What is a Train of Trades?
Overview
A Train of Trades is one of the most important concepts in takt planning — and it’s the key to achieving flow on a construction site. It’s the grouping of trades (and their associated tasks) that move together through zones in a coordinated rhythm.
Think of it like a real train: each trade is a car, and together they move along the “track” of your project zones, each doing its part before handing off to the next.
Why It Matters
In traditional project management, trades often collide or wait on each other due to misaligned schedules. This causes:
- Stacked trades in one zone
- Idle time waiting for handoffs
- Lost productivity due to out-of-sequence work
Trains solve this by creating predictable, paced handoffs. Each trade knows:
- When they start work in a zone
- How long they have
- Who they’ll hand off to
- What’s coming next
This rhythm reduces confusion, increases accountability, and boosts crew confidence.
How It Works
A Train of Trades includes:
- A Sequence of Tasks: Each trade performs a specific scope (e.g., Framing → Rough-In → Drywall)
- A Shared Takt Time: All trades in the train move at the same pace from zone to zone (e.g., weekly)
- Logic Links: Tasks are linked together with appropriate lag or overlap
In InTakt, trains are visualized as color-coded bars flowing across zones horizontally, one week at a time.
Example
Imagine a four-story apartment project. You want your interiors team to flow up the building floor-by-floor, zone-by-zone.
Your Train of Trades might look like:
- Framing (2 days)
- MEP Rough-In (2 days)
- Insulation (1 day)
- Drywall (3 days)
- Paint Prep (2 days)
These tasks are linked in a train. InTakt staggers their start dates so:
- Zone 101 starts Framing Week 1
- Zone 102 starts Framing Week 2 (as Zone 101 moves to Rough-In)
- The train continues up the building with rhythm
Managing Trains in InTakt
When building your train:
- Use color coding to group each train visually
- Sequence tasks using logic links — add lags or overlaps as needed
- Set a takt time that supports your longest task (or balance trade durations)
- Add buffers between trains or at milestones to absorb variability
As your plan unfolds, you can view the entire train of trades moving through your zones on a single page. If something falls behind, you’ll see exactly where and when — enabling proactive adjustments.
Advanced Tip: Multiple Trains
Large projects often have more than one train. For example:
- An Exterior Train flows around the building envelope
- An Interiors Train flows through floors or wings
- A Commissioning Train wraps up systems and finishes
Each train can have its own takt time, but needs coordination through buffers and interdependencies. InTakt helps you map these clearly.