Headlines
May 29, 2008
The Consensus Docs 300 series of Collaborative documents were
developed from the LCI Relational Contract. The LCI document was drafted by
Will Lichtig, a lawyer with McDonough, Holland and Allen, as a result of his
participation in an LCI Symposium devoted to Relational Contracting.
Fall 2007
Greg Howell, Hal Macomber, and John Barberio provide a vision for AIA members of the New World of Management by guest editing the Fall 2007 edition of AIA's Practice Management Digest.
Read the
article.
December 2007
By Karen Wilhelm. ©2007 Target Magazine, Volume 23, Number 5, 2007, the periodical of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. Reprinted by permission.
"Lean in the construction industry offers some lessons for lean manufacturers. Collaboration among companies in the value chain is facilitated by 3D and 4D modeling of the product and process. This focuses the players on constructability, avoiding costly mistakes and assuring just-in-time availability of materials and workers. In some instances, collaboration and lean are being built into standard multi-party contract templates."
Read the article.
January 11, 2006
In collaboration with Lean Construction-DK, http://www.leanconstruction.dk/, the Danish foundation Boligfonden Kuben, http://www.boligfonden.dk/, has established an award for the best construction process of the year. On Jan 11th, the first award of DKK 125.000 (app US$ 25.000) was handed over to the midsize contractor Enemaerke and Petersen, http://www.eogp.dk/ for their remarkable corporate culture and their efficient business procedures.
"They are lean without being lean as yet" as Sven Bertelsen expressed it when on behalf of Lean Construction-DK he presented the background for the selection of Enemaerke and Petersen for the first prize. "They are fast on their way, their business procedures and development initiatives are second to none in construction We see them as the gazelle of the Danish construction industry when it comes to project management improvement, which is a very important issue on the present political agenda."
Managing director Sven Hartmann thanked the foundation and LCI-DK for the for the prize and directed the laurels to all of his employees. He also expressed the sincere wishes of his firm to go truly lean in the lean construction meaning of the term within the next year.
The chairman of the foundation and former president of the governmental Building Development Council, Keld Fuhr Petersen, spoke about the background for the prize and expressed as his firm belief that the Danish construction industry is well on its way to improve the construction process and that Lean construction is a central instrument in this development.
December 2005
An evening devoted to Lean Construction: Atul
Khanzode from DPR organized a great evening sponsored by the German American
Business Association. Read the report.
November 2005
Article from Construction Executive magazine,
published by ABC -
Associated Builders and Contractors, used
with permission. Click here to download.
November 15, 2004
The Lean Construction institute is pleased to announce the publication of the inaugural issue of the Lean Construction Journal. The LCJ is an international refereed bi-annual journal devoted to Lean Construction practice and research. The primary objective is to stimulate a systematic rethinking of the construction process both on and off-site by providing a forum for disseminating knowledge and exchanging ideas between industry and academia.
The first volume papers, details concerning the aims and scope of the journal as well as submission instructions may be found at www.leanconstructionjournal.org
Both practitioners and academics are invited to submit manuscripts for consideration for publication in the next issue of the Lean Construction Journal (LCJ) slated for April 2005. We welcome outlines from prospective authors who want to check if their ideas might fit the scope of LCJ.
August 18, 2004
Three articles on Sutter Health's Lean initiative:
August 18, 2004
The International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC)
met last week in Helsingor, Denmark to hear reports of practice and research
from 120 delegates from 17 countries on 5 continents. Alan Mossman of
Rubicon Associates was one of 10 UK delegates. This is his
report.
July 20, 2004
The Construction Institute of the ASCE has announced a Construction Congress for San Diego on April 5-7, 2005. Researchers and practitioners should consider participating by preparing papers and attending the meeting.
http://www.constructioninst.org/conferences/crc05/
October 27, 2003
A Construction Productivity Network (CPN) meeting in London, England on 17 September heard reports on the Last Planner System (LPS) and its application from a variety of viewpoints.
Alan Mossman of Rubicon Associates, an LCI member, outlined the key elements of the process; an enthusiastic Nick Wain, MD of Image Decorations Ltd in Sheffield outlined the benefits and pitfalls from the viewpoint of a small supplier; Mel Pritchard of Management Contractor Mace, one of the earliest users of The Last Planner System™ in the UK, described their experience; and Gerry Chick of major client, British Airports Authority talked about why BAA require all their contractors to use The Last Planner System.
