Re-Engineering Construction Flow with Takt

Explore how takt production revolutionizes construction flow in Finland, balancing team capacities for efficient project delivery.

Key Takeaways

Takt production creates a common rhythm that balances workloads across teams for smoother construction flow.
Finland has become a leader in applying takt production, supported by academic and industry collaboration.
Implementing takt time improves quality control and reduces waste by avoiding repeated mistakes.
Successful takt production requires early planning, clear communication, and team involvement.
While widely adopted, the best results come from experienced teams and well-standardized projects.

What the video covers

Introduction to takt production as a method to balance capacities and synchronize work rhythm in construction projects.
Explanation of takt time derived from Toyota Production System and its application in Finnish construction.
Case study of Locks Hospital project using takt production to maintain a steady production rate of 200 square meters per day.
Discussion on the evolution of takt production in Finland, including involvement in about 50 projects over 7-8 years.
Collaboration between universities, consortia, and industry players to develop and share best practices in takt production.
Current state of the art in Finland where major construction companies widely adopt takt production methods.
Benefits of takt production including improved quality management, workload leveling, and better profit margins.
Challenges and learning curve associated with implementing takt time in less repetitive construction projects.
Insights into the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of leadership related to takt production.
Importance of team buy-in and standardized processes to successfully implement takt schedules.

Chapters

What is takt production in construction?

Takt production is a method to balance the capacities of different teams and manufacturing systems across a construction project by establishing a common work rhythm or takt time, ensuring synchronized and efficient workflow.

How has Finland implemented takt production in construction?

Finland has widely adopted takt production through collaboration between universities, consortia, and industry players, applying it in hundreds of projects including large-scale ones like the Locks Hospital, with a focus on standardization and shared best practices.

What are the benefits of using takt production in construction projects?

Takt production improves quality management, reduces waste by avoiding repeated mistakes, levels workloads to prevent overburden, and can lead to better profitability and more predictable project delivery.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

AEC Business, the construction industry's innovation and technology show. Hello and welcome to this first episode of 2026 of the AEC Business podcast. I'm your host Ariesin, and my guest comes from Finland. He's Alexi Honenin. Alexi is an operations management consultant in construction and a recognized name in the global lean community. Our topic is tacted production, which has become popular here in the Finnish construction industry. Alexi, it's great to have you on the podcast.

Speaker A

in construction and a recognized name in the global lean community. Our topic is tacted production which has become popular here in the Finnish construction industry. Alexi, it's great to have you on the podcast.

Speaker A

Thanks for having me. What exactly is tact production?

Speaker A

basically a parameter to to balance capacities of different teams and and manufacturing system systems across big project for a common uh rhythm and and one demand. So it is a kind of parameter that you calculate to balance the capacities and and that's

Speaker A

Tact time is one essential piece in the Toyota production system of just in time, and then tact time is something that has been missing from lean construction previously. It is basically a parameter to balance capacities of different teams and manufacturing systems across a big project for a common rhythm and one demand. So it is a kind of parameter that you calculate to balance the capacities, and that's it. That's as simple as it can be.

Speaker A

like five years before anybody started any construction there. We we decided that we're going to build it uh with a with a production rate of 200 square meters per day. Which means that if you are installing cable trays, you have to

Speaker A

Like we made a very simple tact plan for Locks Hospital project, which is currently the biggest hospital project in Finland. It's a 1 billion euro hospital, and it was like five years before anybody started any construction there. We decided that we're going to build it with a production rate of 200 square meters per day.

Speaker A

And if you are building the the frame, u you calculate how many square meters you have in one floor and then you kind of from there you count how how fast you have to raise the the the frame up and

Speaker A

Which means that if you are installing cable trays, you have to install cable trays for the area of 200 square meters of hospital in one day.

Speaker A

average to to kind of explain to all different trades that that what is the timeline of their subcontract?

Speaker A

And if you are building the frame, you calculate how many square meters you have in one floor, and then you kind of from there you count how fast you have to raise the frame up, and everything was kind of connected to the same pace and same production rate. And then it was kind of easy.

Speaker A

Toyota production system from Germany. And tact means uh the the the rhythm in in um in a musical composition uh which connects the whole orchestra together so that they know how fast they're going to play.

Speaker A

We ended up with something like 489 tact areas, those about 200 square meter pieces on average to explain to all different trades what is the timeline of their subcontract.

Speaker A

and training and learning and so on. How did we get here where we are now in Finland where we have I I think h have had hundreds of tact project projects already. Well, at even even by myself like two years ago, I started to work in

Speaker A

It was for everybody that same 489 work days. So it simplifies the whole construction process, and it simplifies orchestrating all different teams. Like tact comes into the Japanese language as well, into the Japanese Toyota production system from Germany. And tact means the rhythm in a musical composition, which connects the whole orchestra together so that they know how fast they're going to play.

