Pull Planning/Lean Construction

Draper Was Pull Before Pull Was Cool

The concept of Lean Construction has become a popular buzzword within the construction industry in recent years.

Lean production techniques originally became popular in the 80’s – 90’s within the production and manufacturing industries and these techniques are now being applied to multiple other industries including construction project delivery.

Job Coordination Meetings (JCM) The primary goals of Lean Construction include:

Increased productivity
Reduce waste
Enhance quality
Smoother Flows
Proactive vs Reactive – less fire fighting
Reduced Costs

One of the key principles of Lean Construction is the application of Pull Planning also known as the Last Planner ® System. The goal of Pull Planning is to manage inventory and in-process work to ensure that the materials and information needed for a smooth flow of work are available. Pull Planning stresses the collaborative development of the project plan by using input from project participants to develop the durations and sequence of the project activities.

With his background in aerospace engineering and manufacturing, Gary Draper began applying these techniques to construction in the late 1960s. Draper has been using this approach and refining the tools to implement it for over forty (40) years. Our scheduling procedure manual reads like a “How To” for translating the theories and the strengths of Pull Planning theory into a workable set of methods for implementation.

Over the past four decades, Draper’s consultants have spread the gospel of Pull theory. And, although thousands of successful projects and satisfied clients can attest to the outcomes, we just called it the Draper System. Others have now seen the value in this approach and have given it another name. But call it what you will, it works, and we are the firm that brings it to life.

When you choose Draper & Associates, your consultant brings with them a proven system that assists you in the implementation of the concepts of Pull Planning. Your consultant will utilize the Draper system to constantly look for opportunities to bring forward activities to improve the schedule as well as identifying risks that could impact the schedule. Our system breaks down silos to promote collaboration and focusing on goals as a team.

Contact Us today to learn how Draper & Associates can work with your team to efficiently and effectively implement the techniques of Lean Construction and Pull Planning.

Our CPM Scheduling Services Includes

Pre-Construction Planning – Summary Project Schedule (SPS)

Construction Schedule Development – Overall Project Schedule (OPS)

Schedule Monitoring & Controlling

Project
Reporting

Schedule Delay Analysis/Recovery Scheduling

P6/MSP
Scheduling

Pull Planning /
Lean Scheduling

Clients’ Testimonials

“Draper has been an invaluable asset to our organization, assisting Kast with its preconstruction service needs, project strategy, scheduling services and other aspects of our business. Frankly, I’m not sure what we would have done in the absence of having Draper serve as a member of our team. Clearly I would recommend Draper to any firm who is seeking high caliber professional scheduling services.”

Mike NealCEO, Kast Construction Company, LLC

“The value add that Draper & Associates provided on our replacement hospital project was well worth the money. While we did not have in-house scheduling resources, the Draper process proved to be flexible and functional for our project team and subcontractors. The scheduling experience, ability to adjust “on the fly” with our changes, projections through the OPS, and detail provided by the NTS format, proved to be an asset to the project. I would highly recommend Draper’s services, and consider engaging with them for another project.”

Matt WellerSenior Project Manager, Tonn & Blank Construction

“Every project that the Draper system was fully implemented on was delivered on time or early. Every project they were not on or fully implemented those projects did not deliver on time. Financially it is a no brainer when you measure the cost of their services versus the costs of delivering one day late.”

Scott JeraldVice President, W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co.

“I’ve been using Draper on all of my projects for the last 3 years. They work with our in-house teams to set up the OPS and then work throughout the project with our team and our Subcontractors to make sure everyone is working efficiently towards meeting the project’s goals. Draper’s scheduling makes it very easy for me to look at a monthly report to quickly know the status of every project I have under construction, and the look-ahead schedules are very easy for everyone in the field to know where they are and where they need to be at any given time.”

Matt ChesserPresident of Construction, Trammell Crow Residential

“Draper has been an integral part of our team for the last few years. Their schedules are very easy to read and make the field team’s job much easier when scheduling the subs. The bi-weekly meetings are a great tool to use for keeping the subcontractors engaged with the flow of the job. I firmly believe that Draper is one of the most important tools we use in keeping the jobs on schedule.”

Doug KuykendallGeneral Superintendent, Trammell Crow Residential

A project that is scheduled with Draper affords the user the flexibility to present the data to the Subcontractor’s and the Development Team in multiple formats (both overall and near term projections). The schedules are logic-based like primavera and other predecessors, however, they are much more visually appealing and easy to decipher for field personnel. Draper’s hands-on tailored approach lends itself to production in the field, reduces the opportunities for miscommunication, and ensures your project has a strong administrative base to support all functions of the construction process.

Lee HornerSenior Project Manager, Gables Construction- Atlanta