Last Planner Implementation – An experience

By Zakir Hussain – Hindustan Construction Company, India

The “Last Planner” – An experience 07 – 10th November 06 Page 1

 DISCLAIMER

This presentation contains certain forward looking statements concerning future business prospects and profitability of HCC, which are subject to a
number of risks and uncertainties and actual results could materially differ from those in such forward looking statements, important developments
that could affect the company's operations include a downtrend in the infrastructure sector, significant changes in political and economic environment
in India, tax laws, labor relations, litigation etc. The company does not undertake to make any announcement in case any of these forward looking
statements become materially incorrect in future or update any forward looking statements made from time to time by or on behalf of the company.

The “Last Planner” – An experience 07 – 10th November 06 Page 2

Beginning in 1926

The Borghat Railway Tunnel

built in Mumbai – Pune
sector is India’s first railway
tunnel build by an Indian
contractor

Corporate Vision

“To be the Industry leader and a market-driven engineering construction company

renowned for excellence, quality, performance and reliability in all types of
construction”

The “Last Planner” – An experience 07 – 10th November 06 Page 3

Over 600 diversified projects since 1926….
Tunnels and
Dams U/G Powerhouse Bridges

Buildings –
Industrial & Housing

Barrages Nuclear Power

Mass Transit Systems

Marine works
Water Supply /
Lift Irrigation Thermal Power Expressways / Roads

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About HCC ……
One amongst India’s largest companies

Public Limited

Specializing in infrastructure construction

Our achievements ( including ongoing projects)

300 bridges

150 km of tunneling

22 dams, 18 barrages

15 hydel power plants

7 nuclear power stations

Nearly 600 km of Roads

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Possible Challenges

 The voice of the customer, in terms of strategy and value, diminishes from early
planning through detailing.

 Lack of management of, and commitment to, target scope and budget.

 Execution, Planning and budget develop independently.

 Execution, Planning functions are mutually exclusive and no interdependency on

work schedules.

 No relational framework that guarantees a collaborative process.

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Water Supply Lift Irrigation Project

 Contractor eager to develop and implement Lean Project Delivery principles.

 Lean Production Management (Last Planner) experience driving Lean upstream

into construction of a Pump house in the Project of supply chain.

 Project Team open to change therefore it was …

An awesome opportunity!

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Project Location

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Project Highlights

 It is designed to lift water @10 Cumecs to a height of 400 m and also transporting
over the distance of 135 Kms - Project of Global Scale.

 Water is being carried over 135 Kms connecting existing en route tanks by 2.5 m
diameter steel Pipe line - Consumption of whopping 1,20,000 Tones of Structural
Steel.

 State-of-the-art pumping equipment employing Metallic/ Concrete Volute Type

Pump for high head high flow application - Introduced First Time in India.

 Head as high as 130 mtr. per stage having motor rating of 8500 KW - Single
Largest Motor ever used for Irrigation Scheme in India.

Most energy efficient pumping scheme having total installed motor rating of 52 MW -
Result of innovative system engineering.

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Water supply Lift Irrigation Project

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Contract Details
Date of Letter of Award 4th December 2004

Date of Contract Signing 8th January 2005

(Commencement Date )
CONTRACT VALUE
Total Contract Value for HCC Rs. 843.98 Crores

Contract Value for EPC Work (Part A) Rs. 841.98 Crores

Contract Value for O&M (Part B) Rs. 2.00 Crores

SCHEDULE

Project completion schedule 18 months from zero date

Completion of Civil & Pipeline work 12 months from zero date

Operation & Maintenance 24 months from commissioning

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Information Matrix

Design&
Engg.

VALUE CHAIN
Inf

Proposal
orm
atio
n

Schedules
Material Production Supplier Subcon SITE

SUPPLY CHAIN
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Communication Matrix

Value Design Construction Operation

Client

Vertical Communication
Consultant Lean Design

Lean Build
Contractor

Production

Horizontal Communication

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Approach for Implementation

Nine step forward towards implementation:


Clarify the promises of the projects with the customer.

Team Building and Information sharing

Milestone plan – Preparation & Consensus

Make work ready using the Pull scheduling / Look- Ahead Plan & work force
creation

Produce a Weekly Work Plan.

Conduct the first WWP meeting.

Track Plan reliability (PPC).

Track reasons for Plan Variance.

Establish practices for improvement.

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Implementing Lean practices in Construction

Good Practice in combination with a new view on process management

 Organising Team based cooperation at site with common goals and targets

 Information and decisions from customers and consultants in structured phase

 Planning the process with emphasis on shortfalls and constraints

 Coordination with the involvement of grass root staff for implementation

 Resources optimization by logistics of materials and equipment

 Follow up and measuring on process effectiveness

 Scope for continual improvement

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Process Planning

 Last Planner ( a person) identified for the Project

 Collaboration, planning as on going practice and reliable promising

 Last Planner prepared various assignments from Master schedules

 Well defined qualitative assignments prepared with right sequence of work

selection, right amount of work, and with practical possibilities e.g.

