5 Questions With Conrad Orme, Area Superintendent at Hensel Phelps
This week on 5 Questions With…, we checked in with Conrad Orme, an Area Superintendent at Hensel Phelps. Conrad shed some light on the relationship between trades and general contractors on Lean projects and how utilizing the Last Planner System® and daily huddles can help streamline the workflow.
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1. What hurdles did you encounter when implementing Lean on a project (in your company), and how did you tackle them?
Implementing Lean principles and techniques requires the engagement of last planners. However, some trade partner foremen have not received formal Lean training. Providing Lean training to our trade partners and explaining the “why” behind pull planning, weekly work plans, and daily huddles has helped gain their buy-in. This has also reinforced expectations among all trades, fostering accountability within the construction group.
2. What stories can you share about a successful Lean project (Lean implementation effort) you participated in and what do you think made it work?
The successful Lean projects I’ve been part of all had one thing in common—construction group buy-in. When trade partners see Lean efforts improving efficiency and production in the field, their engagement grows.
One example was a remote border crossing project in Southern California. The HVAC trade partner foreman was initially reluctant to participate in pull planning sessions. However, during the first sequence of installation, commitments made during the session were met, and his portion of the work was completed successfully. He was later recognized by his company for his efforts. At the next pull planning session, he expressed his appreciation and even led part of the meeting.
3. In your opinion, what are the biggest benefits of applying Lean and how have they impacted your projects, your teams, or your organization?
We use a grading system to track how well commitments made in the weekly work plan are being met. This helps identify issues early and escalate concerns up the chain of command when necessary.
We’ve also utilized a Lean consultant to observe our jobsite practices and provide in-depth training to the construction group. This increased level of knowledge has significantly improved engagement and the overall effectiveness of our Lean efforts.
4. How do you assess if your Lean game is strong; are there metrics or techniques you rely on and can share?
Increased communication and well-timed planning have been the biggest benefits I’ve seen from implementing Lean on a project.
Daily huddles and weekly work plans provide last planners with a platform to communicate their scope of work, improving coordination among trades. This has helped reduce trade stacking, increase productivity, and enhance safety.
Pull planning has encouraged early discussions, often leading to RFIs and breakout sessions to resolve issues and coordinate between different scopes of work—allowing for a smoother installation process.
5. If someone’s just dipping their toes into Lean, what advice would you offer from lessons you’ve learned?
Be consistent. Implement Lean principles that will be practiced throughout the life of the project by all trade partners and general contractor supervision.