All of the CPN workshop notes are listed on the CIRIA website at: http://www.ciria.org. Search for "The Last Planner".
October 12, 2003
Two articles are available for viewing:
Veli-Antti Husso
October 22, 2002
Greg Howell will offer an overview of Lean Construction and report on recent experiences to the Construction User Conference sponsored by the Construction User Round Table: http://curt.construction.com/7_0_national_conference.html.
On November 13, he will Introduce the primary concepts and essential techniques of Lean Construction to the Tri-state Construction User Council and the MBA Young Constructors in Pittsburgh, PA; http://www.mbawpa.org
On November 21/22, The Lean Construction Institute and the MAP program of Las Vegas will present a workshop, Implementing the Last Planner System™. This meeting is designed for those who are beginning to implement this approach to managing production in project settings. http://www.mapnv.com.
October 22, 2002
The Lean Construction Institute of Denmark has been established. Details can be found at http://www.leanconstruction.dk.
August 31, 2002
The 10th Annual Meeting of the International Group for Lean Construction was hosted by the Building Innovation Research Unit (NORIE) from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), located in Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Over 40 papers were presented on topics related to Lean Construction. They can be found at www.cpgec.ufrgs.br/norie/iglc10.
June 9, 2002
LCI will be presenting one-day seminar, "Lean Construction: A new way to manage capital projects" for the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers in St. Louis on June 14; contact Dennis Lavallee through A similar presentation will be offered by the New Mexico Branch of the Associated General Contractors on June 26th in Albuquerque; contact Jennifer Scott through .
April 29, 2002
The Lean Construction Institute is developing a new approach to improving safety that moves well beyond current best practices. A draft of paper can be found at Limited-Access Readings area. Please send comments and suggestions to .
March 19, 2002
Albert Kahn Associates, Inc. (AKA), based in Detroit, has joined the Lean Construction Institute (LCI). AKA is one of the largest planning, design and management firms of the built environment in the United States. With a staff of 340, AKA offers a broad range of services including planning, design, construction and facilities management of projects around the world.
“AKA feels that there isn’t a company anywhere in the world that doesn’t recognize it has to reduce waste and eliminate non-value added activities in order to survive,” says John E. Enkemann, Jr., AIA, Vice President and Director of Operations, AKA’s Automotive/Industrial Group. By affiliating with LCI, AKA plans to enhance its current programs to maximize value and minimize waste throughout the design and construction process.
In addition, Enkemann says, “We want to assist LCI in analyzing these issues in the construction and design industry by offering our extensive experience in Fast-Track Design. Together, we can combine expertise and theory to develop a best practices approach to eliminating waste in capital project design and construction.”
“We are looking forward to working with AKA as we continue to identify those practices which together comprise a production management approach to project delivery,” notes Greg Howell, LCI Managing Director. “Using concepts and techniques developed by working with successful member firms like AKA, we can reform project management.
February 12, 2002
NASA’s Forum of Master Project Managers featured a presentation on the “Last Planner”™ management tool delivered by guest speaker, Greg Howell. The presentation was part of NASA’s fourth annual event held at the American Airlines training and conference center in Fort Worth, Texas, February 12, 2002. Attendees were 40 of the agency’s senior project managers and specially invited guests. More information on the forum and a variety of work products generated from previous forums can be found at: http://appl.nasa.gov.knowledge/ask_home.htm
February 5, 2002
Greg Howell addressed the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) at its annual conference February 5 – 8, 2002 in Reno, Nevada. Howell delivered a stern rebuke to ASC’s members, who represent professionals for the development and advancement of construction education, on the current state of construction project management. The group meets annually to share ideas and knowledge, and promote excellence in curricula, teaching, research and service. The complete text of Howell’s presentation can be accessed by clicking here:
December 16, 2001
During the Lean Construction Institute’s implementation seminars, we often hear anecdotal stories of subcontractors and suppliers undergoing a ‘lean transformation’ following their initial exposure to Lean Construction techniques in a project setting.
