Introduction to Lean Methods Push or Pull?

1. LEAN METHODS & LAST
PLANNING
PUSH OR PULL?

2. 1ST PLANNERS VS LAST PLANNERS
1st Planners
• Project Managers are 1st planners. They impose
constraints, timetables & schedules on a project.
• Projects are then managed in terms of what
should happen through management of the
Critical Path.
Last Planners
• Contractors, trade foremen & subcontractors are
last planners. They follow a schedule and work
to adhere to the constraints of the overall
project.
• They adjust their plans to the conditions on the
ground as the need arises.

3. LEAN CONSTRUCTION
• One key to making the construction process Lean is creation of a pull system.
• Managers begin by looking at what the completed project should be, then
work backwards, identifying each preceding step.
• Later processes determine what earlier ones will be, and when they should
take place.
• Relies on use of six-week “Look-aheads” and weekly work plans.
• Front-end planning belongs in the project definition & design phases. That
planning produces master schedules, which “are expressed at the level of
milestones, typically by phase,” according to the Institute. “Phase schedules
feed into look-ahead windows, usually 3 to 12 weeks in duration.”
• These processes make scheduled tasks ready for assignment; the tasks are
placed in Workable Backlog. Weekly work plans are formed by selection of
tasks from the Workable Backlog.
• One of the biggest benefits is a much higher level of communication &
awareness. It becomes a highly collaborative process. There’s a new feeling of
communication & participation for the people that are actually doing the work
as subcontractors and trades are empowered on the job sites to make
decisions.

4. PUSH
• Critical Path Method (CPM) often requires work
to be done that cannot be completed as
programmed because one or more of the
‘Flows’ are broken.
• If CPM worked by itself, there would be a high
coincidence between what should be done and
what is done.
• The Critical Path Method is a wish list; a ‘Push’
system.

5. …OR PULL?
Approximation
Anticipation
Excess
Push
Precision
Actuals
Minimums
Pull

6. FLOW
• Value = What you get (or want) / What
you pay
• Creating Value in construction requires the
transformation of materials. This is done
through ‘Flow.’
• There are 7 construction streams that
make up ‘Flow.’

7. MANAGING FLOW
• Problems arise and breakdowns often
occur at the interfaces between
contracts and trades. What was
promised vs. what can be delivered.
• Project Managers manage ‘Flow’
through 5 Key Conversations.

8. #1 - COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMMING
Collaborative Programming
• Creating & agreeing to a production sequence.
• Helps project team identify issues and design &
plan handovers.
Program Compression
• It is possible to use collaborative programming
to reduce a project’s duration by as much as
20%.
• Program compression can be achieved through
workshops and planning sessions.
• This is where leaders engineer value.

9. VALUE ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES
• PDCA, Process Walk, Value Stream MappingCollect Data & Analyze Work Flow
• Process Flow Chart, Value Streams, Problem Solving, 4M’sDesign Process Sequence
• 5S, Cell Layout & Design, Visual ControlsMinimize the Distance Between Equipment
• Setup Reduction, Pull System, Kanban, Poka Yoke, Six SigmaProduce & Move One Piece at a Time
• Takt Time CalculationProduce at the Rate of Customer Consumption
• Time Observation Studies, Line Balance ChartsBalance Operations & Standardize Work
• Cross Training, Skills Analysis MatrixTrain Personnel to Operate Multiple Processes
• Automation, Right-Sized MachinesSeparate People from Machines

10. #2 - MAKEREADY
• Making tasks in the planning period
‘ready’ by making them constraint free.
• Helps ensure that work can be done at
desired times.
• A simple MakeReady checklist ensures the
integrity of the 7 Flows that make up the
construction stream.
Information
• Documents
• Plans
• Specs
• Codes
• Standards
Prerequisites
• Work Needed Prior
Resources
• Who

11. #3 – PRODUCTION PLANNING
• Collaboratively agreeing upon
production tasks for the near future.
• Allows planning & planners to check for
interdependencies before committing
to the schedule.
Rule #1
If you
promise to
do it, get it
done.
Rule #2
If it cannot
be done,
don’t
promise to
do it.

