https://doi.org/10.24928/2022/0182

How a Takt Plan Can Fail: Applying Failure Modes and Effects Analysis in Takt Control

Joonas Lehtovaara¹, Iris D. Tommelein² & Olli Seppänen³

¹ Doctoral Candidate, Department of Civil Engineering, Aalto University, Finland, and Visiting Researcher, Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002- 4761-3811
²Professor, Director of Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-9941-6596
³Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Aalto University, Finland, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-2008-5924

Abstract

Construction projects need adequate planning to set a structure and direction for production, but simultaneously call for effective control to maintain the direction when something unexpected happens. Effective control is of utmost importance for takt production, which is especially vulnerable when disruptions occur. While previous takt production research has primarily focused on how to form a good takt plan, little attention has been given to how to control and continuously improve takt production systems effectively. Addressing the gap, this study inspects takt control through the lenses of failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA). First, we argue that takt control can be perceived through three different failure categories: failures within wagons, failures in handoffs, and failures in takt trains. We discuss the peculiarities of takt control through these categories and provide examples of failures with their respective failure mode(s) and possible control action(s). Second, we construct an FMEA-based framework for effective takt control that shows how to recover from failures and avoid them altogether. Future research may consider validating the failure categories and the framework through case studies or simulations, and examining their applicability in supporting digital takt production.

Keywords

Lean construction, takt production, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), production planning, production control

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Reference

Lehtovaara, J. , Tommelein, I. D. & Seppänen, O. 2022. How a Takt Plan Can Fail: Applying Failure Modes and Effects Analysis in Takt Control, Proc. 30th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) , 715-726. doi.org/10.24928/2022/0182

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