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Janosch Dlouhy

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Technology and Management in Construction (TMB), Post-Doc

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Since 2013 Janosch Dlouhy is charge of the implementation of Lean Construction, Lean Design and Lean Equipment in the Construction Department of the BMW Group. While working on his doctoral thesis at the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) with the topic Taktplanning and Taktcontrol he was Supervisor of 36 Bachelor and Masterthesis and Mentor of the Recherarch Team „Team Lean“. His doctoral father is Prof. Sehrvin Haghsheno.In the German Lean Construction Institut (GLCI) he is responsibel for the group based in Munich. His masterthesis set foundations in Taktplanning and Taktcontrol and was honoured with the AGI Price in Aachen.

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Bernardo de Cossio

Politecnico di Milano

Ahmed Elkherbawy

Dortmund University of Technology - Technische Universität Dortmund

Alexandria University

Bojan V Stojčetović

University of Belgrade

Eastern Visayas State University

Johns Hopkins University

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Papers by Janosch Dlouhy

USING TAKTPLANNING AND TAKTCONTROL IN PRODUCTION PROJECTS – COMPARSION OF CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT PHASES

Takt Planning and Takt Control (TPTC) as a method for construction processes shows the potential ... more Takt Planning and Takt Control (TPTC) as a method for construction processes shows the potential for improving time aspects of construction sites in many practical examples. A first example of using the method of TPTC not only in construction but also in following processes such as equipment installation (production projects) indicates equal improvements. By analyzing 10 construction and seven equipment installation case studies, this paper gives an overview of similarities and differences in construction and equipment projects. Furthermore, it describes adjustments for using TPTC in the construction stage as well as in the equipment assembly stage and picturing each stage's timetable in one common Takt Plan for increased clarity. Interlinking planning phases of both stages shows not only, that further time savings in implementation phases can be realized, but also that overall project planning can benefit from considering interfaces to upstream and downstream phases.

ANALYSIS OF THE ACTIVITIES OF SITE AND PROJECT MANAGERS – IMPLICATIONS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CREATING VALUE INTRODUCTION AND STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER

(2018) " Analysis of the activities of site and project managers-implications from the perspectiv... more (2018) " Analysis of the activities of site and project managers-implications from the perspective of creating value. " In: ABSTRACT Construction projects are complex and include various processes, which have to be managed by a construction team. The position of a site manager or project manager (below we will use the term construction manager (CM)) plays an important role for the success of projects, because this position has the responsibility for the process organisation within the project. Studies show construction managers are typically exposed to a high level of stress. One German study from 1997 shows clearly the degree and effects of a high stress level. A major factor for inefficiency and a catalyst for stress could be a lack of transparency and missing communication inside a construction team. The paper describes the results of a study of the daily activities of construction managers. Six individuals were accompanied and interviewed. In total 55 hours of observation have been undertaken to analyse the daily routine at this organisational level in projects. Based on the results of this analysis the authors propose improvements for construction managers. The proposal is based on the idea to structure the daily work routine of a construction manager. This helps to reduce the frequent changes and interruptions in activities, so construction managers can concentrate on value creating activities.

EVALUATION OF CUSTOMER VALUE BY BUILDING OWNERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

Lean Construction is mainly linked to the creation of value for the client/customer. Rarely do co... more Lean Construction is mainly linked to the creation of value for the client/customer. Rarely do construction publications address methods or models to understand, determine, or define the core concept of this value. This paper gives an overview of existing approaches outside the construction sector and their applicability to the construction process is analyzed. The Means-End Model – widely used in scientific customer studies outside the Lean Construction context – is then investigated further and the Customer Value in the construction process is structured according to it.

MASTERING COMPLEXITY IN TAKT PLANNING AND TAKT CONTROL -USING THE THREE LEVEL MODEL TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

When scheduling a construction project, resource consumption, efficiency of the trades, external ... more When scheduling a construction project, resource consumption, efficiency of the trades, external influences and the possible changes within the construction process must be taken into account. Hence, the complexity of the construction schedule and an exact planning is difficult. So often the time buffers are balancing the unexpected events. That's the reason the full potentials of the construction project are often missed. The approach of Takt Planning and Takt Control (TPTC) offers a possibility to dimension buffers and schedule them transparently. This approach is often seen as a rigid and complicated procedure. The planning has to be adapted with a huge effort to changes in the construction process and therefore often does not show the real image of the construction site. The three-level model tries to structure the method for all participants. This paper aims to improve the simplicity of dimensioning value, time and activities in Takt Planning. Performance indicators can provide information about the dimensioning and its adaptation to the construction process. Thus, TPTC can be seen as a flexible method for controlling the complexity of construction planning and excellerate efficiency of the hole project.

