A Superintendent’s Standing Orders!

Superintendent Moved Takt Wagon Early Thursday Instead Of Monday And Rippled Variation Through Everyone’s Plans Slowing Entire Team

Superintendent with Takt plan. Takt wagon A scheduled for 5 days finishes in 3 days. Two days early. Superintendent thinks: we are ahead of schedule. Let us keep momentum going. Takt wagon B scheduled to start Monday. But wagon A finished Thursday. So superintendent decides: move wagon B to Thursday. Start early. Keep everyone busy. Be efficient. Get work done faster. And makes decision. Calls foreman. Says: you are starting Thursday instead of Monday. And foreman says: but our materials scheduled for Monday delivery. Our crew planned for Monday start. Our coordination meeting set for Monday morning. Our equipment reserved for Monday. Our prefabrication timed for Monday installation. Superintendent says: figure it out. We are ahead. We need to stay ahead. Go. And chaos erupts. Materials scheduled for Monday now need Thursday. Supplier cannot deliver early. No inventory buffer staged. Foreman scrambles to find temporary materials. Manpower planned for Monday now needs Thursday. Crew working different job until Monday. Foreman pulls them early. Other job falls behind. Creates variation there too. Equipment coordinated for Monday now needs Thursday. Already reserved for different project. Foreman rents backup equipment at premium cost. Following trades planned around Monday start now have gaps in their schedule. 

They planned to start Tuesday in wagon A while wagon B starts Monday. Now wagon B starting Thursday means they cannot start Tuesday. They have gap. They send crew to different area. Creates stacking. Prefabrication timed for Monday delivery now comes Thursday. Sits on site for 4 days. Takes up space. Gets damaged. Needs protection. Creates excess inventory. Supply chains disrupted. Vendor planned delivery route for Monday pickup. Now needs special Thursday delivery. Charges premium. Other customers on Monday route now delayed. Just-in-time deliveries now just-in-chaos. Everything that was coordinated for rhythm now scrambled for speed. And superintendent thinks: I am being efficient. Getting work done faster. Keeping everyone busy. Making progress. But reality: slowing down team. Burdening everyone. Creating variation. Destroying throughput. Rippling chaos through everyone’s plans. Because when you hold rhythm you create flow. When you break rhythm you create chaos. When you hold start dates you create predictability. When you move start dates randomly you create variation. And variation destroys throughput. Variation slows projects. Variation costs money. Not because people are lazy. But because systems fail when rhythm breaks. This is why superintendent’s standing orders exist. To protect production. To guard flow. To hold the line. If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

The Gladiator Scene That Explains Superintendent’s Role

There is scene in Gladiator. Russell Crowe attacking German tribes in Germania. Russell Crowe gets with his cavalry. On other side of Germans dispatches infantry. Starts to let archers rain down on Germans. On backside Russell Crowe says: what we do in life echoes throughout eternity. Hold the line. Stay with me. Then he goes on to speech where he says: if you find yourself riding through fields with sun on your face do not be troubled. Then starts down and again says: hold the line. Stay with me. Whole time saying: hold the line. Stay with me. What he wants is everybody to stay together in line together in holding pattern so they do not get hit by their archers and so they will meet Germans perfectly on front and on back and be able to destroy enemy.

That is message. When we are on construction project if we want to run our schedule really well we will use Takt planning. And it really only works when we follow rhythm. When it is easily shown on single page. When we can see all three types of flow: workflow, trade flow, logistical flow. When we bring materials just in time according to right material inventory buffers. When we hold start and end dates. When we prefabricate as much as we can. When we remove roadblocks as our first priority and control geographical areas together as team. When we focus on throughput of system not on individual separate and siloed efficiencies. When we optimize bottlenecks. When we finish work as we go. Limit work in process. When we focus on quality at source. And when we reduce variation throughout system. That is how we run good schedule. But none of that matters if we cannot get superintendents on board with these following concepts.

Hold the line. Stay with me. Do not move Takt wagon B from Monday to Thursday just because Takt wagon A finished early. Do not ripple variation through everyone’s plans. Do not break rhythm thinking you are being efficient. Hold the line. Keep rhythm. Protect flow. That is superintendent’s standing order.

Superintendent’s Standing Orders For Takt Control

If Takt planning is part of your project you will be wildly successful if you also have Takt control. In order to control superintendent must follow these principles. Standard work that superintendents must follow to guard production and protect flow.

From planning and scheduling and control standpoint superintendent must use Takt plan to plan execute and adjust work. Have that in her or his hand daily. When problems arise do not just make decisions willy-nilly. Take it back or right there on iPad real time in field simulate what that change does to all three types of flow: workflow trade flow and logistical flow. Superintendent has to use Takt planning and Takt control to plan and execute work and to adjust work when problems arise.

Superintendent has to hold schedule start and end dates to reduce variation in materials manpower equipment and variation. Do not move trades sooner at random. If Takt wagon A finishes in 3 days instead of 5 do not move Takt wagon B early from Monday to Thursday. When you do you ripple variation through plans of everyone on site and it slows down team and burdens everybody. You cannot do that. You have to hold start dates and you have to hold end dates so you can keep consistent rhythm.

Good superintendent will use Takt schedule for six week three week and weekly work planning schedules. Superintendent should be proficient in understanding and reducing eight wastes and being able to see eight wastes and know that overproduction and excess inventory are mothers and fathers of wastes and also be able to see unevenness and overburden.

Superintendent must run clean site. If superintendent cannot run clean site they cannot do anything else. If that superintendent cannot run organized site they cannot do anything else. If that superintendent cannot be organized and clean they cannot be safe. That is how formula works. Cleanliness plus organization equals safety. Superintendent has to do that or he or she cannot do anything else. They need training. They need help. We need to love them. We need to send them somewhere to get help so they can run clean site because that is where it all starts.

Superintendent must also run effective foreman and worker huddles so they can scale information from scheduling systems in flow. Superintendent must share openly problems he or she faces with company and be able to scale and widen circle with problems and get help.

For team and system to make money superintendent must do following to follow production laws. Superintendent must plan areas in small batch sizes. Superintendent must limit work in process and not just push everything to get done. Superintendent must finish work as he or she goes and close work down also to limit work in process. Superintendent must reduce variation by holding dates and keeping work consistent. Superintendent must see and prevent roadblocks in that system as his or her main priority. Lastly superintendent must always attempt to optimize bottlenecks and get flow happening on project site.

The Four Production Laws Superintendents Must Obey

To be successful superintendent must comply with science mathematics and wisdom of history by obeying production laws and implementing standard work listed above. Production laws are:

Little’s Law: You have to have small batch sizes and improve your cycle times. When you batch work doing entire floor at once before moving to next scope you increase work in process. You increase cycle time. You slow throughput. Instead break work into small Takt zones. Finish each zone completely as you go. Move work down line in smaller amounts. One piece flow. This reduces work in process. Improves cycle time. Increases throughput. Finishes project faster.

Law of Bottlenecks: You must optimize and improve your bottlenecks and new bottlenecks will show up. Identify slowest Takt wagon in sequence. That is bottleneck. If mechanical overhead takes 15 days and everything else takes 5 days mechanical is bottleneck. Optimize it. Prefabricate more. Add crew. Improve coordination. Get it to 10 days. Now electrical becomes new bottleneck at 8 days. Optimize that. Keep optimizing bottlenecks as they appear. Never let faster trades go faster than Takt time. That creates stacking and variation and inventory buildup. Level everyone to rhythm.

Law of Effect of Variation: When variation enters system throughput times or project durations increase. Moving Takt wagon from Monday to Thursday is variation. Changing crew sizes randomly is variation. Adjusting material delivery dates without coordination is variation. Not holding start dates is variation. Each variation ripples through system. Disrupts coordination. Breaks rhythm. Slows throughput. Extends duration. Even when individual action seems efficient like starting early overall system slows down. Because variation destroys flow.

Kingman’s Formula: Cycle time or any process duration within area is affected by its normal cycle time but also its capacity utilization and how much variation affects system. This means if you run at 100% capacity utilization with any variation you create massive delays. Need buffer time. Need inventory buffers. Need capacity buffers. Cannot run everything at maximum all time. When you do variation destroys you. This is why holding Takt rhythm with appropriate buffers works better than pushing everything to maximum speed. Rhythm with buffers beats speed without buffers every time.

