00:00All right. If you've ever been on a project, you know that feeling, right? That sinking feeling
00:05when a plan that looked perfect on paper just starts to fall apart. Well, today we're going
00:10to dive into the last planner system. It's this really powerful framework that came out of the
00:15lean construction world, and it's all about swapping that chaos for some real predictable
00:20control. Hey, welcome. In this explainer from UCS, our mission is simple, to give you a clear
00:27step-by-step guide to the system. By the time we're done, you're not just going to know what LPS is.
00:33You'll know exactly how to start using it, whether you're a complete beginner or you're looking to
00:37take your skills to the next level. So let's get right to the heart of the matter. I mean,
00:42this is the question that keeps project managers up at night, isn't it? The constant firefighting,
00:47the schedules that just keep slipping, the budgets that, well, they just seem to explode.
00:52It can feel like it's just part of the job. But what if it doesn't have to be?
00:56See, the problem usually isn't about people not working hard enough. It's the whole method we
01:01use for planning that's kind of broken. So right now, we're going to walk through a system that's
01:07designed from the ground up to create a reliable flow of work, build real collaboration, and give
01:12you results you can actually count on. Okay, first things first. To really get why this new way works,
01:18we have to be super clear about the old way. Why do the traditional planning methods we've all been
01:22using for decades seem to, well, consistently let us down? So traditional planning is what
01:28we call a push system. Think about it. A master schedule gets made, usually by a few people in
01:33an office, and it dictates what should be done. Then those tasks get pushed down to the teams in
01:38the field. But the last planner system, it flips that completely on its head. It's a pull system.
01:43The people doing the work get to decide what can be done. Work only gets pulled in when it's
01:48actually ready. The whole mindset changes from what should happen to what can realistically happen.
01:54And that old push system creates something called the bungee effect. This quote just nails it. When
02:00a task gets pushed on a team before they're ready, you know, missing materials, unclear drawings,
02:04they have to stretch like crazy to make it happen. But that heroic effort, it causes this unpredictable
02:09snapback that throws everyone else off schedule. It's just a vicious cycle of chaos.
02:14So you can see, the last planner system isn't just about adding a few new meetings or using some
02:20different software. It's a total paradigm shift. It's a completely new way of thinking about planning,
02:25about making commitments, and about working together as a team. And at the very center of
02:30this shift is the last planner. Now, this isn't a job title. It's a role. The last planner is the
02:35foreman, the crew lead, the expert who is literally closest to the work. In this system, these are the
02:41people who make the weekly plan. Why? Because they're the only ones who can make a promise that
02:46you can actually rely on. And it all runs on these fundamental beliefs. Instead of trying to plan the
02:52entire project in perfect detail a year out, you plan in detail right before the work is about to
02:56happen. You get the experts, the last planners in the room. Commitments aren't just guesses,
03:02they're reliable promises. And this one is huge. Every mistake becomes a lesson, not a reason to point
03:08fingers. That right there is the foundation for getting better day in and day out. Okay, so that's
03:14the philosophy, the big idea. But how does it actually work on a project? Well, it's all structured
03:20around five very specific conversations that are all connected, and they create this amazing continuous
03:25cycle of improvement. The whole system flows so logically, from the big picture vision right down
03:31to what happens today. We start with what we should do, then we figure out what we can do,
03:36and we commit to what we will do. After that, we track what we actually did, and finally we learn
03:41from all of it. So let's break down those first three big conversations. Everything kicks off with
03:46the should conversation. This is your high-level game plan. The whole team gets together, looks at
03:52the major project milestones, and then works backward, together, to map out the main phases and sequence to
03:58get there. Next up, you've got the can conversation. This is your look-ahead window, usually about
04:03three to six weeks out. The whole point here is to proactively clear roadblocks. Are the materials
04:07ordered? Are the drawings approved? Is the equipment ready? You're basically making work ready before it
04:12ever hits the weekly schedule. And that brings us to will, which is truly the heartbeat of the entire
04:17system. This happens in the weekly work planning meeting. It's where the last planners stand up and
04:22make public, reliable commitments for the week ahead. And because of that can conversation,
04:27these aren't just hopes. They're promises. This is where you build incredible trust.
04:33And you know, you can really see how tangible this whole process is. This is not about one person
04:38sitting alone in an office clicking away at some complex software. It's a physical, collaborative
04:42event. Teams are huddled around a board, using simple sticky notes for tasks. It creates this
04:48incredible energy, this level of communication, and shared ownership that you just can't get from a
04:52traditional Gantt chart. So we've got the big ideas and the structure. Now for the really important
04:58part, putting it into practice. How do you actually get started with this? And once you're going, how do
05:04you take it to the next level? Look, you don't have to boil the ocean here. You don't have to implement
05:10the entire system on day one. The best way to start is to keep it simple. Just start with the weekly
05:16work plan. Get your form in together and focus on one thing, making and keeping promises for a single week.
05:22Once you get that rhythm down, you can start tracking your success. This builds momentum fast
05:27and shows everyone the value right away. And for those of you who are ready to go deeper,
05:32well, the practice just keeps evolving. Sure, you can start integrating digital tools to visualize
05:37the plan, but the real advancement is about culture. Are you building an environment where people feel
05:42safe to raise problems? Are you moving beyond just removing roadblocks to truly optimizing the entire
05:47flow of work? That's the advanced game. All of this leads us to the final, and I'd argue the most
05:53critical piece of the whole system. Without this part, you're just making better plans. With it,
05:59you're building an engine for continuous improvement that never stops. The key metric here is called
06:05percent plan complete, or PPC. The math is incredibly simple. It's just the number of tasks you finished
06:11divided by the number you promised to do. But listen, this is the most important thing to remember.
06:17PPC is a grade on your planning system. It is not a grade on your crews. If PPC is low,
06:23it means there's a problem in the process that the whole team needs to solve together.
06:27So what's a good number? Well, the industry benchmark for a team that's really humming with LPS
06:32is a PPC that's consistently over 80%. When you hit that level of reliability,
06:38your workflow stabilizes, and your project outcomes become incredibly predictable.
06:42It's the moment you finally move from just reacting to being truly in control.
06:47And this is where those final two conversations did and learn complete the circle. Every single week,
06:54the team looks at the PPC and, way more importantly, discusses the reasons for any promises that were
07:00missed. This isn't about blame. It's about curiosity. It's about finding the root cause.
07:06You're basically running a plan-do-check-act cycle every week, which stops you from making the same
07:11mistakes over and over again. So let's wrap this all up. What are the big things to take away?
07:16First, Last Planner is a collaborative pull system, not a top-down push system. Second,
07:22it's all built around those five key conversations. Should, can, will, did, and learn. Third,
07:28you can start small. Just focus on reliable promises and measure your progress with PPC.
07:33And finally, remember, this is a journey of getting better all the time, not some one-time
07:38silver bullet. Thank you so much for joining us for this explainer from Unified Consulting
07:43Solutions. Remember, LPS isn't really about changing your schedule. It's about changing your
07:48conversations. So here's a question to leave with. Are your project meetings focused on explaining
07:53why work didn't get done, or are they focused on making sure it can? If you want to continue this
07:59conversation with our community, led by Dr. Mari Muthu-K, just click the LinkedIn link in the
08:03description below. We'd love to see you there.
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