily to remove them then work is made ready and flow can continue throughout project. 13. Implement zero tolerance, no team will have operational control if they tolerate bad behavior law of thirds suggests one third of project will be bought in another third undecided remaining third will not be bought in by incentivizing good behavior and having positive culture on site most will transition to being bought in for those that will not there needs to be pay-to-play minimum standard elevating behavior and performance triggering removal of others who will not conform. 14. Grade contractors, one of best ways to be clear about expectations is to grade all contractors on site clear is kind unclear is unkind team performs best when everyone knows expectations and everyone held accountable to those standards visual grading of performance key in integrated control system cannot manage what cannot measure cannot be understated one of single best ways to elevate performance on project if you do not implement grading system you will not achieve results you want.

Signs Your Team Needs Takt Implementation

Watch for these patterns that signal you need Takt Planning with integrated control system:

• Superintendent spends 60% of day managing chaotic CPM schedule instead of 5% with Takt leaving 55% gain focused on preparing work identifying roadblocks removing roadblocks enabling builders to be builders
• Project team thinks problems mean system is broken when reality is Takt shows problems that were always there only difference is now team can do something about them before crashing into roadblocks
• Trades resist accountability claiming new system costs more when reality is CPM hides costs in chaos of trade financial tracking and Takt shows reality requiring legitimate bidding
• Workers do not see plan because information transfers stop at foreman level instead of scaling all way through morning worker huddles and crew preparation huddles achieving 75% visibility versus 50% with Last Planner alone
• Team chooses crash landing instead of controlled landing spending previously protected resources in state of panic without consideration for value being purchased creating Pyrrhic victory
• Procurement automated to CPM schedule that constantly changes interrupting supply chain bringing too much inventory to project too soon instead of weekly meetings checking against Takt plan and make-ready look-aheads

These are system problems not people problems. And system problems require system solutions. Takt Planning with integrated control system is that solution.

How to Build Takt Plans Practically

Building Takt plan starts with studying drawings not going straight to software. Big difference between builders who go straight to software versus builders who go straight to drawings. Latter method is only way to put things in proper order. As builder studies design and gets feel for flow sequence general strategic approach for project with others he or she will immediately see and identify Takt zones. Takt zones sometimes known as geographical areas or production areas are areas defined within building to identify work that will be scheduled for Takt wagon within Takt time. In order to get portions of work broken down to fit within drumbeat we have to break work up into zones that can be completed according to that drumbeat.

For instance in Phoenix Arizona best standard Takt zone for hospital laboratory or other complex program space is 10,000 square feet. In Phoenix depending on availability of manpower construction team can typically produce 10,000 square feet of interior space every 5 or 7 days with total process time within Takt train of 7.5 to 9 months from beginning to end. That means throughput is 10,000 square feet of interior space every 5 or 7 days. In Tucson if 10,000 square foot number used for Takt zones throughput is 10,000 of finished space every 10 days and Takt time is 5 days. Concrete usually follows same zones and exterior typically separated by exterior composition with relatively similar zones and geometric shapes.

Amount of Takt zones you have within overall duration of project or phase duration will help identify Takt time. Takt time is rate at which finished product needs to be completed in order to meet customer demand. Time scale of your Takt plan will essentially be your Takt time. These rates usually every 3 days 5 days 7 days or 10 days. Most common is 5 because represents work week and allows Saturday of that week to become contingency day. Think of Takt time like drumbeat of project.

The Challenge

Stop declaring Takt does not work because it shows problems. Start recognizing it shows problems that were always there so you can remove them before they destroy flow. Stop choosing crash landing spending resources in panic without learning. Start choosing controlled landing recognizing compression early engaging full company resources creating learning environment building trust. Stop hiding problems in CPM complexity thinking clean schedule means clean reality. Start surfacing problems with Takt so team can identify them early and remove them systematically. Stop limiting communication to foreman level achieving 50% worker visibility. Start scaling communication through meeting system achieving 75% worker comprehension through morning worker huddles and crew preparation huddles. Stop automating procurement to CPM schedule that constantly changes. Start managing procurement weekly with superintendent checking against Takt plan and make-ready look-aheads. Stop tolerating bad behavior letting unaccountable people flourish. Start implementing zero tolerance and contractor grading holding everyone accountable to clear expectations. Stop spending 60% of day managing chaotic schedule. Start spending 5% managing Takt plan and 55% preparing work identifying roadblocks and removing roadblocks enabling builders to be builders.

As the book teaches: clean and steady (limpio y constante). If workers and crews can work in clean and steady environment they can work in flow. Plan it first build it right finish as you go. Problems are not a problem. Thinking there are no problems is a problem. Duck Hunt analogy: as ducks or roadblocks rise up we shoot them and remove them. This is game we play. Many new practitioners in Takt system will declare system does not work because riddled with problems. It is only riddled with problems because it shows problems that were always there. Only difference is now we can do something about them. Flow is everything in construction. Absolutely everything when comes to effectiveness. If you do not have schedule with flow then you do not have anything. Takt planning is key. It has to be beginning of everything we do. On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does clean and steady (limpio y constante) mean?

Clean and steady is rally cry for entire project site especially when using Takt, if workers and crews can work in clean and steady environment they can work in flow, we are not clean just to be clean but clean to find problems and see what we need to see bringing problems to surface.

Why does Takt seem riddled with problems when first implemented?

Many new practitioners declare Takt does not work because riddled with problems but it is only riddled with problems because it shows problems that were always there, only difference is now we can do something about them before crashing into roadblocks when too late to recover.

What is difference between crash landing and controlled landing?

Crash landing: schedule compression ignored too long, significant damage unavoidable, caustic environment where flow ceases and trust erodes, resources spent in panic, Pyrrhic victory. Controlled landing: compression recognized early, full company resources engaged, learning environment building trust, work-life balance preserved, strategic financial planning, holds to Takt system because pushing only extends end date.

What are the 14 elements of Integrated Control System?

Preparation: intentional pre-construction, lean in contracts. Team: win over workforce, build project management team, and orient people well. Environment: remarkable interaction spaces, self-sustaining logistics, meeting system scaling communication, stabilized procurement. Accountability: effective quality program, daily issue correction, roadblock removal system, zero tolerance, grade contractors.

How does meeting system scale communication to workers?

Strategic planning and procurement meeting (long-term planning), trade partner weekly tactical (next week planning), afternoon foreman huddle (next day planning), morning worker huddle (create social group communicate safety and plan), crew preparation huddle (prepare crew for work with PTPs and 5S)—scales information all way from first planners through last planners to workers achieving 75% comprehension versus 50% with Last Planner alone.