Last Planner System
“Ballard (2000) indicates that Last Planner System (LPS) is a technique that shapes workflow and addresses project variability in construction”. (Salem, 2005). The purpose of Last Planner System is to establish a coordinated plan of action while encouraging collaboration, cooperation and communication between different parties ensuring the full utilization of the available resources leading to an improved performance and thus maximizing value and minimizing waste. (Salme….).
Last Planner System focuses on the involvement of the person handling the task who could be the foreman or engineer on site (the last planner) in order to provide a rather realistic plan vs. the optimistic plan provided for the project (Salem).
The Lean Construction Institute (LCI) identifies five elements of the Last Planner:
• Master Schedule (setting milestones and strategy; identification of long lead items): is the schedule prepared by the Contractor for bidding purposes, it contains the major milestones for the Project (completion for raft, slabs, walls…).
• Phase "Pull" Schedule (PPS) (specify handoffs; identify operational conflicts): also know as Phase Scheduling (Ballard and
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In order to prepare the MRP constraints for each task need to be identified and recorded. These constraints can be of different types: directives (requirements on the work coming from outside the team), resources (tools, equipment, labor…) and prerequisite (tasks/materials that must be completed/available prior to the task) (Lean Project Consulting, 2011). A log of the constraints will be recorded, made readily visible for different parties and updated frequently, the purpose is to keep track of all open constraints and clear them after receiving feedback as they
Six flags is a company that has 29 theme parks with a Chief Corporate Engineer, Larry Chickola. Larry overseas all the projects for the parks and has teams of engineers that help take care of technical issues and building and construction. All six flags projects have a comprehensive plan for completing the work in a timely fashion. They have written statements as to what work is to be done and dated schedules for completion. They also have to include tasks and sub tasks all being figured into the budget. There is a “work package,” which is a group of activities assigned to break down each task and sub task to fit these into manageable quotas. They feel this is the key to managing logistics.
...rs and catastrophes. Other planning processes may address other scenarios or situations in better ways such as the Integrated Planning System approach also described by Ruback et al (2010) in FEMA’s Catastrophic Readiness and Response course, section 12.
The Deming Wheel explains that by using the backward planning system, it will help you start with your objective, and then work backwards to develop your plan. Furthermore, starting backwards will become easier to prepare for a successful outcome. It is important to map out solutions to your problems in a fun, energetic and creative way to achieve the desired results. This four-step method can help give direction and control to execute, and it provides an iterative process for continuous improvement (Leadership & Direction, 2014). The PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) is a modified version of Shewhart’s Cycle in which it advices to use rapidly in order to ensure continuous learning by improving function, product, or process.
Preez, D., & Louw, L. (2004, January 1). A Roadmap Approach For Implementing Theory of Constraints In Manufacturing Organisations . . Retrieved June 29, 2014, from http://www.indutech.co.za/attachments/134_A%20Roadmap%20Approach%20For%20Implementing%20Theory%20of%20Constraints%20in%20Manufacturing%20Organisations.pdf
Kezner, H. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 6th. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc, 1998. Print.
Simpson, W. (2010). Project Planning and Control When Time Matters: Focus on Process to Synchronize and Drive Results. Production and Inventory Management Journal, 46(2), 26-43. Retrieved July 19, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2278162401).
Eliyahu Goldratt, an Israeli physicist turned business guru, is the founder of the Theory of Constraints (TOC), who developed revolutionary methods for production scheduling in the late 1970s (Balderstone & Mabin, 1998). Goldratt also developed other theories about the methodology of systemic problem structuring and problem solving which are utilized in developing solutions with intuitive power and analytical rigor that, while more refined, are still being utilized today. The TOC stood in direct contrast to other accepted methods of production scheduling at the time, such as Materials Requirements Planning (MRP). MRP is a production planning and inventory control system that integrates data from production schedules, inventory, and the bill
...ve the plan in order to mitigate down time for future events (Notes W3 P24, CGC1 P N-2).
Planning is an essential process in today’s organizations. Based on the three types of managers: top-level (strategic managers), middle-level (tactical managers), and frontline (operational managers), exist three corresponding levels of planning: strategic, tactical, and operational. The purpose of this essay is to focus on the strategic level of planning for the Ford Motor Company; a leader in the global automobile industry. Strategic planning, according to Bateman and Snell (2009), “involves making decisions about the organization’s long-term goals and strategies” (p. 137). This paper will elaborate on six key influential factors: economic, environmental, competition, foreign policy, domestic policy, and innovation; that shape this corporation’s strategic plan. Finally, a SWOTT analysis will be conducted covering the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and trends, that the Ford Motor Company has in relation to its business environment.
The RUP defines the following guidelines and templates for team members to follow during a product’s lifecycle:
However, in some cases we need to develop strategies for them to improve their efficiency, improve their machinery, install backup generation, etc. In these scenarios, a team is developed with the consultant being the project manager or point man. Therefore, these projects require the four functions to be followed so we can develop the best possible solution. The first function used is “Planning”, which allows us to outline a strategy catering to the specific needs of our client. The “Planning” function also gives us a time table on how long the project will take to complete, who needs to be involved, and how we expect to accomplish each goal.
... need for this one human interaction with the system is what makes it vulnerable to errors and redundancy and the need to get it right is paramount. So the production plan is created bases on the sales order and this is shared with purchasing so that any unavailable material can be ordered. This shows how the MRP links the production with purchasing as well as accounting. Using this information links and sharing properly in the ERP can result in significant cost savings because companies are beginning to see its SCM as part of a larger process than just customers and suppliers.
During the planning process, outputs are created to illustrate how project tasks will be sequenced and allocated for effective TM. The PMBOK Guide describes nine processes under Project Time Management (Fig 2.) all of which (excluding no. 6) are relevant during the planning phase of the project life cycle.
Fayol (1949, as cited in Mcnamara, 2009) have proposed “planning” as one of the four major functions on...
By not understanding what the controlling activities will include, the planning process is incomplete. In today’s environment, the relationship between project planning and project control are critical. When a project has an unforeseen event occur, it can be contributed to a planning failure. This is where control comes in to implement the corrective action. This unforeseen event is now a lesson learned and is considered in the planning of future projects. Therefore, project planning and effective project control is an iterative process as depicted below (PMBOK ,