TY - CONF TI - Signal Detection Theory: Enabling Work Near the Edge C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Abdelhamid, T.S. AU - Patel, B. AU - Howell, G.A. AU - Mitropoulos, P. AD - Assistant Professor, 207 Farrall Hall, Construction Management Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1323. Email: tabdelha@msu.edu AD - Graduate Student Research Assistant, 9 Farrall Hall, Construction Management Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1323. Email: patelbh3@msu.edu AD - Executive Director, Lean Construction Institute, Box 1003, Ketchum, ID 83340. Email: ghowell@leanconstruction.org AD - PhD, Process Improvement Consultant, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Email: takism@earthlink.net AB - Occupational accidents are unquestionably wasteful and non-value adding events in any system of production. Safeguarding construction workers from occupational hazards, whether arising from traumatic, ergonomic, and/or exposure accidents, is part and parcel of the lean construction ideal of waste elimination. Howell et al. (2002) proposed a new approach to understand construction accidents based on Rasmussen’s theory of cognitive systems engineering. One aspect of the model focused on worker training to recognize hazards (unsafe conditions). The underlying assumption here is that workers will always recall what constitutes a safe or unsafe situation as well as respond to perceived or actual risks in the same manner. Therefore, a methodology to assess worker sensitivity to unsafe conditions and risk orientation is needed. This paper proposes a methodology based on Signal detection theory that was originally developed as an assessment technique for tasks requiring the detection of defective components in an industrial setting. Discussion of signal detection theory and how it could be tailored for assessments of the sensitivity and risk orientation of construction workers to unsafe conditions is presented. Application of the methodology is demonstrated using a pilot study involving structural steel workers. The methodology presented in this paper could be used to give guidance to workers on how to enhance their abilities to identify the boundary beyond which work is no longer safe. KW - Occupational Safety KW - Construction Safety KW - Signal Detection Theory KW - Construction Accidents KW - Safety Training PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/220/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/220 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Six-Sigma in Lean Construction Systems: Opportunities and Challenges C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Abdelhamid, Tariq S. AD - Assistant Professor, 207 Farrall Hall, Construction Management Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1323. Email: tabdelha@msu.edu AB - One of the tenants of lean construction states that achieving reliable workflow is possible when sources of variability are controlled. Under a lean paradigm, the effects of variability are buffered through excess inventory, flexible capacity, and/or work-ready backlogs. The common element between these three approaches to tackle production process variability is that they are all attempts to combat the effects of variability and not to reduce or eliminate variability altogether. Reducing or eliminating the variability that plague production processes requires the removal of the root causes of variability –a difficult but not impossible task. Six Sigma is a statistical-based methodology that provides a structured framework to organize and implement strategic process improvement initiatives to attain reductions in process variability. In this paper, the origin of Six Sigma is reviewed with a brief discussion of its methods and metrics. The application of the Six Sigma rolled throughput yield and sigma quality level metrics to the Last Planner System is demonstrated. Using the Lean Project Delivery System as a foundation, the paper suggests Six Sigma applications and research opportunities in Lean Construction. KW - Six-Sigma KW - Performance Metrics KW - Lean Construction KW - Lean Project Delivery System KW - Last Planner System PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/221/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/221 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - A Production Planning Support System for Construction Projects C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Alarcon, Luis F. AU - Calderon, Rodrigo AD - Professor, Universidad Católica de Chile, Escuela de Ingeniería, Casilla 306, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile, Fax : 011-562-686-4806, e-mail: lalarcon@ing.puc.cl AD - Research Assistant, Universidad Católica de Chile, Escuela de Ingeniería, Casilla 306, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile, Fax : 011-562-686-4806, e-mail: rcalderg@ing.puc.cl AB - This paper describes a computer system developed by the Production Management Center of the Catholic University of Chile (GEPUC) and companies involved in collaborative projects. The general objective of the system is to provide a support tool that could integrate the overall GEPUC improvement initiative. The current version of the system “Plan Control” used the LPS as the core of the development, providing integration capabilities with other tools used in the implementation effort. One specific objective of “Plan Control” is to facilitate better management of the information of the LPS to allow a learning and transparency stage to take place in the companies, to generate a continuous improvement mechanism. A second specific objective is to provide support for the implementation of the LPS concepts across all the parties in the construction project, to obtain a better understanding of the concepts and to facilitate their adoption. This paper shows as a collaborative work between GEPUC and companies, during the creation of the prototype Plan Control, breaks up with the cultural barrier of adoption of this type of support tools. The first impacts generated by the application of the prototype system are commented, and the components of the definitive system, currently under development, are presented. KW - Plan Control KW - Last Planner System KW - learning process KW - transparency process KW - collaborative work. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/222/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/222 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Strategic Issues in Lean Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Almeida, Joao C. AU - Salazar, Guillermo F. AD - Ph.D. candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, FAX 508/831-5808, joao@wpi.edu AD - Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, 508/831-5262 FAX 508/831-5808, salazar@wpi.edu AB - This paper reviews the basic components of lean construction, with references to the development of lean production systems by manufacturing organizations and the advances of lean construction research. The paper also presents the key concepts on strategic management and industry structure analysis. It discusses the implications on the implementation of lean construction with regard to a firm’s strategic planning as well as to the conditions for the industry to lesser the barriers for lean construction implementation. Finally, the paper describes the objectives and anticipated contributions of current research conducted at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute involving strategic issues in lean construction. KW - Lean construction KW - strategic management KW - competitive strategy PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/223/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/223 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Buffering and Batching Practices in the HVAC Industry C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Alves, Thais da C.L AU - Tommelein, Iris D. AD - Ph.D. student, Engineering and Project Management Program, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, thaiscla@uclink.berkeley.edu AD - Professor, Engineering and Project Management Program, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 215-A McLaughlin Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1712, 510/643-8678, FAX 510/643-8919, tommelein@ce.berkeley.edu AB - This paper discusses batching and buffering practices in the Heating, Ventilating, and Air- Conditioning (HVAC) industry based on a literature review and an on-going investigation of mechanical contractors in charge of designing, fabricating, and installing made-to-order ductwork systems. Batching practices affect or create buffers in production systems whether intentional or not. Buffers in production systems may be characterized by location, size, product mix, criticality, etc. Here, the focus is specifically on the location of buffers that result from batching and buffering practices in the production system for duct fabrication and installation. These practices are influenced by organizational issues, production capabilities, labor union regulations, product characteristics, ‘received traditions,’ and local optimization objectives. They are also influenced by the difficulty of forecasting the available capacity and production demand in terms of labor-hours and product mix. A rule of thumb for contractors that perform work in the ceiling space of a building, as is needed for HVAC duct, is “the first one to get in wins.” Therefore, these contractors have to be agile in turning out parts to the construction site in order to avoid major changes in their design, fabrication of parts, or installation sequencing. All these characteristics and influences interact in a dynamic way and thereby contribute to the batching and buffering practices that have become custom and accepted. While these practices may meet local optimization criteria, they also embed a lot of waste in the production system at large. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate current practices so as to promote understanding of the system’s characteristics and development of metrics to optimize system performance at a more global level. KW - Buffer KW - batch KW - inventory KW - sheet metal KW - duct work KW - HVAC system KW - specialty contracting KW - mechanical contractor. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/224/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/224 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Kanban in Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Arbulu, Roberto AU - Ballard, Glenn AU - Harper, Nigel AD - Consultant, Strategic Project Solutions, rarbulu@strategicprojectsolutions.net AD - Research Director for the Center for Innovation in Project and Production Management (dba Lean Construction Institute) and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of California at Berkeley, ballard@leanconstruction.org AD - Managing Director, Laing O’Rourke, nharper@laingorourke.com AB - Kanban is a lean approach developed in the automotive industry to pull materials and parts through production systems on a just-in-time basis. A particular type of kanban is called supplier kanban which transmits a replenishment signal to outside suppliers. This paper presents a material management strategy that uses supplier kanbans to signal the need for replenishment of selected products from preferred suppliers to site. The objective of this strategy is to accomplish material management functions with least waste; e.g., unnecessary inventories and processing time, waiting time, and physical waste. The primary means for achieving the objective is to simplify the processes of acquiring, storing, distributing and disposing of selected made-to-stock products on site. The kanban strategy is being implemented in the construction of a major international transportation hub in the U.K. The paper highlights one of the most important findings from the implementation phase of the strategy: the need to rationalize stock profiles. KW - Inventory KW - just-in-time KW - kanban KW - lean construction KW - made-to-stock KW - material management KW - pull KW - supply chain integration KW - value stream KW - waste. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/225/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/225 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Guidelines for the Improvement of Design, Procurement and Installation of Elevators Using Supply Chain Management Concepts C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Azambuja, Marcelo M.B. AU - Formoso, Carlos T. AD - Civil Engineer, M.Sc., marcelo@cpgec.ufrgs.br, researcher at the Building Innovation Research Unit (NORIE), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre - RS, Brazil AD - Ph.D, formoso@vortex.ufrgs.br, Associate Professor at the Building Innovation Research Unit (NORIE), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre - RS, Brazil AB - The application of supply chain management concepts has been investigated as a possible alternative to develop solutions to some of the existing problems and to the introduction of improvements in the construction sector. This paper aims to propose guidelines to improve the process of design, procurement and installation of elevators, using supply chain management concepts. The research method was divided into three major stages. Initially, the elevator supply chain processes and their main problems were described in general terms, based on a literature review and also on interviews with architects, production managers, and experts in construction management. In the second stage, a case study on the relationship between the supply chain agents in the City of Porto Alegre was carried out, aiming to identify problems in the material and information flows. That involved interviews with elevator manufacturers and installers, visits to construction sites, the analysis of documents, and also a survey with elevator users. Finally, a number of guidelines for improving the process under investigation were proposed. Among the main conclusions of the study, there were problems related to the co-operation practices adopted, and to the lack of coordination and integration of material and information flows between agents, indicating that there is an opportunity to apply supply chain management concepts for improving the processes