12. PROJECT EVALUATION &
PLANNING
The transition from planning to
production offers 4 opportunities for
leaders to engineer value.
• 3 - Perform• 4 - Assess
• 2 - Negotiate• 1 - Prepare
Request
Performer
Promise
Declare
Complete
Declare
Acceptance

13. #4 – PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
• Collaboratively monitoring production to
keep activities on track.
• Helps planners adjust in light of new
information.
• Creates a shared sense of responsibility for
project delivery.

14. #5 - MEASUREMENT, LEARNING & CONTINUAL
IMPROVEMENT
• Learning together about & improving
project planning & production processes.
• The learning element encourages
learning from success & reduces
repeated failures.
Planning
Predictability
Reliability

15. HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?
The Simple Answer: One Bite at a Time

16. VALUE ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES
A DEEPER DIVE

17. COLLECT DATA & ANALYZE WORK FLOW: PDCA

18. COLLECT DATA & ANALYZE WORK FLOW: PROCESS
WALK
• A Process Walk is a series of
structured, on-site interviews with
representative process participants
with the goal of gaining a
comprehensive understanding of
the process.
• Interviews focus on detail such as
process time, wait time, defect
rates, root causes & other
information that can lead to
targeted improvements.
• Also known as a ‘Gemba Walk.’

19. VALUE STREAM MAPPING
• Value Stream Mapping is a lean-
management method for
analyzing the current state &
designing a future state for the
series of events that take a
product or service from its
beginning through to the
customer.
• Also known as ‘Material &
Information Flow Mapping.’

20. DESIGN PROCESS SEQUENCE: PROCESS FLOW CHART
• A visual representation of
the steps in a process.
• Also known as ‘Process
Mapping’ or ‘Flow
Diagrams.’

21. DESIGN PROCESS SEQUENCE: VALUE STREAMS
• Sequence of activities
required to design,
produce, & provide a
specific good or service, &
along which information,
materials, & worth flows.

22. DESIGN PROCESS SEQUENCE: PROBLEM SOLVING
Target Reveal Analyze Navigate Strategize Finalize Overhaul Review Mobilize

23. DESIGN PROCESS SEQUENCE: 4 M’S
• A particular form of procedure for accomplishing or approaching
something, especially a systematic or established one.Method
• The number of people working or available for work or service.Manpower
• An apparatus using or applying mechanical power & having several parts,
each with a definite function & together performing a particular task.Machine
• The matter from which a thing is or can be made.
• Facts, information, or ideas for use in creating work.Materials

24. MINIMIZE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EQUIPMENT: 5 S
Seiri – Segregate unwanted material from workplace
Seiton – Streamline
Seiso – Scrub; keep workplace clean & safe
Seiketsu – Standardize best practices
Shitsuke – Keep in working order; training & discipline

25. MINIMIZE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EQUIPMENT: CELL
LAYOUT & DESIGN
• Also known as ‘Cellular Manufacturing.’
• A model for workplace design. It is an
integral part of just-in-time & lean
processes, with additional applications
in administrative processes.
• The cell, or work cell, has roots in group
technology, which seeks to align process
flows by families of component parts or,
sometimes, families of target customers

26. MINIMIZE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EQUIPMENT:
VISUAL CONTROLS
• Visual controls are a system of signs,
information displays, layouts, material storage
& handling tools, color-coding, and mistake
proofing devices.
• These controls fulfill the old fashioned adage:
a place for everything & everything in its
place.
• The visual control system makes product flow,
operations standards, schedules & problems
instantly identifiable to even the casual
observer.
• Allows quick recognition of information being
communicated, in order to increase efficiency
& clarity.
• A visual display group relates information & data
to employees in the area. For example, charts
showing the monthly revenues of the company
or a graphic depicting a certain type of quality
issue that group members should be aware of.
• A visual control group is intended to actually
control or guide the action of the group
members. Examples of controls are readily
apparent in society: stop signs, handicap parking
signs, no smoking signs, color coded shirts,
uniforms, etc.

