Writing a plan B for the one activity that cannot slip
On Wednesday the electrical foreman walks the project manager through the weekend shutdown at a two-storey call centre: disconnection at 06:00 Saturday, the new wing connected, power back by 16:00 Sunday, 300 agents in at 07:00 Monday. Asked what happens if the new equipment fails its tests, he says they will figure it out on the day.
Write the backup down before the day, on one page: how the activity could fail, the trigger that calls the backup, the latest time to decide, the resources already booked and the one person who decides. Under pressure, a team keeps trying plan A past the point where a backup could still work, because nobody is sure who may call it. Planning the shutdown itself is covered in coordinating a utility shutdown.
- List how it could fail, with the foreman and the supplier: weather, a machine, a missing crew, a failed test, a late delivery or a late authority.
- Write a trigger anyone can check for each: "utility crew not confirmed by Thursday 12:00", not "if it goes badly".
- Set two decision times: a go/no-go before anything is taken apart, and the latest moment a switch to the backup still works.
- Book the backup before the day: equipment delivered and tested, a second crew on call, a fallback date reserved.
- Name one person who decides, with authority to spend what the backup costs.
- Walk the plan two days before with the foreman, the supplier and the owner's contact, so everyone reads the triggers the same way.
Common mistakes
- A backup that needs the same crew, machine or supplier as plan A.
- A decision time with nobody named to make the call.
- Renting the backup but never running it before the day.
- Setting the decision time so late that the backup can no longer arrive.
Checklist
A plan B on one page
- The activity, and why it cannot slip
- Each way it could fail, with a trigger anyone can check
- A go/no-go time and a latest time to switch
- The backup booked and tested; a fallback date reserved
- One person who decides, with a spending limit
- Who is told at each decision time
Check your understanding
At 05:00, three conditions are met, but nobody ran the generator on Friday. The foreman is sure the new equipment will pass. Do you go ahead?