Volute fixing in pump house

Production, transportation and concreting of Pump room floor

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Process Planning

Review by superiors before release to front line supervisors

 Last Planner communicated the tasks/ assignments to front line crew

 Each assignment is prepared with constraints analysis and pull techniques

is being prepared by the Responsible Individuals through Brainstorming
techniques across the team including subcontractors

 Shift from the focus of control from workers to the flow of work that links
them together, and reliable promising process established

Project team continuing to chase the completion of task

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Work ready by using Look ahead Plans

 Created a work flow control by developing the Look ahead plans for 8
weeks with a rate of achievement

 Provided checks and balances to match the work flow and capacity

 Mechanism created to find out backlog of ready work

 Developed detailed planning of work based on role, responsibility, resource

and time.

 Updated and revised higher level schedule

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 Look Ahead Schedule Plan
Eight week Look ahead Schedule

6/12/2006 6/12/2006 6/12/2006 6/12/2006

Resp
Repe onsibi
Wk at Activity lity M T W T F S M T W T F S M T W T F S M T W T F S
Submit review and
obtain approval for Owne
1 shuttering drgs r x x x
Selection of material for
1 wall shuttering Cont x
1 Yes Shuttering Fabrication S/c x x x x
Transportation and
1 Yes fixing of wall shuttering S/c x x x x x x x x x x
Preparatory for
concrete production
1 Yes process Cont x x x x x x
Assessment of raw
1 Yes materials& procurement Cont x x x x x x x x
Logistics and
equipment for
1 Yes transportation Cont x x x x
Pour card approval Con
1 Yes from clients Own x x
2 Yes Wall concreting con x x x x
2 Yes Curing con x x x x x x x x
Deshuttering &
3 Yes movement to next area con x x x
Wall concreting from EL
+164.14 to 166.14 of C,o,s/
3 150 mtr c x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

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 Look Ahead Schedule Plan

E P
n S r
g E B u M E e
i P x u b a q r
n l e d m t L u e
e a c S g i e a i q
e n u a e t r b p u
r n t f t t i o m w
i i i e i a a u e o
n n o t n l l r n r
6/12/2006 6/12/2006 6/12/2006 6/12/2006 g g n y g s s s t k
M T W T F S M T W T F S M T W T F S M T W T F S

x x x x x
x x x x x
x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x
x x x x
x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

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 Constraints Analysis

Activity Responsi Schedule Directives Pre- Resources Comments

bility duration requisites

Resource 12th June Budget, Approvals Shuttering Check for the

availability 06 to 10th Market for plates approvals and
a) Shuttering Planning August 06 price, shuttering, 500sqm readiness for
b) Raw approvals, concreting Cement, the concrete
Procurem as schedule
materials ent, steel,
c) Manpower aggregate
,admixture,
labour 60
Laying of Execution, 10th July Budget, Approvals welders 7, Check for the
pipelines of 2 planning, 06 to 10th subcontract from weld lengths readiness for
Km in a month budget Aug 06 , approvals, clients, test 50 m, laying and
soil report of pipelines fabricators, welding
equipments

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 First WWP meeting.

First WWP meeting conducted with an agenda


Team members are on time with circulated agenda for discussion

Respected the opinions of cross functional team and brainstorm for the
variance and involve the team to investigate and generate consensus.

Ensure the promises for the reliability and provided help to the lacking team

 Attention given on the performance of activities and achievements in the week

 It acted as a forum to discuss the various problems along with suggested solutions

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 Variance Analysis

Planning performance will not just improve by itself. Tracking, isolating and
eliminating sources of variation are the chief ways of improving project reliability

Reason for the incidence recorded rather than severity.

A why why analysis carried out and the variations is found with the control of the
project participants rather than an external control.

Analysis conducted for highest occurrence problem and an corrective and preventive
action carried out and SPL were created and displayed at the work spot on the
achievements and fallouts.

