Last Planner® System: Why it Works and How to Ensure Success

The Last Planner^® System is a lean production planning system designed to produce predictable workflow and continuous improvement in construction. The system has proven to help teams deliver better projects in less time at a lower cost – but why is implementation so hard?

We will discuss why productivity in construction struggles to improve so we understand the problem that Last Planner® System is designed to solve and take you through a pull planning exercise to drive home the concepts of the Last Planner^® System.  This course will also provide you with strategies to deal with difficult behaviours in planning meetings and show you how to create the culture necessary to support Lean and make it successful in your business and on your project site.

Topics:

• Lean principles – flow, waste and variation
• Detailed Last Planner® System review
• Common implementation challenges
• Planning session exercise
• Speed, quality and budget – how to get all three
• The culture of lean and team behaviours
• Assertively dealing with difficult personalities

All members of a construction project team, including:

• Project Coordinators
• Project Managers
• Site Supervisors
• Management
• Owners
• Support roles

Jim Johnston, President, Quality Dynamics Inc.

Jim Johnston, P. Eng., is an industrial engineer, a member of the Lean Construction Institute – Canada, and an accredited trainer with the Associated General Contractors of America. With more than 20 years of experience, Jim is a construction, operations and quality specialist focusing on business process analysis and improvement, lean thinking and implementation, strategic planning and business development. He has worked extensively as a management consultant and trainer, leading organizations through lean transformations, quality system implementation/auditing and process optimization projects. Jim has facilitated the implementation of lean construction on many projects and is currently involved in the continued development of the Lean Construction Institute - Canada.

CM-Lean holders will earn 7.0 CE Credits. AGC of America recognizes ‘Last Planner® System: How to Achieve True Success’ as qualifying for continuing education hours towards the renewal of AGC’s Certificate of Management-Lean Construction (CM-Lean). Each hour of educational content is equal to 1 hour of CE credit. Attendees may earn up to 7.0 hours of CE Credit by attending the entire workshop