Lookahead Planning Explained: 6-Week Make-Ready in the Last Planner®️ System

Look Ahead Planning Explained (Six-Week Make Ready and the Last Planner System)

The previous blog covered production planning. This one focuses on the utility of the look ahead plan. Let’s start out with the meeting system. The team is already balanced in the team weekly tactical. The macro-level Takt plan and procurement log have already been reviewed, meaning the supply chain that’s attached to that macro in the strategic planning of procurement meeting.

And now we move to the trade partner weekly tactical, which works best on Tuesday in the afternoon. By the way, the best thing that Elevate has ever produced is this meeting system. It is so well thought out, so well mapped out according to Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni. It’s all flowed. It’s how they do it in Japan. This meeting system is the best. And when we go work with teams who say, “No, I don’t want to do it that way,” there’s always problems. So just know this meeting system is completely undersold.

The Trade Partner Weekly Tactical Meeting

The trade partner weekly tactical happens once a week where the last planners will literally use the look ahead plan and the weekly work plan. This allows the team to create the look ahead and weekly work plan and it is a last planner meeting.

Now we’re going to talk about the utility of the look ahead tool in the trade partner weekly tactical. Here’s a critical point: even though it happens once a week, before the meeting even starts, the trade partners should bring up stickies or red magnets showing the problems they have on the job site. We have to know this in order to run the project properly. And most of the meeting will be identifying, discussing, and solving these problems.

So, we start here as a base to get everything out of the trade partner’s head. And then we are able to come up here to your one or two screens where we’re showing the production plan in Intakt. And now we hit the export for the look ahead.

Using the Look Ahead Plan to Identify Problems

This is key. We know the problems and we’re doing it from the visuals, but we also need to look at the look ahead plan to see if there’s any problems that the trades identify as well. So, let’s say we’re looking at the interiors and we have the interiors functional team in our trade partner weekly tactical.

This is literally how it works. There’s a sign that has the make ready checklist on it up on the wall or you can have them printed out and laminated in front of each person on the table. And these trades should be sitting down because we need to respect their bodies. There’s no secret rule that they have to be standing up. And you can either print this out or have it up on the wall.

The Five-Minute Timer: Review the 17-Point Checklist

Set a 5 or 10-minute timer. And this is ultimately so respectful. Say, “Trades, we’re going to set a 5-minute timer. This is the look ahead from the pull plan you already created and from the adjustments that we’ve already made. What things on this 17-point checklist are not on track to be ready?”

Meaning things, you already know about. Like let’s say information is lacking and making a trade partner nervous we’re going to flag that. Let’s say that a permit is not on track three weeks out for a key activity. That’s a problem. Let’s say that materials this trade partner just got a phone call from one of the vendors saying that a material may or may not be there on time.

How Trades Review Activities by Area and Zone

So, what the trade partner will be asked to do in that five or 10 minutes is to identify their activity or wagon and go look at each area and zone and through the different levels of visualization. Meaning we can think about it. Then we can think about it in 2D, think about it in 3D, sense the space, feel it, experience it, maybe even pull up a picture of it.

We are going to ask those trades to confirm that all 17 of these things are on track for their item. And if they aren’t, it’s a roadblock. And you guessed it, it comes right up here on the board as a red dot that becomes our IDS section.

The Purpose: Make Work Ready Before It Impacts the Schedule

The look ahead plan is for making work ready and identifying, discussing, and solving problems, roadblocks before they impact the work. This is 100% key to the success of the project. Do this every week and use this as a tool. Preferably have this on the wall. We will give you the link to download Intakt. You can have these boards for free. We’ll give you the links and the link to this sign if you want to have it for using the look ahead plan and preparing work out ahead.

