https://doi.org/10.24928/2020/0061

Visual Tool for Workload Leveling Using the Work Density Method for Takt Planning

Vishesh V. Singh¹, Iris D. Tommelein² & Lian Bardaweel³

¹MS Candidate, Engineering and Project Management Program, Civil and Environmental Engrg. Dept., Graduate Researcher, Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL), Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1712, +1 510 833-1422, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-6999-9727
²2 Professor, Civil and Environmental Engrg. Dept., and Director, Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL), Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1712, +1 510 643-8678, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-9941-6596
³MS 2018, Engineering and Management Program, Civil and Environmental Engrg. Dept., Graduate Researcher, Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL), Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720- 1712, +1 510 833-1422, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-6285-5261

Abstract

This paper presents a novel interactive Visual Management tool, called ViWoLZo (Visual Workload Leveling and Zoning), that supports takt planning. It is based on the concept of “work density” to depict workloads visually as well as quantitatively so that it can be used to find an optimal workload level and associated work space zoning. ViWoLZo was created in the course of action research on two projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. Because the concept of work density is generic, the tool can be configured to any construction floor plan and process sequence pertaining to any phase of construction— involving repetitive or non-repetitive work—to help level the workload based on the selection of zones. In turn, this leveling informs the user’s selection of the takt to use in planning the work. This Visual Management tool delivers proof-of-concept that work density is useful in studying workload leveling and zoning alternatives for takt planning. Use of ViWoLZo replaces subjective approaches for deciding how to divide work space into zones. While work density data is not yet readily available, the tool illustrates what value such data can have by supporting a user’s what-if analyses to decide if the desired takt can be met, considering different production rates, preferences for zoning of work space, and other work structuring considerations. The paper concludes with suggestions for follow-on research, including recommendations for tool enhancements and integration of additional planning steps.

Keywords

Takt planning, Work Density Method (WDM), Visual Management (VM), work structuring, workload leveling

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Reference

Singh, V. V. , Tommelein, I. D. & Bardaweel, L. 2020. Visual Tool for Workload Leveling Using the Work Density Method for Takt Planning, Proc. 28th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) , 865-876. doi.org/10.24928/2020/0061

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