Speaker A

so the way I learned T production was was in in the cruise ship cabin refurbishment and there we were doing 15minute t time. Um so all the teams were were changing to a next cabin in in 15minute uh beat. Um from there on I just kind of

Speaker A

Yeah, that's very good. But to get to, let's say, one day tact time or even three-hour tact time, which I've also heard in Finland, it has taken a little bit of effort in development and training and learning and so on. How did we get here where we are now in Finland, where we have, I think, had hundreds of tact projects already?

Speaker A

not so repetitive space and and other kind of projects But um the big thing was was talking to different people um first first when I Googled um lean construction uh in in Finland. I got Visions La Merio's name in in the

Speaker A

Well, even by myself, like two years ago, I started to work in construction business in Finland in 2016, and then in about seven or eight years, I was involved in about 50 different projects doing or trying to do tact. Most of them did.

Speaker A

quite quite soon after uh I got interested about Ala University what's going on there and then I called Oie Sepan and and and he got into interested about tact and and we wrote um a paper into IGLC um

Speaker A

So the way I learned tact production was in the cruise ship cabin refurbishment, and there we were doing 15-minute tact time. So all the teams were changing to the next cabin in a 15-minute beat. From there on, I just kind of started to figure out how can we apply this in kind of normal construction, and then started doing one day tact with the first, I think, first project was a residential new build, and then very shortly came some office buildings, not so repetitive space, and other kinds of projects.

Speaker A

there was um RI which was a consortium under ling construction Finland for different uh general contractors and then there was uh IP so which came from Finnish uh integrated project delivery um consortium um of of of different um public and and

Speaker A

But the big thing was talking to different people. First, when I Googled lean construction in Finland, I got Visions La Merio's name in the Google search results, and then I called him and asked, you know, who should I talk to in construction, and he gave me two names. Then I started to do some projects, and quite soon after, I got interested about Aalto University, what's going on there, and then I called Oie Sepan, and he got interested about tact, and we wrote a paper into IGLC about cabin refurbishment and tact there and so on.

Speaker A

sector you know where we get 150 or or even 400 people in in link construction seminar uh into the same room you know things go really fast.

Speaker A

So it started, and it was really important to get these different parties to develop that almost like an open-source mentality, that Aalto University was sharing best practices, and there was RI, which was a consortium under Lean Construction Finland for different general contractors, and then there was IPSO, which came from Finnish integrated project delivery consortium of different public and semi-public owner representatives.

Speaker A

Well, now I've been working with new build cruise ships for form Turk for for one and a half one and a half years. Um but I believe the state-of-the-art in in uh Finnish construction sector is that all the big

Speaker A

So we had these different kinds of consortiums developing tact as almost like an open source, and as we are a small market, 5.5 million people and 30 billion construction sector, where we get 150 or even 400 people in Lean Construction seminar into the same room, things go really fast.

Speaker A

best teams and it's the best projects who are doing it Well, and others are kind of mimicking and and and following.

Speaker A

Where are we today? What is the state of the art in Finland in tact?

Speaker A

balance sheet or or their their profit and loss statement. So it's more in the in the strategy department still. Um but I guess they are little by little um doing also better profit than and w with a with a kind of reduced working

Speaker A

Well, now I've been working with new build cruise ships for Turku for one and a half years. But I believe the state of the art in Finnish construction sector is that all the big construction companies are talking about tact production, and they are saying that they are doing tact production, and I believe most of them are actually doing it. But to my understanding, it's still the best teams and the best projects who are doing it.

Speaker A

and and like you said, you said it is a strategic choice. I would say that it can be and and it is a good strategic choice, but it doesn't necessarily have to be strategic. Um, well, we've had a

Speaker A

Well, others are kind of mimicking and following.

Speaker A

level. So you can get result good results from tact production all already on the tactical level. You just make a little better schedule and that's it.

Speaker A

And then in the case of publicly listed construction companies, they are talking more about tact production in their strategic section of annual reports rather than when they are talking about their balance sheet or their profit and loss statement. So it's more in the strategy department still.

Speaker A

integrate logistics under one um one logistics operator. And I think it's it's very interesting that that for example the the US army doctrine says that you cannot do that kind of level on on the tactical level of of leadership.

Speaker A

But I guess they are little by little doing also better profit with a kind of reduced working capital.

Speaker A

have done it and at and at LSA hospital they are doing it but it's not so common and then even even less common is to kind of take it on on a strategic level and really start thinking about what if we do all

Speaker A

But what are the actual benefits that companies have been able to achieve? Is it just shorter lead times, or is there something, is it money involved?

