Mandatory Buffer Usage

What If We Made Buffer Usage Mandatory?

Let’s talk about something construction professionals don’t talk about enough, buffers, specifically, mandatory buffer usage.

For years, I operated under the belief that restricting work hours both for myself and others would push productivity and innovation. I’ve since done a full 180. While time constraints may improve individual discipline, they don’t scale well to teams. In fact, when I tried to apply this philosophy across our organization, the results were disappointing, less innovation, more stress, and slower progress.

So, we pivoted.

Innovation Lives in the Buffer

Inspired by Paul Akers and Toyota’s approach to continuous improvement, we’ve embraced buffer time not as wasted time, but as a source of momentum. Buffers create the space to 5S, solve problems, and think, like Keith Cunningham suggests. Since making this change, we’ve seen better performance, better innovation, and higher quality across the board.
And here’s the shift, I still constrain my own hours but I no longer push that onto others.

The Industry Teaches the Opposite

The construction industry is notorious for treating buffers as dead weight. Many general contractors avoid sharing buffer time with trades, fearing it will be misused. But in my experience, trades rarely use buffers recklessly. In fact, most trades hesitate to use them even when they should.

That got me thinking what if we required buffer usage?

The Idea, Scheduled Mandatory Buffers:

Say your project has 20 total buffer days built into the schedule. Instead of waiting for problems to arise, what if you made it a requirement to use a set number of those buffers say 6 to 8 across all phases, no matter what?

Here’s what that might look like:

• Break down total buffer days by number of phases.
• Schedule 2 mandatory buffer days per phase.
• Post these buffer deadlines visibly on site.
• Use them proactively whether you feel like you “need” them or not.

This would change the culture. Right now, workers don’t want to “waste” a buffer. But if the rule is “use two no matter what,” the team is more likely to use them wisely, not wastefully.

Imagine the impact: after a brutal week or a supply delay, the team doesn’t push through it pauses, resets, and regains momentum with a scheduled buffer. Not only does this prevent burnout, it ensures long term stability.

It’s Just an Idea for Now

I’ll be honest, I haven’t implemented this yet. But I’m seriously considering it. Construction culture needs to shift from reactive to strategic. Mandatory buffer usage might just be the pressure release valve the industry never knew it needed.

Key Takeaway

Buffers aren’t wasted time they’re a strategic tool. When teams are required to use them, they stop seeing buffers as a luxury and start treating them as essential. Planned pauses create space to recover, solve problems, and innovate. By making buffers part of the plan not just a fallback we reduce pressure, prevent burnout, and keep projects moving smarter and faster.