SlatPlanner Provides Active Planning, Collaborative Tool for Project Scheduling

The schedule is arguably one of the most important aspects of any construction project.  No matter how well you plan a project before it starts, there will always be changes and adjustments.  Schedule changes require collaboration with other trade contractors to avoid conflicts, so providing a platform to make those changes is key.  Slatplanner, by Buildfore, is a new program to help keep everyone up-to-date both physically in the field and digitally outside of the job trailer.

The key to Slatplanner lies in its hands-on scheduling approach, while also maintaining a digital twin of the schedule for real-time communication. Superintendents and foremen love to be able to see their schedule up on the job trailer wall during their job meetings, but many times, those off the jobsite never get updated with those changes.  SlatPlanner bridges that gap.

Through the use of a slat wall purchased at your local home center, a color printer, sticker sheets, and SlatPlanner’s patent pending SlatNotes, SlatPlanner creates an active collaboration tool that follows LEAN principles. The physical nature of the SlatNotes and slat wall allow the schedule to be manipulated in real-time while contractors are in the room together, and the QR code on the stickers allow for super easy scanning to communicate the schedule back to the web app.

Creating a digital twin of the project schedule on-site allows for better analysis of manpower, reasons for delay, and to more easily track changes on the back end. The schedules created within SlatPlanner can also be seamlessly integrated into Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, or Procore to double data entry.

I first met the team from SlatPlanner at Groundbreak 2018 and I was fortunate enough to catch up with them again at this year’s Groundbreak.  Since I last saw them, they have officially launched their product and it is available for purchase.

For more information about SlatPlanner, visit www.buildfore.com/products/slatplanner and check out my video interview from Groundbreak below!

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