Rick Kennedy

Two scenes showing tradespeople working together. In the first scene, two team members in overalls check the schedule in Nialli Visual Planner on a display, with one of them touching the screen to adjust project plans. In the second scene, two construction workers wearing hard hats install drywall together.

3 min read

Construction is hands-on, so why isn’t construction planning?

Picture of Rick Kennedy Rick Kennedy: Aug 28, 2025 6:00:00 AM

Having a plan everyone on the jobsite can understand is a critical ingredient for project success. But even with modern tools, many teams find themselves falling short on their deliverables. In their book How Big Things Get Done, authors Dan Gardner...

Digital Transformation Big Rooms Lean Construction
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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

Picture of Rick Kennedy Rick Kennedy: Jan 30, 2025 6:00:00 AM

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

data analysis data-driven decision-making predictive analytics
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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

Picture of Rick Kennedy Rick Kennedy: Sep 13, 2021 6:00:00 AM

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...

Digital Transformation Pull Planning Last Planner System Remote Work
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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

Picture of Rick Kennedy Rick Kennedy: Sep 2, 2021 6:00:00 AM

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

Visual Planner Digital Transformation Pull Planning Last Planner System
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2 min read

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

Picture of Rick Kennedy Rick Kennedy: Jan 29, 2021 6:30:00 AM

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

Digital Transformation Pull Planning Last Planner System
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