27. PRODUCE & MOVE ONE PIECE AT A TIME: SETUP
REDUCTION
• Also known as ‘SMED’ –
Single Minute Exchange
of Die.
• A VE technique to
eliminate waste by
analyzing a process over
time.

28. PRODUCE & MOVE ONE PIECE AT A TIME: PULL
SYSTEM
• A Pull System is a lean strategy used to reduce waste in
a process. Components used in this system are only
pulled in once they are needed. This means all
resources are used for production that will immediately
move a process forward.
• Essentially, a pull system works backwards, starting
with the need then using various signals to prompt
action in each previous step in the process. The final
product is pulled through the process by demand.
• The biggest incentives to use a Pull System are
increased efficiency (Time), reduced waste (Cost), and
increased opportunities to increase quality (Scope);
hitting all points of the triple constraint without
imposing the extra constraints that make up Push
Systems.

29. PRODUCE & MOVE ONE PIECE AT A TIME: KANBAN
• Kanban helps you harness the power
of visual information by using sticky
notes on a whiteboard to create a
“picture” of your work.
• Seeing how your work flows within
your team’s process lets you not
only communicate status but also
give & receive context for the work.
Kanban takes information that
typically would be communicated via
words & turns it into brain candy.
• Creating a visual model of your work & workflow facilitates observation.
Visualize Work
• Limiting how much unfinished work is in process can reduce the time it takes
an item to travel through the Kanban system.
Limit Work in Process
• Using work-in-process (WIP) limits & developing team-driven policies can
optimize your system to improve the smooth flow of work, collect metrics to
analyze flow, & even produce leading indicators of future problems through
analysis.
Focus on Flow
• A cornerstone for a culture of continuous improvement. Teams measure their
effectiveness by tracking flow, quality, throughput, lead times & more.
Experiments & analysis can change the system to improve the team’s
effectiveness.
Continuous Improvement

30. PRODUCE & MOVE ONE PIECE AT A TIME: POKA YOKE
• Japanese term which means mistake proofing.
• A poka-yoke device is one that prevents incorrect
parts from being made or assembled, or easily
identifies a flaw or error.
• Or “mistake-proofing,” – a means of providing a
visual or other signal to indicate a characteristic
state. Often referred to as “error-proofing,” poka-
yoke is actually the first step in truly error-proofing
a system. Error-proofing is a manufacturing
technique of preventing errors by designing the
manufacturing process, equipment, and tools so
that an operation literally cannot be performed
incorrectly.

31. PRODUCE & MOVE ONE PIECE AT A TIME: SIX SIGMA
• Six Sigma is a set of quality management
techniques & tools for process improvement. Six
Sigma seeks to improve the quality output of
process by identifying & removing the causes of
defects (errors) & minimizing variability in
manufacturing & business processes.
• Continuous efforts to achieve stable & predictable
process results are of vital importance to business
success.
• Manufacturing & business processes have
characteristics that can be measured, analyzed,
controlled and improved.
• Achieving sustained quality improvement requires
commitment from the entire organization,
particularly from top-level management.
DMAIC – Improving Existing
Business Processes
Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
DMADV – Creating New
Processes
Define
Measure
Analyze
Design
Verify

32. PRODUCE & MOVE ONE PIECE
AT A TIME: SIX SIGMA
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
TOOLS
These QUALITY MANAGEMENT &
STATISTICAL & FITTING tools are used
within the individual phases of a DMAIC
or DMADV project.
5 Whys
Axiomatic
Design
Business
Process
Mapping
Cause & Effect
Diagrams
Control Chart
/ Plan
Cost Benefit
Analysis
CTQ Tree Stratification
Histogram /
Pareto
Analysis
Pick Chart /
Process
Capability
Quality
Function
Deployment
Quantitative
Marketing
Research
Root Cause
Analysis
SIPOC COPIS
Taguchi
Methods /
Loss Function
Value Stream
Mapping
Analysis of
Variance
General Linear
Model
ANOVA Gauge
R&R
Regression
Analysis
Correlation
Scatter
Diagram
Chi Square
Test

