Takt Steering & Control Book – Beginning the Meeting System

Solutions for Constraints and Roadblocks in Construction

In construction, constraints and roadblocks are inevitable. They slow down production, create frustration, and can derail even the best-laid plans unless you have a system for handling them. Within the Takt production system, constraints are marked in orange and roadblocks in red. By setting up your office trailer and Takt steering and control boards, you create a system that not only identifies these problems but also gives you the tools to solve them.

Here are the strategies that can turn challenges into opportunities for flow and stability:

1. Get It

If you don’t have what you need to create flow get it. Missing materials, tools, or resources should never be left unaddressed.

2. Fix It or Adjust It

Sometimes the solution is as simple as fixing or adjusting what’s already in place. Whether it’s an improper Takt time zone boundary or a sequencing issue, adjustments with clear communication and visual instructions can quickly get things back on track. Remember: in construction, keeping a plan fixed just for the sake of a baseline doesn’t work. Adjust to reality.

3. Remove It

If a problem is slowing you down, remove it completely.

4. Adapt to It

Some issues like weather or owner changes can’t be avoided. A nimble team with stability built into their system can adapt and still maintain flow.

5. Delay Strategies

• Line of Balance Delay: Eat into an end buffer to maintain balance.
• Isolation Delay: Detach a location or wagon and recover separately.
• Sequence Delay: Adjust sequencing to keep work moving.
• Rezone Delay: Change zone sizes to recover time without harming trade partners.

6. Add Workable Backlog

Creating non critical work areas gives flexibility. Crews can swing into backlog work when delays occur, maintaining productivity and avoiding wasted time.

7. Avoid Bad Habits

• More Materials: Overloading the site only creates clutter and slows progress.
• More Pushing: Pressure leads to chaos and toxic environments.
• More WIP: Excess work in progress kills productivity.

8. The Right Way

Sometimes you need more resources, but they must be the right ones; trained workers, proper tools, and capable equipment.

9. Adjust Work Packages

Reconfigure crews or package trades differently. Small shifts in composition and sequencing can yield big results.

10. Preplan

Nearly every issue can be avoided with solid preplanning. Fail to plan, and you plan to fail.

11. Do Your Job

Don’t hide behind contracts or excuses. Do the right thing even when it’s uncomfortable. Teams and projects suffer when leaders prioritize “covering themselves” over delivering results.

The Recovery Hierarchy

When facing impacts, it’s better to remove roadblocks before absorbing them.

• Amazing: Catch issues in the look ahead schedule.
• Great: Catch them in the weekly work plan.
• Good: Swarm and recover within the work package.
• Fair: Eat into a buffer.
• Dumpster Fire: Rush, push, and panic out of sync.

Rules to Remember

• Maintain diagonal trade flow.
• Do not dissolve logic.
• Do not shorten durations.
• Do not trade stack or overburden.
• Always maintain one process flow.

And finally, understand the distinctions:

• Trade Stacking: Too many trades in one space unsafe and unproductive.
• Trade Burdening: One trade stretched across too many areas.
• Trade Packaging: Intentional pairing of trades in one wagon (can be good).
• Zone Transitions: Allowing overlap between zones when needed.

Key Takeaway:
Constraints and roadblocks are inevitable in construction, but they don’t have to derail a project. Success comes from having a system to address them through strategies like removing obstacles, adapting, rezoning, sequencing, workable backlog, adjusting work packages, and above all, preplanning. With the right approach, teams can maintain flow, reduce chaos, recover time, and keep projects moving forward without sacrificing safety, trust, or quality.