Elevate Construction

Jason walks listeners through a virtual tour of a high profile $240 million DPR Construction project in Phoenix, Arizona, that hosts the Elevate Construction superintendent boot camps. From the immaculate entrances and morning huddle pavilion with music playing for the workers, to the BIM 360 Glue kiosks, room kitting drawings, color coded pallet system through the hoist, and the foreman crew preparation huddles, this is what operational excellence actually looks like at full scale. He then walks through the three round Takt simulation that boot camp attendees play to feel the difference between unplanned scheduling, basic Takt, and real flow.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What a $240 million project run with full operational excellence and 550 workers actually looks like

• The morning huddle pavilion with QR coded check ins, podium, stretch and flex visual, and music

• The color coded inspection paint system and the inspection rhythm on every wall

• BIM 360 Glue kiosks for MEP foremen with room kitting drawings and the "all in or all out" BIM analogy

• Round one of the simulation: no Takt, scheduled however they want

• Round two: Takt with the wrong zones and wrong time, leading to chaos

• Round three: leveled work, Little's law applied, six zones at a 30 second Takt, two buffers used, and beautiful flow

• Why Takt is just pull planning extended across multiple zones to create trade flow from area to area

Operational excellence isn't theory. It's a 240 million dollar job site running on flow, huddles, BIM, and color coded discipline. Now imagine if every project started here.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

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

Jason records from the road heading to a boot camp simulation, fresh off a week with Petticoat Smith, and takes on a topic the industry quietly dismisses: checklists. He uses three powerful comparisons (pilots, doctors, and his own CFO who has never missed a payroll in ten years) to make the case that a simple, well crafted, lesson learned checklist is one of the most overlooked tools in construction. The episode is a direct challenge to the convenience culture that's letting this art quietly disappear from the trades.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why pilots, air traffic controllers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and food handlers all use checklists, and why we should too

• The pneumonia patient bed incline checklist as proof that one standard work item can reduce mortality dramatically

• Why every crew should have a beautifully simple, project specific checklist or feature of work board

• The CFO who realized her ten year perfect payroll record was a checklist record

• The difference between bloated checklists and remarkably simple, relevant ones that crews actually follow

Checklists aren't outdated. They're the discipline that lets professionals deliver consistent quality. Don't lose the art in the name of convenience.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

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

Jason records from the car in Jacksonville, Florida, on the way to a job site to talk about something most teams overlook: the construction entrance. He opens with the story of a Starbucks bollard in Springfield, Illinois that ended up covered in over 300 stickers, all because the first sticker was never removed. Then he walks through a DPR project site so beautifully maintained at the entrances that he stopped to take pictures. The point: the condition of your gate is the invitation and the permission slip for every behavior that follows on the project.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why the entrance is the trigger that signals what level of care every worker is invited to bring

• The Starbucks bollard sticker analogy and how silent permission shapes culture

• What a beautiful worker gate looks like: laminated signage, taut screens, straight fence posts, COVID and orientation info clearly displayed

• The trackout pad, stabilized roadway, and signage standards that turn a gate into a calling card

• How clear wayfinding and a thank you sign for workers shifts the experience of arriving at work

• Why getting the entrance right makes operational control of the entire site easier

The bathrooms tell you about the culture. The entrance tells you what's about to happen. Get the entrance right and the rest of the site has a chance.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

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

Jason records from a Marriott bathroom in Jacksonville, Florida (totally clothed, fully legit) and takes on the things that are always late in construction: exterior skin, elevators, switch gear, air handlers, and long lead items like Italian tile. He shares the story of Ryan Young pushing to start exterior and elevator coordination meetings during design development, walks through the detailed procurement sequence for unitized curtain wall, and explains the Outlook calendar trick for tracking critical points of release across the supply chain. He also responds to a listener moving from DC to Salt Lake City and recommends Wes Crawford's field engineering methods manual along with a lean reading list.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why the same items (exterior, elevators, switch gear, air handlers) are always late on every project

• How design assist letters of intent can get critical scopes going before contracts are in place

• The full procurement sequence for unitized curtain wall: samples, dies, glass release, shop drawings, performance mockup, field measurements, install

• The Field Verified mockup option as a fraction of the cost of building a full mockup on site

• The Outlook calendar trick: schedule critical points of release as invites for the whole team

• Wes Crawford's Construction Surveying and Layout as essential reading for any new builder

These items aren't late by accident. They're late because we don't start in design and we don't track the intermediate points of release. Fix both, and the supply chain stops being the schedule's bottleneck.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

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

Most foremen and superintendents think their job is to run around solving problems all day, but that's not leadership, that's chaos. In this episode, Jason draws a hard line between reactive and proactive leadership and explains why "busy" often means you're doing low-value work that should be handled by stable systems. You'll learn how proactive leaders plan ahead, build standard routines, use buffers, and train people to solve problems so the jobsite can run smoothly without constant firefighting. This is a practical reset on planning, systems, and staying ahead of the work so you can actually lead.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What reactive leadership looks like and why it keeps you behind the eight ball all day
• How to replace firefighting with standard systems for logistics, equipment, materials, and communication
• Why foremen and superintendents must focus on high-value work, not "$10/hour tasks"
• How proactive leaders use planning, buffers, visuals, and daily preparation to control the day
• Why winning happens before the shift starts and how to stay ahead with real contingency plans