Here’s how look ahead planning works:

• Trade partner weekly tactical: Tuesday afternoon, last planner meeting – Happens once a week. Last planners use look ahead plan and weekly work plan. Allows team to create look ahead and weekly work plan. Before meeting even starts, trade partners bring up stickies or red magnets showing problems on job site. Must know this to run project properly. Most of meeting will be identifying, discussing, solving these problems.
• Six-week make ready look ahead plan: identify problems trades see – Know problems from visuals, but also need to look at look ahead plan to see if there’s any problems trades identify. Looking at interiors, have interiors functional team in trade partner weekly tactical. Have sign with make ready checklist on wall or printed out and laminated in front of each person on table. Trades sitting down (respect their bodies, no secret rule they have to stand).
• Five-minute timer: review 17-point checklist by area and zone – Set 5 or 10-minute timer. Ultimately so respectful. Say: “Trades, we’re going to set 5-minute timer. This is look ahead from pull plan you already created and from adjustments we’ve already made. What things on this 17-point checklist are not on track to be ready?” Things already know about: information lacking, permit not on track 3 weeks out, materials may or may not be there on time.
• Trades identify activity or wagon, go through areas and zones in 2D, 3D, sense space – In that 5 or 10 minutes, identify their activity or wagon and go look at each area and zone and through different levels of visualization. Think about it. Think about it in 2D. Think about it in 3D. Sense the space, feel it, experience it, maybe even pull up picture of it. Ask trades to confirm all 17 things are on track for their item. If they aren’t, it’s a roadblock.
• Roadblocks become red dots on board, IDS section – You guessed it, comes right up on board as red dot that becomes IDS section. Look ahead plan is for making work ready and identifying, discussing, solving problems, roadblocks before they impact work. 100% key to success of project. Do this every week and use this as tool. Prefer on wall.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

Production Planning Is About Clearing the Way

Remember, production planning is not about saying when things will happen. It’s about having a plan and figuring out what problems will impact it so we can clear the way and allow it to happen.

A Challenge for Construction Teams

Here’s what to do this week. Set up your trade partner weekly tactical on Tuesday afternoon. Before the meeting starts, have trade partners bring up stickies or red magnets showing problems on job site. Get everything out of trade partner’s head.

Export your six-week make ready look ahead plan from Intakt. Have the make ready checklist sign on wall or printed out and laminated in front of each person on table. Trades sit down (respect their bodies).

Set a 5-minute timer. Say: “Trades, this is look ahead from pull plan you created. What things on this 17-point checklist are not on track to be ready?” Ask trades to identify their activity or wagon. Go look at each area and zone. Think about it in 2D, 3D, sense the space. Ask trades to confirm all 17 things are on track. If they aren’t, it’s a roadblock. Put red dot on board for IDS section.

The look ahead plan is for making work ready and identifying, discussing, solving roadblocks before they impact work. Do this every week. Production planning is about clearing the way and allowing it to happen. As we say at Elevate, look ahead planning in Last Planner System: six-week make ready, 17-point checklist, identify roadblocks before they impact work, clear the way for trades.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should the trade partner weekly tactical happen?

Tuesday afternoon. Happens once a week. Last planners use look ahead plan and weekly work plan. Before meeting starts, trade partners bring up stickies or red magnets showing problems on job site.

What is the 17-point checklist for?

Make ready checklist. Set 5-minute timer. Ask trades: “What things on this 17-point checklist are not on track to be ready?” Information lacking, permit not on track 3 weeks out, materials may or may not be there on time.

How do trades review the look ahead plan?

Identify their activity or wagon. Go look at each area and zone. Think about it in 2D, 3D, sense the space, feel it, experience it, maybe pull up picture. Confirm all 17 things on track. If not, it’s roadblock.

What happens when something’s not on track?

It’s a roadblock. Comes right up on board as red dot that becomes IDS section. Look ahead plan is for identifying, discussing, solving roadblocks before they impact work.

What is production planning really about?

Not about saying when things will happen. It’s about having a plan and figuring out what problems will impact it so we can clear the way and allow it to happen.