00:00Have you ever been on a project where the plan just, well, it completely falls apart the second it hits the real world?
00:06We've all been there, right?
00:08Well, today we're going to dive into a really powerful system that's designed to fix exactly that.
00:13It's called the Last Planner System.
00:15So here's what we've got on tap.
00:17We're going to start with the problem itself, then introduce the Last Planner,
00:21talk about its five key conversations, cover how we actually measure what matters,
00:24and then wrap up with your next step.
00:26And hey, by the end of this explainer, you're going to have a solid handle on what this system is,
00:31you'll know its core components, and you'll see how it uses one simple metric to build honestly, incredibly reliable teams.
00:38All right, so first things first, let's really get into the why, why.
00:42Why do so many of those traditional project plans just fail?
00:47You know, this quote really hits the nail on the head.
00:50The old way of doing things, that top-down schedule, it looks perfect on a screen, right?
00:55But it just doesn't account for what's actually happening on the ground.
00:59It creates this constant unpredictability, all because it's completely disconnected from the people who are doing the work.
01:05And that right there, that's the core issue.
01:08We act like these detailed, long-range plans are set in stone, when really, they're just educated guesses.
01:15And the crazier the detail you try to plan months in advance, the more wrong it's going to be.
01:19And that uncertainty, that's what causes all that frustration, the delays, the rework, you know the drill.
01:25Okay, so if that old top-down way is broken, what's the answer?
01:29Well, that's where the last planner system comes in.
01:31It's a totally different way of thinking.
01:34So what is it?
01:36The last planner system, or LPS for short, is all about creating two things, predictable workflow and rapid learning.
01:42But here's the part I want you to really focus on, social conversations and commitment-based planning.
01:49See, this isn't about some static schedule locked in a computer.
01:52It's a living, breathing, collaborative process.
01:55So what are the goals here?
01:57It's way bigger than just hitting dates.
01:59It's about making the work predictable.
02:00It's about learning super fast when things go wrong.
02:03And maybe most importantly, it's about fostering an environment of actual trust.
02:07First, we're talking about optimizing the whole project, not just ticking boxes on one person's to-do list.
02:13So you might be wondering, who are these last planners?
02:18Well, it's simple.
02:19They're the people closest to the actual work.
02:21We're talking about the foreman, the crew leaders, the trade partners on site.
02:25This whole system is built to empower them to plan their own work.
02:29Because, I mean, come on, who knows better what it really takes to get the job done?
02:32Okay, so we know who's doing the planning, but how does it all fit together?
02:37Well, the whole system really boils down to five distinct but connected conversations.
02:42So there are five levels here, and I want you to think about it like an airplane coming in for a landing.
02:47Way up high, at 30,000 feet, you've got your milestone planning.
02:51That's the big picture.
02:53What should we be doing?
02:54Then, as we descend, we get to phase-pull planning.
02:57This is where everyone gets together to figure out how we should get there.
03:01Next, we get even closer to the ground with look-ahead planning.
03:04This is all about what can be done, making sure work is actually ready.
03:09Then, just before we touch down, we have the weekly work planning.
03:12This is the most important part.
03:14It's where we make firm promises about what will be done.
03:17And finally, once we're on the ground, we have learning.
03:20We look back and ask, okay, what did we actually do?
03:23And use that to get better next time.
03:25And what's so brilliant about this is that it's not a straight line.
03:30It's a constant loop.
03:31The did and the learn from this week, that feeds directly back into the should and can for next week.
03:36The whole system gets smarter and more reliable with every single cycle.
03:41Okay, this all sounds great in theory, but how do you know if it's actually working?
03:45How do you measure it?
03:46Well, that's where things get really interesting.
03:49So, just think about it for a second.
03:51On your projects right now, how do you measure if your plan is reliable?
03:54It sounds like a simple question, but honestly, most traditional methods don't have a good answer for it.
03:59The last planner system has a beautifully simple answer.
04:02Percent plan complete, or PPC.
04:05All it is, is the number of tasks you actually finished,
04:09divided by the number of tasks you promised you would finish that week.
04:12That's it.
04:13It's a crystal clear score for how reliable your planning is.
04:16And here's the best part.
04:18This number isn't hidden away in some spreadsheet.
04:21It's usually up on a big board for the entire team to see.
04:25Everyone talks about it every week.
04:26It makes everything transparent.
04:28And suddenly, accountability isn't about pointing fingers.
04:31It's a shared team goal.
04:32And that's why PPC is such a game changer.
04:35It does two things.
04:37Yeah, numerically, it measures reliability.
04:39But the social function is what really matters.
04:41It builds trust.
04:43When people see the team consistently doing what they say they're going to do,
04:46trust goes through the roof.
04:48And, and this is absolutely critical,
04:50a low PPC score isn't an excuse to blame someone.
04:53It's a red flag that something is wrong with the system.
04:56It lets the team ask, okay, what roadblock did we miss?
04:59And that creates a safe space to actually improve.
05:02All right, we've gone through a lot of ground here.
05:05So let's pull it all together and talk about where you can go from here.
05:09So, let's do a quick check.
05:11You now know the last planner system is all about collaboration and creating predictable work.
05:16You've got the five conversations down, should, can, will, did, and learn.
05:21And you know that the secret sauce to measuring success is percent plan complete or PPC,
05:26which is all about tracking reliability and building that all important team trust.
05:30So, if all of this sounds like something that could transform your projects,
05:35and I bet it does, the conversation definitely doesn't have to stop here.
05:39Come join us over at the Unified Consulting Solutions community on LinkedIn.
05:43It's a great place to connect with others and keep learning.
05:46The link is right there for you in the description.
05:48Hey, thanks so much for your time today.
05:51For anyone who wants to really geek out and go deeper,
05:53we've listed some of the key pioneers behind this stuff right here.
05:57We really hope to see you in the community.
05:59And just remember, the best plans, they aren't just forecasts.
06:03They're promises we make and keep together.
06:05We're just going to keep together.
06:06We're just going to keep together.
06:07We're just going to keep together.
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06:17We're just going to keep together.
06:18We're just going to keep together.
06:19We're just going to keep together.
06:20We're just going to keep together.
06:21We're just going to keep together.
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06:24We're just going to keep together.
06:26We're just going to keep together.
06:27We're just going to keep together.
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