that were investigated. KW - Supply Chain Management KW - Processes integration KW - Materials and information flows KW - elevators PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/226/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/226 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - An Update on Last Planner C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Ballard, Glenn AU - Howell, Gregory A. AD - AD - Research Director and Managing Director, respectively, Center for Innovation in Product & Production Management (dba Lean Construction Institute), gballard@leanconstruction.org. AB - The Last Planner system of production control has now been in use for a number of years. Its inventors provide an update consisting of a description of innovations and changes, thoughts on theoretical foundations, proposals regarding work structuring, phase scheduling and reliable promising, and recommendations for further development. Special emphasis is placed on the relationship between scheduling and production control, and also on the technique of phase scheduling to specify the handoffs that are the control foci for Last Planner. KW - Last Planner KW - linguistic action KW - phase scheduling KW - production control KW - project control KW - work structuring PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/227/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/227 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Development Framework of an Artificial Intelligence Planner Framework for Bespoke Precast Concrete Production C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Benjaoran, Vacharapoom AU - Dawood, Nashwan AD - PhD Candidate, Centre for Construction Innovation Research, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK, +441-642-342494, b.vacharapoom@tees.ac.uk AD - Professor, Centre for Construction Innovation Research, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK, +441-642-342405, FAX +441-642-342401, n.n.dawood@tees.ac.uk AB - Precast concrete industry is highly involved in construction projects through the supply of bespoke products. It delivers many advantages to the construction industry in terms of saving time, cost, and reducing congestion on construction sites. However, precast manufacturers are facing a substantial problem of long customer lead-time for bespoke concrete products. Most of time and effort is spent on a long production process consisting of product design, production planning, and shop floor manufacturing. Also, variations in the process due to many uncertainties, many parties and human involvements extend buffers of the customer lead-time. Lean construction concepts that are adapted for the unique production system of construction work recognize the above problem as waste and directly aim to eliminate them. Complying with the concepts, the authors have proposed an automatic planning system called artificial intelligence planner (AIP). The AIP retrieves product data from design process for the automatic planning process. In order to develop requirements and specifications of the AIP, this paper concisely describes precast design and production planning processes from a case study of a precast company. Artificial intelligence and flow-shop scheduling techniques that provide development background are reviewed. Also the components of the AIP are described. The AIP is expected to reduce the customer lead-time, assist precast manufacturers to manage changes in product requirements and/or delivery dates; therefore, the construction industry will share the benefits. KW - Precast production KW - bespoke product KW - customer lead-time KW - artificial intelligence KW - flow-shop scheduling KW - planning. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/228/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/228 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Avoiding and Managing Chaos in Projects C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Bertelsen, Sven AU - Koskela, Lauri AD - M.Sc., consulting engineer. Sven Bertelsen, Strategic Counselor aps. Senior Research Advisor to Lean Construction – Denmark. sven@bertelsen.org AD - Senior Researcher, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O.Box 1800, FIN-02044 VTT, Finland, Phone +358 9 4564556, Fax +358 9 4566251, E-mail lauri.koskela@vtt.fi AB - Construction projects are often very complex and dynamic by their nature, and it is a well-known fact that such systems exist on the edge of chaos. The paper’s objective is to study construction projects poised on the edge of chaos and to explore the forces that may turn projects chaotic in the sense that the project crosses this dangerous edge. The prime aim is to understand how the phase transition may take place and to propose an approach for understanding this risk and keeping it under control in project management. The paper explores this understanding of the construction project further by proposing a way of analyzing its complexity and dynamics along the four characteristics: the project’s complexity, the project’s internal and external setting and the project organization. The aim is not only to reach a deeper understanding of projects’ nature, but also to outline a tool for analyzing and comparing projects' risk of turning chaotic. However, before addressing this main theme, the phenomenon of chaos in a project is introduced through a literature review and illustrated with empirical project cases. Complexity was identified as an IGLC championship at the IGLC-9 conference in Singapore in 2001 and was included in the theory championship at the IGLC-10 in Gramado, Brazil in 2002. The paper is contribution under this championship KW - Project management KW - construction KW - complexity KW - order KW - chaos theory PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/229/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/229 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Complexity - A New Way of Understanding Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Bertelsen, Sven AD - M.Sc. consulting engineer. Sven Bertelsen, Strategic Counselor aps. Senior Research Advisor to Lean Construction – Denmark. sven@bertelsen.org AB - The general view of the construction process is that it is an ordered, linear phenomenon, which can be organized, planned and managed top down. The frequent failures to complete construction projects on budget and schedule give rise to a thinking that the process maybe not is as ordered and predictable in its nature as it may look. A closer examination reveals that construction is indeed a complex, nonlinear and dynamic phenomenon, which often exists on the edge of chaos. The paper introduces the world of complex systems and examines construction in this perspective, and by that it proposes several new elements to the understanding of project management. KW - Construction KW - complexity KW - project management PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/230/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/230 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Construction as a Complex System C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Bertelsen, Sven AD - M.Sc. consulting engineer. Sven Bertelsen Strategic Counselor aps. Senior Research Advisor to Lean Construction – Denmark. sven@bertelsen.org AB - Complexity and complex systems’ theory are issues coming more and more into focus as it seems that most systems in our lives must be understood in this perspective. This new way of understanding, explains features otherwise ignored or considered noise in an ordered perspective. The paper argues that construction should also be understood as a complex, dynamic phenomenon. It analyzes the construction process, the production system and the industry, as well as the social systems formed by humans involved in the project execution from a complexity perspective using a number of general characteristics of complex systems. It finds all of these characteristics present in the construction system. The paper concludes that the complexity view should thus be more in focus when discussing new project management paradigms. KW - Construction; complex dynamic systems; project management; chaos PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/231/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/231 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Object Oriented Information Modelling for Use in Lean Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Brondsted, Jakob AU - Walloe, Pernille AU - Bindslev, Knud AD - M.Sc. Construction Management, Lean Construction-DK, Danish Technological Institute. jakob.brondsted@teknologisk.dk AD - B.Sc. (Hon), Lean Construction-DK, Danish Technological Institute. pernille.walloe@teknologisk.dk AD - M.Sc., Managing Director KB Informatik. proxima@image.dk AB - As part of the Danish Classification Project a report describing the information flow in a traditional building project has been published. By defining the final product as the building as well as the documentation, the value chain throughout the different phases of a Construction project is identified. Between the design and Construction phase the value-perception changes from adding value to the documentation to adding value to the physical Construction. To reduce the amount of work converting the documentation to the exact information, the contractor needs to carry out each activity; a classification hierarchy based on the ISO 12006-2 standard is currently being defined. The hierarchy is being developed in preparation for introducing an object-oriented datastructure with ”Work Result” as a common object for carrying information throughout the building lifecycle. ”Work Result” is the outcome of the activities (the transformation of resources) in the Weekly Work Plan used in the Last Planner System. At the same time the ”Work Result” object is the link to integration between object oriented product models and process models, in this case the three levels of planning proposed in the Last Planner System. KW - Value chain KW - documentation KW - information flow KW - objects oriented KW - classification KW - and strategies of implementation. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/232/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/232 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Information Flow Integrated Process Modeling C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Chen, Qian AU - Chua, David K.H. AU - Song, Yuanbin AD - Ph.D. Candidate, Building Construction Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540/231-9877, FAX 540/231-7339, qchen@vt.edu AD - Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, 65/6874-2195, FAX 65/6779-1635, cvedavid@nus.edu.sg AD - h.D. Candidate, Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, 65-6874-4643, FAX 65-6779-2248, engp0361@nus.edu.sg AB - In recent years, construction management has paid considerable attention to lean production, a philosophy that attaches great importance to flow issues and emphasizes the need to balance flow and conversion improvements. This paper presents the Information Flow Integrated Process Modeling (IFIPM) technique, which implements four procedures: (1) establishing information dependencies by using IDEF0 modeling method, (2) identifying information loops and conflicts in process relationships, (3) resolving information loops/conflicts, and (4) improving and re-computing the CPM schedule. This technique is capable of making information flows more explicit. As a result, the implicit information dependencies between construction activities can be made more obvious to all project participants and can be taken into consideration during process planning and scheduling. In this way, both the project process schedule and coordination among specialty subcontractors can be improved. KW - Lean construction KW - information flow KW - coordination KW - specialty subcontractor KW - and CPM PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/233/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/233 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Guidelines for Conception, Implementation and Use of Performance Measurement Systems in Construction Companies C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Costa, Dayana B. AU - Formoso, Carlos T. AD - Civil Eng., M.Sc., Research Assistant at NORIE/UFRGS, Av. Osvaldo Aranha, 99 – 3º andar. CEP 90035- 190 Porto Alegre – RS. E-mail: dayana@cpgec.ufrgs.br AD - Civil Eng., Ph.D., Associate Professor at NORIE/UFRGS – Av. Osvaldo Aranha, 99 – 3º andar. CEP 90035-190 Porto Alegre – RS. E-mail: formoso@vortex.ufrgs.br AB - Despite recent efforts carried out by academics and the growing interest from construction sector associations to disseminate performance measurement concepts and practices, the use of performance indicators is not systematic in most construction companies. The lack of adequate measures has been pointed out as a major difficulty for establishing performance measurement systems in those companies. This article describes some results of a research project that aims to propose some guidelines to the conception, implementation and use of performance measurement systems. Such guidelines emphasise the need to establish a link between performance measurement and firms’ competitive strategies, as well as the effective insertion of measures into the management of critical processes. This research project is based on five case studies carried out in medium and small sized companies from the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This paper focuses on the framework that was proposed to establish performance measures aligned with the firm’s competitive strategy. It identifies a number of best practices and improvement opportunities related to the conception and implementation of such systems. KW - Performance measurement KW - strategies KW - process management KW - best practices PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/235/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/235 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - New Paradigm in Concrete Products Production C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Dean, John T. AU - Dawood, Nash AD - D (Prof) Student University of Teesside, Site Manager, Aggregate Industries, North End Works, Ashton