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I received a number of comments and emails in response to last week's Project e-Tip. One theme came through: Use measurements for the purpose of improvement. Of course, that's lean principle #5 pursue perfection. So, this week I'm offering one of the first steps in pursuing perfection on projects: collect useful data and find ways to make sense of it. For that I recommend combining a five why analysis with Pareto charting.
Here's my second Project e-Tip:
 The Project Reformer's e-Tip of the Week |
| 002: Collect and Post Pareto Data |
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Reliable task completion provides for reliable task releases. We use PPC (percent of plan complete) as the measure of reliability in the Last Planner System™. When a task doesn't complete as promised we call this a plan failure. Investigate the cause for each plan failure. Do this at your daily or weekly meetings in conversation with the performer or last planner. Don't be satisfied with the first stated cause. Get to the underlying issues by asking 'why' five times. Develop and use standard reason codes to categorize your data in a Pareto format. Remember this is about learning and improving not about assigning blame. Post the Pareto data alongside of the PPC chart in the location of your project team or last planner meetings. Update this chart as you are discussing your weekly work plans and daily or weekly performance. After a while patterns of plan failures emerge. When you see at least five instances of a reason for failure, then stop and perform problem-cause removal.
Last Planner is a trademark of The Center for Innovation in Project and Production Management www.leanconstuction.org |
©2003 Hal Macomber | weblog.halmacomber.com | e-Tip Archive | PDF | Submit Tip |
Calling for Project e-Tips.
What's your proposal for a practice that supports delivering projects on a lean basis? If I publish your submission, then I will give you either a one-year subscription to Business Book Summaries or a copy of one of my favorite books (going on sale May 8, 2003). And yes, I get to decide whether or not I'll publish your proposal!
? Guy Kawasaki wrote, "Less is the new more." Easy to learn: symmetry, seduction, subtraction, and sustainability. Very valuable to do. Step 1: Read Matt's book!! just 140 keystrokes.
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I got a quick email asking why I stopped short of saying take action as you are learning about each plan failures? There are two answers:
1. As I’ve noted in previous postings we don’t see many people adopt practices on projects for pursuing perfection. Starting the process of collecting and posting useful data signals that this is valued. Without that signal people continue to cope with plan failures like they are just the nature of projects.
2. The Pareto approach helps bring focus to where the system is failing us rather than an individual’s action. Any given plan failure might be an anomaly. Why take the time of the team dealing with something that won’t happen again. Further, with at least 5 incidents, the team has a basis for investigating what is at the source of the issues.
Oh, you’re all welcome to leave you questions and comments in this comment area!