LCI-Registered Training · Ireland & Europe

The Last Planner® System

Make work flow. Reliably.

Ireland’s trusted Last Planner® System training and consultancy. Improve Percent Plan Complete scores, eliminate delays, and build a culture of collaborative planning on your construction projects.

 

70-85% Typical PPC improvement
10+ Years delivering LPS in Ireland
LCI Registered Lean trainer
EU wide Project delivery experience

A Smarter Way to Plan Construction Work

The Last Planner® System (LPS) is a collaborative, commitment-based planning and production control methodology developed by the Lean Construction Institute. It replaces traditional top-down push-scheduling with a team-driven, pull-based approach.

The system involves those closest to the work—the “last planners”—in both planning and executing tasks. As work approaches execution, plans become progressively more refined and precise, creating unobstructed, reliable workflows.

“It’s all about making the workflow unobstructed — from the master programme to the daily task.”

By focusing on what can be done rather than what should be done, the Last Planner® System dramatically improves Percent Plan Complete (PPC) rates and drives collaborative accountability across every trade on site.

The 5 Planning Conversations
1

Master Scheduling

High-level milestones & programme

2

Phase Scheduling

Pull planning by phase or handoff

3

Lookahead Planning

6-week constraint removal

4

Weekly Work Planning

Reliable commitments from the team

5

Learning from PPC

Root-cause analysis & improvement

Who Are the Last Planners on Site?

The "Last planners" are the professionals who make task-level commitments and coordinate work at the field level. LPS training is designed for the following roles.

👷
Foremen

Directing crews & daily task execution on the ground

📋
Supervisors

Overseeing trade packages & resource allocation

🏗️
Superintendents

Managing site-wide coordination & sequencing

📊
Project Managers

Responsible for programme, cost & client delivery

✏️
Design Managers

Coordinating design information release & RFIs

🔧
Trade Leads

Subcontractor leads planning & committing to tasks

These professionals are responsible for planning and organizing the work for the crews on the ground, ensuring daily tasks align with project goals and timelines.

Structured Planning That Delivers Results

The core objective of the Last Planner® System is to make work flow — smoothly, collaboratively, and without interruptions. It creates a structured environment where all teams align their efforts to achieve:

📅
Meet Project Delivery Schedules

Collaborative weekly planning and constraint removal ensures projects stay on programme with fewer reactive scrambles.

💰
Control & Reduce Project Costs

Reduced rework, fewer delays, and better resource utilisation directly lower the cost of construction delivery.

🏆
Deliver Superior Quality

Work that is properly planned and sequenced is completed right the first time, reducing snagging and defects.

🦺
Strong Health & Safety Focus

Planned, predictable workflows reduce on-site chaos and the safety incidents that arise from rushed, reactive working.

🤝
Foster Collaboration & Accountability

When teams plan together and make visible commitments, trust builds across trades and organisations.

📈
Boost Client Satisfaction

Predictable, on-time handovers and higher-quality finishes consistently improve client confidence and repeat business.

Six Lean Principles Reinforced by LPS

Implementing the Last Planner® System supports and amplifies six core Lean Construction fundamentals — transforming not just how you plan, but how the whole project system performs

01
Respect for People

Collaboration across trades fosters mutual respect, encouraging open communication and shared problem-solving among all project stakeholders.

02
Waste Reduction

Tasks done right first time minimise rework, idle time, and material waste — improving resource efficiency across every trade package.

03
Improved Workflow

Just-in-time planning ensures smoother handoffs and uninterrupted progress, keeping the project moving at a steady, predictable pace.

04
Value Creation

Focusing efforts on what truly matters to the client directs more time and resources toward value-adding activities, boosting quality and satisfaction.

05
Continuous Improvement

The system promotes a feedback loop where teams learn from plan failures, enabling them to refine future planning cycles and raise PPC scores.

06
System Optimisation

As collaboration and learning improve over time, the entire project delivery system becomes more efficient, delivering better outcomes at lower cost.

Lean Touch Solutions kaizen

System Optimisation

As collaboration and learning improve, the entire project delivery system becomes more efficient, resulting in better performance outcomes and cost savings.

The 5 Planning Conversations of LPS

The Last Planner® System is structured around five interconnected planning conversations, each one zooming in closer to the work and making commitments more reliable.

01
Master Scheduling

High-level project milestones, durations, and handovers agreed by the project team as an overall programme.

02
Phase Scheduling

Pull planning sessions where trades work backwards from a handover milestone to define the sequence of work.

03️
Lookahead Planning

A 4–6 week rolling window to identify and actively remove constraints before they block work on site.

04
Weekly Work Planning

Specific, reliable commitments made by last planners for the coming week — only committing to what CAN be done.

05
Learning from PPC

Measuring Percent Plan Complete, identifying reasons for non-completion, and taking action to prevent recurrence.

READY TO START ?

Book Your Last Planner® System Training Course

Industry-trusted, LCI-aligned Last Planner System training delivered in Ireland and on-site across Europe. Half-day awareness sessions to full-day practitioner programmes — we tailor training to your project needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Last Planner® System training.

Last Planner System (LPS) training teaches construction professionals how to implement a collaborative, commitment-based planning methodology that replaces traditional push-scheduling. It is designed for site managers, project managers, foremen, planners, and subcontractor leads who want to reduce waste, improve workflow reliability, and increase Percent Plan Complete (PPC) on construction projects.

A comprehensive LPS course covers the five planning conversations: Master Scheduling, Phase Scheduling, Lookahead Planning, Weekly Work Planning, and Learning from PPC data. Participants learn how to run collaborative planning sessions, identify and remove constraints, make reliable commitments, and build a culture of continuous improvement on site

LPS training typically ranges from a half-day awareness workshop to a 1 day practitioner programme, depending on the depth required. Many providers also offer on-site coaching alongside classroom learning so teams can implement LPS in real time on their live projects.

Teams trained in LPS consistently report higher PPC scores (typically 70–85%+), fewer programme delays, reduced rework, improved subcontractor engagement, and better on-site morale. The system creates a shared language for planning that aligns all trades toward reliable workflow and on-time handovers.

Yes. The Last Planner System is a registered trademark of the Lean Construction Institute (LCI) and is widely recognised as the global standard for collaborative construction planning. Many training providers deliver LPS courses aligned with LCI principles, and participants can pursue further accreditation through the LCI or associated bodies.

Absolutely. On-site LPS training is often the most effective format because participants can apply planning tools to their actual live project during the session. Trainers facilitate real lookahead sessions, constraint logs, and weekly planning meetings with the project team, creating immediate and lasting impact.

Related Lean Construction Services

Takt Planning works best as part of a broader lean construction strategy. Explore our other services to build a complete lean programme.

📋
Takt Planning

Commitment-based weekly planning that complements LPS perfectly

Learn more →
🗺️
Value Stream Mapping

Visualise and eliminate waste across your full project delivery process

Learn more →
🧠
Lean Behaviours

Develop the mindsets and habits that make lean tools stick on site

Learn more →
🔄
Process Mapping

Map, analyse and redesign construction processes for maximum flow

Learn more →
Kaizen Events

Focused rapid-improvement workshops that deliver immediate results

Learn more →
LCI Registered Trainer
2012 Founded in Ireland
Europe-wide Project Delivery
100% Industry Practitioners

Looking for implementation and support for your project?

Get In Touch

Contact For 2 or 3 Day Training

Contact us below for more information on this course