LEAN CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES (LCP®)

LEAN Project Example

First use of LEAN - These are the outputs from a multi- million project recently completed by a team who were using LEAN for the first time. It could almost be a generic - in that the same issues, aspirations and constraints will be recognisable on many projects regardless of size, complexity and location. In fact, it could probably apply to any other industry!

It is captured here on a single page - but represents a journey of a 18 month for the people involved on the Project. The TEAM had a LEAN Road map. The comments have been collated from workshops held with representatives from the key organisations. The "Good" projects are always easy and it is always difficult to give tangible credit to the use of LEAN - except that, when it has worked the projects seem easy and tend to deliver in regard to Time, Cost and Quality.

Struggling with the first steps in LEAN improvements, Risk,  or project performance? Need some support on how to start or want to talk through ideas?

The ideas for using LEAN philosophy have been borrowed and developed from a range of industries. The conversion to a suitable form for use in the construction industry has not yet been widely established in the UK. Lean was key to Sir John Egan's recommendations in his 1998 Construction Industry Task Force Report, "Rethinking Construction". LEAN Thinking is recognised by the Egan Task Force as holding much promise for construction" and they were impressed by the potential improvement that could be made by adopting the use of the philosophy. Lean Thinking represents a path of sustained performance improvement and not a one-off programme

Lean is a philosophy, not a set of tools and techniques. Lean merely provides ideas and principles for organisations to improve operations by using any number of different and innovative tools and techniques. It involves simple common-sense principles, which can be implemented from the most basic level of operations across the entire organisation using a LEAN Road Map to improvement.

Against this background, and with the guidance of a LEAN facilitator, the Project team committed to implement LEAN within the Project. They recognised that;

• Project regulator promise date must be achieved 1st December 20xx
• Project completion date was 11th December 20xx
• History of current projects completing late (Avg 10% time overrun)
• History of current projects exceeding target cost (Avg 6.5% cost overrun)
• A LEAN new approach required for certainty of delivery

The focus was to specify value from the end customer's perspective, to clearly identify the process that delivers customer values and eliminate all non value adding steps. It was recognised that key to achieving this would be strengthening relationships of trust between client, designer and suppliers. This involved;

• Identification individuals' objectives creating group goals
• Team focused on delivering project
• Whole Team review and challenge to programme prior to issue to project
• Lean programme implemented and run by site team
• Identify critical tasks that would prevent completion
• Identify an earlier Sunny Day target Completion Date
• Identify TEAM to Manage the programme time risk management

TEAM Objectives

• Achieve quality / delivery targets
• Be a competitive discriminator
• Be a well organised project / run smoothly
• Deliver to specification
• Be on budget
• Be a commercial success for both company and client
• Delivered on time
• Give construction team what they need
• Broaden scope of services to client
• Achieve best practice
• Operate site safely
• Have few hiccups

Personal Objectives

• Initiatives survive
• Be a flagship project
• enhance reputation
• On time
• On budget
• Successful project
• Implement lessons learned
• Good working relationships
• High teamwork
• My phone doesn't ring
• Add value
• That was alright!
• Control budgets
• Learn
• Part of a successful team

On completion review the team felt that LEAN had been a success.

• Project Team had a positive impact on delivering project
• Effective management of critical causes of delay
• Red tape removed. Let's get on with delivering project
• Contractual reply periods successfully challenged
• Site more visibly managed more open stronger Team
• No contractual issues, fewer delays
• Original completion date was achieved despite some additional delay issues
• Joint partner share of reward

The project Completed On Time, had no significant defects and made a small additional profit for all the partners. Against a background of 10% average over-runs on current similar projects. A good LEAN Construction result.

Lessons on review at closure

• Client PM and ECC PM attending liaison meetings benefited the project
• ECC Supervisor & Site Agent walking project resulted in fewer TQs
• Method Statements Would have aided Client if submitted earlier.
• Resource Contractor resource low in the early stage of project due to Holiday, illnesses and Paternity leave. This did not impact project delivery.
• I.T not available at commencement of scheme.
• Extranet not user friendly. Team worked together to resolve TQs quicker by agreement. Less paperwork / computer time.
• Site cleanliness could have been better, especially due to volume of rainfall experienced. Issue is a result of site location and inadequate site drainage. Road sweeping frequency increased from twice per week to daily depending on site conditions.
• Security issues early in project
• Robust programme agreed by project team aided delivery of project
• Team structure had a positive impact on delivering project
• Look a heads and make ready list worked
• 2-week and 4-week look a heads benefit all parties
• Procurement, resource, Method Statements, obstacles
• Lean Programme / buffer utilisation to be reviewed regularly by project