Ep.240 – Buy & Communicate What You Want, Feat. Charlie Dunn

Jason and Charlie Dunn discuss the "buy what you want" philosophy: if you want lean behaviors, put them in contracts and pay for them. Don't assume trades will magically do morning huddles, afternoon foreman huddles, or keep sites clean without contractual requirements and transparency. Two $150M hospital comparison: one recovered with Takt flow (0.98 fee position, on time, delighted customer), the other refused help (6 months late, -$2.3M loss). The recovered project still had to argue out of $180k and $250k change orders for meetings because it wasn't in the original contract. Jason's integrated control system: collaborate as team to decide (prefabrication, room kitting, nothing hits floor), then enforce the plan. Turned deliveries around at BSRL for non-compliance. Standardization reduces mental load on workers, let them focus brainpower on quality instead of chaos. Manufacturing comparison: would they stick-build on the factory floor? No. Would anything hit the floor? No. Construction declined in productivity while manufacturing improved because we haven't standardized. Future ideas: zero dumpster requirement (everything pre-cut), yield rate tracking (defects per X produced), 40-hour lean orientation program for all workers.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Buy what you want: Put lean expectations in contracts—morning huddles, afternoon foreman huddles, cleaning standards

• Transparency + respect: If you want it to happen, specify it and pay for it upfront

• Two $150M hospitals: One recovered with Takt (0.98 fee position, on time), one refused help (-$2.3M, 6 months late)

• Even recovered project argued out of $180k/$250k change orders for meetings, should have been in original contract

• Lean community myths hurting us: "You don't need to buy lean," "Don't plan too early," "Command and control is bad"

• Reality: 1/3 bought in, 1/3 don't care, 1/3 fight the system—you need contractual clarity

• Communicate early: Exterior skin sequence in DD phase so fabrication matches Takt flow

• Jason's integrated control system: Team collaborates to decide (prefab, kitting, nothing hits floor), then enforce

• BSRL example: Turned deliveries around for non-compliance, denied hoist access for non-prefabricated materials

• Contractor grading system: Make performance visible, track against expectations

• Standardization reduces mental load: Clean site, on-time deliveries, Takt schedule = workers focus on quality

• Manufacturing comparison: Would they stick-build on factory floor? Would anything hit floor? No, so why do we?

• Construction productivity declined, manufacturing improved, we haven't standardized

• Visual management creates binary answers: You're either in the right zone Monday morning or you're not

• Mega project absorbed 10%+ change order mid-project, finished on time because of Takt standardization

• Future ideas: Zero dumpster (all pre-cut), yield rate (defects per X), 40-hour lean orientation for all workers

Buy what you want. Communicate it. Enforce it. On we go.

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Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw