Are You Submitting Guesses or Collaboration?

You submit a proposal with CPM schedule. Hundreds of activities. Complex logic ties. Work breakdown structure. Critical path highlighted. Owner looks at it confused. Can’t understand it. Has to trust that single person without consulting them has been able to guess what they want perfectly. Here’s what you’re actually saying: we had one person detail this plan without the input of the team and are now asking you to trust that this single person without first consulting you has been able to guess what you want perfectly. That’s CPM proposal. Conversely, submitting a Takt plan conveys: our team has sketched out in the simplest and most engaging manner possible what we feel it will take to build this project and in this format we can quickly collaborate with you to better accomplish your needs. We were able to weigh in on this together as a team and were ready to win together by discussing this plan. Proposing with Takt plans is brilliant. It’s fast, collaborative, readily understood by owners with contextual explanations. Shows wisdom and experience of proposing builder. Most often majority of team understands Takt plan. Designer and CM can sit down using best knowledge to sketch what new options would do to affect schedule. This is precisely why Takt is so effective at schematic design stage. Fast, practical, relevant. Wonder how schedule updates can actually be real-time unless done using Takt planning. Additionally, saving countless days from redoing CPM schedule. More capacity for constructability reviews, coordination, integration, design pull planning, design scrum, cost estimation, target value design.

Here’s what most teams miss. They think detailed CPM schedule in proposal phase shows expertise. More activities means more thorough analysis. Complex logic demonstrates scheduling capability. But actually it shows opposite. Detailing large master schedule at conceptual design is not only waste of time, it’s useless, distracting, and irresponsible. Not possible to detail project with small activity durations or detailed logic without either design or planning elements developed unless you use system like Takt with historical production rates and process analysis. CPM schedule is single person’s guess disconnected from team and owner. Takt plan is team’s collaborative sketch ready for owner input. One shows arrogance. Other shows wisdom. One requires trust in single person. Other invites collaboration. Different messages. Different results.

The challenge is most teams never learned Takt is better at every phase. Proposal phase: Takt shows overall project approach of how general program spaces and building types can be built in local region becoming useful tool for collaborating directly with owners. Schematic design: Takt fast, nimble, real-time when design changing shapes, sizes, features, materials, configurations. Design development: Takt paired with logistics plan, zone maps, basis of schedule as most work-intensive part of plan development occurs. Construction documents: Takt finalized, included in prime agreement as exhibit, ready for Fresh Eyes and contract. Construction: Takt creates drumbeat for everything else on project. Every phase. Different purpose. Same system. But teams taught CPM is standard when actually Takt is better from proposal through closeout.

Takt in Proposal Phase: Show Wisdom, Not Guesses

Takt planning is implemented in the proposal phases of a project. This fast and collaborative method can be easily formatted and is readily understood by the owners or selection committee with some contextual explanations. Submitting a proposal with a Takt plan also shows the wisdom and experience of the proposing builder.

Detailing a large master schedule at conceptual design or schematic design is not only a waste of time, it is useless, distracting and irresponsible. It is not possible to detail a project with small activity durations or detailed logic without either the design or planning elements developed unless you use a system like Takt with historical production rates and a process analysis. A Takt plan is the best way.

It will show, according to experience, the overall project approach of how general program spaces and building types can be built in the local region. It becomes a useful tool for collaborating directly with the owners, allowing them to advance their interests and agenda.

Submitting a CPM schedule is like saying: we had one person detail this plan without the input of the team and are now asking you to trust that this single person without first consulting you has been able to guess what you want perfectly.

Conversely, submitting a Takt plan conveys: our team has sketched out in the simplest and most engaging manner possible what we feel it will take to build this project and in this format we can quickly collaborate with you to better accomplish your needs. We were able to weigh in on this together as a team and were ready to win together by discussing this plan.

Takt in Schematic Design: Fast, Nimble, Real-Time

Proposing with Takt plans is brilliant and it gets even easier when it provides real-time feedback to designers in concept and schematic design. Takt planning in schematic design is fast, nimble, and real-time.

When design is changing shapes, sizes, features, materials, and configurations, very few have the motivation or time to update a complex CPM network to provide any kind of useful data to the designers. In contrast, Takt is easy to use and many designers and stakeholders can quickly learn how to use and adjust the Takt plan themselves. Most often the majority of the team understands the Takt plan.

Using Takt makes it easier for the designer and the CM at risk, design build, or integrated partner to sit down and use their best knowledge to sketch out what new options and changes would do to affect the schedule. This is precisely why Takt is so effective at this stage of design. It is fast, practical, and relevant.

In fact, it is a wonder how schedule updates can actually be real-time unless they are done using Takt planning. Additionally, we are saving the countless days it would take to continue redoing a CPM schedule. Therefore, your scheduling department or builders will have more capacity to delight while the owner is in pre-construction.

