Strategic Takt Planning

Reports on the use of takt tend to focus on applications aimed at so-called operational takt planning. Instead, this paper focuses on strategic takt planning. Strategic- and operational takt planning must go hand in hand. Specifically, strategic takt planning is required upfront in project delivery as it informs prospective contractors what is expected of them regarding their capacity allocation, and supply chains must be lined up to meet the crews’ just-in-time delivery needs to meet customer demand. Without a strategic takt plan that spells out assumptions embodied in the procurement schedule, it may be difficult (without later requiring contract adjustments) to onboard specialty contractors and suppliers who are then willing and able to jointly develop their operational takt plans and execute their work accordingly. This paper describes how, during strategic takt planning, project execution strategies can be explored based on alternative choices of a takt and the number of takt zones, and how plan options can be evaluated without requiring many project specifics. The computation and exploration of the merits of alternative options contribute to the body of knowledge on takt planning. They lead to better alignment between contracting- and operational strategies when maximizing flow is the objective.