Anticipate Trade Arrival

Trades Arriving Should Be a Big Deal (The Countdown Clock to the Next Trade Partner)

I have a really cool topic. This won’t take very long, but this is a really, really, really cool concept, in my opinion, and it’s really a mindset. I’ve been talking a lot about lately about how I would queue workers and equipment and vehicles and materials and wouldn’t let anything into the project site unless it was 5S’d and super Lean, and I stand by that. I would 100% do that.

Kate’s Rant: You’re Trapped in a Lean Culture in Japan

In fact, Kate was, and this is kind of fun, it’s not meant to be critical, but I’m trying everything I can to at home be as Lean as possible and to do a good job with my life and family and everything else like that, but she was kind of ranting at me a little bit, which she deserves to do.

She was like, “We’re not Lean, we’re not Lean, we’re not Lean. You can’t be Lean unless you’re in a culture where everybody’s participating, and it’s just, we’re focused on trying to be really open and loving and accepting of children and have a really safe place, and that means that sometimes it’s not as disciplined as maybe a Lean culture would on a construction site, right?”

She said this morning, “When you’re in Japan, you are trapped in a Lean culture. You’re trapped in a Lean culture.” She’s like, “I’m not criticizing the Japanese, but you literally, you’re not like forced into slavery or obedience or anything else like that, but the culture is so strong, you’re trapped. You have to be Lean.”

And I agree with her, and that’s why sometimes it’s hard. I’m constantly trying to fix the house and get things clean and just like trying to be Lean, but we’re not there because it’s not total participation.

Queuing Workers Forces Lean Culture (But Not in a Mean Way)

So queuing workers, equipment, and resources does force the Lean culture and the total participation, but not in a mean way, and this blog that I’m doing right now, it ties into that.

It should be a big deal when a trade is about to arrive on site. That means for the first time, and that means it’s kind of like a countdown clock. It’s like, here’s the countdown clock for the next milestone. Here’s the countdown clock for the overall project, but here’s the countdown clock to the next arriving new trade partner.

Why It Should Be a Big Deal: Receive, Instruct, Orient, Align

Why? Because when we get there, somebody’s got to be on point to receive and help them with their vehicles. Somebody’s got to be there on point to receive and instruct them, and this could be your water spider, but at least welcoming them, but like to receive their first shipment with them of their materials and show them how to kit and inspect the materials.

And somebody’s got to receive basically the crew in orientation and show them where to go. It’s literally the alignment phase, and so your water spider is going to do it, but maybe as a team, if your superintendent’s not there that day, then an assistant superintendent would cover. Maybe the PM would cover one day.

The Countdown Clock: Appreciate, Create Remarkable Experience, Align, Orient

But it should be a countdown clock, and it’d be a big deal that their trade’s coming:

A, because we appreciate them and want them.

B, because we want to create a remarkable experience for them.

C, because we need to align and orient.

And D, because we need to make sure that nothing workers, behaviors, materials, tools, equipment come on site until we are oriented and aligned in the Lean way, then they get past the second gate.

Implementation: Make Anticipation a Big Deal

So I don’t know exactly how that looks in implementation, but it’s an amazing concept that I think we should implement. Let’s make sure that the anticipation of trades is a big deal, noticed, anticipated, and that we create a remarkable experience for them first time out of the gate.

Here’s why trades arriving should be a big deal:

• Countdown clock to next arriving trade partner: like countdown to next milestone – Should be big deal when trade about to arrive on site. Means for first time, and means it’s kind of like countdown clock. Here’s countdown clock for next milestone. Here’s countdown clock for overall project, but here’s countdown clock to next arriving new trade partner. Should be countdown clock, and be big deal that their trade’s coming.
• Receive workers, vehicles, materials: show how to kit and inspect materials – When get there, somebody’s got to be on point to receive and help them with their vehicles. Somebody’s got to be there on point to receive and instruct them, and this could be your water spider, but at least welcoming them, but like to receive their first shipment with them of their materials and show them how to kit and inspect the materials. Somebody’s got to receive basically crew in orientation and show them where to go.
• Alignment phase: water spider, assistant superintendent, or PM can cover – It’s literally alignment phase, and so your water spider is going to do it, but maybe as team, if your superintendent’s not there that day, then assistant superintendent would cover. Maybe PM would cover one day. Should be countdown clock, and be big deal that their trade’s coming.
• Appreciate them, create remarkable experience, align and orient before second gate – Big deal that their trade’s coming, A, because we appreciate them and want them, B, because we want to create remarkable experience for them, C, because we need to align and orient, and D, because we need to make sure that nothing workers, behaviors, materials, tools, equipment come on site until we are oriented and aligned in Lean way, then they get past second gate.
• Queuing forces Lean culture and total participation (but not in mean way) – Queuing workers, equipment, and resources does force Lean culture and total participation, but not in mean way. Kate said: “You can’t be Lean unless you’re in culture where everybody’s participating. When you’re in Japan, you are trapped in Lean culture. Culture is so strong, you’re trapped. You have to be Lean.” That’s why sometimes it’s hard. Trying to be Lean, but we’re not there because it’s not total participation.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

A Challenge for Superintendents

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Make it a big deal when a trade is about to arrive on site. Create countdown clock to next arriving new trade partner. Like countdown clock for next milestone, like countdown clock for overall project.

Have somebody on point to receive and help them with their vehicles. Somebody on point to receive and instruct them. This could be your water spider, but at least welcoming them. Receive their first shipment with them of their materials and show them how to kit and inspect the materials.

Receive crew in orientation and show them where to go. It’s literally alignment phase. Water spider going to do it, but maybe as team, if superintendent’s not there that day, then assistant superintendent would cover. Maybe PM would cover one day.

Make it big deal that their trade’s coming because: (A) we appreciate them and want them, (B) we want to create remarkable experience for them, (C) we need to align and orient, and (D) we need to make sure that nothing workers, behaviors, materials, tools, equipment come on site until we are oriented and aligned in Lean way, then they get past second gate.

Queue workers, equipment, and resources. This forces Lean culture and total participation, but not in mean way. Don’t let anything into project site unless it’s 5S’d and super Lean. Orientation and alignment before second gate.

Make sure anticipation of trades is big deal, noticed, anticipated, and that we create remarkable experience for them first time out of gate.

As we say at Elevate, trades arriving should be big deal: countdown clock, receive workers and materials, orientation, alignment. Create remarkable experience first time out gate.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should trades arriving be a big deal?

Should be countdown clock to next arriving new trade partner. Like countdown clock for next milestone, for overall project. Big deal because: (A) we appreciate them and want them, (B) we want to create remarkable experience for them, (C) we need to align and orient, and (D) we need to make sure nothing workers, behaviors, materials, tools, equipment come on site until oriented and aligned in Lean way, then get past second gate.

Who should receive trades when they arrive?

Somebody’s got to be on point to receive and help them with their vehicles. Somebody on point to receive and instruct them. This could be your water spider, but at least welcoming them. Receive their first shipment of materials and show them how to kit and inspect. Receive crew in orientation and show them where to go. Water spider going to do it, but if superintendent’s not there, assistant superintendent would cover. Maybe PM would cover one day.

What is the alignment phase?

It’s literally alignment phase. Receive workers, vehicles, materials. Show how to kit and inspect materials. Receive crew in orientation and show them where to go. Make sure nothing workers, behaviors, materials, tools, equipment come on site until oriented and aligned in Lean way, then get past second gate.

How does queuing force Lean culture?

Queuing workers, equipment, and resources does force Lean culture and total participation, but not in mean way. Can’t be Lean unless in culture where everybody’s participating. In Japan, trapped in Lean culture. Culture is so strong, you’re trapped. You have to be Lean. Queuing creates that total participation.

What should happen before trades get past the second gate?

Make sure that nothing workers, behaviors, materials, tools, equipment come on site until we are oriented and aligned in Lean way, then they get past second gate. Don’t let anything into project site unless it’s 5S’d and super Lean. Orientation and alignment first.