Last Planner: A Case Study in Learning from Anomalies and Breakdowns Glenn Ballard Nottingham Trent University May 7, 2014

Improving Processes Toyota’s improvement KATA: (1) vision, direction, or target; (2) grasp of the current condition, (3) next target condition on the way to the vision is defined, (4) strive to move step by step toward that target condition, we encounter obstacles that define what we need to work on, and from which we learn In Toyota, line managers carry out 90% of improvement projects. Training (Sensei) should target: awareness, change, mastery and consistency. Focus on the purpose of using the methods.

Construction Weekly Work Plan ©Glenn Ballard 2011

Improving Processes: Last Planner example Current condition: chronically low Percent Plan Complete (PPC) Target Outcome: Better match between DID and WILL Target Condition: Only well defined, sound, sequenced, and sized tasks are allowed on weekly work plans Outcomes: – Better match between DID and WILL – Better productivity – Some impact on project durations

Impact of PPC on Productivity PPC Performance Factor 50%.96 60%.84 70%.77 80%.71

Climbing the PDCA staircase

Improving Processes: Last Planner example Current Condition: DID could perfectly match WILL and the project be falling behind schedule. Need a ‘make ready’ function. Target Condition-1: Constraints on tasks planned for execution in the next 3 weeks are assumed to exist unless known to have been removed. Target Condition-2: Breakdown tasks into operations

What is a Construction Operation? – Projects are composed of phases. – Phases are composed of processes. – Processes are composed of operations. – Operations are composed of steps. – Steps are composed of elemental motions. ©Glenn Ballard 2011

What is a construction operation? ©Glenn Ballard 2011

Improving Processes: Last Planner example Current Condition: DID could perfectly match WILL and the project be falling behind schedule. Need a ‘make ready’ function. Target Condition-1: Constraints on tasks planned for execution in the next 3 weeks are assumed to exist unless known to have been removed. Target Condition-2: Breakdown tasks into operations Target Condition-3: Design operations collaboratively with those who are to perform them

In what operations should we invest? New- we must learn how to do them (new product design or new tools) Critical- we cannot afford to fail (hazardous, time-critical) Repetitive- small improvements can have large impact ©Glenn Ballard 2011

How are Construction Operations Designed? Virtual prototyping Physical prototyping (mock-ups) First run studies (for repetitive operations) ©Glenn Ballard 2011

Improving Processes: Last Planner example Current Condition: Make ready improves the match between CAN and SHOULD but does not entirely eliminate plan failures. Target Condition: Analyze plan failures to actionable causes and apply countermeasures to prevent reoccurrence. Outcome: Implementation challenges, but good results where applied.

Climbing the PDCA staircase

Improving Processes: Last Planner example Current Condition: Project programs (schedules) tend to be badly structured. Target Condition: Front line supervisors collaboratively plan how to do the work in each project phase, using pull planning. Result: Better specification of SHOULD

The Last Planner ® System of Production Control Master Scheduling Weekly Work Planning Lookahead Planning Learning Phase Scheduling (pull) Set milestones and phase durations & overlaps Specify handoffs & conditions of satisfaction between processes within phases SHOULD CAN WILL DID Identify & remove constraints Breakdown tasks from processes into operations Design operations Make reliable promises Measure PPC, TMR & TA Use 5 Whys to identify actionable causes Act to prevent reoccurrence ©Glenn Ballard 2011

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to hearing your Takeaways and Questions