A pull plan is built backward from a milestone, by the people who will do the work, together. Instead of one person guessing every duration, each discipline or trade says what it needs from the others before it can start, and what it hands on when it finishes.
Why it works
- The people doing the work make the promises. A date your consultant set is a date your consultant keeps.
- Handoffs become visible. Most delays aren't slow work; they're waiting for something nobody knew was needed.
- Problems surface early. Gaps and missing decisions show up in the room, weeks before they'd show up on site or in a deliverable.
- Everyone sees the same plan. Fewer "I thought you were doing that."
Where it fits
- Design: pull to a deliverable such as a DD set, a permit submission or a GMP pricing set, with the architect, engineers and owner.
- Construction: pull to a phase milestone such as dry-in or substantial completion, with the trades.
- Keep each pull plan to one milestone, a few weeks to a few months out. Your master schedule on the Gantt holds the whole project.