From our work across the construction sector, with clients, contractors and the supply chain, we have seen an increase in demand for collaborative planning. This tool aims to create a reliable workflow by breaking down projects into manageable tasks, setting realistic targets, and continuously monitoring and adjusting plans for success.
Our team at BBI have accelerated traditional collaborative planning approaches by combining four key elements to create our Collaborative Performance System (CPS), aimed at accelerating programme/project performance and driving the engagement of teams.
Our Collaborative Performance System is a framework that enables effective project planning, control, and performance improvement. It requires the active engagement of the client, contractors and supply chain to build collaboration, accountability, transparency, and performance visibility. The system includes a Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle of improvement focused on daily, weekly, and monthly routines.
The CPS approach can be deployed at any stage of a project lifecycle, from bidding and pre-construction, through to design and project delivery.
This PDCA approach facilitates:
- Planning works effectively and systematically eliminating blockers and identifying make-ready needs
- Doing or completing the work effectively and efficiently to plan
- Checking the performance, outcomes and issues
- Agreeing and taking the actions required to improve or solve problems.
This combined approach has proven to build collaboration and teamwork whilst significantly increasing productivity, programme certainty, and quality. The effective deployment of the CPS will also reduce your project/programme costs.
CPS highlights what we should do, can do, will do and did do, including factors that stopped us or delayed progress:
Should – Master Schedules/Baseline Programmes
An overall master schedule/contract programme with the milestones. This is what we should be achieving and gives the programme its overall plan. To prove the programme’s deliverability, we run ‘pull planning’ workshops with key stakeholders.
Can – 6 to 12-week detailed look ahead
Stakeholders go into detail about what the next 6-12 weeks look like, identifying the make-ready needs that require completion before work can take place.
Will – Detailed weekly work plans
Each key workstream/contractor will sign off their work plans with the prime contractor 2 weeks in advance. A final check of make-ready needs will be completed at this point.
Did – Daily Activity Briefing (DABs) & Confirmation
It is within the DABs that we put everything into place. From discussing the work that needs to be completed that day, to the confirmation at the end of the day of what has occurred, and any issues encountered.
Plan, do, check act (PDCA) and continuous improvement
By introducing a culture of continuous improvement, teams in construction can plan effectively, perform tasks efficiently, and capture issues and performance. These factors can then be analysed to determine the key issues within the programme/projects, driving practical problem-solving to embed continuous improvement and enhance project outcomes.
Benefits
The benefits of deploying an integrated approach such as our Collaborative Performance System include:
- Integration and coordination
- Sharing of knowledge and expertise
- Better decision-making and problem resolution
- Programme Certainty
- Reduced waste
For more information about the Collaborative Performance System, please contact our team at info@bbiservices.com.