During the summer of 2024, Wise Construction successfully delivered eight projects across three departments at Harvard University. These projects took place between June to August, adhering to quick turnarounds and tight schedules known as “Summer Slammers.” Projects of this nature require a strong emphasis on collaboration, organization, and a clear vision of the end goal. Wise drove these projects to the finish line by utilizing the Lean construction technique of pull planning.
Lean construction focuses on maximizing value while minimizing waste throughout the construction process. This is executed by attacking the project in a backward-planning approach with pull planning. The preconstruction strategy begins with the finished result in mind and maps out the timeline and tasks before construction begins, helping to avoid delays and unforeseen challenges. Wise’s approach saved four weeks from the schedule, ensuring timely turnover for the Fall semester. By prioritizing collaboration among all stakeholders – trade partners, architects, suppliers, and the client – Wise ensured everyone was aligned and clearly understood their roles and responsibilities.
A Summer Slammer is affected by timeline constraints and can be hampered by long procurement lead times, material shortages, or extended manufacturing delays. Therefore, it’s critical for institutions pursuing a fast-track schedule to begin planning early to address potential challenges. Fortunately, Harvard partnered with the Wise team early in the process, allowing collaboration with the design team to methodically map out the project strategy. The entire team was brought together by leveraging pull planning early to develop an approach that would eventually lead to smooth and timely project deliveries for Harvard.
Pull planning was fully implemented at the onset of preconstruction. The project teams spent months ahead of the start date planning each day down to specific tasks, dividing the work into manageable sections and areas. Engaging in an early preconstruction process allowed the team to tackle long lead times and procure all materials in advance. Andrew Lynch, Wise’s Vice President of Institutional, underscored the level of detail involved in pull planning, stating, “everything is planned out to the day. Two months before the lecture hall project even began and before boots were on the ground, we had every day planned for the entire summer. The size of the crews, who would be on site, and what tasks they’d be working on were all determined, with the project divided into sections and areas. All this preplanning was essential to stay organized and provide clear direction to our trade partners, ensuring everyone remained aligned and focused. Everyday counts—no matter what, students would be returning by September 1st.” This strategy fosters discussion, collaboration, and dedicated problem-solving time among all members from the beginning which plays a key role in setting the project up for success.
Another critical aspect pull planning addresses and helps resolve is minimizing disruptions. Even though Harvard University is on summer break the campuses remain active during the summer months, with some students, faculty, and staff still present. Tyler Virden, the Project Executive for the Summer Slammer projects, emphasizes the importance of pull planning with that in mind, “a significant part of preconstruction planning involved presenting and convincing the stakeholders—those who remain on campus during the summer, like administrators, teachers, and some students—and preparing them for the project, since not everyone is gone. Securing the buy-in of these groups and giving them fair warning to ensure they’re aware of any potential disruptions is crucial because the schedule is non-negotiable and must be followed. Our role was also to help relocate or provide alternative spaces for them to continue their work. For example, if vibrations might affect a lab’s operation, we’d figure out where to move them in advance.” There was a continuous dialogue between Wise and Harvard, which enabled the team to develop solutions collaboratively and set clear expectations with building end users. This early alignment helped build trust with the client and instilled confidence in the project team’s schedule and execution.
Maintaining communication and alignment with all involved ensured a smooth transition into the construction phase. Wise began work on June 1st across the several projects, each with its own scope and needs. They ranged from small laboratory improvements to full renovations of significant lecture halls and classrooms, as well as reconfiguring roof work and MEP systems. One of the key challenges at the Science Center, for example, was working around existing conditions and preserving the building’s integrity while upgrading its interior capabilities. This project and projects at the Harvard Business School, Science Center, and the Athletics Department were completed successfully thanks to Lean construction pulling planning, which provided a clear path to completion.
While Summer Slammers are executed in a matter of just a few fast-paced weeks, the most successful ones are preceded by a long planning period with a microfocus on pull planning. At Harvard last summer, pull planning provided a framework to foster collaboration and adaptability. Wise was able to start planning early, coordinated closely with all stakeholders, and prepared for any disruptions, allowing us to deliver high-quality projects ready for students’ return. Pull planning brings structure to what could otherwise become a chaotic process. By embracing Lean construction principles, Wise navigated tight schedules and ensured these critical campus projects.
