The Last Planner® System (LPS) is one of the most popular lean construction tools for production management. This paper identifies 5 key recurring challenges and explores how VisiLean addresses each.
What is the Last Planner System?
Last Planner System (LPS) is a collaborative planning and control system that shifts the focus from top-down scheduling to commitment-based planning. It ensures that tasks are realistically planned and completed as scheduled. It helps bring order to chaotic sites by improving collaboration and planning.
It involves:
- Phase Scheduling: Long-term planning (e.g., project milestones planning).
- Lookahead Planning: Mid-term (4/6/12 weeks) planning to identify and resolve constraints.
- Weekly Planning: Short-term commitments from teams.
- Daily Huddles: Quick updates to keep tasks on track.
Goal of the Last Planner System: To reduce uncertainty, improve workflow, and empower frontline workers (“Last Planners”) to make informed decisions.
The Promise of the Last Planner System
When done right, LPS helps to:
- Smoothen production flow
- Tackle variability, ensuring task availability and compressing duration
- Better coordination and trust among project teams
- Make waste visible for continuous improvement
- Reduce delays and last-minute surprises
- Increase reliability in meeting project deadlines
- Integrate supply chain during project planning
Challenges in the Implementation of LPS
1. Partial Implementation: Many companies only use shorter planning functions, such as weekly and daily planning, but neglect phase scheduling and lookahead planning.
2. Inefficient Information Flow: Many teams still rely on spreadsheets and disconnected tools, making it challenging to track real-time progress.
3. Limited Use of Continuous Improvement: Many teams fail to conduct root cause analysis for missed tasks. Without data-driven insights, teams repeat the same mistakes.
4. Resistance to Change & Training Gaps: Many construction professionals lack formal training in LPS and show some resistance to adopting new processes.
5. Outdated Tools: Reliance on disconnected tools like Excel spreadsheets or traditional CPM software often results in fragmented data and manual updates.
How VisiLean Provides a Holistic Solution?
VisiLean provides a comprehensive digital environment that directly addresses these recurrent problems:
For Incomplete Adoption
VisiLean’s integrated platform seamlessly links all planning levels from master schedules to detailed lookahead plans and weekly work commitments.
For Data Fragmentation & Poor Visibility
VisiLean acts as a unified cloud hub for all your project data. It centralises planning information, offers a dynamic, cloud-powered view of your project, and provides real-time progress tracking via its mobile app (LiveSite).
For Insufficient Learning from Experience
VisiLean’s robust analytics and customisable dashboards enable systematic tracking of key performance indicators like PPC, identifying delays, and analysing reasons for non-completion.
For Cultural Resistance & Training Deficits
VisiLean’s intuitive, user-friendly interface and mobile accessibility significantly lower the barrier to adoption.
For Lack of Consistent Accountability
VisiLean fosters accountability by clearly assigning task ownership, enabling subcontractors and field teams to update their own tasks directly.
Conclusion
The Last Planner System isn’t broken, it’s just underutilised. Its successful implementation requires overcoming challenges in collaboration, information flow, and training. By leveraging technology and fostering a continuous improvement mindset, construction teams can unlock higher efficiency, reduced delays, and more predictable project outcomes.