“We loved working on our first Lean project,” says one such convert, Matt Glynn, president, Glynn Electric in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Working with Linbeck Construction on the Middlesex School Higginson House project, a $ 5.4 million, fast-paced dormitory renovation, Glynn did not initially believe Lean’s Last Planner™ tool would make much of a difference. But, he quickly saw Lean’s potential to revolutionize projects, “Lean is a complete team approach that benefited all project partners.”
During the tight, five-month project duration, Glynn says his firm enjoyed being directly involved in scheduling because, “we were better able to allot our resources. As a result, we were able to work more intelligently and to lower our overall costs.” Glynn continues, “Lean practices enabled us to complete the job on time without loading up on the manpower, as is the typical solution in a tight schedule. We brought the project in on time, with what could have been extra charges. The entire electrical portion was delivered under budget, and we even gave money back at the project’s end.” Not having to respond to manpower spikes allowed Glynn to better manage his other jobs. He also limited the amount of weekend work by understanding the work plans of other trades on the project.
In conclusion, Glynn gives Lean Construction the ultimate compliment, “I wish all our projects were Lean!”
December 12, 2001
FIATECH, an Austin, Texas based research consortium serving the construction industry, recently launched its Capital Facilities Technology Roadmap Initiative. Through the Initiative, FIATECH and key industry organizations are joining forces to collaborate and define a vision allowing the capital facilities industry to fully realize the benefits of new technologies and processes. The Lean Construction Institute will lead a key project within the Initiative to take advantage of lean production management techniques in restructuring the capital project delivery process.
“I am pleased that the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), a member of the FIATECH research and development consortium, is working with other FIATECH members to host an Interested Parties Workshop (IPW) to explore lean construction,” says Dr. Richard H.F. Jackson, FIATECH Executive Director.
“This project will apply the philosophy, principles and techniques drawn from lean production to the construction project setting,” according to Glenn Ballard, Ph.D., LCI Research Director. “Our approach aims to maximize performance across project phases and avoids sub-optimization of any one activity. This creates new opportunities for integration and automation, so as to not ‘computerize the cow path,’” Ballard states. Project deliverables will most likely include demonstration projects.
“FIATECH’s mission is to achieve significant cycle time and life cycle cost reduction and efficiencies in capital projects from start to finish. Most of these benefits are to be achieved through technology. The Lean Construction Institute has among its missions to ensure that advanced technology is not misapplied in construction projects, therby reducing or eliminating the desired benefits,” Jackson says. “Since technology for technology’s sake is not the answer, I am pleased that LCI is working with us to maximize the opportunities achieved through technology.”
“LCI welcomes this collaboration with FIATECH’s membership and industry representatives from the owner, operator, engineering and contracting communities and IT suppliers to explain the benefits of the Lean Project Delivery Process. We believe that alongside technology, the benefits obtained through lean processes have the potential to revolutionize the capital facilities industry,” Ballard concludes.
November 13, 2001
Greg Howell, speaking to the first annual meeting of the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) November 13 in Tarpon Springs, Florida, told owners how to revolutionize project management using Lean Project Delivery.
Howell’s two presentations captured the attention of Janice L. Tuchman, Editor-in-Chief for Engineering News Record (ENR). Tuchman reports on the CURT conference in the November 26 edition of ENR , “Construction efficiency also was clearly a hot button for CURT attendees, who packed the breakout sessions on “lean construction.” Gregory A. Howell, managing director of the Lean Construction Institute, Ketchum, Ida., believes that the group’s theories and concepts could lead to improvements “that rival those experienced in manufacturing.”
“Howell said current practice confuses scheduling with project management. He compared a construction job to a highway at rush hour. A few erratic drivers can cause a traffic jam, but if all drivers move at a steady speed, everyone gets home faster.
“Similarly, on construction sites, productivity improves “if we can get the variation out of the work flow through planning,” he said. The obstacle is “systemic lying where I say, ‘I need you Thursday,’ and you say, ‘Yup, I’ll be there.’ But I know I don’t really need you, and you know you won’t really be there,” Howell said. Efficiency comes down to “eliciting reliable promises and declarations of completion of activities that release work to others.”
