Learning Center

Make your pull planning more effective with tips and insights for visualizing work, removing waste, improving team communication and more.

 

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Four construction workers wearing hard hats and hi-vis vests engage in a discussion on a jobsite, with one of them holding a clipboard and pen.

3 min read

Small crews, smart moves: How going Lean benefits smaller contractors

There’s a perception in the construction industry that Lean methods are only meant for megaprojects and ENR 400 contractors. That is, going Lean is a resource-intensive effort requiring dedicated staff, expensive software and massive changes only...

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Steve Hawthorne, Director of Operations at Mace, stands in front of a series of interactive displays and moves tasks around in Nialli Visual Planner with his right hand.

3 min read

Building smarter: How Mace transformed planning with Nialli Visual Planner

In the construction industry, timelines are often tight and coordination is critical. Therefore, the way teams plan can make or break a project....

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Amusing scene of a man's legs poking through a hole in the ceiling during a DIY project gone wrong.

1 min read

Plannerisms: 15 project management sayings to inspire you

When it comes to project management and planning, those working in construction know the grind better than anyone. Whether you’re out in the field or...

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Four members of the Extreme Concrete team using Nialli Visual Planner, which is shown on a double display at the front of the room and on a laptop computer placed on the meeting room table.

3 min read

Concrete company learns Nialli is good for business — and their people

Traditional modes of planning just weren’t cutting it for Extreme Concrete. As company Vice President Darin Wiebe says: “We could only see a certain...

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Two construction workers wearing hard hats and hi-vis vests assessing progress on a construction site.

3 min read

How Lean construction can help you overcome costly labor shortages

The construction industry is facing a major labor shortage, with fewer workers available to meet growing project demands. In 2022 alone, US...

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A construction professional in a modern office is deeply focused while working on a laptop.

2 min read

How big things get done: Think slow. Act fast.

I recently read a book called How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors that Determine the Fate of Every Project from Home Renovations to Space...

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A selection of bar charts and line graphs representing planning data.

4 min read

Layers of the data onion — a data journey

The Last Planner System® has traditionally been associated with whiteboards, tape and sticky notes in a construction trailer Big Room. Many teams...

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A wall is filled with sticky notes for lean construction planning.

3 min read

Stuck on success: Why sticky notes still dominate construction planning

When I walk into a construction jobsite trailer or a planning Big Room, I see laptops, tablets, smartphones, large wall displays and … STICKY NOTES!...

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Team using Nialli Visual Planner

2 min read

4 things your construction planning software needs for better TTV

Digital construction planning teams today expect their software applications to be intuitive, efficient and valuable from day one. In my role as a...

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Project foreman on a phone call, with hand covering his eyes.

2 min read

Building site resiliency: Tackling stress in the construction industry

Having spent a good portion of my career in the construction industry, I can say hands down it’s one of the most stressful work environments out...

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Three children smiling while peering down from a wooden tree fort.

2 min read

From tree forts to teamwork: Five essential collaboration skills

In the days before smartphones, location trackers and helicopter parenting, children experienced a freedom that allowed them to explore and create...

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Construction workers celebrating a project completion

3 min read

How adopting a lean corporate culture inspires creativity

Minimizing waste and increasing value are two of the main tenets of lean construction practice. Reducing waste is more easily accomplished, as it can...

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Two construction workers on-site, discussing the progress of a project.

2 min read

How Percent Plan Complete (PPC) data enhances lean construction practices

In construction, things move fast. That’s why it’s so important to create pathways for project excellence. Lean construction practices support teams...

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Lean construction practices that support sustainability

2 min read

3 types of sustainability supported by lean practices

When one thinks about sustainability in construction, it’s almost always the physical aspect of the building that comes to mind. Terms such as LEED,...

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Construction workers using Nialli Visual Planner

3 min read

3 reasons why Big Rooms work for the planning phase of your projects

If you’re new to the world of lean construction and pull planning, you might be wondering what the term Big Room means. It’s as simple as it sounds....

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Nialli Visual Planner being used by a construction worker on a tablet

2 min read

5 tips to help your team navigate construction tech adoption

The construction industry has a reputation for being a laggard when it comes to digital adoption. Implementation of transformative technological...

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Construction worker using Nialli Visual Planner

3 min read

5 easy steps to start your organization’s digital transformation

The construction industry represents about 14% of the global economy. It’s one of the last industries left to adopt digitization. There has never...

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Construction team using Nialli Visual Planner for pull planning on a construction project

2 min read

Pull planning: Building better teams that get things done

When timelines are tight and staying on budget is crucial, the planning method you choose has a significant impact on construction project outcomes....

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Four workers on the jobsite use digital tools and the Last Planner System

2 min read

Best of both worlds – digital in-room and distributed Last Planner

One of the fundamental tenets of Last Planner System® (LPS) is the ability for the team to congregate in a room and discuss challenges, make...

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Lean practitioners work together using Nialli Visual Planner

2 min read

Data capture and analysis – an essential tool for lean practitioners

The Last Planner System®, using sticky notes and analog boards, has been proven to be a incredibly effective method of managing construction...

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2 min read

Digitizing pull planning – from dilemma to innovation

As so many practitioners know, implementation of the Last Planner System® (LPS) can lead to various benefits for a construction project, including...

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2 min read

The analog process of pull planning, and the opportunity for digital transformation

The Last Planner System® (LPS) was first developed in the ’90s by Glenn Ballard and Greg Howell. Many practitioners have implemented LPS using analog...

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Digital pull planning on the jobsite

1 min read

Nialli Visual Planner – intuitive by design

We are delighted to launch our new collaborative digital pull planning application – Nialli™ Visual Planner – and share what we think is a...

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