The takt planning method guarantees the basis for targeted control through optimally coordinated processes and increases the speed of expansion, efficiency and transparency in the project. Takt planning creates a process plan that clearly defines which trade, with which team strength, at which time, in which area is working.
In this article you will learn how to create your clocked process plan in lcmd in 5 steps:
- Create standard areas
- Create project structure
- Form and start trains
- Optimize takt plan in the preview
- Generate the process plan (process plan)
You will also find information on individual sorting of the takt areas and on new takt planning and subsequent changes.
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Create standard areas (Whiteboard)
Start in the Whiteboard and create all standard areas you need for the project.
- Start in the whiteboard and create all the required standard areas that are to be automatically transferred to your process plan later.
- As soon as you have created the process chains, switch from workshop mode to planning mode at the top left to enter your specific process durations.
- You can use the menu on the right to define the number of people and work tasks for selected processes and milestones.
- You also have the option of creating links between the processes and milestones directly in the standard area by clicking on the plus symbols on the left and right edges of the processes.
Create project structure
In a second step, you can map the project structure by creating areas in the process plan.
- To do this, open the settings for areas in the process plan.
- For repeatable areas with the same process sequence (such as offices), select the “Assign standard area” option using the three dots next to the area.
- Select the standard area previously created in the whiteboard. (A whiteboard must have been opened for selection).
- It is important to note that each area can contain a maximum of one standard area. In addition, the assignment is only possible for the lowest area level.
- Repeat the assignment process for all areas to be clocked.
- Alternatively, you can assign a standard area to just one area (e.g. office 1st floor) and then duplicate the area as often as required and then change the name (office 1st floor -> office 2nd floor). In this way, the assigned standard area is adopted for all duplicates.
- Successfully stored standard areas are marked in purple in the area overview on the left of the process plan.
Create and start trains (Whiteboard)
The third step is to determine which processes are connected and when the takt should start.
- You can group processes in the whiteboard into trains depending on how they belong together. To do this, select the desired processes by holding down the CTRL key.
- Open the planning menu on the right.
- Assign a train by entering the name of the train. If a process does not have an assigned train, it forms a train itself.
- Note: The trains (either one or several processes) should have approximately the same duration in order to ensure good utilization of the potential of the takt time
- To define the start time when the clocked standard process should start in the process plan, click on the area in the header and open the planning menu (right-hand side).
- Either select a start date directly or alternatively select an associated reference, such as existing standard areas or existing milestones and processes.
- For Start date with reference, enter the name of the standard area or the ID of the process or milestone.
- As soon as a start date is defined, the clocked trains appear in the previously assigned standard areas of the process plan.
Individual sorting of the takt areas
This step is optional if you want to sort your takt areas individually and not according to the area order in the process plan.
- To do this, open the settings for areas in the process plan.
- Add numbers to the names of the areas that have been assigned a standard area. (e.g. “Office 1st floor” & “Office 2nd floor” becomes “Office 1st floor [2]” & “Office 2nd floor [1]”)
- By adding this number, you can customize the takt sequence.
- You can then define your start time in the whiteboard as described in step three.
- Also click on “Sort clocked areas individually” to apply the desired sorting.
Optimize takt plan in the preview (process plan)
In the fourth step, you can optimize the clocked processes in the preview mode of the process plan.
- If you now want to see a preview of your synchronized planning before you commit to a plan and generate it, switch to the process plan.
- Please note that no changes can be made to individual processes in the preview; instead, the standard areas can still be changed as a whole.
- If you want to optimize the takt time, vary the number of teams for your processes in the sidebar of the preview.
- The more teams there are, the faster the trains can flow through the building. The number of areas therefore depends on the maximum number of teams. The process in the train with the longest duration sets the pace.
- You can also adjust the trains previously set on the whiteboard in this view.
Check capacity curve and generate process plan (process plan)
In the final step, you can check your takt time using the resource curve and then generate the process plan.
- Use the resource curve to see whether the takt fits your project.
- Filter by trade and compare the workload with the available resources
- As soon as you are satisfied with the clocked and optimized takt planning in preview mode, the final process plan can be created.
- To do this, click on “Create plan” at the top left of the preview.
- Individual adjustments can now be made directly in the area and processes can be rescheduled, deleted or added.
- As soon as the plan has been created (no more preview mode), the standard area in the whiteboard and the timed sequence in the process plan are decoupled from each other. This means that subsequent changes in the whiteboard are not automatically transferred to the takt area of the process plan.
Check capacity curve and generate process plan (process plan)
- For a new independent takt, you can simply repeat the previous 5 steps.
- Individual changes cannot be transferred to a new takt after the process plan has been generated.
- To make changes to an existing takt, please delete the takted sequence from the process plan, make your changes in the standard area of the whiteboard and then transfer it back to the process plan by specifying the start date.