Look-ahead schedule
Also: Three-week look-ahead, Lookahead plan, Short-interval schedule
Quick definition: A short-interval schedule, typically covering the next three to six weeks, that breaks upcoming work into detailed tasks so constraints can be identified and removed before the work starts.
Explanation
Beginner explanation
The master schedule shows months; the look-ahead shows the next few weeks in detail — which crews, which areas, which materials — so the site team can spot what is missing before it holds up the work.
Technical explanation
The look-ahead is derived from the CPM master schedule and updated weekly with the trades. Its purpose is make-ready planning: each upcoming task is screened for constraints (design information, approvals, materials, equipment, preceding work, space, labour) and actions are assigned to clear them. In the Last Planner System the look-ahead sits between phase pull plans and weekly work plans.
Practical example
The three-week look-ahead for level 6 shows drywall starting in week 3, but the screening shows the fire-stopping inspection is not booked and the board delivery date is unconfirmed. Both actions are assigned at the coordination meeting.
Why it matters
Most site delays come from constraints that were visible weeks earlier. A look-ahead turns the schedule into actionable preparation.
Standards and references
- Last Planner System — Introduction and Principles. Lean Construction Institute.Widely accepted professional interpretation
Supports: Lookahead planning, constraint identification and removal within the Last Planner System
VDC Stack.io writes its own explanations and does not reproduce copyrighted standards text. Consult the cited standard for normative wording.
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VDC Stack.io. (2026). Look-ahead schedule. In VDC Stack.io Knowledge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://vdcstack.io/dictionary/look-ahead-schedule/