Takt planning and takt control: The origin of a method

More transparency, better coordination and increased productivity: The Takt Planning/Takt Control (TPS) method stands for daily performance management. Photo: Shutterstock.

Jörn Steinbeck has transferred the assembly line to the project industry

The inventor of the project management method Taktplanung/Taktsteuerung (TPS) is Jörn Steinbeck. His development from 2008 is now used worldwide in the project industry and is taught at various universities. TPS has established itself as a standard method, particularly in the Lean construction sector. But how did this idea come about? We asked Jörn Steinbeck, Partner at the Lean Group, about the origins, application and benefits of his method:

Why does cycle planning and cycle control belong in the method suitcase of every construction manager?

Jörn Steinbeck: "The Taktplanung/Taktsteuerung method ensures that construction work is carried out in a controlled manner and according to plan, even in the final phase. Traditionally, in the trades, the work showed the way. If a meter of baseboard was missing, another trip was made to the hardware store. With the Taktplanung/Taktsteuerung method, we calculate the use of our resources completely in advance. We synchronize trades, avoid performance peaks and meet our deadlines. This creates a smooth, repetitive, rhythmic construction process."

Jörn Steinbeck developed the cycle planning/cycle control method. Before becoming a partner of Lean-Maritime and later Lean-Group, the industrial engineer worked for IBM and Porsche Consulting. Today, his passion for development is focused on Industry 4.0 solutions: At the Institute for Productivity, Jörn Steinbeck implements artificial intelligence to increase productivity with the OEE Cloud. Photo: Lean Group.

What does "Takt" mean?

Jörn Steinbeck: "The Takt is the rhythm in which I create my product. An element of repetition. In the project industry - in contrast to mass production - the repetitive element is not always obvious. But repetitive elements can be found in every construction project, be it a meter of wall, a square meter of floor or an entire room. As project or process managers, we look for these repeat elements and thus gain full control of the manufacturing process."

How do I plan and control the Takt?

Jörn Steinbeck: "Cycle planning is the preparation of all construction activities. I divide the work into sections with the clocking out in order to organize it better. The elements are processed individually and reassembled at the end. To do this, I draw up a schedule for the entire duration of the project, to which all trades and logistics are aligned. The Takt schedule is relevant to the contract. The subcontractors are qualified accordingly. Everyone must understand exactly what they have to do, when, where and how. That is the key. The cycle control is then used for checking. During the construction phase, it is checked almost in real time whether the Takt is being adhered to. Immediate countermeasures are taken in the event of deviations." 

How do you get a real-time overview of a project's progress?

Jörn Steinbeck: "The exact overview of the status of all construction activities is provided by the cycle control board. It is located in the section where construction is currently underway. Green, yellow or red markings give current answers to the question 'Will you deliver your output by the end of the cycle?' Green means yes. Yellow indicates the need for additional support. Red would mean no, definitely not. Deviations - for example, due to missing employees, pending decisions, insufficient materials or even weather-related disruptions - are absolutely normal in a construction project. The important thing is to identify the problems immediately in order to solve them quickly. This can be achieved with manual or even digital cycle control."

What improvements has the method brought?

Jörn Steinbeck: "It is absolute. When it comes to cycle planning and cycle control, we adopt an industrial engineering approach. We calculate a resource requirement over the entire project duration and can expect the math to add up. We know at which point how many people are needed to complete the designated work in the designated time frame. We don't plan for a week, but for several months or years. There is no buffer. For example, the painters have to finish their section of construction within a week; they can't come back again. This is new. Conventional methods have tended to rely on a kind of operational reaction, not consistent planning."

How did the idea of transferring the assembly line to make-to-order production come about?

Jörn Steinbeck: "The idea came during a hotel construction. It was the first construction project I was called in for. Six weeks before the 380-room hotel was handed over, we had 380 individual construction sites. It was pure chaos. With 380 construction sites, no one knew which work needed to be done at which point. So I started analyzing the situation on a flipchart behind the door of a construction container. Finally, we sat together at the desk and asked ourselves the question of how we manage to keep a project running stably and efficiently from start to finish. We looked for the line along which everything runs. In automotive production, the car body travels through manufacturing on an assembly line. Of course, that doesn't work with a hotel. So we had to move the people and the materials. So we created the image of a train moving through the hotel - along the repeating elements: A different trade sits in each car."

How has the method cycle planning/cycle control evolved since its inception? 

Jörn Steinbeck: "Its area of application has expanded significantly. In the past, we used to schedule the pure construction process, but today we use the effect of the method throughout the entire order processing process - from project planning and design to purchasing, construction and commissioning. In addition, cycle planning has become more dynamic. We combine it in hybrid project management with Lean logic and an agile mindset. In this way, we achieve robust and responsive structures, even in highly complex projects." 

For whom is the method suitable Clock planning/clock control?

Jörn Steinbeck: "The method is predestined for the construction of hotels, multi-story apartments or hospitals, as well as for the construction and cross-border processing of large-scale facilities. Those who like to think ahead, appreciate clear processes in the handling on the construction site and want to meet their deadlines will opt for this method."