This means more time for constructability reviews, coordination, integration, design pull planning, design scrum, cost estimation, and target value design management as you head into design development.

Takt in Design Development: Most Work-Intensive Development

In the design development phase, the Takt plan should be paired with the logistics plan, Takt zone maps, and basis of schedule. The most work-intensive part of the Takt plan development occurs here:

• Finalize the project strategy.
• Identify constraints: building, owner, weather, sequence.
• Incorporate contract requirements, Division 1 specs, and other owner requirements into the plan.
• Identify flow, sequence, and breakout areas of the project.
• Perform a Takt analysis of major phases of the project: foundations, structure, exterior, interiors.
• Perform a day-to-day geographical analysis for needed areas, especially for basements or tight sites.
• Build your Takt plan.
• Perform an analysis on bottleneck activities.
• Consider using production rates from historical data.
• Schedule and supporting systems: dry in, air on, MEP, etc.
• Make procurement strategy.
• Add procurement to the schedule and begin procurement meetings weekly.
• Consider regional constraints such as weather, permitting, workforce capabilities.
• Review plan with wider team to review safety and quality as a part of the schedule.
• Detail out MEP, startup, commissioning, balancing, life safety testing, and fire protection testing.
• Set up pull planning sessions to map out detail at the right times.
• Get trade partner input and buy-in for the schedule when possible.
• Agree on milestones with a wider team and owner.

Most of the plan is developed in this phase. It is best practiced to at least begin full-scale efforts at 50% design and development to prepare for the construction documents phase.

Takt in Construction Documents: Finalize and Baseline

In this phase, the builders and first planners are finalizing all aspects of the plan and ensuring all key parts of the plan are finalized. The common actions in this phase are:

• Hold Fresh Eyes and risk meeting with the team.
• Develop the roadblock removal system.
• Establish baseline Takt plans with the owner.
• Establish owner interface and management strategy.

The key for this stage is to be ready for the Fresh Eyes, contract, and NTP so that it is included in the prime agreement as an exhibit in any subcontracts. This will allow the team as much leverage as possible when running the project.

Running the Project with Takt: The Meeting System

The meeting system is designed to scale communication from the first planners through to and past the last planners to the workers. No plan is well supported unless there is a system to get it all the way to the people installing the work.

Really, Takt is the best first planner system, and the system used for last planners can be either Takt Control, Last Planner, or Scrum.

Morning Worker Huddle

The morning worker huddle encompasses the entire project site. For large projects, major divisions of workers by functional area huddle together every morning to form a social group with a project management team in an exchange of communication regarding expectations and needs.

Workers should leave the huddle with clarity and a greater understanding of how to succeed on site, how to be safe, and feeling connected to the overall plan.

Crew Preparation Huddle (15-25 Minutes)

The purpose for the crew preparation huddle is to prepare the crew for the work. This takes place right after the worker huddle on the floor, area, or building where that crew is working. This will be done with foreman for that crew and crew workers working without foreman. This is an opportunity for the foreman to line out workers in a remarkable way to execute the work.

Agenda includes:

• Positive shout outs.
• Safety training topic.
• Standard work step documentation review.
• Share two second lean improvements from the day before.
• Walk area of work and plan for safety.
• Fill out pre-task plans, orient, and sign.
• 5S your work area.
• Gather all tools and needed equipment to prevent treasure hunts.
• Safe off work areas, go to work, and execute according to standard work steps.

The Integrated Production Control System

The Integrated Production Control System is a field project management approach that supports preparation, teaming, a good environment, and accountability.

It has the word integrated because it involves the entire team with total participation. It is not a command and control system from one or a few people. It has the word control in it because the on-site superintendents, field engineers, and foremen must control the site once the team has decided on the plan. It has the word production in it because the aim is to increase the productivity of workers as its ultimate goal.

Therefore, the Integrated Production Control System is a field project management approach that uses the genius of the team to control the increase of production on the project site.

The Integrated Production Control System presumes that the project team’s first priority is to create respect and stability for the workers, then from there they can continuously improve. A worker needs to know what he or she is building, how to install it, where to put it, the materials, the equipment, a clean environment, a safe environment. That system will work on any project in any area at any time.

The System Failed You

Let’s be clear. When teams submit detailed CPM schedules in proposal phase, it’s not entirely their fault. The system failed by teaching that more detail shows more expertise when actually detailing large master schedule at conceptual design is waste of time, useless, distracting, irresponsible. Nobody showed that not possible to detail project without design or planning elements developed unless using Takt with historical production rates and process analysis. Nobody explained that CPM schedule says single person’s guess when Takt plan says team’s collaborative sketch. The system taught detail shows expertise when actually collaboration shows wisdom.

