00:00Hello and welcome! You're with Unified Consulting Solutions, where our goal is to simplify complexity and amplify performance.
00:08Today, we're diving deep into a really powerful concept in project management, the basics of look-ahead planning. Let's jump right in.
00:16So what are we hoping you'll get out of our time together?
00:19Well, by the end of this, you'll be able to see exactly why so many projects struggle with delays.
00:23You'll understand what the last planner system is, and most importantly, you'll get the how-to of look-ahead planning, from spotting problems to seeing it work in a real example.
00:33Here's a quick look at our game plan. We'll start with the big problem, then introduce the solution, the last planner system.
00:40From there, we'll spend most of our time in the engine room, talking about look-ahead planning and how to clear the path for work to get done.
00:47We'll finish up with a hands-on example and a summary.
00:49Okay, let's start at the beginning. Why do we even need something like look-ahead planning?
00:55Well, it's because traditional ways of planning and construction have a fundamental issue, what we call the predictability problem.
01:02Now, look at this number. It's kind of shocking, right?
01:06Studies show that on a typical construction project, only about 35 to 45 percent of the time is actually spent doing the work that adds value.
01:14That means more than half of the time, more than half, is just waste. People waiting around, fixing errors, looking for materials. It's a huge problem.
01:23So where does this waste come from?
01:25A lot of it boils down to this, a difference between push and pull.
01:29The old way, push planning, is when a schedule is made in an office and just pushed out to the teams, whether they're ready for it or not.
01:35The lean approach, pull planning, is the complete opposite. Work is only started when the next team in line signals that they are ready to take it on.
01:43It's a simple idea, but it changes everything.
01:46And that pull philosophy is the heart of the solution we're talking about today.
01:50It's called the Last Planner System, or LPS for short.
01:54Think of it as a whole framework designed to bring predictability and reliability to the chaos of a project site.
01:59The Last Planner System has five key conversations.
02:03It goes from what we should do in the big picture plan to what we can do, and that's our focus, look-ahead planning.
02:08Then it moves to what we will commit to doing this week, what we did get done each day, and finally what we learn from all of it.
02:14See that? Look-ahead planning is the critical link between the grand vision and what actually happens on the ground.
02:19I love this quote from Glenn Ballard, one of the pioneers of this system.
02:23You don't make promises to schedules. You make promises to human beings.
02:28This captures the spirit of it all.
02:29It's about shifting from a system based on Gantt charts to one based on real conversations and commitments between people.
02:36That's what builds trust.
02:38All right, let's zoom in on the main event.
02:40If the Last Planner System is the vehicle, then look-ahead planning while it's the engine.
02:45This is where we stop reacting to problems and start proactively getting ahead of them.
02:50So, what is it really?
02:52Simply put, it's the discipline of looking ahead, usually about two to six weeks out.
02:57We take the big tasks from the plan and break them down.
03:00The entire goal is to find and fix every single thing that could possibly go wrong before that work is supposed to start.
03:07The result is a healthy backlog of work that is genuinely ready to go.
03:10This process really does three things.
03:13First, we identify the work in detail.
03:16Then, we analyze it for constraints.
03:18We ask, what could stop us?
03:20And third, and this is the most important part, we go out and actively make the work ready.
03:25We hunt down those roadblocks and remove them one by one.
03:28And a huge part of this is making it visual, so everyone is on the same page.
03:33You can use a simple board like this.
03:35Red means there's a major problem, a showstopper.
03:38Yellow means caution, we're working on something.
03:41And green, green means go.
03:42That work is 100% ready.
03:45This way, anyone on the team can see the health of our upcoming work in a single glance.
03:49Now, let's talk about the most powerful part of look-ahead planning.
03:53It's not just about seeing problems coming.
03:55It's about taking action.
03:56It's all about constraint removal.
03:59This is the activity that actually creates a smooth, reliable workflow.
04:04So let me ask you this.
04:05What really stops work from being ready on a project site?
04:09It can be a million different things, right?
04:11And the answer to that question leads us right to our next key term.
04:15A constraint is just a roadblock.
04:18It's anything that must be in place before a task can start.
04:21It could be a missing drawing, a delayed material, an unavailable piece of equipment.
04:26You name it.
04:27In look-ahead planning, our job is to become professional roadblock removers.
04:33And to bring this concept home, let's think about some really common constraints we face
04:37right here in India.
04:38Things like getting government approvals on time, navigating a complex supply chain for
04:42materials, or just getting clear design information.
04:46Not to mention finding skilled labor when you need it.
04:48And, of course, planning around the monsoon season.
04:50A good plan has to anticipate all of these things.
04:54So how do we track all this?
04:56We use a simple but powerful tool called a constraint log.
05:00This is more than just a list of problems.
05:02For every single node block, we write down who owns it and when they promise to have it
05:06fixed.
05:07Then we track it.
05:08This creates real accountability and makes sure things actually get done.
05:12Okay, we've talked a lot about the what and the why.
05:15Now let's get practical and see what this looks like in action.
05:19We'll walk through a quick week-by-week example to really bring it to life.
05:23Imagine this six-week window is always rolling forward.
05:27The work for the next two weeks is pretty much set.
05:29So in our meeting today, we're looking at week three and beyond.
05:32We're identifying problems for the drywall work now so that by week five, we can confirm
05:36it's ready to go.
05:37Then it can be reliably pulled into next week's plan.
05:40It's a constant rhythm of preparation.
05:42So let's really drill down.
05:45Picture it.
05:45We're in our week two planning meeting.
05:47We're looking ahead to week four.
05:49And the task on the board is electrical rough-in.
05:52The whole team is there.
05:54And the facilitator asks a simple question.
05:56What needs to be true for this work to happen smoothly?
06:00And immediately, the team starts talking.
06:02The electrical foreman says the final drawings aren't approved yet.
06:06That's a red.
06:06A total showstopper.
06:08He also mentions some materials haven't arrived.
06:11That's a yellow.
06:11We need to follow up.
06:13And his team is busy on another floor until Wednesday.
06:16Another yellow.
06:18Finally, the prerequisite framing inspection isn't done yet.
06:21That's a definite red.
06:22See?
06:23These aren't just complaints anymore.
06:25Each one becomes an action item on our constraint log with a name and a date next to it.
06:30That's making work ready.
06:32So as you can see, this is a very different way of working.
06:35We've gone from the big picture problem of waste all the way down to a specific conversation
06:39in the meeting.
06:39Let's take a moment to pull everything together.
06:42If you remember anything from today, remember this.
06:45Traditional planning just doesn't work well because it's unpredictable.
06:49The last planner system fixes that by focusing on collaboration.
06:52The engine of that system is look-ahead planning, which uses a constraint log to drive action and
06:57accountability.
06:57And the end result isn't just being on time.
07:00It's better safety, better quality, and a better project for everyone.
07:04And just like that, we've hit our goals for this session.
07:07You can now not only define what look-ahead planning is, but you can explain how it fits
07:12into the bigger picture.
07:13And hopefully, you truly see the value it can bring to your work.
07:16Now, if you're keen to learn more, these are some fantastic places to start.
07:22The websites for the Lean Construction Institute and the International Group for Lean Construction
07:26are full of great material.
07:28The case study from Tamil Nadu offers a great local perspective.
07:32And that last article has some really solid practical tips.
07:35Thank you so much for your time and attention.
07:38This has been an explainer from Unified Consulting Solutions by Dr. Morimutu K, where we always
07:43aim to simplify complexity to amplify performance.
07:46If this was helpful, please join our LinkedIn community to keep the conversation going.
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