Keynes, Swindon, Wiltshire, England SN6 6QX, E-mail John.Dean@aggregate.com AD - Professor of Construction Management and IT, Centre for Construction Innovation Research, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, E-Mail n.n.dawood@tees.ac.uk AB - The production of Wet Cast concrete paving units with complex decorative edge shapes has traditionally required operators to remove cured products from their moulds (de-moulding) by hand and to stack the finished product onto pallets by hand. A study utilising postural analysis of these operations taking into account the weights of paving units involved some of which exceeded 25kgs. Revealed excessive flexing and twisting of the trunk, uneven loading of the knees and at times excessive exertion according to Borg’s rating system. Whilst retraining in correct postural methods has produced positive results and fewer manualhandling accidents, it was concluded that an automated solution had to be developed. An automated solution was needed to remove undesirable body movements but retain all of the agility associated with human activity capabilities of: product inspection, zero size changeover time, rejection of faulty product and a fast cycle time of 6 seconds per paving unit. A new concept of de-moulding was developed utilising three axis linear motion, edge compliance and a Robot working in synchronous action with the linear motion device. A vision camera for inspection purposes with at least pixel level resolution was developed to work in conjunction with a second Robot working within the movement arc of the first Robot. This second Robot rejected any camera inspection failures via a software handshake and stacked the paving on to pallets. The robotic solution provided an agile tool to enable the application of lean concepts by reducing, manpower, material waste, energy waste, from a relatively unsafe environment and provided a platform for further implementation of more advanced production planning methods. KW - SMED KW - Bar Code Technology KW - Lean and Agile KW - Process Map PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/236/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/236 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Measuring Lean Conformance C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Diekmann, J.E. AU - Balonick, Josh AU - Krewedl, Mark AU - Troendle, Lou AD - K.Stanton Lewis Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado-Boulder, James.Diekmann@Colorado.edu AD - Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado-Boulder, Joshua.Balonick@Colorado.edu AD - Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado-Boulder, Mark.Krewedl@Colorado.edu AD - Project Director, Washington Group International, Troy, Michigan AB - The Construction Industry Institute (CII) is interested in the applicability of lean thinking to the construction process. CII has formed a research team to understand lean principles and to evaluate their applicability to their members' construction processes. As part of the work, the research team has developed a questionnaire to measure a firm's "conformance" to lean ideals. This paper presents the questionnaire, describes its formulation, and illustrates its use. KW - Lean production KW - lean principles KW - lean construction conformance KW - lean construction questionnaire. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/237/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/237 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - An International Comparison of the Delivery Process of Power Distribution Equipment C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Elfving, Jan A. AU - Tommelein, Iris D. AU - Ballard, Glenn AD - Ph.D. Candidate, Civil and Envir. Engrg. Department, 215 McLaughlin Hall, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1712, USA, FAX: 510/643-8919, elfving@ce.berkeley.edu AD - Professor, Civil and Envir. Engrg. Department, 215-A McLaughlin Hall, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1712, USA, 510/643-8678, FAX: 510/643-8919, tommelein@ce.berkeley.edu, www.ce.berkeley.edu/~tommelein AD - Research Director, Lean Construction Institute, 4536 Fieldbrook Road, Oakland, CA 94619, 888/771-9207, FAX 510/530-2048, ballard@ce.berkeley.edu: Associate Adjunct Professor, Civil and Envir. Engrg. Department, 215-A McLaughlin Hall, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1712 AB - This paper compares and contrasts the delivery and assembly processes of power distribution equipment on three projects. Included are switchboards, panelboards, and motor control centers. Two projects were from the US and one was from Finland, which also gave an opportunity to compare the American National Electrical Manufacturing Association (NEMA) standard with the European Standard (EN) with respect to power distribution equipment and the delivery process. Data was collected by observation, records analysis, and interviews or workshops with owners, users/operators, architects, electrical engineers, project management firms/ general contractors, electrical contractors, and equipment manufacturers. Identifying and exploring the similarities and differences between projects, has greatly broadened the understanding about the delivery process for this type of engineered-to-order product for both the researchers and industry participants. 24 process performance measures were developed. The causes of the main differences among the measures were investigated. Even though the components of the equipment are acquired mostly from the same manufacturers, there were notable differences in the engineering and manufacturing methodologies in the U.S. and Finland. This had a significant impact on engineering lead time, manufacturing cycle time, and design changes and/or errors. Also the procurement methodology has a large impact on the power distribution equipment delivery lead time. Some of the areas of weaknesses identified are incomplete and uncertain input data, lack of systematically collecting input data throughout the process, lack of knowledge and resources to process information, adversarial process environments, and destructive incentives. KW - Engineered-to-order product KW - equipment KW - lead time KW - standard KW - lean construction KW - manufacturing procurement KW - product specification PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/238/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/238 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Learning to Think and Detail From First (Leaner) Principles C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Emmitt, Stephen AD - Professor of Innovation and Management in Building, Department of Civil Engineering, Building 115, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark. Email. se@byg.dtu.dk AB - Why are buildings detailed like they are? Why do we seem to come to the same kinds of solutions every time? Are we satisfied with this? In an age of increased environmental awareness the answer to the third question has to be no. We need to encourage an innovative approach to detailed design thinking and decision-making, starting with education and through into practice. This paper provides an overview of an innovative Level 3 undergraduate module that was designed with the aim of encouraging students to approach architectural detailing from first principles and within an environmentally responsible framework. A simple nine-cell matrix was used to help students to develop their detailed design work and more importantly encourage them to think beyond the familiar (inappropriate?) solutions taught in construction technology modules. Ease of maintenance and disassembly strategies was investigated as part of a whole life approach to architectural detailing. By focusing on the detail, the joint solution, students were able to reappraise their approach to detailing, generate new ideas and develop their transferable skills. Analysis of the module delivery and student feedback helps to highlight the need for extending the constructability framework, while also illustrating opportunities for considering and realising a leaner approach to design and construction. KW - Constructability KW - Design quality KW - Detailed design KW - Disassembly KW - Education KW - Innovation KW - Productivity KW - Sustainability. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/239/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/239 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Using Buffers to Manage Production: A Case Study of the Pentagon Renovation Project C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Horman, Michael J. AU - Messner, John I. AU - Riley, David R. AU - Pulaski, Michael H AD - Assistant Professor, Arch. Engrg. Department, 104 Engr. Unit A, Penn State Univ., University Park, CA 16802, 814-863-2080, FAX 814-863-4789, mjhorman@engr.psu.edu AD - Assistant Professor, Arch. Engrg. Department, 104 Engr. Unit A, Penn State Univ., University Park, CA 16802, 814-863-2080, FAX 814-863-4789, jmessner@engr.psu.edu AD - Associate Professor, Arch. Engrg. Department, 104 Engr. Unit A, Penn State Univ., University Park, CA 16802, 814-863-2080, FAX 814-863-4789, driley@engr.psu.edu AD - Ph.D. Candidate, Arch. Engrg. Department, 104 Engr. Unit A, Penn State Univ., University Park, CA 16802, 814-863-2080, FAX 814-863-4789, mpulaski@engr.psu.edu AB - In construction, it is not common to discuss the use of buffers to manage production. Some companies are clearly better at using these mechanisms than others, even if they do not explicitly discuss their buffer management practices. Certain projects and the way they are organized and managed are better suited for the use of buffer management techniques. This paper explores the implementation of buffer management techniques for the planning and execution of the renovation of the Pentagon. This case project provides a good example of the successful use of buffers. The Pentagon Renovation Project (Wedge 2 to 5) is a $840 million, 10 year project with a high degree of repetition. The project is phased by wedge moving from Wedge 2 to Wedge 5. The work of the project was planned using a technique known as short interval production scheduling (SIPS). This schedule segmented the wedges into smaller work zones and sequenced a “parade of trades” through each zone. Each trade was provided a period of one week in each zone to complete their work. However, some parts of the project involved differing amounts of work for the trade contractor. This was particularly true of the mechanical contractor and it meant that resources could not be optimally balanced to avoid unproductive periods. This contractor used buffers to help smooth the varying levels of work between these zones. The methods used to plan their work are analyzed along with an analysis of the plan execution. Lessons and challenges to the use of buffers in this application are identified. KW - Buffers KW - Pentagon renovation KW - lean construction. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/240/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/240 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - The Marriage of CPM and Lean Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Huber, Bob AU - Reiser, Paul AD - Scheduling Manager, The Boldt Company, Box 419, Appleton Wisconsin USA 54912-0419. bob.huber@boldt.com AD - Vice President, Production and Process Innovation, The Boldt Company, Box 419, Appleton Wisconsin USA 54912-0419. paul.reiser@boldt.com AB - Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling is the hallmark of current project management practice. This paper explains how one practitioner applies the Lean ideal of a “custom product, delivered instantly, without waste” to CPM scheduling. The paper also demonstrates how CPM scheduling and the Last Planner™ System can be complimentary processes that improve crew flow and work flow in a Lean based project management approach. Further, the paper introduces the concept of attention as a wasteable project resource and presents methods for its efficient utilization. KW - CPM as product KW - crew flow mapping KW - interactive scheduling KW - soft logic KW - crew-centric planning KW - coordinating conversations KW - attention as resource KW - pull intensity PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/241/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/241 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - An Experience of Introducing Last Planner Into a Uk Construction Project C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Johansen, Erik AU - Porter, Geoff AD - School of the Built Environment, Northumbria University, Ellison Place Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1, 8ST, UK. 0191-227-4720, eric.johansen@northumbria.ac.uk AD - Sustainable Cities Research Institute, Northumbria University, 6 North Street East, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1, 8ST, UK, geoff.porter@northumbria.ac.uk AB - The Last Planner methodology developed by the Lean Construction Institute is a production control tool which has possible benefits for improving planning in the UK construction industry. Its application has been considered in countries outside the UK but there is scope for considering whether it is a practical tool for use in UK construction projects. The application of the methodology to a UK construction project was studied with a view to establishing the value of the tool and the possible barriers to its implementation. After training by the writers the method was developed for use on a project by the project team and applied to the main activities. The writers observed the process and interviewed the participants. The methodology had some success in terms of improving structure and discipline in planning but there were structural and cultural barriers identified which need to be addressed before it can be fully successful. KW - Last Planner KW - lookahead KW - subcontractors. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/243/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/243 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Non Value-Adding Activities in Building Projects: A Preliminary Categorization C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Josephson, Per-Erik AU - Saukkoriipi, Lasse AD - Associate Professor, Building Economics and Management, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden, per-erik.josephson@bem.chalmers.se AD - Master of Science, Building Economics and Management, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden, lasse.saukkoriipi@bem.chalmers.se AB - There is a general opinion and common agreement within the building and construction industry that the costs are too high, but a disagreement on which cost elements and what reasons are lying behind this situation. The Swedish Construction Federation states that the burden of taxation on new houses in Sweden is 65%. Other groups of actors mean that the production is inefficient or that material prices are too high. An alternative way to tackle the problem is to identify activities, which do not add value to the customer. This paper gives examples of non value-adding activities and discusses their costs and causes. A preliminary action-oriented categorization, related to when action should be taken, who should act and how to act to avoid non value-adding activities, is presented and discussed. KW - Non value-adding activities KW - poor quality costs KW - building project KW - categorization. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/244/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/244 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - An IT Tool for Managing the Product Development Process C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Kagioglou, Michail AU - Wu, Song AU - Aouad, Ghassan AU - Lee, Angela AU - Cooper, Racel AU - Fleming, Andrew AD - Senior Research Fellow, Centre Manager, University of Salford, Salford Centre for Research and Innovation (SCRI) in the Built and Human Environment, Meadow Road, Salford, M7 1NU. UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 295 3855, Fax: +44 (0)161 295 4587, Email: m.kagioglou@salford.ac.uk AD - Research Fellow, University of Salford, School of Construction and Property Management, Meadow Road, Salford, M7 1NU. UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 295 5855, Fax: +44 (0)161 295 5011, Email: s.wu@salford.ac.uk AD - Professor of IT and Construction Management, University of Salford, School of Construction and Property Management, Meadow Road, Salford, M7 1NU. UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 295 5176, Fax: +44 (0)161 295 5011, Email: g.aouad@salford.ac.uk AD - Research Fellow, University of Salford, School of Construction and Property Management, Meadow Road, Salford, M7 1NU. UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 295 5855, Fax: +44 (0)161 295 5011, Email: a.lee@salford.ac.uk AD - Professor of Design Management, University of Salford, School of Art and Design, Centenary Building, Peru Street, Salford, M3 6EQ. UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 295 6146, Fax: +44 (0)161 295 6174, Email: r.cooper@salford.ac.uk AD - Research Fellow, University of Salford, School of Construction and Property Management, Meadow Road, Salford, M7 1NU. UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 295 5855, Fax: +44 (0)161 295 5011, Email: a.fleming@salford.ac.uk AB - Throughout the last two decades a number of improved product development processes have been suggested that illustrate and clearly define the nature, scope and holistic representation of the issues involved in understanding and managing the product development process (PDP). The degree to which they have actually added value in the industry, even when lean principles have been incorporated, has been debated by many authors. Many agree that one of the main reasons for the above is that those processes/models are rarely implemented fully or the integrity of the embedded philosophy has been diluted through wrong adaptation. One such model of an improved PDP is the Process Protocol. This paper presents how the development of an IT tool can enable the easy and fast adaptation of the Process Protocol Model without loosing the integrity of the holistic approach and without diluting the Philosophies on which it was based. The IT tool adopts the Process Protocol model as a template with enough information that makes it appropriate but flexible enough to allow individual company innovations to be part of the model in a nonprescriptive nature. KW - PDP KW - process management KW - process modeling KW - IT PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/246/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/246 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Enablers for Concurrent Engineering in Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Kamara, John M. AD - Lecturer, Sch. of Arch., Planning & Landscape, Univ. of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 191 222 8619; Fax: +44 (0) 191 222 8811; Email: j.m.kamara@ncl.ac.uk AB - Concurrent engineering (CE) is implemented through a variety of tools, which facilitate the key CE strategies of multi-disciplinary teamwork, concurrent parallel and integrated processes, and upfront consideration of lifecycle issues. Since this concept was first considered as a viable proposition integrating the construction process, various attempts have been made to develop enabling tools for CE in construction (CEC) This paper discusses various enablers for CEC. Organization- and technology-based tools are considered, and the extent to which they provide an enabling environment for CEC both with respect to the principles of CE, and the various levels of support required, is also assessed. The analysis revealed that there is broad support (to varying degrees) for CE in construction, but that this is mostly project-centric. There is therefore need for support at the organization level, and also for individuals. Issues relating to the wider implementation of CE identified by the analysis of various enablers suggest that although much progress is being made, there is still more ground to cover. It is also concluded that the role of clients should not be overlooked as they are key to the successful implementation of CE in construction. KW - AEC industry; concurrent engineering; CE enablers; CE tools; Computer integration PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/247/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/247 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - An Open Building Strategy for Converting Obsolete Office Buildings to Residential Uses C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Kendall, Stephen AD - Director, Building Futures Institute, College of Architecture and Planning, Ball State University, Muncie, IN., 47306. TEL: 765.285.1911. EMAIL: skendall@bsu.edu. Website: www.bsu.edu/cap/bfi AB - This paper reports on a study of a strategy for the conversion of obsolete office buildings to residential use. We use a case study method with an existing historic structure in Detroit, the Kales Building, designed in 1924 by the famous architect Albert Kahn. The building, typical of many in downtown urban centers in the United States, is planned for conversion into 108 residential units. We compare an open building strategy to the conventional approach. Our study involves architectural and engineering design methods, new business forms, supply chain and information management, trades, and construction management. The study is intended as a demonstration of an open building approach that can be applied to many similar multi-unit buildings as well as to new construction. The ultimate goal is the creation of an Indiana company making integrated fit-out product bundles, thus taking this innovative process into the market. This open building strategy has several elements that are congruent with lean construction principles, not the least of which is deep rethinking of supply channel management, logistics reordering, and just-in-time services. KW - Open building KW - conversion KW - product bundling KW - supply chains KW - lean construction KW - industrial ecology PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/250/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/250 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Achieving Change in Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Koskela, Lauri AU - Ballard, Glenn AU - Howell, Greg AD - Senior Researcher, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O.Box 1800, FIN-02044 VTT, Finland, Phone +358 9 456 4556, Fax +358 9 456 6251, E-mail lauri.koskela@vtt.fi AD - Glenn Ballard is Research Director for the Center for Innovation in Project and Production Management (dba Lean Construction Institute) and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of California at Berkeley, ballard@leanconstruction.org. AD - Executive Director, Lean Construction Institute, Box 1003, Ketchum, ID 83340. 208/726-9989. E-mail ghowell@leanconstruction.org. AB - It is generally admitted that there is a need for change in construction, and various initiatives and programmes have been launched in many countries for achieving that change. However, only few have a track record of consequent and significant successes, even if success in small scale has been reported. This paper considers the scope of change needed, the big foundational ideas of change, as well as the initiation of the change and keeping its momentum. The discussion draws on theoretical, empirical and action research carried out by the authors. The reasons for the sluggish results from change initiatives are also briefly analyzed. KW - Construction KW - organizational change KW - learning PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/251/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/251 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - A Trade Union's View of the Building Process C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Larsen, John AU - Odgaard, Gunde AU - Buch, Sidse AD - President of the Cartel of unions in the Building, Construction and Wood sectors (BAT-kartellet) and President of the building and construction section of The National Union of General Workers. John.larsen@sid.dk. AD - General Secretary of the Cartel of unions in the Building, Construction and Wood sectors (BAT-kartellet). BAT-secretariat, Kampmannsgade 4, DK-1790 Copenhagen. Gunde.odgaard@sid.dk. AD - Consultant in the Cartel of unions in the Building, Construction and Wood sectors (BAT-kartellet). BATsecretariat, Kampmannsgade 4, DK-1790 Copenhagen. Sidse@sid.dk. AB - The Danish Building and Construction Workers Unions primary concern is to improve the overall working conditions for the construction workers. We are also determined to increase the quality, productivity and efficiency in the construction industry. We consider the theory of Lean Construction as a viable means to achieve these goals. Lean Construction puts the construction worker into focus, as he is the only participant in the building process directly generating value to the customer. Since the building process is a co-operation vertically and horizontally between many different participants it can best be understood as a form of teamwork. The teamwork inherent in this building process requires every participant to be dependent on each other. The process must be based on mutual respect and recognition of all the participants’ competencies. If the trade unions are to achieve our goals this recognition is an absolute prerequisite. The unions view Lean Construction as a means to increase the construction workers’ responsibility and influence by recognizing their qualifications regarding planning, coordination, cooperation and decision-making. The International Federation of Building and Woodworkers, IFBWW4 supports these views, although pointing out that the concept of Lean Construction is mostly applicable to the construction sectors of industrial rather than developing countries. This paper reviews research in cooperation, teamwork and life-long learning, and reports interviews with 28 construction workers who have participated in Lean Construction or Lean Construction related projects. KW - trade union KW - working conditions KW - construction workers PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/252/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/252 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Reliability and Stability Buffering Approach in Concurrent Design and Construction Projects C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Lee, Sang Hyun AU - Pena-Mora, Feniosky AU - Park, Moonseo AD - PhD Candidate, Dept. of Civil and Envir. Engrg., MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, PH 617-258-9468, lsh@mit.edu AD - Professor, Dept. of Civil and Envir. Engrg., UIUC, 3129 Newmark Lab, 205 n Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801 AD - Assistant Professor, Dept. of Bldg., Schl. of Degn. and Envir., NUS, 4 Architecture Drive SDE 1: 5-33, Singapore 117566; PH 65-6874-6430; bdgmp@nus.edu.sg AB - Current construction projects often need to reduce the development time while keeping their quality and budget. This increased demand for reducing development time has introduced fast tracking and concurrent engineering into the construction industry. However, the adoption of these techniques can make the process more uncertain and complex than the traditional sequential design and construction process. In this paper, we focus on iterative cycles due to error and change as the main source of uncertainty and complexity. To deal with this issue, Reliability and Stability Buffering is presented as a mechanism to reduce the impact of iterative cycles by using a simulation-based approach and different buffer locations and sizes from those used in traditional contingency buffering. Early adoption of errors and changes identified by the proposed buffering approach can help to minimize their ripple effect on the later stages of the project. KW - Concurrent Design and Construction KW - Reliability and Stability Buffering KW - Quality and Change Management KW - Construction System Dynamics KW - Simulation. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/253/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/253 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Knowledge Management and Its Appication to Lean Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Lin, Yu-Cheng AU - Tserng, H. Ping AD - Ph.D. Candidate, Construction Engineering & Management Program, Department of Civil Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, yucheng@ce.ntu.edu.tw AD - Associate Professor, Construction Engineering & Management Program, Department of Civil Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, hptserng@ce.ntu.edu.tw AB - Knowledge Management (KM) has become one of the most significant terms in the IT industry. Knowledge management deals with creating, securing, capturing, coordinating, combining, retrieving, and distributing knowledge. Knowledge sharing between different projects is viewed as an essential source to gain the competitive advantage in the future. Lean construction comes from acknowledging the limitations of current project management and applying “lean production’ to the construction industry. This paper presents an example of implementing of construction knowledge management to construction projects, exploring the relationship between knowledge management and lean construction. It shows that project control could encompass the cost and time consuming by adopting knowledge management concepts and tools in lean construction. The application of knowledge management to implement the lean construction in the construction phase is discussed in this paper through the presentation of a construction project-based knowledge management concept and system for general contractors. The results of real case approve that knowledge management is a useful tool for the application of lean construction in project life cycle by utilizing the latest web technology for knowledge management systems. KW - Lean Construction KW - Knowledge Management KW - Project Management. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/254/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/254 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Assessing Design Practices on Affordable Housing Projects in Mexico Using Lean Concepts C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Loria-Arcila, Jose H. AU - Garcia-Garcia, Alcides AU - Vanegas, Jorge A. AD - Academic Secretary, School of Engineering, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México, 999/941-0195, FAX 999/941-0189, larcila@tunku.uady.mx AD - Graduate Student, Construction Engineering and Management Program, School of Engineering, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México, 999/941-0195, FAX 999/941-0189 AD - The Fred and Teresa Estrada Professor, Construction Engineering and Management Program, School of Civil and Envir. Engrg., 790 Atlantic Dr.; SEB Building, Room 328, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0355, 404/894-9881, FAX 404/894-5418, jorge.vanegas@ce.gatech.edu AB - This paper presents the results of a research project that investigated the level of knowledge and application of lean concepts and principles among the various stakeholders responsible for constructing affordable housing developments in the Southeast of Mexico. The project developed a conceptual framework with key lean parameters, based on the results from a survey among designers and developers. There is substantial evidence showing that design can effectively be improved with the application of the lean production paradigm. Therefore the first objective was to explore whether there was any awareness of the existence of lean concepts: The survey particularly focused on lean design related terms, to explore (1) if they were indeed known by the various participants in affordable housing development projects; (2) whether lean construction concepts were applied in their organizations, and if so, if their application was restricted to senior management or had filtered down and incorporated within the design and production processes; and (3) the likelihood of lean concepts being adopted in the construction of affordable housing developments. The survey revealed very limited knowledge of lean construction (and design) concepts at both management and operational levels. Consequently, the application of those concepts is almost inexistent within the various organizations involved in affordable housing developments. Two recommendations are made for future research to focus on furthering the understanding of the design process and thus eventually providing tools that will develop integrated solutions to the problem of design in affordable housing developments. KW - Lean design KW - lean construction KW - affordable housing. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/255/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/255 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Linguistic Action: Contributing to the Theory of Lean Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Macomber, Hal AU - Howell, Gregory A. AD - Partner, Lean Project Consulting, 36 Kirkland Drive, Andover, MA 01810. hmacomber@leanproject.com AD - Executive Director, Lean Construction Institute, Box 1003, Ketchum, ID. 83340. ghowell@leanconstruction.org AB - Lean Construction springs from the failure of current project management and opens the door to significant reform. Lauri Koskela has identified the inadequate conceptual foundations of current practices in terms of both management and the project, and the resulting calls for reform offer new hope for a stagnant discipline. Lean Construction, inspired by the Toyota Production System, has applied principles drawn from production management to the design of project-based production systems. This paper argues that linguistic action contributes an essential addition to the theory of the project and management. The theory of linguistic action describes the very human processes, the purposeful ways people communicate, by which projects are conceived and delivered. This theory provides a coherent conceptual foundation for the design of the lean project delivery system and its management. KW - Lean Construction KW - theory KW - linguistic action KW - project management KW - production system design. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/256/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/256 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - The Challenge: The Impetus for Change to Lean Project Delivery C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Mastroianni, Remo AU - Abdelhamid, Tariq AD - Quality Director, Walbridge Aldinger, Detroit, MI AD - Assistant Professor, 207 Farrall Hall, Construction Management Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1323. Email: tabdelha@msu.edu AB - A challenge from a customer to use “Lean” in our business and production processes caused a significant change in thinking and review of “Best Practices” to deliver projects better, cheaper and faster. Our research has shown that for select construction activities the valued added portion is about 5% and the remaining 95% is both necessary non-valued added and non-value added activities, also known as “waste”. The conclusion was obvious, in that, we needed to focus on reducing the non-valued activities rather than reduce margin to stay competitive. This paper presents the efforts undertaken by Walbridge Aldinger (WA) in response to a challenge from Ford Motor Company to utilize “Lean” production principles in WA’s construction delivery process. These efforts resulted in the identification and implementation of lean tools and methods that comprise a set of “Lean Construction Best Practices”. Deployment of “Lean Construction Best Practices” will reduce the waste in our processes and reduce the cost of capital facilities. Implementing lean in our businesses will be a matter of survival. KW - Lean Construction KW - Implementation KW - Organizational Change KW - Value Stream Mapping KW - Logistics Planning KW - Visual Management KW - 5S KW - Last Planner System® PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/257/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/257 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Aligning the Lean Organization: A Contractual Approach C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Matthews, Owen AU - Howell, Gregory A. AU - Mitropoulos, Panagiotis AD - CEO, Westbrook Air Conditioning & Plumbing, Box 5459, Orlando, Fl 32855-5459. owenm@westbrookfl.com AD - Managing Director, Lean Construction Institute, Box 1003, Ketchum, ID 83340, ghlci@earthlink.net AD - Research Associate, Lean Construction Institute, Box 1003, Ketchum, ID 83340, Takism@earthlink.net AB - Maximizing value and minimizing waste at the project level is difficult when the contractual structure inhibits coordination, stifles cooperation and innovation, and rewards individual contractors for both reserving good ideas, and optimizing their performance at the expense of others. This paper describes an innovative contractual structure that aligns the interests of all contractors with the objectives of the lean delivery system. The approach, requirements for implementation, and results obtained will be described and a brief reflection on theory offered. KW - Contract KW - Lean Delivery KW - Project Organization KW - Primary Team Member KW - Pact KW - formula KW - Integrated Project Delivery™ PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/258/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/258 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Modeling the Impact of Multiskilling and Concrete Batch Size in Multi-Story Buildings C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Maturana, Sergio AU - Alarcon, Luis Fernando AU - Deprez, Marcel AD - Associate Professor, Dept. of Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile, 562/686-4272, smaturan@ing.puc.cl. AD - Professor, Dept. of Construction Engineering and Management, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile, 562/686-4201, lalarcon@ing.puc.cl. AD - Business and Development Engineer, Cemento Melón, Pedro de Valdivia 98, La Calera, Chile, 562/280- 0448, Marcel.Deprez@melon.lafarge.cl. AB - This paper illustrates the use of a simulation model to explore ways to decrease idle time due to the lack of available working inventory during the primary phase in the construction of a multi-story building. Two strategies are analyzed: increased frequency of concreting operations and the use of multi-skilled workers who use their additional trade when there is a lack of work in their area, or when there is a shortage of employees in another area in which they are proficient. The work involved field observations in a multistory building to obtain data to build and calibrate a simulation model. In the first strategy, the results show that it would be possible to complete the primary phase using 16% less workers or in 10% less time, if concrete is poured daily instead of every other day. In the second strategy, the results show that, in average, it would be possible to complete the primary phase using 14% less workers or in 6% less time, when 30% of the workers are assumed to be multi-skilled. Upon implementing both strategies simultaneously, the results show it would be possible to complete the primary phase using 22% less workers, or in 16% less time. KW - Multiskilling KW - lean construction. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/259/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/259 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Application of Tolerance Analysis and Allocation to Work Structuring: Partition Wall Case C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Milberg, Colin AU - Tommelein, Iris D. AD - PhD Student, Civil and Envir. Engrg. Department, 215 McLaughlin Hall, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1712, 510/289-2552, FAX 510/643-8919, colinm@uclink.berkeley.edu AD - Professor, Civil and Envir. Engrg. Department, 215-A McLaughlin Hall, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1712, 510/643-8678, FAX 510/643-8919, tommelein@ce.berkeley.edu AB - Geometric tolerance as a source of variability is often ignored in project design and control research and practice. Certain best practices to buffer AEC systems from this variability are established through ‘received traditions.’ To describe the nature of this variability, basic tolerance terminology is introduced as applicable to a case study. Tolerance analysis and allocation techniques are herein applied to a very simple AEC system, a drywall partition wall with an electrical outlet. A mapping system, combining aspects of tolerance analysis tools and process mapping, reveals strategies for improved tolerance allocation that often results in the design of alternative work structures. Alternative work structures not only meet the system geometric tolerance constraints but they also attempt to remove waste from the system. The methodology for mapping and analysis are shown to mitigate geometric variations through product and process configuration. Speculation is that the same methodology is adaptable to design systems that are robust to any form of variability impacting the system. KW - Tolerance KW - constructability KW - work structuring KW - lean construction KW - mapping PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/260/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/260 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Client Requirement Management in Building Projects C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Miron, Luciana I.G. AU - Formoso, Carlos T. AD - M.Sc. Ph.D. Candidate, Building Innovation Research Unit (NORIE), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Osvaldo Aranha, 99, 3o andar, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP: 90.035-190 Brasil. FAX:+ 55 51 316 4054, e-mail:lumiron@cpgec.ufrgs.br AD - Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Osvaldo Aranha, 99, 3o andar, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP: 90.035-190 Brasil. e-mail: formoso@vortex.ufrgs.br AB - In recent years, concern with value management has increased in construction, mainly due to the increasing demand for quality from clients and to the increasing complexity of construction projects. This has resulted in changes on the roles of construction organizations and professionals. In this context, the success of a project depends strongly on how the requirements are prioritized and communicated to the design team throughout the product development process. This paper describes the main results of a research study that aimed to establish a set of guidelines for managing client requirements in building projects throughout