The system also failed by not teaching Takt is fast, nimble, real-time during schematic design. If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow. When design changing shapes, sizes, features, materials, configurations, few have motivation to update complex CPM network. But Takt easy to use. Designers and stakeholders can quickly learn to adjust plan themselves. Designer and CM can sit down using best knowledge to sketch what new options would do to schedule. Schedule updates can be real-time. Saving countless days from redoing CPM. More capacity for constructability reviews, coordination, integration. The system taught CPM is standard when actually Takt is better at every design phase.

The system fails by not teaching meeting system scaling communication from first planners to workers. No plan well supported unless there’s system getting it all the way to people installing work. Morning worker huddle for entire project site. Workers leave with clarity understanding how to succeed, how to be safe, feeling connected to overall plan. Crew preparation huddle 15-25 minutes preparing crew for work, safety training, standard work steps, 5S work area. The system taught plan is enough when actually need meeting system scaling communication getting plan to workers.

The Challenge

Here’s your assignment. Stop submitting single person’s guesses. Start submitting team’s collaborative sketches.

Propose with Takt plans. Fast, collaborative method readily understood by owners with contextual explanations. Shows wisdom and experience of proposing builder. Shows overall project approach of how general program spaces can be built in local region. Becomes useful tool for collaborating directly with owners allowing them to advance their interests. Team sketched simplest engaging manner ready to collaborate versus single person detailed without team input asking to trust their guess.

Use Takt during schematic design. Fast, nimble, real-time when design changing. Easy to use. Designers and stakeholders can learn to adjust plan themselves. Makes easier for designer and CM to sit down using best knowledge to sketch what new options would do to schedule. Schedule updates can be real-time. Save countless days from redoing CPM. More capacity for constructability reviews, coordination, integration, design pull planning, design scrum, cost estimation, target value design.

Develop plan during design development. Pair Takt plan with logistics plan, zone maps, basis of schedule. Finalize strategy, identify constraints, incorporate requirements, identify flow and sequence, perform Takt analysis of major phases, build plan, perform bottleneck analysis, use historical production rates, add procurement with weekly meetings, consider regional constraints, get trade partner input and buy-in, agree on milestones. Most work-intensive part of development. Begin at 50% design development.

Finalize during construction documents. Hold Fresh Eyes and risk meeting. Develop roadblock removal system. Establish baseline Takt plans with owner. Ready for contract and NTP. Include in prime agreement as exhibit in subcontracts. Allows team maximum leverage when running project.

Implement meeting system scaling communication. Morning worker huddle for entire project site. Workers leave with clarity understanding how to succeed, how to be safe, feeling connected to overall plan. Crew preparation huddle 15-25 minutes preparing crew for work. Safety training, standard work steps, 5S work area, gather tools, fill out pre-task plans. Get plan all the way to workers installing work.

Create respect and stability for workers first priority. Worker needs to know: what building, how to install, where to put it, materials, equipment, clean environment, safe environment. Then continuously improve from that foundation.

From proposal through closeout, Takt is better. Use it.

On we go.

FAQ

Why is Takt better than CPM in proposal phase?

CPM says: one person detailed without team input, trust single person’s guess. Takt says: team sketched simplest engaging manner, ready to collaborate with owner. Takt fast, collaborative, readily understood. Shows wisdom and experience. Shows overall approach of how spaces can be built in local region. Becomes useful tool for collaborating directly with owners.

How does Takt work during schematic design?

Fast, nimble, real-time when design changing shapes, sizes, features, materials, configurations. Easy to use. Designers and stakeholders can learn to adjust plan themselves. Designer and CM can sit down using best knowledge to sketch what new options would do to schedule. Schedule updates can be real-time. Saves countless days from redoing CPM.

What happens during design development?

Most work-intensive part of Takt plan development. Pair with logistics plan, zone maps, basis of schedule. Finalize strategy, identify constraints, incorporate requirements, identify flow and sequence, perform Takt analysis of major phases, build plan, perform bottleneck analysis, add procurement with weekly meetings, get trade partner input and buy-in, agree on milestones. Begin at 50% design development.

What is the Integrated Production Control System?

Field project management approach supporting preparation, teaming, good environment, accountability. Integrated: involves entire team with total participation. Control: on-site superintendents, field engineers, foremen must control site. Production: aim is increase productivity of workers as ultimate goal. Uses genius of team to control increase of production on project site.

What’s the crew preparation huddle?

Fifteen to 25 minutes preparing crew for work after worker huddle. Agenda: positive shout outs, safety training topic, standard work step documentation review, share two second lean improvements, walk area and plan for safety, fill out pre-task plans, 5S work area, gather tools preventing treasure hunts, safe off work areas, execute according to standard work steps.