LARGE SCALE PROJECT USING TAKT PLANNING AND TAKT CONTROL-CREATING AND SUSTAINING MULTITASKING FLOW

by Janosch Dlouhy and Bernardo de Cossio

Takt planning and Takt control (TPTC) is a production system approach that is most commonly used ... more Takt planning and Takt control (TPTC) is a production system approach that is most commonly used in individual construction projects. The approach has not yet been implemented systematically in a large-scale project, like a Greenfield automotive plant (complete new plant from scratch) with all facilities. Furthermore, its use has not been documented in construction in Mexico. Most projects describing TPTC in research are single contractor projects, implemented by a single construction company. This paper describes a real project with over 15 different facilities using Takt planning and Takt control (TPTC), in a large scale green field automotive plant with 5 main general contractors collaborating together with the client. It shows the demands and the effects of large scale projects using the method of TPTC within a Lean philosophy and describes the system that was designed and implemented. As the main contribution from this paper, a system and its results for creating a Lean culture, collaboration, transparency, planning and overall project control within a multitasking flow is described and validated.

SHORT TAKT TIME IN CONSTRUCTION – A PRACTICAL STUDY

Takt Planning and Takt Control (TPTC), as a method of Lean Construction, has been developed over ... more Takt Planning and Takt Control (TPTC), as a method of Lean Construction, has been developed over years and has increasing applications in construction practice over the last years. The collective understanding is that this method can only be implemented when there is a high level of repetition in the structure of a building project and in fact it is frequently used in such kind of projects. A case study shows how this method was implemented on a construction site with no obvious repetition in the structure. Takt Time was reduced to a level of one hour and the single room construction site was split into small areas. A high collaborative approach of the TPTC was used. The completion time was reduced from over ten days to three days. This paper documents the steps of the implementation, the integration of the team and subcontractors and also compares the typical approach before the optimization with the results after the Takt Time integration.

Binninger et al 2017 Adjustment Mechanisms for Demandoriented Optimisation in Takt Planning and Takt Control

Dlouhy et al 2017 Implementation of Lean Construction in Client Organizations

TECHNICAL TAKT PLANNING AND TAKT CONTROL IN CONSTRUCTION

This paper is the counterpart to the paper Collaborative Takt Time Planning of Non-Repetitive Wor... more This paper is the counterpart to the paper Collaborative Takt Time Planning of Non-Repetitive Work of Iris Tommelein. Both paper describe Takt approaches in two different geographical and project contexts. A follow up paper is planned and will compare the described approaches and assesses their applicability and success. This Paper describes the German Takt approach, called Technical Takt Planning and Takt Control. The authors used this method in on several projects in construction. It describes the historically development of Takt in construction in German and leads to the current state of the theoretical method used at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The third part of the paper gives a practical example of the KIT approach. The contribution of this paper is that it offers a characterization of the Takt approach that is used in Germany in several construction projects. The researchers try to give with the KIT Method an overview in science for the German Takt Planning and Takt Control approach. The method is for Takt integration in make to order production.

Dlouhy et al 2017 Lean Equipment Installation Potentials of Using Takt Planning

Binninger et al 2017 Learning Simulation Game for Takt Planning and Takt Control

THREE-LEVEL METHOD OF TAKT PLANNING AND TAKT CONTROL – A NEW APPROACH FOR DESIGNING PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN CONSTRUCTION

Due to the individualized design and construction of buildings, recurring processes are often not... more Due to the individualized design and construction of buildings, recurring processes are often not recognized. Because of this, potential improvements are not applied to future projects. With the use of Takt Planning and Takt Control, an effective method exists for identifying recurring processes and thereby adding stability to the construction process. Until now the focus has been on the optimization of the trade sequences during project execution whereby mostly one particular construction phase is considered. This paper describes a newly developed method for designing a Takt Planning and Takt Control system. This method is based on a model with a three level hierarchy to be used for defining Takt and the related workspace. The effectiveness of the method developed was analysed in a case study in a large-scale project. With application of this method, the building phases could be interlinked and the construction time could be reduced from the original eleven months down to five months. Additionally it could be shown that the division into three levels provides managers with the necessary transparency, helps them to make better decisions and to simplify controlling of a construction project. Furthermore, the method enables an improvement in the interlinking of construction phases with the operating phase of a building. The implementation of standardization across different levels allows a continuous improvement of processes from a multi-project perspective. With the help of the method used, the project won the " German Project Management Award 2015 ". Building on the results presented in this paper, the method and its effectiveness need to be validated in further construction projects.