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 Variance Analysis
Machine/Equipment
Manpower

Operators Batching Plant

Transit Mixtures
Concrete Pumps
Skilled workmen
Delay in
Concreting for
execution
Cement

Cold weather
Sand
Hot weather
C.Aggregate

Materials
Methods

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 Variance Analysis
Sno Description of Scope for improvement Action plan Advantages
. Problems
1 Early ordering of Study the cycle plan of the processes at Close monitoring of site activities and The system can also be used
concrete the site and arrive at the probable recording the cycle time of the operations to monitor the project activities.
instance for the arriving at a delivery by the site in-charge/supervisor. Relating Shift of focus from QC to
schedule or order concrete only after the the cycle time for concrete ordering and quality assurance.
last piece of machinery that is required batch intervals.
for concreting is in place
2 Long haulage Making a choice of mix types (Central Training the transit mixers driver to Better quality of concrete at
distance resulting in mix, transit mix, combination) become "OPERATORS" of the transit the pour locations
the loss of properties mixers to
of the concrete due to
setting
1) Control the revolutions as and when
required
2) Control the water in the transit mixers
using on board tanks
3 Setting of concrete in Savings in time and resources
transit mixer resulting
in
a) Loss of productivity a) Fixing up of all the water tanks in Savings on POL that are
(less qty carried) transit mixers so that the drivers can extensively used in this non
clean the drum on their return run productive activity
b) Chipping b) Assigning hand held chipping devices Mechanical supervisor should as far as Savings in time, as a result the
or use possible restrain the use of chipping tools transit mixer is available as
and insist transit mixers' operators on soon as possible for batch
using prevention techniques like proper
washing, etc

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4 Crude setting up of Developing improvised tools and
concrete pipes on equipments to hold the machinery
improper seating
surfaces like stones
results in consumption
of time for readjusting
the pipe on seats.
5 Waste concrete in Use the concrete for alternate activities like
transit mixer after the lagging and for local uses- proper
completion of work networking of information from sites were
the material is needed is required. The
concrete for local use should not be done
independently but only after a main pour
which generates wasted concrete
6 Machinery breakdown- Follow proper maintenance for checking
blasted tires tires, inspection by visual checks and
replacing the dilapidated tires. Keeping of
extra sets at the plant where the transit
mixers are stationed. Customized
maintenance plans for the operating
conditions.
7 Shortage of transit Centralised information distribution centre
mixer cum vehicle pools and suitable locations
The “Last Planner” – An experience
Variance Analysis
Instruct the supervisor to use proper tools
at the proper locations and constantly
update his supervisor in the problems
arising from the machinery.
Plant in charge should be updated
constantly about the various potential pour
sites (both for local use and for project use)
and the the concrete should be sent to
such sites. .
Vehicle pool should be established which
shares the responsibilities for various
batching plants' transit mixers. The pool in
charge should check the condition of tires
and also check the time serviced by each
vehicles tyres plying on a particular route.
Drivers should also be instructed on the
same.
Collection of information on probable pour
sites at least 12 hours before the pour and
assiging the number of vehicles depending
on the pour size and location.
07 – 10th November 06
Quickens up the process of
setting up the machinery, ease
in handling for crew,
unnecessary wastage of
manpower avoided and early
placing of concrete with out
much delay.
Economical use of concrete.
Wastage prevented without
compromising the quality of
concrete at the alternate pour
location.
Constant follow up on the
vehicles condition can be used
to arrive at new maintenance
schedule customized for the
terrain and environment.
Even distribution of transit
mixers around the pour location.
Long waits resulting from the
shortage for transit mixer,
avoided speeding up the
acitivies.
Page 26
 Percent Plan Complete (PPC) Chart
PPC Chart

100

90

80

70

60
% of PPC

50

40

30

20

10

0
12th 19th 26th 3rd July 10th July 17th July 24th July 31st July 7th Aug 14th Aug 21st Aug 28th Aug 4th Sept 11th Sept 18th Sept 25th Sept
June June June
Date

% PPC --- 4 months moving avg

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 Productivity Vs PPC Chart
Productivity Vs PPC

1.4
1.32

1.2

1.05

1
% of Budget

0.8 0.76

0.63
0.6

0.4

0.2

0
X< 45% 45%<X<60% 60%<X<75% 75%<X<90%
PPC

Productivity

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Experiences
 Short term turn around time

 Fewer defects at delivery

 Greater customer satisfaction

 Fewer working accidents

 Better cooperation and motivation amongst the team

 Better results like improvement in productivities

 Schedule Performance Index improved by 18 %

 Cost Performance Index improved by 4.5 %

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Experiences

From divided functions to process

Hierarchy Team

P R O C E S S
PROCESS

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Questions & Comments?

The “Last Planner” – An experience 07 – 10th November 06 Page 31

THANK YOU
 Comparision and Conclusion

Current Practice Last Planner®

The Future Can be predicted by detailed planning. Unknown & uncertain - shaped
by our actions.

Objective Short durations and high resource Predictable work flow. A ready
utilization team

Planning requires An expert who knows. Connected conversations.

Execution results from - Telling - always saying “yes”. Promising - Saying “no” when
necessary.

Source of Improvement People doing what they are told Reporting loss of confidence, or
failure to keep a promise;
people are the opportunity

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