Understanding Areas, Zones, and Tasks
Overview
InTakt’s planning system is built on three essential building blocks: Areas, Zones, and Tasks. Understanding how they work — and how they fit together — is key to creating a plan that flows smoothly from start to finish.
These elements bring the physical layout of your project into your schedule. Instead of abstract task lists, you’re planning real work in real places.
Areas
Definition:
Areas represent larger chunks of a project — usually entire floors, wings, or buildings. They help you organize the overall structure of your project so you can group and navigate different work zones easily.
Examples:
- Floor 1, Floor 2, Roof
- Building A, Building B
- North Wing, South Wing
Why it matters:
Using Areas gives your team a big-picture view. It’s especially useful when:
- Running multiple teams in parallel across different scopes
- Creating filtered views for specific stakeholders or trades
- Aligning production with how your site is physically divided
Zones
Definition:
Zones are the repeatable spatial units within each Area. They’re the smallest planning unit in Takt — the “value-receiving units” — where work is performed in rhythm.
Think of Zones as the stepping stones for your train of trades.
Examples:
- Hotel rooms
- Apartment units
- 20-foot sections of a hallway or slab
- Bays in a warehouse
Best practices:
- Keep zones similar in size and scope so your takt time stays consistent.
- If one drywall crew takes 1 day per unit, all zones should ideally match that expectation.
Why it matters:
Zones allow your trades to move together in flow. It’s what turns your schedule into a production system instead of a waterfall of deadlines.
Tasks
Definition:
Tasks are the actual pieces of work that happen within a zone. These include everything from layout to painting — each task is:
- Scoped to a trade or team
- Time-boxed with a set duration
- Sequenced through logic links
Examples:
- Rough-in plumbing
- Drywall hanging
- Framing walls
- Insulation
- Paint primer coat
Key features in InTakt:
- Color Coding – Each trade or crew is assigned a color for visual clarity.
- Logic Links – You connect tasks to form trains (e.g., framing → rough-in → drywall).
- Lag/Overlap – Tasks can start slightly before or after another, allowing for real-world flexibility.
How It All Fits Together
Let’s walk through a simple example:
- You create Area: Floor 2
- Within Floor 2, you define Zones: 201, 202, 203...
- You add Tasks like “Frame Walls,” “Electrical Rough-In,” and “Drywall”
- You link the tasks so that they move together — framing on Zone 201 starts Week 1, Zone 202 starts Week 2, and so on.
Now you have a visual, train-like plan showing work moving steadily through the building — week by week, zone by zone.
💡Pro Tip:
When zones are too large or inconsistent, your flow breaks down. If drywall takes 2 days in one zone and 5 in another, your trades will get out of sync. Split oversized zones or standardize your work packages where possible.