Phase Pull Plan - Level 2

On a typical construction project, the hand-off of work often isn’t reliable and flow of production is not steady. The dates and durations of the schedule are determined by a few people who aren’t involved with the day-to-day tasks. Your team needs to consider the handling of work, information, and materials – your resources – far enough upstream to identify and eliminate issues that interrupt workflow or stop the job. Phase Pull Planning, part of the Last Planner System, guides the people who do the work to plan the work.

The pattern of Phase Pull Planning is repeated as necessary for each phase of work or Target Condition. First we “Plan”, then we “Do” what was planned, then we “Check” the work to make sure it went according to plan. We make sure that, for every phase, the work we said should be completed was completed, and if not we “Act” to assess why. The continuous, detailed review of planned and completed work creates opportunities to eliminate waste and add value, the two key principles of the Lean Construction process.

So what are the benefits of doing a Phase Pull Plan for your project? Phase pull planning:

• Identifies and removes constraints that block work from being completed as scheduled
• Promotes the efficient hand-off of work
• Eliminates reworks and surprises
• Makes everyone accountable for not just their work, but for the overall project
• Eliminates unnecessary stress on the jobsite
• Allows everyone to make the money they planned for.