Mastering TAKT Time in Construction: Answers to Industry Questions
In this blog, I’m diving deep into questions I recently received from an experienced industry consultant about TAKT and TAKT time. His inquiries touched on both the technical side of scheduling and the human side of leadership and the answers are relevant for anyone serious about improving construction efficiency.
One of the first points raised was about determining the TAKT period. While many examples show a five day TAKT, the real number comes from a collaborative pull planning process with trade partners. This process combines:
- Best guesses from trades
- Past experience
- Production rates
- Historical company data
Once you have this information for one zone, you stagger it across other zones to spot bottlenecks. The goal is not to overlap trades unnecessarily, but to break work into properly sized zones so multiple trades can work efficiently without interference.
Another question was about when to overlap trades. In manufacturing, overlapping may make sense. In construction, zoning is often a better approach shrinking zones instead of stacking crews in the same space.
The consultant also asked about applying Little’s Law and manufacturing style takt calculations to construction. While the customer demand based takt time is valid in manufacturing, construction requires adapting the concept to real world constraints, crew sizes, and sequencing realities.
Three effective approaches to setting TAKT time:
- Pull Plan First: With trades, select zones, plan for one zone, stagger, find bottlenecks, optimize, and then lock in the TAKT time with a calculator.
- Leveling Approach: Lay out zones and trades, then risk-assess and add buffers to determine throughput time.
- Macro to Norm: Start with high-level 5-day TAKT planning, then refine through pull planning to find your true rhythm.
The preferred method? Get the trades involved early, plan collaboratively, identify the rhythm, level the plan, and include buffers. It sounds complex but becomes straightforward when done step-by-step.
If you want to truly master the process, join our TAKT Production System course by the end, you’ll have the tools and confidence to implement it effectively in the field.
Key Takeaway
Determining the right TAKT time in construction isn’t guesswork it’s a collaborative process grounded in trade partner input, historical data, and careful zoning. Done right, it creates a smooth, predictable rhythm that keeps projects flowing without unnecessary overlaps or bottlenecks.
If you want to learn more we have:
-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here)
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here)
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)
Discover Jason’s Expertise:
Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.
On we go