33. PRODUCE AT THE RATE OF CUSTOMER
CONSUMPTION: TAKT TIME CALCULATION
• Takt Time is the rate at which products or
services should be produced to meet customer
demand. The value, in conjunction with current
loading (production) rates, is used to analyze
process loads, bottlenecks, & excess capacity.
• The study will indicate which operations are
ahead of the demand rate & others that are
not, both indicating opportunities for
improvement.
• This is strictly a formula & calculation. Use it to
compare your measured "loading" to quantify
whether an operation meets, exceeds, & by
how much.

34. BALANCE OPERATIONS & STANDARDIZE WORK: TIME
OBSERVATION STUDIES
• Time Observation captures all the steps
that were recorded in a process & the
cycle time for each task separately.
• Important for accurately measuring a
work load.
• Useful for verifying a sequence of events
& making adjustments.
• Used in conjunction with a floor plan & a
map of movements required per
observation, a Time Observation Study
can be used to maximize efficiency &
reduce waste.

35. BALANCE OPERATIONS & STANDARDIZE WORK: LINE
BALANCE CHARTS
• Line Balancing is leveling the workload
across all processes in a cell or value
stream to remove bottlenecks & excess
capacity.
• A constraint slows the process down &
results in waiting for downstream
operations.
• Excess capacity results in waiting and no
absorption of fixed costs.
• Line Balancing seeks to match the
production rate after all wastes have been
removed to the Takt time at each process
of a value stream.

36. TRAIN PERSONNEL TO OPERATE MULTIPLE
PROCESSES: CROSS TRAINING
• Cross-training in operations involves training
resources to engage in quality control measures.
Resources are trained in tangent functions to
increase oversight in ways that are impossible
through management interactions with
resources alone.
Advantages
• Empowers
resources
• Challenges
bureaucratic drift
• Raises awareness
of what others do
• Enhanced
scheduling
flexibility
Secondary
Advantages
• Increased
versatility
• Appreciated
Intellectual Capital
• Improved
individual
efficiency
• Increased
standardization

37. TRAIN PERSONNEL TO OPERATE MULTIPLE
PROCESSES: SKILLS ANALYSIS MATRIX
• Use a Skills Matrix to confirm the skills,
knowledge, & interest of your team
members.
• A Skills Matrix is a table that displays
people’s proficiency in specified skills &
knowledge, as well as their interest in
working on assignments using these skills &
knowledge.
• Document people’s skills & knowledge &
verify their interests, in case you need to
assign people to unanticipated tasks that
crop up or if you have to replace a team
member unexpectedly.

38. SEPARATE PEOPLE FROM MACHINES: AUTOMATION
• Automation is the use of various control systems
with minimal human intervention.
• Selective automation lowers costs by reducing
time by reducing variation.
• Best maximized as a successor to other Value
Engineering (VE) techniques.
Assess Process
Evaluate Flow
Identify VE
Opportunities
Implement VE
Techniques
Identify
Automation
Opportunities
Design &
Implement

39. SEPARATE PEOPLE FROM MACHINES: RIGHT SIZED
MACHINES
• Any process requires assets to run it. You could
use a big machine (large solution / contractor /
vendor) that costs a lot of money, but has
tremendous functionality & flexibility. However,
these machines, because of their cost, end up
being used in several processes to defray the
cost. This tends to disrupt flow.
• The alternative is to buy or build a smaller
machine that may have fewer functions. This
machine is dedicated to a single process. It can
then be located in a logical position to support
one piece of a flow without interfering with
other processes.

40. KAIZEN
Change for better; the practice of
continuous improvement.