Are you living on adrenaline and reacting all day, or are you building a system that lets you lead on purpose?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

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

In this episode, Jason takes another pass at a topic he keeps returning to, because teams keep checking the box on it without truly owning it: supply chain and procurement. He walks through just-in-time deliveries, the supermarket concept borrowed from Walmart distribution centers, and why breaking materials out by Takt zone is always possible if you dig deep enough. He pushes hard on the idea that procurement cannot be delegated to trade partners, drawing on what he saw in Germany where general contractors procure far more material themselves. The core message is that logistical control, like safety and quality, belongs to the general contractor and cannot be handed off.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why the supermarket concept keeps sites from being flooded with material
• How to break long lead items into points of release
• Why procurement cannot be fully delegated to trade partners
• What weekly procurement meetings should actually manage
• Why logistics separates real experts from armchair planners

If your team can recite just-in-time deliveries and procurement logs perfectly but still checks the box and calls it the trade partner's job, the real question is whether you actually have logistical control of your project or just the language to sound like you do.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

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

A construction company doesn't just sell a finished building, it sells the capability of the people who build it. In this episode, Jason reframes the question "what is our product?" and argues that your foremen and field crews are the product, which means they should be developed, protected, and improved like any other core offering. You'll learn how treating crews as the product changes how you hire, train, keep teams together, reduce switching, and build green crews instead of constantly mixing parts until everything turns red. This is a practical reset on building a company that wins by developing people on purpose.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why foremen and crews should be treated like the company's core product, not just labor "assigned to work"
• How to protect green crews, develop yellow crews, and stop keeping red crews in the system without a plan
• Why crew consistency matters and how mixing crews usually spreads problems instead of fixing them
• What "product development" looks like for crews: training, tools, safety support, and being known and valued
• How visual tracking and daily production targets help foremen plan, communicate, and create flow

If your crews were truly your product, what would you change first in how you train them, support them, and keep them together?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

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

Swing capacity isn't free labor sitting on the bench, and it isn't running crews so tight that one hiccup tanks the whole system. In this episode, Jason explains swing capacity as the ability to shift and swarm existing resources to protect flow when bottlenecks hit. You'll learn how workable backlog gives crews a safe place to go when they finish early, so they don't start work out of sequence or disappear offsite. The goal is simple: keep the work flowing by using time buffers, capacity buffers, and smart swarming instead of chaos, overburden, or constant firefighting.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The difference between no capacity, free capacity, and swing capacity and why swing capacity is the sweet spot
• How workable backlog protects your sequence and gives crews productive work without breaking flow
• How Takt time and cycle time create time buffers that absorb variation and roadblocks
• What swarming really means in the field and how it helps bottleneck activities without adding new people
• How swing capacity keeps logistics, staging, and preparation available so the bottleneck never starves

Do your crews have swing capacity and workable backlog, or are you forcing the project to survive on luck and burnout?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

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

Lean construction isn't "a few tools" or magic continuous-improvement pixie dust—it's a foundation and a system. In this episode, Jason shares an interview with Jesse from Operational Excellence, where they unpack what Lean really means: respect for people, stability, capacity, and flow, plus total participation with visual systems and continuous improvement. They also get into why Lean fails when leaders skip the hard parts, why "nice vs. mean" is the wrong frame, and why Takt time—not just pull systems—is the backbone of a real production system in construction.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• A clear "grandma version" definition of Lean: respect, stability/capacity/flow, total participation, and continuous improvement
• Why Lean can't be implemented by invitation only—leaders must facilitate, train, and enforce standards before culture sticks
• Why "respect" includes hard decisions: clean sites, real logistics, stopping unsafe work, and quality at the source
• Why Takt time is the missing backbone in construction scheduling—and why pull systems alone won't stabilize production
• Why education, not motivation, is the real solution—and why givers with a growth mindset are the ones who implement Lean successfully

Are you trying to sprinkle Lean on top—or are you willing to build the foundation that makes flow inevitable?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

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

Seven responsibilities of the captain of your ship applied to the senior superintendent. Ship must be stocked before anyone boards. Teams must function at all fractal levels. People must be trained. Systems must be working. Know where the ship is going, how to get there daily, and keep the ship afloat.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Stock the ship: superintendent owns procurement, not PM or PE, materials aligned to Takt rhythm weekly
• Teams at all fractal levels: every department area and crew must be high functioning, not just leadership
• Train your people: captain does not blame the admiral for untrained crew, it is your job
• Systems must work: logistics safety quality last planner parking all must function with backups
• Keep ship afloat: MS Estonia bow door failure analogy, three or four failing trades overloads team and sinks project

Project leaders that are not productively paranoid to know when they are getting in trouble are going to get in trouble and sink the ship.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

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