Quantitative Indicators in Takt Production Control: An Empirical Analysis

Takt production has improved lead times and stability of lean construction projects. There are several studies about takt planning but research on takt control is scant. Although some quantitative indicators have been proposed for assessing how well sites are able to follow the plan, there are no studies which have used these indicators on real projects on a work package and daily level of detail. This paper investigates through a case example how previously proposed quantitative indicators of takt control work on a detailed level. We also discuss how the indicators can be interpreted for understanding plan adherence, control actions, and improvement opportunities. Studying takt control aims to learn why and how production deviates from the plan and how management should act to get the intended production realized. Quantitative analysis with progress data and indicators calculated from them can be used to measure deviation from the plan and the performance of the production system. This paper shows how takt control can be analyzed with flow efficiency and punctuality indicators. Indicators reveal improvement opportunities in outlier trades and takt areas in flow efficiency, the relationship of product and operations flow and go-back work areas.