the product development process. Two case studies involving construction companies acting as the product development co-coordinators were carried out. The first was concerned with the development and construction of a house building projects for the lower middle class. The other one was carried out in a fast, uncertain and complex industrial project. For both cases, multidisciplinary product development teams were formed. They were in charge of several tasks throughout the project such as to identify the objective of the project, to plan and control the product development process, to devise the design brief, and to make design decisions, taking into account the production system requirements. The main contributions of the study are concerned with the introduction of systematic client requirements management in product development, and the application of tools for collecting data and supporting decision-making. KW - Client requirements KW - value generation KW - building product KW - multi-disciplinary team PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/261/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/261 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Workers at the Edge: Hazard Recognition and Action C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Mitropoulos, Panagiotis AU - Howell, Gregory A. AU - Reiser, Paul AD - Research Associate, Lean Construction Institute, Box 1003, Ketchum, ID 83340, Takism@earthlink.net AD - Executive Director, Lean Construction Institute, Box 1003, Ketchum, ID 83340, ghlci@earthlink.net AD - Vice President, Production and Process Innovation, The Boldt Company, Box 419, Appleton Wisconsin. paul.reiser@boldt.com AB - Supervisors and workers report they work in the danger zone where errors can have terrible consequences. Current best practice safety programs aim to train and motivate workers to avoid hazards. These programs attempt to counter pressure for improved efficiency and reduced effort but are only partly successful. A new approach has been proposed that aims to improve safety by increasing the ability of workers to work safely closer to the edge where control is lost and accidents occur (Howell, et al, 2002). In this paper we review and propose the implementation of an approach drawn from aviation. Airline safety has been improved by a system designed to alert pilots of hazards identified by anyone on the flight deck. Crew Resource Management (CRM) protocols establish a safe and emphatic way to alert the pilot that the safety of the flight is at risk. This system is designed to overcome the reluctance of junior members to make suggestions to more senior officers. Specific simple communication rules are established to assure the gravity and source of the concern is made apparent without disrupting normal roles and responsibilities. While flying a plane is different from working in a construction crew, we suspect that construction workers are reluctant, for a variety of reason to speak up when hazards are encountered. Taking risks is considered part of the job. This paper describes CRM, and proposes an experimental application in construction. KW - Construction safety KW - Crew Resource Management KW - Human Error KW - Error Management PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/262/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/262 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Design for Manufacture and Assembly C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Pasquire, Christine L. AU - Connolly, Gary E. AD - Senior Lecturer, Civil & Building Engineering, Loughborough University, UK, c.l.pasquire@lboro.ac.uk AD - Technical Solutions Director, Crown House Engineering, Wolverhampton, UK, GConnolly@Carillionplc.com AB - The inclusion of off-site production into construction project delivery offers many benefits but its inclusion frequently results in inappropriate design work. This may be double design work largely due to detailing included in the traditional design process either repeated by the manufacturer for bespoke production or has been undertaken previously during original product design, substantial material waste due to poor sizing for standard components or incorrect design of surrounding structural elements. As the scale and number of manufactured items incorporated increases, the extent of this waste in the design process becomes more significant. To compensate for this, an amended design process is required along with major changes in the design role and the composition of the design team itself. This paper, based on research3 funded by the UK Government Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the experiences of a major mechanical services manufacturer4, presents a revised design process focused on Mechanical Engineering, showing where and how waste is eliminated and the roles of the various design team members. KW - Design KW - pre-assembly KW - off-site manufacturing KW - process. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/263/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/263 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Construction Supply Chains: Turkish Supply Chain Configurations for Cut and Bent Rebar C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Polat, Gul AU - Ballard, Glenn AD - Research Assistant, Construction Management Program, Department of Civil Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey, Tel: +90-212-285-37-37; fax: +90-212-285-65-87; gpolat@ins.itu.edu.tr AD - Research Director, Lean Construction Institute, 4536 Fieldbrook Road, Oakland, CA 94619. 510/530-8656, gballard@leanconstruction.org and Associate Adjunct Professor, Project & Engineering Mgmt. Group, Dept. of Civil and Env. Eng., University of California at Berkeley AB - This paper presents current supply chain configurations for concrete reinforcement steel (rebar) in the Turkish construction industry. The supply chains were assessed by the value stream mapping method and were investigated through visits to firms involved in the supply chain and interviews with practitioners. Five different types of rebar supply chain configurations were identified in the case studies. A significant number of problems were also identified resulting from inaccurate data transfers among participants, and also from delays and interruptions in information flow. This paper details the root causes of problems throughout the supply chain comprising engineering, detailing, reckoning, fabrication and procurement processes. It is proposed that the problems are caused by fragmentation in the construction industry, and by lack of awareness of the supply chain management concept and its benefits. Finally, a set of recommendations for performance improvement are proposed. KW - Concrete reinforcing steel KW - rebar KW - supply chain management KW - supply chain management in construction KW - construction supply chains KW - process mapping KW - supply chain analysis KW - value stream mapping. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/264/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/264 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Benchmarking Management Practices in the Construction Industry C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Ramirez R., Ricardo AU - Alarcon C., Luiz Fernando AU - Knights, Peter AD - Dept. of Construction Engineering and Management, Universidad Católica de Chile, Escuela de Ingeniería, Casilla 306, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile. E-mail: rramirer@ing.puc.cl AD - Professor of Civil Engineering, Dept. of Construction Engineering and Management, Universidad Católica de Chile, Escuela de Ingeniería, Casilla 306, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile. E-mail: lalarcon@ing.puc.cl AD - Professor of Civil Engineering, Mining Center, Universidad Católica de Chile, Escuela de Ingeniería,Casilla 306, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile. E-mail:pknights@ing.puc.cl. AB - This paper presents the results of the first application of a management evaluation system for benchmarking management practices in the construction industry. The system supports a National Benchmarking System recently established in the Chilean Construction Industry by incorporating qualitative management aspects in addition to quantative performance indicators. Different analysis were made to determine trends in the industry sector by correlating the qualitative evaluations from surveys with the performance indicators. Thirteen construction companies participated in the initial application of the benchmarking system. A correlation analysis found that safety performance was strongly related to companies having superior planning and control, quality management, cost control and subcontractor management policies. An factor analysis undertaken found that Central office priorities center on strategic management policies having longer term competitive impact, whilst site management emphasizes tactical management dimensions consistent with shorter term impact. There is scope to elevate the profile of continuous improvement initiatives to strategic significance at central 1office level. KW - Qualitative Benchmarking KW - Management Dimension KW - Performance Indicators KW - Management Evaluation System. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/265/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/265 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - 3D Modeling and Real-Time Monitoring in Support of Lean Production of Engineered-to-Order Precast Concrete Buildings C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Sacks, Rafael AU - Akinci, Burcu AU - Ergen, Esin AD - Lecturer, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Eng., 840 Rabin Building, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel, 972-4-829-3190 FAX 972-4-832-3433, cvsacks@technion.ac.il AD - Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Eng., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890, 412-268-2959 FAX 412-268-7813, bakinci@andrew.cmu.edu AD - Doctoral Student, Department of Civil and Environmental Eng., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890, 412-268-2959 FAX 412-268-7813, eergen@andrew.cmu.edu AB - Previous research has highlighted the efficacy of the application of lean production principles in the precast concrete industry. The work also highlighted the dependence of engineered-toorder prefabrication in construction on both engineering and on process control information for production in construction. In current practice in most precast/prestressed plants in the US, producers typically fabricate pieces well in advance of their erection on site, resulting in relatively large buffers of product stored in extensive yards. This practice is generally attributed to the fact that precast production rates are significantly slower than erection rates, and to erratic demands for product from the erection process. The behavior is reinforced by the industry-wide willingness of building clients to pay up to 90% of the cost of precast products on production, rather than on delivery and erection. However, other factors prevent reduction of inventories: among them are the inability of current numbering methods and information systems to support long term erection sequence planning; the high cost and imprecision of real-time feedback (pull) information from the site and/or project management; and producers’ unreliability in identifying and shipping pieces on time from yards that are difficult to manage due to their size. We propose that resolution of these problems requires concerted application of lean principles, of advanced information technology and of real-time monitoring (using Automated Project Performance Control technologies). The potential of information systems and interpreted monitoring data to support a lean production and delivery cycle for precast construction is explored in relation to each of the problems stated. KW - Lean production KW - precast concrete KW - 3D modeling KW - information technology KW - real-time monitoring. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/266/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/266 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Applying Visual Management on Mobile Cell Manufacturing: A Case Study on Drywall Technology C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Moser, Luciano AU - Santos, Aguinaldo dos AD - Civil Engineer, MSc. candidate, PPGEC, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Jardim das Américas, C.P. 19011, CEP: 81531-990 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil ,moser@cesec.ufpr.br AD - Civil Engineer, MSc., PhD, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Jardim das Américas, C.P. 19011, CEP: 81531-990 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, asantos@cesec.ufpr.br, http://www.cesec.ufpr.br/~asantos AB - This paper stresses the impact of using visual controls in a mobile cell implementation in the construction industry, expanding the analysis carried out by Santos, Moser & Tookey (2002) within the same research project. The investigation was carried out using a case study research method and focused on the drywall technology. The whole research was carried out in two phases. Initial phase: a diagnosis on drywall practices in three companies. The observations showed various problems such as improvisation with tools, poor workflow planning and the absence of adequate drywall design plans. Second phase: implementation of a mobile cell. The study showed that developing adequate visual controls on the workstations, packages, and the materials themselves is a key factor to enable a successful implementation of mobile cells in construction. However, the frequent movement of workstations throughout the construction site demands visual controls with higher mobility than current on-the-shelf visual controls, which is in itself an opportunity for further innovation in construction. KW - Visual Control KW - mobile cell KW - cellular manufacturing PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/267/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/267 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - A Study About Application and Refinement of a Production Strategy Formulation Model in a Building Company C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Santos, Ana