LCI Research Projects
Purpose of LCI Research Projects
LCI’s research program exists to accelerate the practical and evidence-based adoption of Lean across the AEC ecosystem. Our LCI-funded research spans real-world use, best-practice development, and industry education—linking evidence to action so you can deliver better flow, value, and reliability. Our portfolio includes national Lean adoption and intensity surveys, as well as multi-year, practice-focused studies conducted in collaboration with academic and practitioner partners.
Current LCI Research Projects
University Adoption of Lean in Curriculum
Researchers: Sagata Bhawani, California State University-Fresno, and Thais Alves, San Diego State University
Goal: Enable adoption of Lean education within US-based universities
teaching architecture, engineering, and construction courses, using LCI’s
learning resources, and with the help of Lean coaches and experts.
Value/Outcomes:
- Generate interest in teaching Lean and expand the academic Lean community in the US.
- Create an independent ability to teach Lean even if not an expert practitioner.
- Continuously leverage LCI’s existing and new resources to encourage learning.
- Bridge the gap between industry and academia within each CoP and nationwide.
- Improve visibility of LCI within the academic community for collaborative work
Measuring Lean Construction Adoption in Organizations
Researchers: John Messner, Penn State, and Robert Leicht, Penn State
Goal: Measure and increase lean adoption in organizations through a guided lean adoption
assessment approach using a Capability Maturity Model.
Value/Outcomes:
- LCI members will be able to assess their level of adoption and plan to increase lean
adoption - LCI will be able to collect data regarding self-reported levels of adoption, and over
time, evaluate increases in adoption levels of members to align with the LCI
strategic plan. - LCI will be able to see specific maturity categories/areas where there is an opportunity
to improve adoption through education, resources, and research
Respect for People – Construction Workers’ Mental Wellness Training Material
Researchers: Min Liu, Syracuse University and Thais Alves, SDSU
Goal: Develop teaching material and methods to support construction workers’ mental wellness and fill in the gap on specific Respect for People’s topics of the LCI training resources.
Value/Outcomes:
- Meet the growing demand for construction workers’ mental wellness training in anticipation of the law amendment requiring site safety training to incorporate mental wellness.
- Develop the training material based on the unique expertise of lean construction and mental health to improve both project performance and workers’ mental health.
- Develop effective training methods to train the trainers on the material developed.
- Identify practical strategies to improve workers’ mental wellness from construction workers’ firsthand experience, site managers’ insights, and lean construction experts’ recommendations.
- Promote the use of Lean Construction tenets and LCI resources as a means to enhance construction workers’ mental well-being.
- Raise awareness among owners and contractors about how Lean Construction approaches can improve workers’ mental wellness.
Lean Proposal and Contractual Requirements
Researchers: Robert Leicht, Penn State
Goal: Develop guidance and resources to improve the ability of facility owners or clients to ensure project teams implement lean into projects across delivery methods.
Value/Outcomes:
- Clear practices that support Lean implementation options for the construction phase, as well as options for owners.
- Collected examples and language for Requests for Proposals to support Lean
implementation in projects. - Identify resources and mechanisms that help owners collaborate with project teams to refine and clearly communicate lean expectations during construction.
- Develop guidelines and recommended resources (for a possible future workshop) to help owners effectively solicit and implement lean principles into their projects.