October 18, 2001
FIATECH members will hear Lean Construction Institute’s Research Director, Glenn Ballard, address “Restructuring the Project Delivery Process” as part of their annual meeting to be held October 22 and 23, 2001in Baltimore. Ballard’s presentation will explore application of the philosophy, principles and techniques drawn from lean production to the construction project setting.
FIATECH is a research consortium serving the construction industry. Its mission is to deploy and commercialize technologies for capital projects and facilities. The consortium was initiated by the Construction Industry Institute and its member organizations include the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), owners, operators, contractors suppliers, the federal government, universities and relevant non-profits.
LCI joined FIATECH early in 2001 as part of its strategic plan to partner with other research organizations interested in innovations in construction project management. “We share many of FIATECH’s objectives and believe the Lean Project Delivery System™ offer important means to improve the industry,” says Ballard. “We look forward to a long and productive relationship with FIATECH and its members.”
FIATECH has identified restructuring the project delivery process as one of its current top initiatives. Working with LCI, Ric Jackson, FIATECH managing director, says this initiative “will take advantage of lean production management techniques by evaluating needs and opportunities for integration and automation, so as not to ‘computerize the cow path.’ Deliverables will be determined based on input at a yet-to-be-scheduled Interested Parties Workshop, and will most likely include demonstration projects.” LCI anticipates future collaborative research opportunities with FIATECH.
Ballard’s October 23 presentation to FIATECH members will outline LCI’s Lean Project Delivery System™ and progress made applying the system in the capital construction arena to date. He will also delineate current research underway within LCI and its importance to all construction disciplines.
July 9, 2001
Associated Builders and Contractors' national news publication, ABC Today, features an article on Lean Construction in its June, 2001 issue. Authored by Lean Construction Institute founder, Greg Howell, "Lean Construction Targets Project Management," profiles the lean revolution for ABC members.
The article details the three main avenues for lean principles to move into the construction industry. First, through facility owners who have applied lean on their shop floor. Companies such as Ford Motor Co. now require its facilities department and suppliers to adopt lean. Ford knows that lean is the surest way to align production technology with corporate objectives. Second, construction suppliers have applied lean in their operations. These companies see costs drop, customer satisfaction increase and profits soar. Finally, in the middle you see the designers, general contractors and specialty contractors that aim to be industry leaders turning to lean.
The article concludes with a call to reform project management through the development and application of lean principles and techniques, and then support that reform with technology to offer a far brighter future for the construction industry.
July 9, 2001
Glenn Ballard, Lean Construction Institute research director and UC Berkeley Associate Professor, has been selected to manage the evaluation and editing of technical papers for presentations at the 9th Annual International Group for Lean Construction Conference. The conference will be held at the National University of Singapore and organized by the faculty and staff of the Construction Engineering and Management program of the Infrastructure Systems Division of the Dept. of Civil Engineering. The 2001 conference is slated for August 10 and 11.
Ballard regards his involvement as an honor, "It's a privilege to be asked to assume this role within a global group devoted to lean theory and practice. It recognizes the importance of the LCI around the world." As the conference's technical editor, Ballard arranged reviews by world authorities on lean construction, read, evaluated and selected those studies appropriate to the conference's audience and theme, "Implementing LEAN in the AEC Industry: Cheaper, Faster, Better."
Approximately 55 papers were received from around the world, and Ballard has had the difficult duty of managing evaluation and selection of the 39 papers which will be presented to the international attendees during the two-day conference.
Founded in 1993, the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) is a global network of professionals and researchers concerned with dramatically improving the products and processes in the architecture-engineering-construction (AEC) sector, to effectively meet customer needs, in terms of cost, quality and time. The IGLC is developing new principles and methods, specifically for the AEC industry and akin to "lean production" which has proved so successful in the manufacturing industry.
IGLC organizes its annual conference to provide a discussion forum for its members and others interested in lean construction theory and practice. The 2001 conference will feature six tracks organized around: theory, implementation, project definition and lean design, lean supply, lean assembly (site installation) and, production management (work structuring and production control). In addition to Ballard, the Technical Advisory Board for this year's conference includes 10 educators and practitioners from seven nations. Further details on the IGLC conference are available at cic.vtt.fi/lean/.
