The History of Lean Construction - Part 2

In 2002, at a meeting of the Project Management Institute in Seattle, Greg Howell presented a paper he had co-written with Lauri Koskela in which they compared the Last Planner System with the Critical Path Method.

Prisoner’s Dilemma In Design-bid-build Projects

Despite the existence of different procurement strategies, such as design-build, engineering-to-order, integrated project delivery and others, design-bid-build (DBB), also called “traditional” or “stage-gate” approach, is still dominating the construction industry all over the world.

Can Mistakeproofing be a Fundamental Driver in Building Design?

Mistakeproofing, or as commonly known by the Lean community, poka yoke, is a key element of the Jidoka pillar from the Toyota Production System [1].

“Lean Operations Strategy” – Unpacked

This is Part 1 of a two-part post. Part 1 explains the background, context and definitions of “Lean as Operations Strategy. Part 2 will review the Original Five Principles of Lean.

The History of Lean Construction - Part 1

It was hot, humid, and downright unbearable that afternoon in the Southeast Asia jungle. But despite the stickiness and frayed nerves, the construction battalion’s work needed to get done.

Constructive Leadership Vs Destructive Leadership: Sometimes Learning What Not To Do Is More Effective Than Learning What To Do

A teacher of art and painting once said to me that to draw a tree, one does not draw the outline of the tree and leaves, one draws the empty spaces between them.

Using Indoor Positioning to Analyze Operations Flow

Flow in construction can be divided to process flow, operations flow and portfolio flow (Sacks, 2016). Various metrics have been proposed to measure flow but they are typically based on completing assigned or promised tasks.

Multi-lean Systems: How to Use Them for Complex Construction Projects

Why is a large construction project handled differently than a small project such as a family home? The answer is simple: it is much more complex.

Are You Doing the Right Work to be Successful with the Last Planner System®?

People familiar with the Last Planner System think it’s a brilliant way to increase work production reliability on a project. However, more than a few people attempting to implement achieve less than front-page results.

Digital Lean: Optimizing Jobsite Communications

If 2020 and the first half of 2021 has taught us anything, it’s that adaptation is critical for progress. From COVID-19 to exorbitant lumber prices to supply chain disruptions — construction professionals are dealing with significant challenges and uncertainty.

15 Skills and Practices Conducive to the Successful Guidance of High Intensity, High Performance, Lean Teams

In this segment, we will focus a little more on the ethics and principles which should serve as some of the foundational Rules of Engagement