Lean Project Delivery and How to Implement It

Lean thinking requires a strong team. An individual cannot be Lean on their own since it takes those in charge of a project to effectively implement the six tenets. However, with the right team in place a set of people can achieve great results utilizing Lean concepts.

One of the challenges teams face is that they are often temporary and many members might be working together for the first time. However, this presents a good reason for those members to break old habits and form new processes that can be beneficial for the project. This is why building a strong team from the outset is foundational to achieving great results through Lean.

The first step to integrating a Lean Project Delivery model is to identify the key members of your team at the earliest stages of the project. High-performing teams are defined by having a strong culture of respect and trust along with a track record for maintaining and following through on commitments.

A high-performing team also needs members to be willing to listen to one another to innovate. The team also needs its members to be willing to identify areas for process improvement through continuous retrospection.

Importantly, high-performing teams also break down traditional silos to maximize skills and optimize performance.

Lean is a mindset that is manifested by applying the six tenets of LCI to any design and construction enterprise. Any project delivery method can implement Lean concepts to achieve greater results.

Integrated Project Delivery is a contract structure that defines a specific delivery model. IPD combines the design, construction, ownership, and general contractors together onto a single project contract and designates a target cost for construction in order to foster collaboration and innovation. This generates an environment in which Lean concepts can thrive, but a project doesn’t need to utilize an IPD structure to take advantage of Lean methods.

While collaboration between the design and construction teams is often a component of Lean thinking, design teams and builders can still implement Lean methods without involving the other party.

Here are some ways to implement Lean Project Delivery methods in the design phase.

• Last Planner System® (LPS®) – System for project production planning and control, aimed at creating a workflow that achieves reliable execution.
• Conditions of Satisfaction (CoS) – Collaboratively developed measurable statements that inform a project team about which tests a project must pass to be accepted as a success. Teams can utilize this method to increase rates of owner satisfaction in project outcomes and to ensure interests are aligned in projects.
• Set-based Design (SBD) – A design method whereby sets of alternative solutions to parts of the problem are kept open until their Last Responsible Moment(s), in order to find by means of set intersection the best combination that solves the problem as a whole.
• A3 Thinking – A collaborative methodology that supports sound decision making by including all key stakeholder perspectives.

Here are some ways in which Lean Project Delivery methods can be added to the construction phase.

• Last Planner System (LPS) – Just like designers, building teams can use the Last Planner System for optimal project planning to generate flow in the project’s processes.
• 5S – A disciplined approach to maintaining order in the workplace, using visual controls, to eliminate waste. The 5S words are Sort, Set in Order, Shine/Sweep, Standardize and Self-Discipline/Sustain.
• A3 Thinking – In an industry where problems seem to arise out of nowhere, A3 thinking is a method of decision making which values the opinions of all stakeholders.