METHODS FOR PRODUCTION LEVELING – TRANSFER FROM LEAN PRODUCTION TO LEAN CONSTRUCTION

Leveling of work packages is a basic requirement for production planning, and an important part o... more Leveling of work packages is a basic requirement for production planning, and an important part of Lean Management. It offers the advantage of a steady utilization of resources and leads to a constant rhythm by using a defined sequence of work packages. Currently leveling of activities in construction processes is mainly applied by defining Takt units and by matching the required workload to the available workforce. Reasons for this are the traditional division of work into trades, interfaces regarding warranties, project based organization, outsourcing, or the lack of optimization of individual activities. Experience shows that apart from this, leveling of construction processes by currently used methods cannot adequately respond to unexpected disruptions. As a consequence resources are overloaded and project execution is delayed. In comparison to this stationary production industries are better equipped to react to disruptions with suitable tools such as the use of additional labor and supermarket delivery systems or through rotating work shifts using a qualification matrix. This article brings together the results of a theoretical analysis, which investigated the transferability of selected tools for leveling of work processes from stationary production industries to the construction industry. It is determined that a number of tools can be transferred to the construction industry. It is shown how these tools must be adapted to be effectively implemented, and which changes to the basic framework are required in order to achieve this. In the future the results of this analysis must be validated by case studies. For this the required theoretical basis is developed in this paper. The article shows furthermore the potential for increased reliability and a higher efficiency of production systems in the construction industry through a higher degree of leveling activities.

HISTORY AND THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF TAKT PLANNING AND TAKT CONTROL

The use of Takt is one of the key methods applied in Lean Production. With the implementation of ... more The use of Takt is one of the key methods applied in Lean Production. With the implementation of Takt into processes overproduction is prevented, lead times are reduced, and work processes are stabilized. Inventory and waiting times between work steps are reduced, transport is optimized through continuous flow and a higher production capacity is enabled. In Germany the method of Takt Planning and Takt Control for use in construction was developed approximately ten years ago in practice. In the last years these methods have also been discussed in the international lean construction research community. This paper brings together the development of the theoretical foundations for the use of Takt Planning and Takt Control on the basis of a literature review. Hereby the existing knowledge from the stationary production industries can be applied to the construction sector. Furthermore, practical experience gained by the authors from the application of Takt Planning and Takt Control has been incorporated. Along with the historical development of the use of Takt in production, the fundamental principles for implementation of Takt in construction processes are described. The theoretical foundations developed here provide a basis for future research to investigate the effectiveness of the use of Takt Planning and Takt Control systems.

USING TAKTPLANNING AND TAKTCONTROL IN PRODUCTION PROJECTS – COMPARSION OF CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT PHASES

Takt Planning and Takt Control (TPTC) as a method for construction processes shows the potential ... more Takt Planning and Takt Control (TPTC) as a method for construction processes shows the potential for improving time aspects of construction sites in many practical examples. A first example of using the method of TPTC not only in construction but also in following processes such as equipment installation (production projects) indicates equal improvements. By analyzing 10 construction and seven equipment installation case studies, this paper gives an overview of similarities and differences in construction and equipment projects. Furthermore, it describes adjustments for using TPTC in the construction stage as well as in the equipment assembly stage and picturing each stage's timetable in one common Takt Plan for increased clarity. Interlinking planning phases of both stages shows not only, that further time savings in implementation phases can be realized, but also that overall project planning can benefit from considering interfaces to upstream and downstream phases.

ANALYSIS OF THE ACTIVITIES OF SITE AND PROJECT MANAGERS – IMPLICATIONS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CREATING VALUE INTRODUCTION AND STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER

(2018) " Analysis of the activities of site and project managers-implications from the perspectiv... more (2018) " Analysis of the activities of site and project managers-implications from the perspective of creating value. " In: ABSTRACT Construction projects are complex and include various processes, which have to be managed by a construction team. The position of a site manager or project manager (below we will use the term construction manager (CM)) plays an important role for the success of projects, because this position has the responsibility for the process organisation within the project. Studies show construction managers are typically exposed to a high level of stress. One German study from 1997 shows clearly the degree and effects of a high stress level. A major factor for inefficiency and a catalyst for stress could be a lack of transparency and missing communication inside a construction team. The paper describes the results of a study of the daily activities of construction managers. Six individuals were accompanied and interviewed. In total 55 hours of observation have been undertaken to analyse the daily routine at this organisational level in projects. Based on the results of this analysis the authors propose improvements for construction managers. The proposal is based on the idea to structure the daily work routine of a construction manager. This helps to reduce the frequent changes and interruptions in activities, so construction managers can concentrate on value creating activities.

