How Does Takt Production Contribute to Trade Flow in Construction?

Abstract

Takt production has gained increased attention over the past decade inside the Lean Construction community. Several case studies have shown that implementing takt has positive effects on construction production, increasing flow by decreasing various types of waste. However, evidence on how takt production actually affects the flow of trades has been contradictory. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how implementing takt production, which heavily focuses on improving the flow of processes, affects the flow of trades. This was conducted as a single case study. We collected and analyzed 650 hours of video material by observing one takt area over a period of six weeks, in addition to document observation and nine semi-structured interviews, including general contractor and trade partner personnel. We then classified and analyzed the results in light of propositions based on a literature review. Lastly, we drew our conclusions regarding what effects takt implementation has on trade flow. The observations showed that even though the beginnings of the takt production resembled the traditional firefighting way of working, this more structured method stabilized production and positively impacted trade flow.