Ep.1644 - Before Phase Planning: Stress-Test the Plan Before Crews Mobilize
Release Date: 07/14/2026
Ep.1664 - Why Prefabrication Matters in Construction
Elevate Construction
In this episode, Jason explains why prefabrication should be used strategically to reduce bottlenecks, improve flow, and lower risk. The goal is not to prefabricate everything, but to use it where it creates the most value. Jason shares how prefabrication can dramatically shorten bottleneck durations, improve working conditions, and force coordination problems to be solved earlier. What you鈥檒l learn in this episode: Why prefabrication is most valuable when applied to project bottlenecks. How early coordination and design support help make prefabrication successful. Why prefab can...
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Ep.1663 - Why Supply Chain Management Is Critical in Construction
Elevate Construction
In this episode, Jason explains why procurement and supply chain management must be treated as part of the same production system as construction. If materials, equipment, and information are not synchronized with the production plan, the entire project can be disrupted. Jason discusses the importance of starting procurement during design and pre-construction, packaging materials in the correct sequence, managing long-lead items, and reviewing procurement progress every week. What you鈥檒l learn in this episode: Why procurement and construction must operate as one connected production system....
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Ep.1662 - Why Every Project Needs a Risk & Opportunity Register
Elevate Construction
In this episode, Jason explains why risk management must begin before construction starts. Without a Risk & Opportunity Register, fresh-eyes reviews, and reference class forecasting, teams can easily build schedules and budgets around wishful thinking. Jason explains how fresh-eyes meetings help teams expose problems early, assign mitigation strategies, and document risks and opportunities in days and dollars. What you鈥檒l learn in this episode: How fresh-eyes meetings help teams identify and address risks before construction begins. Why every risk and opportunity should have an...
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Ep.1661 - Why Lean Must Be Written Into Construction Contracts
Elevate Construction
In this episode, Jason explains why Lean expectations must be clearly included in contracts before work begins. If behaviors, meetings, planning systems, and field expectations are not bought out upfront, teams create unnecessary conflict later. Jason explains why requirements such as foreman participation, worker huddles, Takt planning, tablets, safety standards, cleanliness, and other Lean behaviors should be clearly defined in subcontract agreements and work authorizations. What you鈥檒l learn in this episode: Why Lean behaviors and expectations should be included in contracts from the...
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Ep.1660 - What Happens When Your Production Plan Is Missing?
Elevate Construction
In this episode, Jason explains why a complete production plan is essential for reliable construction flow. Without the right milestones, pull planning, buffers, look-ahead planning, and day planning, projects quickly become reactive. Jason breaks down how the Macro Level Takt Plan, collaborative pull planning, six-week make-ready planning, weekly work planning, and daily planning work together as one production system. What you鈥檒l learn in this episode: Why the Macro Level Takt Plan is critical for setting accurate milestones and project duration. How pull planning creates the right...
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Ep.1659 - Individual Balance: Why Personal Organization Matters
Elevate Construction
In this episode, Jason explains why individual balance is critical to making Lean and production systems work. Without personal organization, even a strong team can quickly become overwhelmed, reactive, and ineffective. He breaks down the personal systems every project team member should have, including a to-do list, Leader Standard Work, time blocking, clarity documents, meeting buffers, and intentional PTO. What you鈥檒l learn in this episode: Why every project team member needs a reliable personal organization system. How Leader Standard Work, time blocking, and clarity documents...
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Ep.1658 - Team Balance: The Missing Piece That Breaks Projects
Elevate Construction
In this episode, Jason explains why team balance is essential to the Integrated Production Control System. The right people must be in the right seats, with enough capacity to perform without becoming overburdened. What you鈥檒l learn in this episode: Why having the right people in the right seats is critical to project performance. How balanced team composition helps every key responsibility stay covered. Why project managers should protect teams from unnecessary chaos, not necessary change. How overburden, rework, and insufficient capacity can create a downward productivity spiral. Does...
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Ep.1657 - Why Lean Fails Without the Right Team
Elevate Construction
In this episode, Jason explains why the team component is essential to the Integrated Production Control System. Without the right leadership, team behaviors, and a shared performance goal, even the best Lean systems will struggle to work. What you鈥檒l learn in this episode: Why every successful project team needs a multiplier leader. How trust, healthy conflict, shared standards, and accountability create a cohesive team. Why a strenuous performance goal creates urgency and exposes problems within the team. How strong leadership and team alignment support every other part of Lean and...
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Ep.1656 - How to Start a Construction Project Strong and Avoid Early Delays
Elevate Construction
In this episode, Jason continues the IPCS series by explaining how teams can prepare to start a construction project strong. He covers the critical work that must happen before and after the notice to proceed, including mobilization, permits, temporary utilities, trade partner preparation, staffing, safety, and spatial planning. Without this preparation, teams can lose weeks immediately and spend the rest of the project trying to recover time that may never be regained. What you'll learn in this episode: Why teams must prepare during the 90 days before and after the notice to proceed. How...
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Ep.1655 - Why Builders Must Be Involved During Design Development
Elevate Construction
In this episode, Jason continues the IPCS series by explaining why superintendents and project managers must be actively involved during design development. Builders need time to update the production plan, logistics, zone maps, procurement log, risk register, mobilization strategy, and temporary utility plans before construction begins. Without their early involvement, the project is likely to start without a stable team, an achievable plan, or the preparation needed to execute smoothly. What you'll learn in this episode: Why builders should be engaged by the middle of design development....
info_outlineIn this episode, Jason continues his before-phase planning series by sharing practical methods teams can use to test and strengthen a construction phase before fieldwork begins. He explains why every phase must be planned as a coordinated flow of trade trains moving through zones between clearly defined milestones.
What you鈥檒l learn in this episode:
- How experienced outsiders can stress-test a phase through a fresh-eyes meeting.
- Why teams should assume the phase failed and work backward to identify potential causes.
- How to assign risk owners and mitigation strategies before problems occur.
- How 4D models, physical mockups, and paper sequencing reveal issues that schedules may overlook.
- Why simplified installation work packages make the plan clearer and more reliable for field crews.
Are you validating every phase before work begins, or are you relying on crews to uncover planning problems in the field?
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Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:
路 Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg
路 LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt
路 LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured
路 LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw