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How to Make Construction Activities Ready: A 17-Step Checklist

Preparing construction activities properly is critical to ensuring smooth operations on any project. When working within systems like the Last Planner System, it’s essential that each trade partner is fully prepared with all the necessary resources to prevent roadblocks. In this blog, I’m breaking down 17 must-have items for making any activity “ready” so you can avoid costly delays.

  1. Conditions of Satisfaction

Every trade partner needs to know what winning looks like for the specific work package. The conditions of satisfaction must be clear and documented, often growing out of a quality preconstruction meeting. Without this clarity, the activity can’t be considered ready.

  1. Support Team

Your trade partner support team – including the Project Manager (PM) or Project Engineer (PE) – needs to have your back. This includes having all the right submittals, finalized RFIs, and installation instructions ready, as well as a support system that can solve problems in real-time on-site.

  1. Primary Planning

Before a trade partner enters a zone, they should have participated in a pull plan, attended a quality preconstruction meeting, and been involved in weekly work planning. The crew must be equipped with the right training, tools, equipment, and information to execute their tasks effectively.

  1. Contingency Planning

If something goes wrong – whether it’s a space issue, missing crew members, or equipment failure – there should be a contingency plan in place. The foreman needs to have a plan B, C, D, and beyond to prevent surprises.

  1. Materials

Materials must be prepped and ready for the crew. This means they’ve been ordered, inspected, and pre-staged by zone, color-coded, and palletized. Proper material preparation is essential for maintaining productivity.

  1. Equipment

Ensuring that the correct equipment is in good repair and ready to go is key to keeping activities on track. Whether it’s standard equipment or specialized machinery, it must be scheduled, maintained, and prepared, including any fuel or other necessary supplies.

  1. Tools

Tools are critical for crew productivity, and losing labor hours due to missing tools costs money. Every crew member needs a full set of tools, and gang boxes should be organized and ready for use.

  1. Toolkits

In addition to individual tools, your team needs kitted toolboxes or carts, organized using lean principles like Paul Akers’ lean foam setup. This ensures that tools are accessible and ready, whether on scissor lifts, boom lifts, or elsewhere.

  1. Information

Do you have all the necessary documentation? This includes submittals, RFIs, plans, specs, and the all-important quality preconstruction checklist. Without this information, the activity can’t proceed.

  1. Permissions

Certain tasks may require specific permits, such as hot work, confined space, or dig permits. Ensuring all permissions are in place for the work zone is essential before the crew begins.

  1. Layout

Primary and secondary control layouts are key to success. Grid lines should be snapped, benchmarks clearly labeled, and any layout the crew needs must be in place before they start work.

  1. Preceding Tasks

If the preceding tasks aren’t completed, the activity isn’t ready. The foreman needs to track the progress of the preceding crew and raise red flags if delays occur, as this could impact the readiness of the upcoming task.

  1. Safety Planning

Safety is non-negotiable. The right PPE, training, and safety equipment must be in place before work starts. Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) or Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA) should be completed, and all safety planning needs to be thoroughly reviewed.

  1. Quality Planning

Before beginning any activity, you need to ensure that the quality checklist is in place. This checklist, along with any visual quality boards, outlines the expectations for how the work will be completed to meet quality standards.

  1. Standard Work

Standardizing work processes is key to consistency. Crew boards, visual standards, and established processes help maintain quality and safety. Document your standard work processes and update them as necessary.

  1. Training

Proper training is essential not just for safety but for installation. This could include mockups, first-run studies, or visits to other job sites. Make sure your crew is fully trained before they begin.

  1. Space

The right space must be available for the activity to be ready. Visualize the space in both 2D and 3D, ensuring there’s enough room for work and staging. If the space isn’t adequate, make a plan to resolve the issue before starting.

Conclusion

These 17 items form the foundation for ensuring that construction activities are truly ready. When you’re planning ahead—whether it’s a week or six weeks into the future—make sure each of these elements is in place. If anything is missing, it could become a roadblock, delaying the project and creating unnecessary problems. Use this checklist to identify and solve potential issues before they arise, ensuring smooth, productive construction activities.

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.

 

 

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