Signs You Are Not Following Superintendent’s Standing Orders

Watch for these patterns that signal you are not guarding production and protecting flow:

• You move Takt wagon start dates randomly when earlier wagon finishes early thinking you are being efficient when really you are rippling variation through everyone’s plans disrupting materials manpower equipment prefabrication and supply chains slowing entire system
• Site stays dirty and disorganized despite knowing cleanliness plus organization equals safety proving you cannot do anything else effectively until you master this foundation
• You push everything to get done maximizing work in process instead of limiting work in process and finishing as you go creating chaos where nothing fully completes and punch list explodes at end
• You allow faster trades to continue going faster than Takt time instead of leveling everyone to rhythm creating trade stacking inventory buildup and variation destroying flow
• You make scheduling decisions willy-nilly without simulating what change does to workflow trade flow and logistical flow breaking coordination and creating unintended consequences
• You white knuckle through problems trying to maintain discipline through willpower instead of changing circumstances to make right behaviors easier exhausting yourself and eventually justifying wrong behaviors

These are signs you are not holding the line. Not staying with team. Not protecting production through standing orders.

White Knuckling Versus Changing Circumstances

Before discussing standing orders further need to understand human mind. We have exhaustible not inexhaustible supply of self-discipline. Study took lines of people. One line had to remember certain series of eight numbers. Other line did not. They would go through maze type thing. At end was big table of donuts and treats and goodies. Folks had already decided not to partake of goodies. But at end line that had to remember eight numbers was at least twice as likely to partake of goodies. Researchers concluded that because one line of people had to remember those eight numbers and that took mental discipline by time they got down to end and then had to tell themselves hey do not eat this their mental discipline to certain extent was exhausted.

Craft workers after 10:00 AM have difficult time. Project managers and superintendents in afternoons have difficult time with mental discipline. Judges attempting to be fair and impartial in court of law after lunch at end of day especially when not being able to eat lunch are three times as likely to convict criminals. As human beings we have exhaustible amount of mental discipline. If we are struggling with addiction or habit or want to go jogging or get something done we can white knuckle it or we can change our circumstances.

White knuckling is like white water rafting trip where you are so scared and grabbing onto something so much blood rushes out of your hands and knuckles and they look white and pale. Gritting to get through situation. Human mind will either adhere to certain discipline or form of integrity or it will get tired to point where your mind will seek to justify that behavior and intellectually say it is okay. It will either fix problem or it will justify you having problem. It will not stay in contradictory gap situation.

For example if somebody said my personal goal is to not look at pornography. You are either going to fix that or for while you are going to white knuckle that or live in misery until your mind says: all right bro you are not doing this for very long. You are either going to get this fixed or I am going to start convincing you that this is okay and to just give into it. You are either going to fix it or eventually you are going to learn to justify it. Problem is when people say I have got this problem I am just going to white knuckle through it. Nobody said to do that. If you are addicted to pornography alcohol food white knuckling it is not going to get you through this. In fact it might eventually reinforce behavior and you will end up worse off than you were before.

You have to get inspired creative proven track record type circumstance and time changes in your life to make it easier so habits that are already on pre-recorded script can be broken and you can get into better situation. When we talk about getting through something we have to have clarity on what we want. We have to know when we are not on track. We have to interrupt pattern that is hurting us. Fill that void with good and wonderful things that we can be even more addicted to. Get accountability partner or mentor. That is how system works.

Most people do not get clarity on what they want. Do not fully know how what they are doing does not keep them on that path of clarity. Do not interrupt pattern. Just try and white knuckle in pattern. Do not fill void with more happy and addictive good things. Do not get accountability partner. So literally they are living hell on earth. If you want to change something if you want to be on better path you have to flip script break pattern find circumstances that support you.

Same thing with being on project site. You want to do daily reports or be in your schedule or whatever it is. Why are you not putting yourself in right habit loops with right space and time to support those things and make it easier instead of white knuckling that habit? Change circumstances. Make standing orders easier to follow. Create systems that support right behaviors instead of white knuckling discipline.

