August 15, 2024

August 15, 2024

• Handbook for Trades: Resources for Continuous Improvement
• How to Solve a Problem with an A3 and Root Cause Analysis
• Empower Your Team: How Lean Methods Drive Collaboration
• And much more!

Stay tuned for more on this year’s targeted trade content in an upcoming interview with Henry Nutt of Southland Industries.

Register now to collaborate and advance together at Congress!

Quick Tip: Register for the Core Program (Wednesday/Thursday), then you’ll have the option to add on the Golf Tournament (Monday), Learning Day (Tuesday), and Gemba Day (Friday).

Contact Joan Piccariello with questions on the Congress program.

Contact Ilene Goldberg with questions on sponsor or exhibitor packages.

• Recognition: We identify and acknowledge those who have advanced their Lean expertise. Certification distinguishes them as Lean leaders, making them highly desirable to employers and owners seeking to build successful project teams. It highlights their commitment to driving change and improving project outcomes.
• Validation: Certification ensures that practitioners have proven their practical expertise in real-world settings. This is not just a credential but a demonstration of their ability to implement Lean principles effectively.
• Impact: Our ultimate objective is to promote continuous improvement and innovation across the industry. By certifying professionals, we empower leaders who drive efficiency and collaboration.

For applicants, certification enhances career prospects and credibility. For the industry, it provides access to skilled professionals capable of leading transformative Lean initiatives.

Learn more about LCI’s certification here!

1. What hurdles did you encounter when implementing Lean on a project (in your company), and how did you tackle them?

Transitioning Lean systems and tools from manufacturing to construction posed challenges, particularly in engaging craft-level workers. The decentralized construction ecosystem and three-bid culture added barriers to effective engagement of field workers beyond front line supervision. Further as an owner, we are two layers removed from trade companies controlling the labor.

Initially, we required general contractors to hire a Lean professional to focus on Lean construction, on our projects which helped engage frontline supervision. The Lean professionals were “dotted line” into our Capital Strategy and Optimization team (an operational excellence group). Over time, contractor partners expanded their own internal Lean organizations to coach in the field.

For high-profile projects, we assessed key trades’ Lean maturity and expanded prefabrication to reduce reliance on the shrinking skilled craft labor workforce. Early engagement of trade companies in the design phase improved constructability. While many prefabrication manufacturers use Lean principles, fully engaging all the field craft workers remains a challenge. The Last Planner System® is designed to engage the craft workers, however, in practice this aspect of the system is not put into practice beyond the front-line supervision. The next component of our Lean construction will entail a production approach and could enable craft participation in improvement activities.

Internally, leading change there was resistance. To overcome challenges with our organization several principles and tools were developed over time. First, becoming proficient in communicating the “why” for change got the first adopters engaged. Having department members participate and engaging in the Lean transition creates further buy-in. Third, achieving results without leaving “dead bodies” on the way creates momentum.

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?

Our Lean journey started in 2014, and by 2019, we had iterated through several “waves” of Lean application on larger projects. A notable project was a new bed tower and energy plant. Early in design the team established a collaborative approach along with clear conditions of satisfaction, and a hybrid target value design goal. During construction, the use of extensive prefab assemblies, the Last Planner System, and Kaizen events for prefab workflows contributed to success. Despite COVID-19 delays, we completed the project within the original schedule and budget.

Key success factors included team collaboration, clear goals for cost, quality, and duration, effective use of the Last Planner System, and significant prefabrication reducing project durations and labor needs.

3. In your opinion, what are the biggest benefits of applying Lean and how have they impacted your projects, your teams, or your organization?

Lean principles offer a safer on-site environment, reduced project durations, fewer RFIs, and achievement of cost targets through extensive collaboration. For example, similar projects were measured over several years showing an average 11% reduction in duration. Lean also enables better resource utilization on site and improves productivity by moving as substantial portion of production offsite to a controlled environment.

4. How do you assess if your Lean game is strong; are there metrics or techniques you rely on and can share?

We assess Lean proficiency through metrics like PPC (Percent Plan Complete) and on-site observations (Gemba walks). For advancing prefabrication, on-site time studies of installations of prefabricated components, tracking offsite and onsite hours are utilized until a component becomes routine. In the future counting prefab components using BIM modules and AI applications is the preferred method. Improvement opportunities are documented and tracked for application. Targeted lessons learned help refine our prefabrication approach, which is codified in playbooks and guidelines.

Assessments of the Last Planner System and related Lean tools have been conducted in the field. The assessment has three components. The first looks at the culture, the second at technical proficiency, and the third is results. Of course, project duration and cost impacts are tracked on Lean intensive projects and compared to benchmarks.

5. If someone’s just dipping their toes into Lean, what advice would you offer from lessons you’ve learned?

Start with a project that has a good chance for success or a specific scope that is challenging. The trick is not to use a “slam dunk” project and not a project that is extremely complex to gain credibility. Partner with designers, GCs, and key trades that understand and practice a Lean culture at the moderate to advanced level. The Lean approach has two main pillars, culture, and a Lean operating system. Start with the culture including the “why.” Then slightly behind implement the technical systems and tools. Both aspects must be in place to be successful.

Be ready to have an expert coach, either internally or a consultant to guide the first few projects until the knowledge starts to transfer to superintendents, project managers, and leaders. Visit Lean implementations for benchmarking both in and outside of your industry.

This aspect was highlighted by different personnel at Baker Concrete, demonstrating that continuous improvement is embedded in their mindset and their culture. This allows continuous improvement to be easily grounded in how Baker does business, treats people, analyzes its operations, and achieves company goals.

Review the case study on our website to get all the details.

View Case Study