What Is A Weekly Work Plan In Construction?

A weekly work plan (WWP) in construction is a critical tool that helps manage tasks effectively and ensures smooth project execution. In this blog, we will explore what a weekly work plan is, how it ties into the broader construction planning system, and how to use it to avoid mistakes, save time, and achieve success.

How the Weekly Work Plan Fits into the Last Planner System

The weekly work plan is a vital part of the Last Planner System (LPS), which aims to enhance collaboration and commitment among all team members. The system consists of several key elements, starting with the master schedule, which outlines the project’s milestones and duration. Then comes the pull plan, designed to create a sequence of work that aligns with the trade partners’ input. Here’s a breakdown of how the different components work together:

1. Master Schedule: Identifies the project’s duration and milestones.
2. Pull Plan: Establishes a sequence for trade partners to agree on durations and task flow.
3. Look-Ahead: Provides a short-term view of upcoming tasks (to be covered in future blogs).
4. Weekly Work Plan (WWP): A collaboration tool where trades commit to specific tasks for the week.
5. Day Plan: Outlines daily tasks.
6. Percent Plan Complete (PPC): Tracks how well the team adheres to the plan.

The weekly work plan is the anchor for coordinating between trades and ensuring the project stays on schedule.

How to Create a Weekly Work Plan

The traditional way of creating a weekly work plan involves gathering input from trade partners on what activities need to be done, aggregating them, and reviewing the plan in a meeting. However, this approach has its challenges—foremen often spend hours crafting tasks from scratch, leading to inefficiencies. A better method is to integrate the tact production system, breaking the project into zones and sequencing tasks effectively. By adopting this system, you can filter your six-week look-ahead and weekly work plan directly from your tact phase, ensuring a smooth workflow that minimizes errors and delays. This structured approach reduces stress on foremen and fosters collaboration among trades.

How to Format a Weekly Work Plan

To ensure clarity and avoid confusion, it’s essential to follow a standardized format for your weekly work plan:

• Time on Top: Each week’s timeline should be clearly visible at the top.
• Location on the Side: Organize tasks by location to track where the work will occur.
• Activities and Durations: Display activities with their respective timeframes, formatted as a Gantt chart or similar matrix.

By maintaining this time-by-location format, you ensure that the plan is easy to follow and that all trades are aware of what’s happening in specific areas of the project.

Optimizing Operations Using a Weekly Work Plan

The main goal of the weekly work plan is to identify and solve problems before they impact the project. Common issues include:

1. Trade Stacking: Multiple trades working in the same location simultaneously.
2. Burdening: Overloading a trade with too many tasks at once.
3. Missed Handoffs: Poor coordination between trades, leading to delays.

To prevent these problems, encourage open communication in weekly meetings. Set aside time for each trade to identify potential issues and collaborate on solutions. This ensures that tasks are executed smoothly, and problems are addressed proactively.

How to Calculate Percent Plan Complete (PPC)

The PPC metric is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of the weekly work plan. It measures how many planned activities were completed on time. To calculate it, use this simple formula:

• PPC = (Completed Commitments ÷ Total Commitments) × 100

For example, if 8 out of 10 tasks were completed, your PPC is 80%. The goal is to maintain a PPC above 80% to ensure project success.

Conclusion

A well-structured weekly work plan, integrated into the Last Planner System, can significantly enhance your construction project’s efficiency. By aligning trade partners, optimizing workflows, and proactively solving problems, you’ll improve task flow and achieve a high PPC.