The Challenge

Stop moving Takt wagon start dates randomly when earlier wagon finishes early thinking you are being efficient. Start holding start dates and end dates to keep consistent rhythm recognizing moving dates ripples variation through everyone’s plans disrupting materials manpower equipment prefabrication supply chains slowing entire system. Stop running dirty disorganized site thinking you can still be effective with other responsibilities. Start mastering cleanliness plus organization equals safety foundation recognizing if you cannot run clean site you cannot do anything else. Stop pushing everything to get done maximizing work in process creating chaos where nothing fully completes. Start limiting work in process finishing as you go closing work down reducing punch list explosion at end. Stop allowing faster trades to continue going faster than Takt time creating trade stacking and inventory buildup. Start leveling everyone to rhythm optimizing bottlenecks rather than letting fast trades create variation. Stop making scheduling decisions willy-nilly without simulating impact on three flows. Start using Takt plan daily simulating what changes do to workflow trade flow logistical flow before making decisions. Stop white knuckling discipline trying to maintain standing orders through willpower alone. Start changing circumstances creating systems that make right behaviors easier supporting yourself instead of exhausting mental discipline.

As Gladiator teaches: hold the line. Stay with me. What we do in life echoes throughout eternity. When you hold rhythm you create flow. When you break rhythm you create chaos. When you hold start dates you create predictability. When you move start dates randomly you create variation. Superintendent’s standing orders exist to protect production guard flow hold the line. Use Takt plan to plan execute adjust work. Hold schedule start and end dates to reduce variation. Use Takt schedule for six week three week weekly work planning. Be proficient in understanding and reducing eight wastes. Run clean site because cleanliness plus organization equals safety. Run effective foreman and worker huddles to scale information. Share openly problems to widen circle get help. Plan areas in small batch sizes. Limit work in process. Finish work as you go. Reduce variation by holding dates keeping work consistent. See and prevent roadblocks as main priority. Always attempt to optimize bottlenecks get flow happening. These are standing orders. Not suggestions. Laws. Production laws. Little’s Law. Law of Bottlenecks. Law of Effect of Variation. Kingman’s Formula. Obey them. Hold the line. Stay with team. Guard production. Protect flow. On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I move Takt wagon start date early if previous wagon finishes early?
Moving Takt wagon from Monday to Thursday when previous wagon finishes early ripples variation through everyone’s plans, materials scheduled for Monday cannot deliver Thursday, manpower planned for Monday working different job, equipment coordinated for Monday already reserved, following trades planned around Monday start now have gaps, prefabrication timed for Monday delivery now sits on site creating excess inventory, supply chains disrupted, just-in-time becomes just-in-chaos, hold start dates to keep consistent rhythm.

What does “cleanliness plus organization equals safety” mean for superintendents?
If superintendent cannot run clean site they cannot do anything else, if cannot run organized site cannot do anything else, if cannot be organized and clean cannot be safe, this is foundation that must be mastered first before attempting any other responsibilities because without this base nothing else works.

What are the four production laws superintendents must obey?
Little’s Law: small batch sizes improve cycle times. Law of Bottlenecks: optimize bottlenecks and new ones will show up. Law of Effect of Variation: when variation enters system throughput times increase. Kingman’s Formula: cycle time affected by normal cycle time plus capacity utilization plus variation, must comply with science mathematics and wisdom of history by obeying these laws.

Why is white knuckling discipline ineffective compared to changing circumstances?
Human beings have exhaustible not inexhaustible supply of mental discipline, study showed people who had to remember eight numbers were twice as likely to eat donuts at end because mental discipline was exhausted, mind will either fix problem or justify having problem but will not stay in contradictory gap, so change circumstances to make right behaviors easier instead of white knuckling through willpower alone.

What are superintendent’s standing orders for Takt control?
Use Takt plan daily to plan execute adjust work simulating changes on three flows, hold start and end dates to reduce variation, use Takt schedule for six week three week weekly planning, understand and reduce eight wastes, run clean organized safe site, run effective huddles, plan small batch sizes, limit work in process, finish as you go, reduce variation, prevent roadblocks as main priority, optimize bottlenecks, these protect production and guard flow.