{"id":139885,"date":"2024-05-22T11:36:46","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T10:36:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=139885"},"modified":"2024-05-22T11:36:46","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T10:36:46","slug":"top-lean-construction-tools-for-project-planning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/digital-construction-news\/construction-software-news\/top-lean-construction-tools-for-project-planning\/139885\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Lean Construction tools for project planning"},"content":{"rendered":"

The conventional approaches to project planning, once rooted in rigid structures and linear methodologies, have given way to a more agile, efficient, and collaborative framework known as Lean Construction<\/h2>\n

Lean Construction seeks to eliminate waste, maximise value, and foster continuous improvement throughout every stage of a construction project. At its core, Lean Construction challenges the traditional notions of project planning by emphasising the need for streamlined processes, enhanced communication, and a profound understanding of client needs. It requires a shift from the traditional \u201cplan then build” mindset to a more integrated, collaborative, and adaptive approach that values flexibility and responsiveness.<\/p>\n

Let’s dive into some of the most innovative project planning techniques based on Lean Construction principles.<\/p>\n

1. Planning takes place throughout the project \u2014 Not just at the start<\/h3>\n

The traditional approach to planning would be to outline the entire project as much as possible from the get-go, creating rigid work schedules and pushing all tasks to meet those deadlines. There are always problems with such planning when hoping that everyone does what they’re supposed to do.<\/p>\n

Lean Construction\u00a0<\/a>recognises the reality that not everything can be planned in detail from the start \u2014 in fact, it embraces that the best plan must include space to \u201cplan as you go\u201d. Hence, the Planning stage is not the start of a waterfall sequence that runs all the way to completion, but rather the first stage in a recurring cycle.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Lean emphasises the need for a proper plan, and that early efforts can have the maximum impact for the lowest cost. To embrace Lean Construction and continuous improvement, it’s time to start thinking in cycles instead of linear sequences.<\/p>\n

\"PDCA<\/p>\n

2. Delivery model \u2014 Set the right incentives for collaboration<\/h3>\n

One of the most critical aspects of successful Lean projects is to enable your teams to function as a single unit. This is more than just setting good wishes and intentions: you must find a collaboration-oriented project model for your contracts.<\/p>\n

Firstly, consider a model where the main effort of your teams is put at the early stages, where changes are easier and less costly. This enables your teams to optimise their processes at a time when the impact on costs is the highest. Sub-optimised processes that require modifications at later stages of the project will carry higher costs and will be much harder to accommodate, given their multiple dependencies to other tasks already in progress.<\/p>\n

You can also implement an incentive scheme where all participants stand to gain or lose based on their performance as a team.<\/p>\n

Popular approaches of\u00a0Integrated Project Delivery (IPD)\u00a0seek to establish a Base Target Cost early in the validation phase, then create Innovation Incentives for the parties to profit from lowering that cost during the design stage and achieve a Final Target Cost. Then at completion, distributing losses or gains across the teams based on the project having beaten or underperformed against that target.<\/p>\n

This approach emphasises the importance of team collaboration and ensures that everyone involved has a vested interest in the project’s overall success, rather than focusing solely on individual short-term gains. By implementing such mechanisms, all parties are motivated to work together towards a common goal, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and accountability.<\/p>\n

Then, provide training in methods like\u00a0Takt Planning\u00a0and the\u00a0Last Planner System (described below)\u00a0so\u00a0that your teams focus on optimising what matters while planning as they go.<\/p>\n

\"Last<\/p>\n

3. The Last Planner System\u00ae \u2014 Empower your experts<\/h3>\n

The title of this approach is very intentional: this system advocates that running effective construction projects requires close input from the Foremen of the different ground teams (or Superintendent, or Crew Leader) \u2014\u00a0The Last Planners.<\/p>\n

Those who plan and carry out daily work onsite must be involved in the overall planning<\/a> and activity scheduling. The interaction between these team leaders will underline in detail what each team must commit to put in place for the next team to succeed in their work, as part of an integrated sequence.<\/p>\n

The system has 5 main components, or stages in a cycle, that projects can implement and tweak in different ways:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The Master Schedule<\/strong><\/td>\nA high-level overview of the project. Establishes overall project goals, identifies long-lead items, and breaks the project down into phases.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pull Planning<\/strong><\/td>\nWork with the Last Planners to review the project milestones. The focus is on Pull: working backwards to make sure early teams are meeting the needs of the next teams in the sequence.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Look-Ahead Plan<\/strong>
\naka Make-Ready Plan<\/strong><\/td>\n		Go from work that you should do to work that you can do. Take the Pull Plan and look ahead for 6 weeks to identify constraints and resolve any blockers standing in the way.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weekly Plan<\/strong><\/td>\nEvery week, each team leader commits to achieving the concrete tasks set for that week, per daily activities. This weekly plan holds each leader accountable to the rest of the teams.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Plan Percent Complete<\/strong><\/td>\nAt the end of the week, leaders report what their team completed. Divide what was achieved by what was planned to get PPC%. Aim above 80%, but adjust the weekly plan if you get consistently 100% (that would mean the plan is not ambitious enough). Every week, discuss the causes of non-completion and recovery strategy.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

4. The Takt Planning method – Stay on the beat<\/h3>\n

Takt\u00a0is a German word that means rhythm, or beat. The \u201cbeat\u201d of the project can be set to be a day, a week, or a month; whatever level of detail works best for the project. Just like a sheet of music, the work tasks are delivered at a steady even pace from one area to the next, as the sequence of trades (the Takt Train) moves through the building.<\/p>\n

This approach is especially powerful when used in combination with the Last Planner System, and tools like\u00a0LCM Digital,\u00a0Yolean, or\u00a0Mestamaster.<\/p>\n

In Takt, everything moves together at the same pace:<\/p>\n