How To Solve Construction Problems

In this blog, I’m going to take you through the absolute best way to solve construction problems with your team. We’ll discuss who should be involved and a solid approach that can be applied to any problem-solving framework. Stick with us!

How We Made Takt Control Boards Using the IDS Pattern

Today, I want to discuss the IDS pattern, which stands for Identify, Discuss, and Solve. While I’ve mentioned this before, let me tell you a quick story. At Lean Takt, we specialize in Takt and CPM, along with last planner, Scrum, scheduling, project controls, and project support. We help our clients take things to the next level, ensuring flow not only in planning but also in the field.

During a trip to Germany, I met Marco, who showed me how Takt control boards were being used to track key performance indicators and visualize the production system. Since that visit, I’ve been working on how to recreate these boards in the United States using our systems. After years of thought, I finally found inspiration in the book Traction by Gino Wickman and from Lauren Atwell of Petticoat-Schmitt. IDS—Identify, Discuss, Solve—became the solution.

The IDS method builds a structure around tackling problems. When you know who’s on the team, what roles they play, and when they’ll meet to solve issues, you’re already ahead. This is reflected in the four boards we created:

1. Team Overview: The first board lists team members, their roles, and their meeting structures.
2. Identify Problems: The second board includes floor plans, logistics, and constraints. This is where trade partners can visually show where they’re encountering issues.
3. Discuss Solutions: The third board is where we discuss our weekly and daily plans.
4. Solve: The final board lists our problems and solutions. Larger problems move to the Scrum board for project management to handle.

With this meeting cadence, teams can track, discuss, and solve issues in real-time, creating a workflow that prevents delays and restarts. This is how we help clients finish projects on time, every time.

Most Effective Way to Solve Construction Problems

The reason for sharing this story is simple: having the right meeting system and interactions is crucial for any project. Once you have a system for visualizing and tracking problems, and a place to discuss and plan solutions, your team can act quickly and efficiently.

Defining the Problem

A crucial step in problem-solving is defining the problem. Often, we’re too quick to jump to solutions without fully understanding what the real issue is. When I talk to clients, I always ask, “What’s the problem we’re trying to solve?” By spending time on this step, you can avoid wasting effort on irrelevant solutions.

Planning the Approach

Once the problem is clear, the next step is to plan the approach. Appoint a leader, gather information, and get feedback from the team. Collaboration is key to developing an actionable plan that everyone is aligned with.

Resolving and Verifying the Solution

After implementing your solution, you’ll want to verify the results. Is the problem actually solved? Are the results up to standard? Is the solution repeatable? These questions are important for long-term success.

Documenting and Sharing Solutions

One often-overlooked step is documenting the process. Writing down the successes and challenges ensures that future teams can learn from past experiences. Sharing this information across the organization is crucial for continuous improvement.

Final Thoughts

The IDS method has proven to be a reliable approach to solving construction problems. By getting the right people together, visualizing problems, and following a structured approach to solve them, your team can stay on track and improve efficiency. Problems aren’t a bad thing—ignoring them is. Identify them, discuss them, and solve them.

Remember, the only real problem is pretending we don’t have any problems. Happy problem-solving!