Make ready planning using flow walks: A new approach to collaboratively identifying project constraints

Abstract

Many authors identify flow and pull as key lean production principles. In lean construction (LC)these principles are embodied within the “Last Planner® System” (LPS) to create more reliable workflow which is the heart of Lean Project Delivery. LPS has continued to evolve and develop over the last 25 years with pull planning - identifying what tasks SHOULD be done - the last major elementadded. However, “pull planning” is often misunderstood as the entirety of LPS and frequently referred to as “Last Planner”. The remaining levels of the Last Planner “System” - CAN; WILL; DID and LEARN - are not being used as originally intended by LPS developers Ballard and Howell. The struggle often begins with Make Ready Planning (CAN). This paper is the first output of a two-year research project focused on implementing the CAN; WILL; DID; LEARN levels of LPS within organisation (X). It outlines how the 8 Flows of Lean Project Delivery andthe“Flow Walk” are being used as a structured approach to collaboratively identify constraints and incorporate them into the risk registers and Make Ready Planning. This approach was effective to identify constraints and also create a shared understanding of project scope within project teams.