Takt production and its benefits are gaining interest at construction sites. The founder of Mestamaster and one of Finland’s leading takt production experts Mikko Hell sat with us for an interview and talked about the switch to takt production and its keys to success. Below, you can find Mikko’s five facts about takt production.
1. Takt production is first and foremost about engaging people
According to Mikko, people are at the core of takt production. Systems are an important aspect of everyday operations, but they only come into play once the takt plan has been created.
”Takt production is all about engaging people. It’s about sitting together with contractors and logistics contractors and planning the way forward together. Starting the work like this also makes it more affordable, because you’re creating more efficiency in the big picture,” Mikko says.
Picture: Mikko Hell from Mestamaster tells that takt production requires logistics to be able to be successful.
2. Takt production is not a silver bullet
Takt production can shorten lead times, but it shouldn’t be considered an immediate remedy. It takes time, usually more than one project, to learn a new production method. For a new site, its benefits lie in managing scheduling risks.
”It’s important to be honest and avoid making takt production a silver bullet. We usually sell it to new sites by saying that it simplifies operations, increases controllability, and decreases scheduling risks. When you first aim for steady operations, you can then start to tighten the work,” Mikko says.
3. Takt production suits almost any kind of construction
There is a common belief that takt production is only suitable for certain sites. In reality, it can be used for nearly all kinds of construction.
“Takt production is not limited by things like the size or age of the site. Sometimes people think it only suits certain kinds of situations, but it is applicable to all kinds of construction. There are exceptions, of course; for certain projects, it can be too work-heavy in relation to the project size,” Mikko states.
4. Logistics has a critical role in takt production
When the takt plan is ready, it’s time for logistics to shine. Just like work units, technical plans, and materials, it holds a critical role.
“If takt production is not supported by well-functioning logistics, it may easily be ruined. On the other hand, the cyclical nature of takt production makes logistics cheaper. In traditional construction sites, the timing of tasks may be nearly arbitrary, which makes logistics more difficult and expensive to execute,” Mikko points out.
A logistics partner like Transval can help ensure that the critical role of logistics is taken care of in takt production. We manage construction site logistics and intermediate warehousing on your behalf.
“If your construction site is expecting seven separate loads, for example, you already have seven risks that the delivery is not there at the right time. We receive goods in advance at our intermediate storage, where we optimize deliveries, bring them in one go, and carry them in,” says Juho Lappalainen, who manages the Construction Logistics service at Transval.
5. Attitudes are changing fast at construction sites
The construction industry is going through a transformation: deeply rooted attitudes are changing, and many more are open to the benefits of takt production.
“During the past three years, it has become much easier to engage subcontractors. They are more likely to be happy about the fact that someone has thought of production so precisely and planned their work for them,” Mikko says.
A lot has changed in a short amount of time, and predicting the future is now difficult. However, Mikko believes that the role of artificial intelligence will grow at construction sites. Overall, he is optimistic about the future of takt production:
“If the same trend continues, takt production will attract a much bigger group of contractors in just a couple of years.”
Effective takt production logistics from us at Transval
Transval has developed an approach for takt production logistics that fits material streams efficiently into construction site processes during planning and execution. We create a logistical takt plan in our logistics system that is based on the takt plan of the construction site. We use it to receive deliveries to intermediate storage or as direct deliveries to the site and to haul them to installation sites before work begins.
Based on research, one of the most common problems in takt production is that material streams can’t keep up with production. With the help of our construction logistics services like intermediate storage, just in time deliveries, and carry ins, you can minimize disruptions in takt production.
Read about our Construction logistics services and contact us for more information!
Miika Tiri, Sales, Construction logistics
Miika.Tiri@transval.fi
+ 358 40 523 2315
Juho Lappalainen, Construction logistics
Juho.Lappalainen@transval.fi
+ 358 40 578 0106
Did you know this about Transval? Transval Group is the market leader and pioneer in logistics outsourcing in Finland and the largest in-house logistics company in the Nordic Region. More than 600 large and industry-leading companies in Finland entrust their production or a part of it to us. We change our customers’ fixed logistics costs to variable costs and offer scalability, functional flexibility, continuous development and significant cost savings.
