Process Mapping as Key to Capital Project Continuous Improvement

When people discuss waste in design and construction, most of the conversation focuses on the work performed by tradespeople in the field. We see excessive material, people waiting, and rework because these forms of waste are visible. The waste embedded in many management processes is much less visible.

Building an internal lean infrastructure to scale up lean deployment in a company with over 10,000 employees

WasteWalk Observations have led to the identification of over $300MM worth of estimated and $52MM of actual net cost savings/added value on over 300 projects and yards. 2024 saw the highest employee engagement in WasteWalks since introducing them as a Building Smarter best practice in 2022.

How to Improve Design and Engineering for Upstream Projects

Upstream capital projects are dynamic and complex endeavors. Their criticality continues to increase, as producers look to meet market demand and carbon reduction commitments, in addition to producing revenue faster through project acceleration.

Clean up Your Muda: How Automation Can Remove the Gray Work of Construction

That inability to find a job order, materials list or other key pieces of information is – unfortunately - a common scenario on job sites and in projects all over. While it's impossible to completely eliminate lost time or project delays, it’s becoming more possible to reduce the frustration and expense of jobsite downtime.

Last Planner and Takt Software Directory

This directory contains all of the Last Planner and Takt Software on the market. We encourage you to do your own research, set up a call with the vendors, and choose the software that fits your needs. This directory is meant to make it easy to find, compare, and make the decision on which software you can use.

From Waterfall to Agile: Rethinking Remodeling Through Scrum

Traditionally, construction and remodeling projects have followed the waterfall project management methodology—a linear sequence of phases: plan, design, execute, and deliver. It’s a method built for predictability, thriving in scenarios where all variables are mapped out upfront.

An Unreasonable Focus on Metrics and Its Impact on Culture

An obsessive focus on metrics in architecture firms erodes the human foundation of the workplace, reducing passionate designers and architects to mere data points rather than the creative professionals they are.

High-Performance Leadership #8 - Win/Win Decision-Making

People help to implement decisions they helped to make. A key tactic in complex situations is to get as many agreements as you can along the way and use them as building blocks to a final agreement. You are building a cultural norm about meaningful engagement.

Gray Work: The Productivity Killer

Productivity is under siege. And that siege has real implications, with Gallup estimating that lost productivity costs as much as $605M, an eye-popping number. A closer look at this productivity crisis reveals the productivity crisis manifest throughout the modern workplace.

Improving Daily Work Now – How to Make a Start

If we take Gene Kim’s observation that, “Improving daily work is even more important than doing daily work,” seriously, then we need a way to start implementing a practical approach for improving daily work.

Exploring the Nuances of Hard Work: Insights for making work better

Understanding and identifying hard work is a crucial part of enhancing safety and efficiency in every trade. This can be accomplished through the categorization of tasks, breaking down workflow steps, and mitigating the elements of work that are stealing life from our dwindling workforce.