Forecasting the Performance of Last Planner System Implementation Using System Dynamics

The last planner system (LPS) has gained significant importance in recent years due to increased interest in implementing lean concepts in the construction industry. Several metrics for tracking the performance of LPS implementation have been proposed including plan/promise percent complete (PPC), task anticipated (TA), and tasks made ready (TMR). Despite the widespread use of these metrics, there is a disconnect between these LPS metrics and overall project performance metrics (SPI, CPI, etc.). In addition, there is little understanding of the role that certain personality traits like the level of commitment and willingness to make promises have on the performance of LPS. As such this research developed a system dynamics model to 1) better understand the dynamics among LPS metrics and 2) better understand the impact of personality traits (making promises and keeping commitments) on LPS metrics. The model was validated by simulating various scenarios and comparing against expected performance. The findings of the research indicate that there is a strong correlation between the LPS metrics and personality traits. The research will assist construction companies interested in applying LPS on their projects to better forecast project performance taking into consideration the dynamics taking place among project performance metrics and the personality traits of their employees.