Project Success 101: IPCS™ – The Plan

In this blog, I’m going to talk about the planning portion of the integrated production control system that ensures foremen and workers get what they need from a plan and expectation standpoint. So, if you want to know how to effectively deliver the plan to your crew, you’re in the right place. 

If you want to learn how to set up your company so that trades can follow that plan, then keep reading. And lastly, if you want to know how to manage your risks, you’re going to love this blog. Let’s dive in.

Supporting Your Foremen & Workers

This blog pulls together several concepts we’ve discussed before. In the integrated production control system, the first key element is the team. When you have a balanced team with the capacity to support crews in the field, you’re able to create a support network for foremen and workers as they install their work packages. 

We’ve covered this in another blog, which you can easily search for, but now let’s move on to the second part of the formula: the plan.

Workers need more than just a support system—they need a clear understanding of the plan. Here’s how you make that plan with your trade partners, and why it’s so crucial for the success of your project.

Benefits of Creating a Macro-Level Takt Plan

When you’re in the planning process, you should be developing a macro-level takt plan. This is different from traditional scheduling methods like CPM schedules or Gantt charts, which are not production-friendly. 

A macro-level takt plan focuses on keeping the project on a five-day takt time, so your team can easily see the overall strategy, including the start and end dates. This provides a structured plan that you can review with your team to ensure a solid approach to the project.

How to Calculate the Duration of a Phase

Using a simple but effective formula—Takt wagons plus takt zones, minus one, multiplied by takt time—you can calculate the duration of each phase of the project. 

This calculator helps you determine how many zones you should have, so you can optimize your phase time while still taking care of your trade partners. For example, using six zones might shorten the phase time but still provide your partners with the support they need.

How to Create a Pull Plan from the Zones

Once you’ve determined the number of zones, the next step is to pull-plan that sequence with your trade partners. This collaborative effort ensures that the project stays aligned with the overall macro-level takt plan. 

By doing this, you’ll be able to create what’s called a norm-level takt phase. This is where trades work in sequence with the correct amount of buffer to meet project milestones. This collaborative planning is essential for keeping the project on track.

How to Use Your Norm-Level Schedule

With the norm-level schedule in place, you’re now able to conduct look-ahead planning and weekly work planning. These practices allow you to forecast potential roadblocks and make sure work is ready to proceed. 

Filtering down from this broad view, you’ll be able to plan daily tasks that can be communicated clearly to your workers. This daily communication is where the “rubber meets the road,” ensuring the entire project flows smoothly from start to finish.

Importance of Including Lean in Contracts

A crucial step is to ensure that your company’s contracts include lean behaviors. Even if your foremen and workers are aligned with the plan, their success depends on whether their company supports these lean practices.

 Ensuring that lean behaviors are written into contracts—such as participating in afternoon foreman huddles or maintaining clean, safe work areas—helps create an environment where trades can succeed. Without this, trades might face pushback from their companies, causing disruptions to the project.

Key Things to Look for in Your Schedule & Plans

To ensure success, you should constantly be looking for potential risks, constraints, and roadblocks. Collaborate with trade partners to address any anchors (issues from past projects that could resurface), as well as unique risks to the current project.

Keep an eye out for constraints, which could be permanent or semi-permanent factors you’ll need to work around. Regularly addressing these four elements helps maintain a steady workflow.

Summary of the Planning Process in the IPCS

To summarize, you need a solid plan that your trade partners can follow. Your company must be obligated to support this plan, ensuring that all involved parties collaborate effectively. Finally, you must continuously manage risks to keep the project flowing as seamlessly as possible.

This blog condenses complex project planning techniques into actionable insights for construction professionals, focusing on innovative approaches to ensure smooth production.