Speaker A

production rate how many bathrooms are you doing per per per per year if they are into into residential construction um they don't people don't think kind of tacked in the strategic level like you know we are doing um one and a half

Speaker A

Of course, money is involved. And like you said, you said it is a strategic choice. I would say that it can be, and it is a good strategic choice, but it doesn't necessarily have to be strategic.

Speaker A

so so you can get have different benefits on different levels. But what what what a kind of um instigator like me uh or or um consultant looking for the kind of next big performance um is is looking for is is somebody who who really wants

Speaker A

Well, we've had a lot of, unfortunately, lots of news about war lately. So I started to dig into US Army doctrine, how they kind of view their operating model, and they are explaining it on tactical, operational, and strategic level.

Speaker A

internationally is one of the biggest examples. Uh I just hope that they had thought more about tact and and how to keep how to standardize and and how to keep the working capital low enough.

Speaker A

So you can get good results from tact production already on the tactical level. You just make a little better schedule, and that's it.

Speaker A

Of course things cannot be moved from one industria to another to another without adaptation but but it's a good place to start copying and and once you know what you're doing then then you might start getting better ideas. Yeah,

Speaker A

But to achieve bigger results and bigger benefits, you have to do an operational level change, which means you have to change the role of logistics and separate the logistics from value-adding work and integrate logistics under one logistics operator.

Speaker A

uh explaining or or how how do you get the the ball rolling basically? Well, I think it's very important to to to be able to talk to different stakeholders from their st their perspective. Of course, it's important to at one point

Speaker A

And I think it's very interesting that, for example, the US Army doctrine says that you cannot do that kind of level on the tactical level of leadership.

Speaker A

which is a kind of it's re referencing to to the whole conveyor belt and the whole production system and and things like this. So to to go through the basics, but um so that is the kind of what part. But then

Speaker A

So you have to go above the tactical command to be able to actually do it. And very few companies have been able to do it. We have some great results from, for example, Hartela, who have done it, and at LSA hospital they are doing it, but it's not so common.

Speaker A

They are interested about that. Then then the general con construction business unit is is important about the reduction of um time dependent overheads in their their their project. Of course, everybody's interested about safety. Um, and once you start standardizing and and

Speaker A

And then even less common is to take it on a strategic level and really start thinking about what if we do all these tactical and operational level changes, what does it mean for the company strategy when I'm talking to the heads of business?

Speaker A

quality. We can talk about reduction of throughput time which is uh the kind of time it takes from from from the first um construction activity to the last construction activity in one single space. how can we reduce that throughput

Speaker A

time and how it improves the quality and and how it makes the quality management easier um because you avoid the same mistakes in the coming spaces which which haven't been completed yet. Um so people are interested of of diff

Speaker A

different different things and and uh it's it's quite important to to kind of sell the idea of of better construction operations for for different stakeholders in a different way.

Speaker A

If we think about the challenges uh of implementing tact, what are the is it is it uh cultural or is it about training or what are the challenges that typically you face when you implement tact?

Speaker A

In in addition to to understanding the barriers of tact in in tactical, operational and strategic level, I I like to think different uh faculties or or different um different sciences. We have the human sciences, we have the technical sciences

Speaker A

and then we have the uh commercial or juridical um sciences which kind of plays the part of agreements in in in construction agreements and how people are made responsible within a company. So I think it always starts from the technical

Speaker A

expertise. you have to be able to do a a a sound tact schedule, but but that's not so difficult because there's there's kind of plenty of help available and and it's kind of fairly easy to kind of do a

Speaker A

good pack schedule with the team and get the buy in from from a construction team once they have participated in in in doing the construction schedule and doing the the tax schedule. So, so it's the the technical part is usually the

Speaker A

easiest at least when you hire some help. Then it's a lot more difficult to get the kind of human sciences together.

Speaker A

How do you manage the deviations? Is is is it a good thing or bad thing to to notice a deviation?

Speaker A

So, so if if if people are lacking some some um psychological safety, it's always, you know, you don't want to take any deviations into talks because uh you might get you might get blamed yourself or then you don't want to be

Speaker A

the bad guy blaming your colleague or somebody else. So they are silenced um until they are very expensive to fix and and and then that comes usually from the contracts. So the commercial and and and juridical um sciences which are kind

Speaker A

of these people don't usually hang out together when they are studying their their topics. They the kind of human sciences, technical sciences and and jurorical and commercial. they don't they don't play so much together. So this is this is quite rare to have

Speaker A

this kind of a common understanding of how these different um fields affect each other. But but it comes from the agreement and and especially from the way people read their agreement. But then there are some some kind of

Speaker A

great exemp exemptions that that you know um no matter what the agreement says the the spirit and the the leadership in the construction project or in a in a construction company can be very different and and people also

Speaker A

overcome these things. We have done a great deal of work into into the alliance agreement, for example, in Luxo Hospital and and and in the kind of team building to to make a great um learning system of the technical

Speaker A

solution of the the the the people management and the values and the agreements. Um, if anybody listening right now would want to start their their tax journey so to speak, where where should they start?

