September 5, 2024

September 5, 2024

Join your Lean partners at the 2024 LCI Congress, October 22-25, in San Diego—and save on your registration! Early registration rates end midnight EST on September 12th—register today for the lowest available rates!

“Congress is about learning, growing, and networking—engaging with people and celebrating what’s going on in others’ Lean journeys.”— Henry Nutt, III, Southland Industries

Enjoy this Congress program sneak peek from Henry Nutt, III, a presenter of the session Handbook for Trades: Resources for Continuous Improvement.

Don’t miss this valuable session and many more! Register for Congress today.

Learn more about this trade-centered session showcasing practical tools and ideas for better delivery in this blog post.

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.

This year we will have two Lean Libraries at LCI Congress which will consist of “favorite” Lean books to be in the silent auction benefiting Future Construction Leaders. Future Construction Leaders is an organization that provides opportunities for young people to investigate the many construction career opportunities available encouraging them to pursue careers in the field.

Each library will consist of up to 25 books. Please include a signed note on the inside cover of your book that explains why you are contributing/donating the book. When you arrive at Congress, drop your donated book to Ilene Goldberg, who will be sitting at the LCI Certification table.

To donate a book to the Lean Library, complete this online form.

Questions? Contact Ilene Goldberg.

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

Implementing Lean methodologies in construction projects has its share of challenges. One significant hurdle I encountered was the resistance to change. Traditional construction practices are deeply ingrained, and convincing team members to adopt new processes requires a lot of effort. To tackle this, I focused on sharing real examples from myself and those I worked with rather than pushing education and training. Emphasizing collaboration and celebrating people’s courage to make improvements big or small helped build trust and reduce resistance. By gradually introducing Lean practices and celebrating real examples, good or bad, I helped increase trust and buy-in from teams.

2. What stories can you share about a successful Lean project you were involved in and what do you think made it work?

A recent successful Lean project from my Boldt Company experience comes from a Medical Office Building. We implemented Lean principles only after giving time and space for the team to have real dialogue on what wasn’t working and seeking to understand the issues at a deep level. After that, we decided to organize ourselves into a high performing team and take full advantage of our Integrated Lean Project Delivery principles and practices like the Last Planner System® (LPS®). We started with a comprehensive planning phase, involving all stakeholders, from architects to trade partners that included our Target Value Delivery process saving the client over $20 million dollars and putting the project back on schedule. This collaborative approach ensured that everyone was aligned with the project goals.

Throughout the project, we continued to hold regular check-ins and used visual management tools in our Big Room meetings to track progress and identify issues for collaborative problem solving. The success was driven by the team’s dedication to transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

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

The biggest benefits of applying Lean in construction are deeper respect for people. Side effects of that include better business outcomes like enhanced efficiency, reduced waste, and improved quality. These benefits have had a profound impact on our projects and most importantly the teams at The Boldt Company. For instance, Lean practices have enabled us to streamline our workflows, resulting in faster project completions. This efficiency translates to cost savings and increased client satisfaction.

Furthermore, Lean’s emphasis on continuous improvement has cultivated a culture where team members are encouraged to share ideas and innovate. This collaborative environment has boosted team morale and engagement, leading to higher productivity. By minimizing waste, both in terms of materials and time, we’ve also been able to achieve more sustainable project outcomes. Overall, Lean has transformed the way we approach construction, making us more competitive and responsive to client needs.

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

Assessing the strength of our Lean practices involves a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as safety incidents, schedule adherence, budget variance, and quality are crucial. For example, we track the adoption of the Boldt Production System across our portfolio, Boldt’s customized Last Planner System® approach. This helps us gauge the levels of planning and team performance across numerous contract types. We also use Microsoft Power BI to help visualize the data and draw insights with project leadership for engaging on the right problems at the right time.

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

For those new to Lean, my advice is to start small and focus on the basics. Begin by understanding the core principles of Lean, such as respect for people and continuous improvement. Implement simple tools that appeal to you and visit LCI’s website for e-learning courses or webinars to learn more at your own pace. The best thing to do is attend local Community of Practice events so you can learn with your peers.

Engage your team in the process and encourage them to identify and solve problems. Remember that Lean is not just about tools and techniques; it’s a mindset shift towards collaboration and efficiency. Don’t be afraid to experiment and learn from failures. Celebrate small victories to build momentum and gradually scale your Lean initiatives. Lastly, seek out mentors or join Lean communities to share experiences and gain insights from others on the same journey.

1. What advice would you give to others pursuing this certification?

Pursuing this certification is not a sprint, it’s an ultra-marathon. Give yourself plenty of time to thoroughly complete the numerous and extensive steps. This certification flushes out those who simply use lean buzzwords from those who live it and breathe it. Continue to photo-document your lean journey and know The Last Planner System in and out!

2. What motivated you to pursue your certification?

Credibility. Many claim to be lean experts, but few are experienced practitioners. What better way to ‘walk the talk’ than by proving your knowledge and earning the certification?”

Tyler’s dedication to continuous improvement and lean practices is a true inspiration to anyone considering this path. We congratulate Tyler on his achievement and look forward to seeing the impact he will continue to make in the industry.

To learn more about LCI’s Certification, check out our certification homepage.

Please consider participating in this research study to help gather current data on management practices effects on construction worker’s mental health. This study is intended for construction workers, construction equipment operators, forepersons, superintendents, project engineers, project managers and managers (safety, materials, or other management positions directly dealing with workers) to provide their input.

During this study, you will be asked to answer an anonymous survey with questions about your background, well-being, and information about the construction project/shop/organizations management practices. The time expected to take this survey is between 15 and 20 minutes.

Scan the QR code below to participate!

This study is funded by the Lean Construction Institute in partnership with San Diego State University and Syracuse University.