July 9, 2001
Glenn Ballard, Lean Construction Institute research director, was invited to address lean construction principles at prestigious venues in Denmark during May. During a whirlwind four-day visit, Ballard spoke to audiences at two universities, a governmental research agency, the ministries of industrial development and housing, the Copenhagen Airport Authority, Real Danmark Fonden, the major real property mortgage institute in Denmark and toured a lean project site.
Ballard's speaking engagements began May 21 at the Danish Building and Urban Research Institute where he was asked to report on lean productivity research. Later the same day, Ballard spoke to the Danish Technical University's construction management institute on lean construction and research issues. He then proceeded to the Danish University of Education that has an interest in learning processes in the building sector and workers 'involvement in implementation strategies. Ballard later met with representatives of the Danish Ministries of Industrial Development and Housing to discuss form and content of public development programs to improve productivity in the construction industry.
On May 22, Ballard met representatives of RealDK, which has an initiative to improve quality and productivity within the construction industry, to discuss the form and content of development programs to achieve such improvements. He was subsequently invited to tour a lean construction project site by Hojgaard & Schultz contractors, the country's largest contractor. They report that on projects where the Last Planner™ has been implemented profitability has increased 20%, schedule durations have been reduced by 10% and craft productivity is 25% more than the norm. Ballard then conducted an "Introduction to Lean Construction" seminar for the Danish Building and Urban Research Institute. Ballard's visit to Denmark concluded with an exchange of construction experiences with representatives from the Copenhagen Airport Authority, one of Denmark's largest private building owners and an advocate for working in close collaboration with its partners on new facility construction projects.
Ballard anticipates that the Danes' growing appreciation for the benefits of lean construction practices will lead to a continuing relationship with LCI. Ballard's visit to Denmark was organized by Sven Bertelsen, a lean construction thinker and practitioner who intends to form a Danish Lean Construction Society. Bertelsen is hopeful that RealDK will provide funding for the proposed Society to become a LCI member. "This is the logical place for them to learn more and advance their practices," Ballard believes.
July 9, 2001
A two-day Lean Construction Institute (LCI) research seminar, held June 7 and 8 in Denver, was devoted to exploring obstacles and opportunities for reducing lead times for engineered-to-order products, specifically for fabricated items. Twenty representatives from construction, fabrication and design firms participated in the event.
LCI research director, Glenn Ballard presented LCI's approach to reducing lead time and cited a case study from work currently underway at a precast concrete factory outside of London in the UK. Implementation of lean principles, specifically one piece flow and pull mechanisms, doubled productivity and reduced manufacturing cycle time. The study demonstrated that the application of lean manufacturing techniques to shop fabrication processes resulted in a 181% improvement in productivity achieved by regulating workflow.
Two fabricators that have implemented lean practices gave case study presentations. Wayne Anderson, project executive, Graycor Construction Co., Homewood, Illinois, and Steve Knitter, Geiger Peters, Indianapolis, Indiana detailed a 45-day schedule improvement made in structural steel fabrication. Dennis Sowards and Kelly Hedegard from Kinetics, a mechanical contractor specializing in high tech work based in Phoenix, Arizona detailed a case study on high purity piping. Both presentations noted the advantages of greater collaboration during engineering and the applicability of lean manufacturing techniques during fabrication. Each team mapped the current process and developed recommendations for future improvements. The objective is to make such improvements standard operating procedure. Action items were identified from the team recommendations and participants agreed to share results from their respective implementation findings.
Based on the success of this initial research workshop, LCI is considering sponsoring a national workshop on engineered-to-order products in late 2001 or early 2002. Watch the web site for further details.
The second day, participants were divided into teams for an exercise focusing on three fabricated products: HVAC duct, structural steel and precast concrete bridge segments. Teams addressed the "make ready" phases in each process, believing that the greatest need and opportunity for improvements would be found there. The occasional project has radically reduced lead times for specific fabricated items, but the goal here was to create new work processes that can become standard operating procedure. The teams developed Current State and Future State process maps, yielding ideas that promise to reduce lead times for both HVAC duct and structural steel by 50%. The next step will be to implement these innovations on actual projects and document results.