Paula S. AU - Neto, Dimas de C. e Silva AU - Neto, Jose de Paula Barros AD - Undergraduate Student in Administration, Federal Univ. of Ceara, Fortaleza/ Brazil, ssanapaula@bol.com.br AD - Professor at the Department of Construction, Regional University of Cariri, Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil, dimas_de_castro@hotmail.com AD - Professor at the Department of Structural Engineering and Construction, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil, jpbarros@ufc.br AB - In recent years, there have been some important changes in the industrial context, which have turned the production function into an important competitive force in many enterprises. This is due to the fundamental role this function has had in the acquisition of competitive criteria such as cost and quality. Based on this, the companies began to analyze the production function's decisions, no longer with an exclusively operational and short-term vision, but with a strategic approach linked to the company’s global objectives. Thus, this paper intends to study the application in a building company, of a production strategy formulation model developed by Barros Neto (1999). The objective of this application is to refine the model, as well as adjusting it to the local company's features in accordance with the work’s progress. The model’s application lasted six months and included the following stages: strategic diagnosis of the production function, knowledge of the profiles of the company’s customers and competitors, the company's objectives and the production function's objectives, development of plans and the follow up of the defined strategy implementation. It was clearly observed that the success of this work depends strongly on the company's culture, strategic planning knowledge and the importance of production function for the firm. KW - strategic planning KW - production function KW - competitive advantage PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/268/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/268 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Increasing the Understanding of Lean Principles With Advanced Visualization Technologies C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Tan, Bo AU - Horman, Michael J. AU - Messner, John I. AU - Riley, David R. AD - Graduate Student, Depart. Architectural Engr., Penn State Univ., 104 Engr. Unit A, University Park, PA 16802, 814-863-6786, FAX 814-863-4789, btan@psu.edu AD - Assistant Professor, Depart. Architectural Engr., Penn State Univ., 211 Engr. Unit A, University Park, PA 16802, 814-863-2080, FAX 814-863-4789, mjhorman@engr.psu.edu AD - Assistant Professor, Depart. Architectural Engr., Penn State Univ., 104 Engr. Unit A, University Park, PA 16802, 814-865-4578, FAX 814-863-4789, jmessner@engr.psu.edu AD - Associate Professor, Depart. Architectural Engr., Penn State Univ., 104 Engr. Unit A, University Park, PA 16802, 814-863-2079, FAX 814-863-4789, driley@engr.psu.edu AB - Advanced production management principles, like those of lean construction, have tremendous potential to improve the construction of projects. Ideas of lean construction have been proposed for more than ten years. These have had success, but they have hardly revolutionized the industry like lean production has impacted the manufacturing industry. One significant challenge facing proponents of advance production management in construction is the ability to articulate lean construction principles in a meaningful way to new users. Advanced visualization technologies like 3D and 4D Computer Aided Design (CAD), can help managers and foremen visualize the impact and usefulness of these principles. This paper describes an experiment performed with a graduate class to assess the use of 4D CAD for visualizing the various elements of production flow. Students were asked to assess a Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule for production flow characteristics. They were then asked to review the same sequence of work in a 4D CAD model. A large proportion of the class did not identify the flow issues in the CPM schedule, but most of them identified critical flow issues in the 4D CAD model. It was concluded that this visualization technology helped the students identify, explain and develop a deeper understanding of advanced production management principles. KW - Production flow KW - lean construction KW - 4D CAD modeling KW - visualization PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/269/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/269 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Experience and Results From Implementing Lean Construction in a Large Danish Contracting Firm C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Thomassen, Mikkel Andreas AU - Sander, Dag AU - Barnes, Kristine Ann AU - Nielsen, Anni AD - mlt@mthojgaard.dk, MT Højgaard A/S, AD - dsa@mthojgaard.dk, MT Højgaard A/S AD - kab@mthojgaard.dk, MT Højgaard A/S AD - nil@mthojgaard.dk, MT Højgaard A/S AB - MT Højgaard – the largest contracting firm in Denmark – has in a number of years worked seriously with implementing Lean Construction. Lean methods have been used on more than 30 completed or ongoing construction projects. This paper takes stock of the experience and results obtained in the implementation process by presenting the main findings in our 2002 annual report on lean construction. The outline is as follows. First, an overview of the implementation of Lean Construction in MT Højgaard is given. This implementation consists of well-known lean methods such as “last planner” and “look ahead”, but more idiosyncratic methods are also presented in this section. For instance, the introduction of a new role on the building site (the “process manager”) and an IT-tool supporting lean-planning (called “PlanLog”). The number of lean projects performed in MT Højgaard provides an excellent opportunity for presenting aggregate data. Thus, second, the paper examines on a project level how the application of lean methods affects benchmarks such as profit (level and predictability), safety, client satisfaction and administrative costs. These preliminary data suggests that all parties can benefit from using LC. Among others, profit is increased for the main contractor as well as for the subcontractors and the workforce on the building site experiences an improvement in the working environment. The final section briefly explores some perspectives for the use of lean in MT Højgaard. In particular the possibility of using lean ideas in the design phase is raised. KW - Lean Construction KW - Benchmarking KW - safety KW - Lean Design PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/270/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/270 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Application of Lean Construction Principles in Product Development Process Modelling C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Tzortzopoulos, Patricia AU - Kagioglou, Mike AD - Architect, M.Sc., Ph.D. candidate, School of Construction and Property Management, University of Salford, Bridgewater Building, Salford, Greater Manchester, M7 1NU, UK, Tel:+ 44 (0161) 2954284 FAX + 44 (0161) 2954587, e-mail: p.tzortzopoulos@pgr.salford.ac.uk AD - Centre manager, University of Salford, Salford Centre for Research and Innovation (SCRI) in the Built and Human Environment, Meadow Road, Salford, M7 1NU, UK, FAX + 44 (0161) 2954587, e-mail: m.kagioglou@salford.ac.uk AB - Several studies have pointed out the importance of the product development process in terms of improving the performance of the construction industry. Product development management is difficult because it involves thousands of decisions with numerous interdependencies, under a highly uncertain environment. This has led to the development of a number of initiatives in research and practice aiming at improving the product development process. Process models have been devised, which are useful in understanding how the process develops and suggesting ways of controlling it. Unfortunately, the implementation of these models and methodologies in practice is very slow and until now there are no major improvements resulting from these solutions. One of the reasons for this is the lack of understanding that any new product development process needs to be managed as part of a change programme within companies. The aim of this article is to present an analysis on the application of lean construction principles to product development modelling in real life settings. This discussion is based on empirical data collected in one case study that focused on the importance of integrating any new product development process within a change management framework. The case study involved the assessment of the development and implementation of a product development process model within a construction company from different perspectives, including the utilisation of information technology. KW - Product development KW - process modelling KW - lean principles PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/272/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/272 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Value of Visibility and Planning in an Engineer-to-Order Environment C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Vaidyanathan, Kalyan AD - Senior Product Manager, i2 Technologies, Inc., 5 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, 617/551- 2780, FAX 617/761-2974, kalyan@i2.com AB - Engineer-to-order industries are a special kind of a manufacturing industry wherein every order is custom and is managed as a project. Planning in these industries is typically done using traditional CPM techniques and likely in silos across various departments. Hence these industries are plagued with poor due-date performance problems and resource overload problems. Effective tools will help better manage these issues and improve operational performance. The paper below discusses these issues through the case of one such company that specializes in making equipment for the beverage industry and their attempt to address the problem. The solution involves better management of the entire lifecycle of the orders. Due-date quoting is improved by taking resource capacity into consideration. Better project planning tools are provided that provide resource and material constrained project plans. The planning scenario involves a multi-project planning with shared resources and the objective is to maximize the enterprise throughput. Emphasis is placed not only on enterprise wide project planning, but also on problem visibility that empower planners to better collaborate and resolve problems (project delays and resource capacity variations) as they come up. The problem visibility and advanced optimization technology provided enable the company to realize valuable savings and improve customer satisfaction. In its nature of being project based, the engineer-to-order industry is similar to construction industry. Analogies and extensions to the construction project management industry are discussed along with the potential value to be realized. But the supply chain differences between the two industries lead to problems and limit immediate adoption. Issues on how to rethink the construction supply chain to realize some of the hidden value is also discussed. KW - Engineer-to-order KW - Multi-project planning KW - Construction supply chain KW - Visibility PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/273/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/273 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Understanding Construction Supply Chains: A Multiple Theoretical Approach to Inter-Organizational Relationships in Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Vrijhoef, Ruben AU - Koskela, Lauri AU - Voordijk, Hans AD - Doctorate candidate, Centre for Process Innovation in Building and Construction, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, E-mail r.vrijhoef@bk.tudelft.nl; Research consultant, TNO Building and Construction Research, Department of Building Process Innovation, The Netherlands AD - Senior Researcher, VTT Building and Transport, Finland, E-mail lauri.koskela@vtt.fi AD - Associate Professor, Department of Construction Process Management, Faculty of Technology and Management, University of Twente, The Netherlands, E-mail h.voordijk@sms.utwente.nl AB - The transaction cost economics (TCE) approach has been applied often as a basis for the analysis and explanation of the functioning and organization of construction processes and supply chains. The objective of this paper is to develop a more complete theoretical framework to better understand inter-organizational relationships (IOR) in construction supply chains from a multi-disciplinary perspective. The starting point of this paper is the observation that the TCE perspective alone is too narrow to fully explain and understand construction supply chains. In addition to TCE, three additional perspectives are introduced to explain the organization and functioning of supply chains: production and operations management (POM), network theory, and the language/action (L/A) perspective. The POM perspective shows that an organizational form of production must be aimed at the general objective of value creation for customers, not merely on the economic argument of minimizing transaction costs. Both TCE and POM, particularly address bilateral inter-firm business relationships and do not include the complexity of wider industry networks, and additional factors of multiple inter-firm relations. Finally, TCE, POM as well as network theory disregard the dynamics associated with the recurrent process of language and action between firms and individuals. In the paper, the theoretical principles of the four perspectives are used to explain IOR in construction supply chains. Next, the four perspectives are mapped and classified in a theoretical framework, including additional directions for the further development of the framework. It is concluded, however, that the framework may still be too incomplete to fully explain and understand the organization and functioning of IOR in construction supply chains, and that a more complete theoretical paradigm is needed. KW - Construction supply chain KW - inter-organizational