Speaker A

The best thing is to start with the project. Yeah, I I I I cannot appreciate that kind of strategic talk with the powerpoints that much. Um because I I actually try to avoid these things where where you know there's senior

Speaker A

leaders and then there might be some poor uh superintendent which is kind of getting ma aimed maybe you should try tact and and then senior leaders are in the room and they are talking about their perceptions whether tact production fits into their

Speaker A

business and into this project and it's it's more most of the time if that happens for the first project they are trying to do with tact it's it's complete waste of time it's much better to to take the

Speaker A

team and invest one week of tact planning some some basic training in the beginning um and some basic theory not too much maybe two or three hours, but then start planning attacked for the project. And once they have um planned

Speaker A

attacked for that project, let the construction team and the superintendent tell for the senior leaders what they think about you know what are the obstacles to to execute this kind of a plan because then they actually know what they are talking about. We are not

Speaker A

then anymore talking about whether uh Henry Ford's conveyor belt fits into this construction project and whether we can standardize something which is uh not so repetitive. I think that we can now maybe do some myth busting and I

Speaker A

have a a few questions that I I want you to ask answering with the myth number one. Tact only works for repetitive hotels or hospitals. It is easier to do in repetitive space but I would say when it is well planned it provides

Speaker A

more value in non-repetitive space like for example Helsinki airport uh where we got four months lead time reduction it is a bit like you know standardization is about is a bit like is glass half full or half empty, can you

Speaker A

standardize something or can you not? Um, so if you can standardize something, it makes it so much better for everybody in the project.

Speaker A

Myth number two, it's too rigid. If one person is late, the whole project stops.

Speaker A

It's it's no more rigid than any any other construction system. you just see the deviation faster.

Speaker A

So, so then you then you can do something about it. Number three, tech is just a way to stress out the workers and work them harder.

Speaker A

Absolutely not. Um, of course you can use any tool to to suppress people. In the heart of Toyota production system is is um Mura and Muri also uh next to Muda which is the common common waste we are talking about and and Mura and Muri

Speaker A

they are they are about you know let's not overburden people and and and let's level let's level the the the workload.

Speaker A

So tact is actually a tool to to level the work workload and and make sure that nobody has overburden.

Speaker A

Okay. So less stress in in fact. Yeah. Okay. And my final myth on the list is you need a massive expensive software suite to make this work.

Speaker A

Absolutely not. It it is not about having a software. software can help especially when when when you are changing the plan and and you are publishing and and you are managing it but the softwares that I've been using

Speaker A

they actually need a good plan for the input and and so far I haven't come across any better planning tool than than than Excel. So I've I've been using Excel to to first publish it but then when you have published it first time

Speaker A

then to kind of continuously update the the plan you you will benefit from softwares but they are not very expensive. It's it's it's not that's that is not expensive but you can manage also without.

Speaker A

So do do you have any other myth myths to add to this list? People are very often thinking about you know what is a what is a good project and what kind of a project type is perfect to start doing tact I I would

Speaker A

say it's never about the project type. It is it is more about the team and the time. So if you are too late into a project and things have been agreed already and and think subcontracts have already been signed then it's difficult but um

Speaker A

it's more about the people and the right time. Okay very good. So finally if our audience wants to learn more about uh attacked and and maybe contact you how how can they do that?

Speaker A

Well, uh, my phone number, LinkedIn, um, and email, give me a call and and there are plenty of, um, good articles about tact around, uh, in in IDLC and and and, uh, yeah.

Speaker A

Um, I I read somewhere that you were planning uh to write a book. Is that still on the agenda?

Speaker A

It's still on the agenda. It's it's a kind of not the kind of it could be a a higher priority but uh it's it's coming there most likely and and the book is about book is about um second industrial revolution 100 years

Speaker A

late. Thanks Alexi. I want to remind you about the AI in AEC conference uh which will take place in Helsinki and online on March 18th and 19th 2026.

Speaker A

Go to aec.net to register. The early bird registration is over, but use the code AEC business in capital letters to register at the early bird rate. Thanks and see you there.

Speaker A

Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast and visit aec-business.com, the award-winning blog, for more news and stories.

Topics:takt productionlean constructionconstruction flowToyota Production SystemFinnish constructionproject managementworkload balancingLocks Hospital projectconstruction innovationAEC Business

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