Those participating in the two-day forum, in addition to LCI personnel, were: Takis Mitropoulos, DPR Construction, Redwood City, CA; Jim Carroll, Fluor Daniel Transportation, Greenville, SC; Sam Muench, Fluor Daniel, Richmond, VA; Stephen Knitter, Geiger Peters, Indianapolis, IN; Wayne Anderson, Graycor Construction Co., Homewood, IL; Jihn Strickland, IDC, Portland, OR; Dennis Sowards and Kelly Hedegard, Kinetics, Phoenix, AZ; Jeff Niesen and Paul Reiser, Boldt Construction Co., Appleton, WI; Dennis Ross and Mark Hetrick, Simpson Co., Fort Collins, CO; George Benoit, Southland Industries, David Francis, Southland Industries, Long Beach, CA; and, John Draper, Virginia Tech, Blacksbury, VA.
July 9, 2001
In recognition of the growing interest in lean construction theory and practice and the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), founder Greg Howell has been invited to address four large national conferences during the next few months.
The informational odyssey begins in Denver, July 27, with a workshop for the American Institute of Constructor's mid-year meeting. The workshop will address, "Trimming Waste with Lean Construction." The event will provide an introduction to lean construction and challenge the traditional belief that construction projects must always entail a trade off between time, cost, and quality.
Howell will next address the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association, Inc. (SMACNA) at its annual convention, October 23 in Boca Raton, Florida. He will present, "Introduction to Lean Construction-A New Way to Manage Designing and Building," explaining the application of lean production to construction operations and detailing its benefits throughout the project delivery process.
October 26, Howell will be in Boston to present, "Lean Construction & Design-Build Opportunities," as part of the Design Build Institute of America's (DBIA) Professional Design-Build Conference, co-sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers and the Associated General Contractors of America. Attendees will hear sessions providing the latest and most in-depth information about integrated services. The conference theme is, "Integrated Project Solutions-Uniting the Stakeholders." "The application of lean construction principles and techniques is a needed reform for all project stakeholders, " Howell believes. "The innovations in project management led by LCI's work have demanded the attention of DBIA and its members," he adds.
Howell will then address owners' issues in construction as part of the first annual Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) conference of owners to be held November 12 - 14 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. "Like DBIA, CURT recognizes that owners often drive the real changes in construction practices," Howell notes. "That's why it's important for them to hear first hand the benefits inherent in a project based production system like lean." The CURT conference theme is, "More Construction for the Money: Innovations and New Technologies that Save Owners Cash." Howell believes that owners' focus on the bottom line, and the need to bring facilities online in ever-shorter schedules will foster interest in lean practices. "The cost and schedule savings demonstrated by early lean construction practitioners will be of great interest to owners," he adds.
Additional information regarding the above conferences is available as follows: websites. Email the American Institute of Constructors' at ; SMACNA's web site is www.smacna.org; DBIA conference details can be found at www.dbia.org and CURT conference information is available by email from .
June 12, 2001
We are pleased to announce that the Kaufman Consulting Group (KCGSM) has joined the Lean Construction Institute (LCI) as a Platinum Circle member. KCG, an Implementation Services Company, brings a new dimension to LCI and the growing lean construction movement. "We are excited to be part of the effort to bring the lean revolution to the construction industry," says Roger Kaufman, Founder and Managing Member of KCG. "We look forward to participating in LCI research, and applying our expertise and techniques to speed the implementation of the Lean Project Delivery System."™
Plans to couple KCG's proprietary SLIM-IT implementation model for comprehensive organizational change and the LDMS (Lean Daily Management System) with the systems developed by LCI are currently in the works, according to Dr. William Lareau, author of Lean Leadership and member of KCG's parent company, Implementation Services, LLC. Growth in the area of lean implementation in construction is on the rise and the results from early efforts "…have been substantial," said Will Allen, leader of KCG's lean construction services.
Greg Howell, Managing Director of LCI, says "We have been looking for help in assisting our members in moving from the current practices to Lean Project Delivery. KCG's lean tools, techniques and implementation experience will be an invaluable asset for construction organizations working to implement the Lean Project Delivery System."™
The Kaufman Consulting Group, LLC, an Implementation Services Company, assists organizations with the implementation of strategic initiatives across the business value chain on a global basis. For additional information regarding KCG visit their website at www.implementation.com.