EVALUATION OF CUSTOMER VALUE BY BUILDING OWNERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

Lean Construction is mainly linked to the creation of value for the client/customer. Rarely do co... more Lean Construction is mainly linked to the creation of value for the client/customer. Rarely do construction publications address methods or models to understand, determine, or define the core concept of this value. This paper gives an overview of existing approaches outside the construction sector and their applicability to the construction process is analyzed. The Means-End Model – widely used in scientific customer studies outside the Lean Construction context – is then investigated further and the Customer Value in the construction process is structured according to it.

MASTERING COMPLEXITY IN TAKT PLANNING AND TAKT CONTROL -USING THE THREE LEVEL MODEL TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

When scheduling a construction project, resource consumption, efficiency of the trades, external ... more When scheduling a construction project, resource consumption, efficiency of the trades, external influences and the possible changes within the construction process must be taken into account. Hence, the complexity of the construction schedule and an exact planning is difficult. So often the time buffers are balancing the unexpected events. That's the reason the full potentials of the construction project are often missed. The approach of Takt Planning and Takt Control (TPTC) offers a possibility to dimension buffers and schedule them transparently. This approach is often seen as a rigid and complicated procedure. The planning has to be adapted with a huge effort to changes in the construction process and therefore often does not show the real image of the construction site. The three-level model tries to structure the method for all participants. This paper aims to improve the simplicity of dimensioning value, time and activities in Takt Planning. Performance indicators can provide information about the dimensioning and its adaptation to the construction process. Thus, TPTC can be seen as a flexible method for controlling the complexity of construction planning and excellerate efficiency of the hole project.

LARGE SCALE PROJECT USING TAKT PLANNING AND TAKT CONTROL-CREATING AND SUSTAINING MULTITASKING FLOW

by Janosch Dlouhy and Bernardo de Cossio

Takt planning and Takt control (TPTC) is a production system approach that is most commonly used ... more Takt planning and Takt control (TPTC) is a production system approach that is most commonly used in individual construction projects. The approach has not yet been implemented systematically in a large-scale project, like a Greenfield automotive plant (complete new plant from scratch) with all facilities. Furthermore, its use has not been documented in construction in Mexico. Most projects describing TPTC in research are single contractor projects, implemented by a single construction company. This paper describes a real project with over 15 different facilities using Takt planning and Takt control (TPTC), in a large scale green field automotive plant with 5 main general contractors collaborating together with the client. It shows the demands and the effects of large scale projects using the method of TPTC within a Lean philosophy and describes the system that was designed and implemented. As the main contribution from this paper, a system and its results for creating a Lean culture, collaboration, transparency, planning and overall project control within a multitasking flow is described and validated.

SHORT TAKT TIME IN CONSTRUCTION – A PRACTICAL STUDY

Takt Planning and Takt Control (TPTC), as a method of Lean Construction, has been developed over ... more Takt Planning and Takt Control (TPTC), as a method of Lean Construction, has been developed over years and has increasing applications in construction practice over the last years. The collective understanding is that this method can only be implemented when there is a high level of repetition in the structure of a building project and in fact it is frequently used in such kind of projects. A case study shows how this method was implemented on a construction site with no obvious repetition in the structure. Takt Time was reduced to a level of one hour and the single room construction site was split into small areas. A high collaborative approach of the TPTC was used. The completion time was reduced from over ten days to three days. This paper documents the steps of the implementation, the integration of the team and subcontractors and also compares the typical approach before the optimization with the results after the Takt Time integration.

Binninger et al 2017 Adjustment Mechanisms for Demandoriented Optimisation in Takt Planning and Takt Control

Dlouhy et al 2017 Implementation of Lean Construction in Client Organizations

TECHNICAL TAKT PLANNING AND TAKT CONTROL IN CONSTRUCTION

This paper is the counterpart to the paper Collaborative Takt Time Planning of Non-Repetitive Wor... more This paper is the counterpart to the paper Collaborative Takt Time Planning of Non-Repetitive Work of Iris Tommelein. Both paper describe Takt approaches in two different geographical and project contexts. A follow up paper is planned and will compare the described approaches and assesses their applicability and success. This Paper describes the German Takt approach, called Technical Takt Planning and Takt Control. The authors used this method in on several projects in construction. It describes the historically development of Takt in construction in German and leads to the current state of the theoretical method used at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The third part of the paper gives a practical example of the KIT approach. The contribution of this paper is that it offers a characterization of the Takt approach that is used in Germany in several construction projects. The researchers try to give with the KIT Method an overview in science for the German Takt Planning and Takt Control approach. The method is for Takt integration in make to order production.

