The Last Planner System in Construction Projects

The manufacturing industry has for a long time been dealing with waste and inefficient production. To manage this, lean management has been used to make the production more efficient. The lean ideology had been adjusted to the construction industry and is called Lean Construction (LC). But LC did not become popular in the construction industry until the Last Planner System (LPS) was introduced as a lean management tool. LPS is a tool the covers both project management and planning in a way that those who do the work also plan it. All managers are activated in the planning process which ensures that teamwork is one of the main focuses. The idea behind LPS is to create a steady flow by minimising waste and constantly implementing reformation, all in order to increase the value for the customer.

Before the Last Planner System is described in detail it is important to understand that the construction industry is different from manufacturing and that lean management does not work the same in both. This article will first go over characteristics of the construction industry compared to the manufacturing industry. After that, lean management in both industries will be introduced as well as some tools that are useful in lean management. In the end, the Last Planner System will be described in detail, the ideas behind it, how it can be used and its limitations.