June 12, 2001
Integrating production management in construction education through research and teaching was the focus of the second meeting of the Lean Construction Institute's (LCI) Academic Forum, held April 26 and 27 at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.
ASU Professor Howard Bashford organized and hosted the event. Professor Bill Badger, Chairman of the Del E. Webb School of Construction, welcomed participants to the University. Greg Howell, LCI Executive Director conducted the meeting that was devoted to instructional strategies, pedagogical tools and case studies. Discussions centered on the application, function and importance of games and simulations to develop and reveal underlying conceptual issues. The organization and function of various production systems was explored with the "Airplane Game." The combined effect of dependency and variation on production was illustrated with the "Parade of Trades" simulation. Other simulations were used to demonstrate work structuring in support of the Lean ideal and decision making under uncertainty.
A research case study on the installation of hollow metal doors in prisons explored alternative approaches to work structuring. The case was provided by Boldt Construction Company and developed by LCI researchers including Professor Tommelein of the University of California. In addition, Professor Tommelein presented an innovative approach to light fixture design, supply and installation.
Forum participants included nine teaching professionals from six universities in three countries. Professors Howard Bashford, Kenneth Walsh, and Avi Wiezel from Arizona State University; Assistant Professor Tariq Abdelhamid, Michigan State University; Professor Michael Horman, Penn State University; Rafael Sacks, The Technion in Haifa Israel; Professor Iris Tommelein, University of California, Berkeley, Professor James Diekmann, University Of Colorado; Professor Eric Johansen, University of Northumbria, United Kingdom. Representatives from industry included Jerald Rounds, Rounds Associates in Phoenix, Don Brenner and Dennis Sowards from J.B. Rodgers/Kinetics, also located in Phoenix.
For more information on the Lean Construction Institute's pending events, please visit our Calendar.
June 4, 2001
The Lean Construction Institute is pleased to announce that Strategic Project Solutions has joined as a Platinum Level Member. Strategic Project Solutions provides design and implementation of value delivery solutions for complex project environments. Design is the configuration of systems, organizational structures and the value network in order to best deliver customer-based value. Implementation consists of working with our clients to ensure that the value delivery solution is sustainable throughout its intended life cycle and provides learning for use in other initiatives within the client's organization.
Strategic Project Solutions is currently working in partnership with O'Rourke Group to provide a value delivery solution for a standard Car Park Product using an integrated workflow management system and virtual reality technology. In addition, O'Rourke and Strategic Project Solutions are partnering in the implementation of a workflow management system for BAA's Terminal 5 Extension at Heathrow Airport.
For more information, contact Strategic Project Solutions at (415) 362-3100 or .
May 8, 2001
It worked for Japanese car manufacturer Toyota. It was adapted by American industry giants, Ford Motor Co. and The Boeing Co. Now Greg Howell and Glenn Ballard, co-founders of the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), are applying Lean production to capital project design and construction.
Howell and Ballard foresee a full-scale revolution in project management. Lean production theory and LCI's tools revolutionize the way work is done throughout the capital project delivery process. The goal, borne out in early results, is improving productivity at each level of the construction process-worker, crew, firm and completed project. The Lean Project Delivery System™ (LPDS) reduces project duration and cost, maximizing value for the project's end user. Lean construction challenges the belief that there is always a trade off between time, cost and quality. LPDS will fundamentally change construction from its emphasis on central control and activity monitoring, to a production management system based on decentralized decision-making and workflow.
"Lean project delivery changes the job site concept of reliability, eliminating the 'systemic lying' that pervades traditional project management, " Ballard says. "With Lean, control means insuring outcomes starting at the crew level. A project is truly under control when you do what you say you're going to do and minimize project disruptions." Howell adds, "Understanding the reliable work flow imperative in Lean production runs counter to the construction industry's 'can do' culture. But we must move beyond the deep cultural aspects of that mentality and create a system that cultivates judgement and reliability. We'll never trust each other if we don't become more reliable."
