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The goal is to make all the work shown on your 6 week look ahead schedule “ready.” To do that, the team needs to look ahead, identify the roadblocks, and remove them before they block the flow of work.
This is where you’ll execute roadblock removal by identifying potential disruptions in the flow of the various project phases. This will also be prioritized and discussed during the Identify/Discuss/Solve part of your weekly team meetings. With the PRR key indicator you will be able to track your team’s effectiveness at removing constraints or roadblocks.
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Roadblocks: Anything that has the potential to impact the flow of work in construction that can be identified ahead of time and be removed before the work begins. These are temporary blocks and the removal of them should be the main focus of the team. Examples of roadblocks are missing information, a defective part or material, coordination issues, procurement issues, and errors in pre-planning. These could actually be called flow-blocks.
You are probably familiar with the word “constraints,” for this. We use the term constraint much differently than the Lean community at large. It would be my preference that we adjust back to the use of the word constraint as something that is mostly permanent and begin to use the word roadblock to define removable blocks to flow or production. Here is my definition of a constraint:
Constraints: A condition on or around the project that limits or restricts someone or something in the course of the project. These are typically permanent and cannot be removed. Examples of things that constrain a project might be adjacent geographical features, weather, lack of space, municipal restrictions, or anything else that permanently defines the parameters of the project. A project must be successfully planned and carried out within these constraints.
So, when we say roadblock, we mean anything that can slow down the work. Roadblocks can cause waste, overburden, or unevenness.
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ProjectOS template created by Kyle Nitchen.
Newsletter: The Influential Project Manager • Linkedin • YouTube
Version Number 1.0
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Disclaimer: ProjectOS is copyrighted material of The Influential Project Manager.
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