Takt Planning Book – Chapter 12

Getting Projects Right from the Start

In construction, most projects don’t fail halfway through they fail at the beginning. A project’s success is largely determined by how well it’s planned before boots hit the ground. That’s where the first planner system and the last planner system come in.

What Are the First and Last Planner Systems?

• First Planner System: The early collaborative planning effort where leaders define the overall project approach, timelines, and critical systems.
• Last Planner System: The short-interval planning done by the people closest to the work, ensuring tasks are coordinated daily and weekly.

For a project to flow smoothly, the first planners must equip the last planners with the right tools and deliverables.

Essential Deliverables from First Planners

To set projects up for success, first planners should prepare:

• TAKT Plan & Zone Maps: Establishing production flow and trade sequencing.
• Procurement Log: Ensuring materials arrive when needed.
• Logistics Plan: Outlining how materials will be delivered and moved onsite.
• Trailer & Signage Design: Creating a functional and visual environment for collaboration.
• Accountability Chart: Defining team roles and responsibilities.
• Risk & Opportunity Register: Proactively identifying potential challenges and opportunities.

As authors Ben Feiberg and Dan Gardner note in How Big Things Get Done, projects don’t go wrong they start wrong. The first planner’s role is to prevent that from happening.

The Role of Last Planners

By the time work begins, last planners should have access to clear deliverables, including:

• A macro level TAKT plan to guide overall sequencing.
• A Norm TAKT plan developed with trade partners, used to build short term look ahead schedules.
• A complete logistics plan and zone maps.
• A roadblock tracker to proactively remove obstacles.
• The procurement log and risk register to keep the team aligned and ready.

These tools allow crews to visualize the work, stay on schedule, and manage materials effectively.

Meetings That Drive Flow

Planning doesn’t succeed without the right meeting rhythm. A fully integrated production control system includes:

1. Strategic Planning & Procurement Meetings: High level coordination with first planners.
2. Trade Partner Weekly Tactical: Supers and foremen align on short term plans.
3. Daily Foreman Huddles: Day plans created and coordinated.
4. Morning Worker Huddles: Communicating the day’s plan to the crews.
5. Crew Preparation Huddles: Teams prepare for their portion of the work.
6. Team Daily Huddles: Removing roadblocks and supporting flow.

These aren’t “too many meetings” they are the backbone of flow in the field, connecting planning to execution.

Steering vs. Clearing Roadblocks

To keep the “train of trades” moving, the team must focus on two things:

• TAKT Steering: Adjusting how the train moves (e.g., helping the slowest trade, adjusting zones, or sequencing differently).
• Roadblock Removal: Clearing obstacles ahead of the train (e.g., missing information, delayed materials, unavailable labor).

When both systems work together, crews can focus on building rather than battling chaos.

Why This Matters

TAKT planning and the Last Planner System are most powerful when combined with other lean construction methods. That’s why the Integrated Production Control System was designed, to unite these principles into one system for true operational excellence.