Founded in 1997, LCI immediately attracted notice from innovative design and contracting firms and fellow academics. "LCI is the main construction organization seriously analyzing project management with the goal of moving it forward. Their approach represents a whole new system to manage and improve productivity," says Martin Fischer, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Stanford University and director of the Center for Integrated Facilities Engineering. "Ultimately, productivity improvements are what will get owners and contractors the value the Lean approach promises." The LPDS focus is on improving performance, not controlling performance. Lean construction emphasizes the reliable and speedy delivery of value.
Derived from the Toyota Production System popularized in The Machine that Changed the World, by authors, Dr. James Womack and Dr. Daniel Jones, the LPDS is centered on production-management based thinking and has proven beneficial to construction management practice. Lean means using less of everything-people, time and resources. LCI continues to develop concepts, principles, and techniques for application in the management of capital construction projects. With Lean, the emphasis in design and construction planning is shifted from specific tasks to the interdependence of activities.
"Lean lowers the 'hair-on-fire' index on our jobs," says one early-adapter. A handful of Lean construction converts across the country have generated "radical and compelling case studies," according to Howell. Users say Lean's emphasis on improved planning generates buy-in and participation from all project team levels. Other benefits include not having as much inventory on site, manpower leveling, lower stress and earlier identification of constraints with greater participation in finding solutions. Lean's approach to project management puts the general contractor into a facilitator role.
The Boldt Company, a national provider of construction, consulting and maintenance services is a recent Lean convert. Boldt has an annual sales volume of $400-million and is based in Appleton, Wisconsin. Paul Reiser, Boldt's vice president for production process innovation, was looking for a productivity improvement program when he landed at an LCI-sponsored, "Introduction to Lean Construction" seminar. A 20-year industry veteran, Reiser was attracted to Lean's principles for three reasons, "First, Lean is simply systematically applied common sense. Second, it is counterintuitive. Unlike anything I've seen before, it causes us to rethink how we manage work. And, finally we saw it as an opportunity to deliver high value facilities to the marketplace in shorter time."
Starting in November of 1999, Boldt made a decision to employ Lean project management tools. Today, Lean production planning and control is becoming standard operating procedure on all the firm's major projects. "It is a challenge to change construction industry paradigms," says Reiser. "Fortunately, we have some Lean thinkers leading our company. We are starting to see some great results." Reiser continues, "Trends indicate Lean implementation helps to reduce project schedules, preserve client contingencies, and improve productivity. We are providing facilities to our customers faster and at less cost. That's a wonderful relationship-building tool."
Reiser says Boldt has developed a rigorous implementation procedure for LCI's two initial tools, Last Planner™ and percentage of plan complete. "While Lean tools can be applied on any project, the potential is really maximized in design-build projects," Reiser notes. "The ultimate value of Lean construction is in turning high value projects to the market faster, providing customers with facilities faster."
Lean construction, "validates everything I've learned in this industry over the past 30 years, " says George Vavrek, senior vice president and project manager for Linbeck Construction Corporation, based in Houston. The firm views Lean project management as a means to achieve crisis-free job sites, recognize and resolve conflicts quickly, maximize resources and deliver more value to clients. Vavrek uses Lean construction's tools in training the firm's less senior project managers. He says the tools are more like "learning 'em rather than training 'em in more traditional techniques. Lean is really about educating your people to do their jobs better." Linbeck's approach to implementing Lean construction has been to define what is valuable to the client, plan a sequence of activities required to deliver the defined value, achieve an efficient flow of work and perform work only to advance these values.
Based on its initial project successes, LCI's founders see the LPDS as a timely solution in an industry ripe for revolution. "I believe we need a whole new operating system for managing construction projects, " says Howell, "and Lean thinking will dictate that new system." Ballard is even more emphatic, "When Lean practitioners become the dominant forces in their markets, which we believe is a near-term reality, the revolution will achieve critical mass as other firms attempt to catch up."
Meanwhile, Howell and Ballard continue promoting their Lean construction revolution with an extensive research agenda, introductory seminars, and research and implementation summits. In addition, they are actively forging industry alliances with other construction- and research-focused groups. Both founders believe the construction industry is in the midst of what amounts to a second industrial revolution, "The Lean production revolution is changing the way things are designed and made. Coupled with the advances in computer technology," Howell predicts, "this revolution could well result in greater change than the first."