Dlouhy et al 2017 Lean Equipment Installation Potentials of Using Takt Planning

Binninger et al 2017 Learning Simulation Game for Takt Planning and Takt Control

THREE-LEVEL METHOD OF TAKT PLANNING AND TAKT CONTROL – A NEW APPROACH FOR DESIGNING PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN CONSTRUCTION

Due to the individualized design and construction of buildings, recurring processes are often not... more Due to the individualized design and construction of buildings, recurring processes are often not recognized. Because of this, potential improvements are not applied to future projects. With the use of Takt Planning and Takt Control, an effective method exists for identifying recurring processes and thereby adding stability to the construction process. Until now the focus has been on the optimization of the trade sequences during project execution whereby mostly one particular construction phase is considered. This paper describes a newly developed method for designing a Takt Planning and Takt Control system. This method is based on a model with a three level hierarchy to be used for defining Takt and the related workspace. The effectiveness of the method developed was analysed in a case study in a large-scale project. With application of this method, the building phases could be interlinked and the construction time could be reduced from the original eleven months down to five months. Additionally it could be shown that the division into three levels provides managers with the necessary transparency, helps them to make better decisions and to simplify controlling of a construction project. Furthermore, the method enables an improvement in the interlinking of construction phases with the operating phase of a building. The implementation of standardization across different levels allows a continuous improvement of processes from a multi-project perspective. With the help of the method used, the project won the " German Project Management Award 2015 ". Building on the results presented in this paper, the method and its effectiveness need to be validated in further construction projects.

METHODS FOR PRODUCTION LEVELING – TRANSFER FROM LEAN PRODUCTION TO LEAN CONSTRUCTION

Leveling of work packages is a basic requirement for production planning, and an important part o... more Leveling of work packages is a basic requirement for production planning, and an important part of Lean Management. It offers the advantage of a steady utilization of resources and leads to a constant rhythm by using a defined sequence of work packages. Currently leveling of activities in construction processes is mainly applied by defining Takt units and by matching the required workload to the available workforce. Reasons for this are the traditional division of work into trades, interfaces regarding warranties, project based organization, outsourcing, or the lack of optimization of individual activities. Experience shows that apart from this, leveling of construction processes by currently used methods cannot adequately respond to unexpected disruptions. As a consequence resources are overloaded and project execution is delayed. In comparison to this stationary production industries are better equipped to react to disruptions with suitable tools such as the use of additional labor and supermarket delivery systems or through rotating work shifts using a qualification matrix. This article brings together the results of a theoretical analysis, which investigated the transferability of selected tools for leveling of work processes from stationary production industries to the construction industry. It is determined that a number of tools can be transferred to the construction industry. It is shown how these tools must be adapted to be effectively implemented, and which changes to the basic framework are required in order to achieve this. In the future the results of this analysis must be validated by case studies. For this the required theoretical basis is developed in this paper. The article shows furthermore the potential for increased reliability and a higher efficiency of production systems in the construction industry through a higher degree of leveling activities.

HISTORY AND THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF TAKT PLANNING AND TAKT CONTROL

The use of Takt is one of the key methods applied in Lean Production. With the implementation of ... more The use of Takt is one of the key methods applied in Lean Production. With the implementation of Takt into processes overproduction is prevented, lead times are reduced, and work processes are stabilized. Inventory and waiting times between work steps are reduced, transport is optimized through continuous flow and a higher production capacity is enabled. In Germany the method of Takt Planning and Takt Control for use in construction was developed approximately ten years ago in practice. In the last years these methods have also been discussed in the international lean construction research community. This paper brings together the development of the theoretical foundations for the use of Takt Planning and Takt Control on the basis of a literature review. Hereby the existing knowledge from the stationary production industries can be applied to the construction sector. Furthermore, practical experience gained by the authors from the application of Takt Planning and Takt Control has been incorporated. Along with the historical development of the use of Takt in production, the fundamental principles for implementation of Takt in construction processes are described. The theoretical foundations developed here provide a basis for future research to investigate the effectiveness of the use of Takt Planning and Takt Control systems.