Short answer: A fresh eyes meeting is a preconstruction review where experienced builders from outside the project team challenge the plan before the GMP is final. The team presents the project, team, logistics and Takt plan, then the group finds risks, brainstorms solutions, assigns owners and sets milestones.
In construction, sometimes, you get blinders on and don’t dig deep enough to see and prevent possible problems. It is important not to do this because projects begin to fail when unforeseen problems, roadblocks, and constraints surprise us. So, we must be able to dig deeper, prevent sooner, and win before we begin work!
Doing constructibility and risk reviews is not new in construction, but how often does it really happen? The best teams take time to get some Fresh Eyes and perspectives in their planning. Every time we do a Fresh Eyes meeting before construction it sets up the project team for success. We win the project in preconstruction. Most of the project success is decided before we ever set foot onsite!
What is a fresh eyes meeting?
The “Fresh Eyes Meeting” is key to the successful implementation of a great plan. When paired with a Takt plan, this meeting enables deeper conversations before planning is complete. The “fresh eyes” meeting is held before submitting a final GMP and signing a prime agreement. The goal of the meeting is to gather over one hundred years of similar building experience in the room with the project team to function as “fresh eyes.” The team conducts a meeting that takes participants through the following agenda points:
What is on the fresh eyes agenda?
- Project Overview
- Team Approach
- Logistics Approach
- Schedule (Takt Plan)
- Project Risk Assessment
- Solutions Brainstorming
- Risk and Opportunity Assignments
- Milestone Setting
The first four agenda items are the presentation part of the meeting: the team shows the major systems and tools it will use to deliver the project. The last four are where the fresh eyes do their work. Let me take some time to give a short example of why we have landed on this agenda and what it can do for you when you hold fresh eyes:
Project Overview
This is where the team can do a run-through on the type of project, location, size, scope, owner, design, and basic data points about the project, showcasing any phasing maps and doing a quick run-through on Takt zone maps as a start.
Another really important section for the project overview is understanding the customer and what value means to them on this project. We recommend doing a “conditions of satisfaction” to make sure everyone on the team and in the fresh eyes meeting can see and understand this before proceeding any further.
Team Approach
The roles and responsibilities from the functional teams show how the project team will win and interact, as well as how the project will ultimately succeed. This graphic shows a process that has been used to show these functional teams on larger scale projects.
Logistics Approach
As the saying often credited to General Robert H. Barrow goes, “Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics.” General Patton’s fast advances across France in 1944 ran on his supply lines, and when fuel ran short, the Third Army stopped. Logistics decided how far he could go. Much like his approach, the best tool a builder can have in construction is a logistics plan. Here is a visual that shows how detailed these can get:
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Schedule (Takt Plan)
By now, you know my stance on Takt Planning. When you are able to see a level 3-4 schedule all on one page and review it and understand it with a group in a short amount of time, the results are amazing.
Project Risk Assessment
This is the time to ask the attendees with the “fresh eyes” to put on their skepticism glasses and identify things that could or might go wrong with this project and plan. I wrote about the tenth person rule here, if you want ideas on how to make this process better.
Solutions Brainstorming
Once we have identified the risks, we can attempt in the meeting to find ways to mitigate these. This ensures that the meeting is positive and not just focused on what the team could have done better but gives feedback to make sure that we are winning.
Risk & Opportunity Assignments
Creating a risk and opportunity matrix or register that identifies what the fresh eyes and team can see is the key to winning; we can compile the list and focus on removing or mitigating these risks to avoid future issues. Here’s more on the risk and opportunity register.
Milestone Setting
This is the perfect time to set our goals for the project and make sure we know the intervals at which we should be producing value on the project.
Basically, for set periods of time in the meeting, the team has the opportunity to present the project plan. Then, as a group, we poke holes in it, brainstorm possible solutions, make assignments, and set targets for performance. With this knowledge from the “fresh eyes” team members, the team can mitigate risks and begin work with a complete project plan. Once the team has reached a GMP, submitted to the owner, signed a contract, and received an NTP, it is time to execute. These mitigation items can then be reviewed each week in the team meeting.
The whole fresh eyes idea revolves around the Takt Production System, which we teach in the Takt Production System Masterclass.
Want us to sit in as the fresh eyes on your next project? Talk to us about consulting.
Want your team trained on this? See our Last Planner® System and Takt training.
On we go!
FAQ
When should you hold a fresh eyes meeting?
Before you submit the final GMP and sign the prime agreement, while the plan can still change.
Who should attend a fresh eyes meeting?
The project team plus experienced builders who aren’t on the job, enough to bring 100+ years of similar building experience into the room.
People Also Read:
Takt Planning Book – Fresh Eyes Meetings
How to Sequence Multifamily Projects for Flow (Fresh Eyes Meeting Strategy)
If you want to learn more we have:
-Takt Virtual Training: (Takt Virtual Training)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Elevate Construction on YouTube)
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Elevate Construction Podcast)
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Training Programs and Certifications)
-The Takt Book: (The Takt Book on Amazon)
Discover Jason’s Expertise:
Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction. As the company’s Founder and COO, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.