relationships KW - transaction cost economics KW - production/operations management KW - network theories KW - language/action perspective PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/274/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/274 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Cycle-Time Contributions of Hyper-Specialization and Time-Gating Strategies in Us Residential Construction C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Walsh, Kenneth D. AU - Sawhney, Anil AU - Bashford, Howard H. AD - AGC-Paul S. Roel Chair for Construction Engineering and Management, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-1324, 619/594-0911, FAX: 619/594-8078, kwalsh@mail.sdsu.edu AD - Associate Professor, Del E. Webb School of Construction, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287- 0204, 480/965-7417, FAX: 480/965-1769, anil.sawhney@asu.edu AD - Associate Professor, Del E. Webb School of Construction, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287- 0204, 480/965-4513, FAX: 480/965-1769, howard.bashford@asu.edu AB - High-volume home building (those homes built in large subdivisions by large homebuilders) in the United States has undergone a gradual increase in construction cycle time from start to closing over the last two decades. Part of the increase may be attributable to a concomitant increase in the size and complexity of the typical production home. Cycle times on the order of 2 months were common 20 to 30 years ago in the industry, whereas 6 to 8 months is more common at present; this dramatic increase cannot be explained by differences in the size and specification of the homes being built alone. Most large production homebuilders in the United States have discontinued the practice of self-performing work on their projects, and instead rely upon a network of highly specialized subcontractors organized by trade or activity. This change was motivated by the search for efficiency and cost reduction at the individual task level. In the present production system, 30 to 40 individual subcontractors must be coordinated to complete 100 to 150 separate activities at the home site. Typical value-stream maps of portions of the residential process are presented, illustrating the large number of interfaces or handoffs between organizations which result in the production system. Substantial quantities of wasted time are documented in the production process based on field observation. Much of the wasted time can be attributed to the large number of interfaces and the time-gating strategy of turning over each home to each trade in one day increments. The implications are demonstrated conceptually and quantitative results are derived from process simulation. The paper provides suggested modifications to the production system to reduce cycle time, even assuming existing production methods (at the activity level) are maintained. KW - Residential construction KW - production systems KW - process mapping. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/275/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/275 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Value-Based Management in the Supply Chain of Construction Projects C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Wandahl, Soren AU - Bejder, Erik AD - Ph.D.-student, Department of Production, Aalborg University, Fibigerstræde 16, DK 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark, +45 9635 8989, soren@wandahl.net AD - Associate Professor Ph.D., Department of Production, Aalborg University, Fibigerstræde 16, DK 92220 Aalborg East, Denmark, +45 9635 8950, i9eb@iprod.auc.dk AB - The scope of this paper is to examine the idea of using the management philosophy Value- Based Management (VBM) as a supplementary management tool to control the total building process in a more efficient manner compared with conventional procedures. VBM has been used as a successful management tool inside independent companies for several years, but we want to test this tool in a building organization, i.e. an organization where different companies work together to define and build a unique building. In this paper the approach will mainly be theoretical and aimed at preparing a methodology for practical use in a building organisation. The idea has subsequently been used in a concrete building process, and the results from this project are explained in another paper. The result of the theoretical approach in this paper lead to a well-founded hypothesis stating that the supplementary use of VMB in a project organization with different legal parties can be a more proactive control tool, i.e. the management get an earlier warning if the process go off the rails compared with traditional control mechanisms. KW - Value KW - Value Management KW - Value-Based Management KW - Human behavior KW - Community KW - Congruity. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/276/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/276 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Dynamic States of Project Purpose: Transitions From Customer Needs to Project Requirements - Implications for Adaptive Management C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Whelton, Michael AU - Ballard, Glenn AD - Ph.D. Candidate, Engineering & Project Management Program, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, USA, mwhelton@uclink4.berkeley.edu AD - Associate Adjunct Professor, Engineering & Project Management Program, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, USA, ballard@ce.berkeley.edu AB - The primary goal of the project definition process is to define the customer’s project purpose. Without properly understanding what customers are trying to achieve, designs are not likely to meet those needs. Purpose is a term to signify intent and is the primary driver in value generation. Developing project purposes is a dynamic process and changes to purpose occur throughout the course of project definition. Customer and stakeholder needs transition through various states of definition and various levels of commitment by stakeholders. We propose that purpose emerges from collaborative group interaction i.e. it is considered to be an emergent product of the group creation process. This paper is particularly centered on project managers and the way they dynamically manage changing purposes in the early phase of project definition. The research advocates the use of an adaptive management framework to manage such dynamic complexity. We seek to explore adaptive management techniques that steer the dynamic nature of purpose creation and change. Facilitation for group learning is a prime attribute of management capability in this phase. The conceptual framework is comprised of facilitative management actions supporting the transition of purpose from need to requirement. Based on this framework, a set of linguistic constructs are developed to support the management of the project definition conversation. KW - Adaptive management KW - customer needs KW - emergence KW - project definition KW - purpose KW - requirements KW - value generation. PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/277/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/277 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Relationship Between Productivity and Non Value-Adding Activities C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Zhao, Ying AU - Chua, David K.H. AD - Research Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576 AD - Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, 65/6874-2195, FAX 65/6779-1635, cvedavid@nus.edu.sg AB - From lean production perspective, the physics of production flow can be thought of as comprising value adding and non-value adding (or waste) activities. Moreover, one of its core principles for work improvement is the elimination or mitigation of the latter component. This should be translated into increased productivity at the work site. The aims of this paper are to identify the relationship between productivity at the work site and the waste or non-value-adding activities, and to find out the root causes of the wastes. For this purpose, the waste activities are categorized into 20 sources according to their causes. Productivity data of formwork crews on multiple projects are collected together with the associated wastes. A neural network is then developed to model the influence of the wastes on measured productivity. The model is incrementally pruned so that, eventually, only eight significant wastes are identified and remain. The final model shows very good conformance when compared with observed data. After that the eight significant wastes have been correlated to the project level factors to find out their root reasons. KW - productivity KW - waste KW - neural networks KW - artificial intelligence PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/278/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/278 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - Comparing Process Improvement Initiatives Based on Percent Plan Complete and Labour Utilization Factors C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction PY - 2003 AU - Chitla, Vijay R. AU - Abdelhamid, Tariq S. AD - Graduate Student Research Assistant, 9 Farrall Hall, Construction Management Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1323. Email: chitlavi@msu.edu AD - Assistant Professor, 207 Farrall Hall, Construction Management Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1323. Email: tabdelha@msu.edu AB - The Last Planner System® is a process-based system developed to enable production planning and control under a lean construction paradigm. The Percent Plan Complete (PPC) is a metric that reflects the effectiveness of production planning and the reliability of workflow from one trade to another. Process improvement initiatives are identified when 100% PPC is not achieved. In contrast to this system, conventional construction management derives its production process improvement initiatives from productivity improvement studies that use metrics of non-utilization such as non-productive time or Labor Utilization Factors (LUF) as the metric of superior production performance. This paper investigates the differences, if any, in process improvement initiatives predicated on PPC compared to those predicated on LUFs. This was accomplished by conducting a study in a Manufactured Housing plant where workers’ utilization at 10 production stations were measured using productivity ratings while also measuring PPC at the same stations. The average LUF for the 10 stations was 52% and the average PPC for the same was 78%. Attempts to improve PPC through constraint analysis techniques revealed more fundamental problems than those revealed by trying to improve LUF. In addition, the PPC metric exposed the ‘hidden-factory’ despite that the production goals were being met. The study confirms that PPC is a global measure of production system planning efficiency while LUF is a measure of local production activation. A linear regression analysis was also performed revealing that PPC and LUF are not strongly correlated (r = 0.4, p-value = 0.3) in non-lean production systems. Thus, the only viable way to increase workflow reliability in production systems is to increase PPC. KEY WORDS KW - Lean construction KW - Manufactured Housing KW - Percent Plan Complete (PPC) KW - Labor Utilization Factors (LUF) PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/1364/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/1364 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER - TY - CONF TI - A Line-of-Balance Based Schedule Planning and Control System C1 - Virginia, USA C3 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction SP - 132 EP - 143 PY - 2003 AU - Kankainen, Jouko AU - Seppänen, Olli AD - Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 2100, FIN-02015 TKK, Finland, E-mail jouko.kankainen@hut.fi AD - PhD Student, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , Helsinki University of Technology. Technology Manager Dynamic System Solutions Inc., Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 21B, FIN-00100 Helsinki, Finland, E-mail olli.seppanen@dynassol.com, website www.dynassol.com AB - This paper describes a line-of-balance based schedule planning and control system, and its connection with lean construction methods, using a commercial software package called DYNAProject™. DYNAProject™ has been developed in collaboration with the Finnish construction industry. The main principle is that constraints on schedule tasks are taken into account as early as possible during the project-planning phase. Line – of – balance allows the planning of the workflow between trades so that interruptions are minimized. The procurement schedule is integrated very early on with the master schedule so that constraints on material availability, labor, contracts, and engineering are taken into account. The probability of interruptions is checked by running a Monte-Carlo simulation of the line-of-balance schedule and the results are used in refining the schedule. During the implementation phase, control features in DYNAProject™ allow easy input of actual completion data and forecasting of future problems. DYNAProject™ is the first comprehensive line-of-balance tool in the market and has been widely tested in Finland. Benefits of the system include allowing the user to plan a feasible schedule that is not sensitive to disturbances. Managers can see graphically the trade-off between schedule duration and sensitivity to disturbances. Buffers can be planned to minimize the effect of workflow variability. During the implementation phase, the schedule can be implemented as planned. Effects of deviations can be assessed immediately and the effectiveness of available control actions can be evaluated. The fast adoption of the system in Finland proves its added value compared with earlier scheduling systems. KW - Line of balance KW - schedule planning KW - schedule control PB - T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction DA - 2003/01/01 CY - Virginia, USA L1 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/1365/pdf L2 - http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/1365 N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2024 DB - IGLC.net DP - IGLC LA - English ER -