21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction - Fortaleza, Brazil - 2013

Design process planning and control last planner system adaptation

Josana G. B. Wesz1, Carlos T. Formoso2 & Patrícia Tzotzopoulos3

1M.Sc. Candidate, Building Innovation Research Unit (NORIE), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Phone +55 51 33083518, [email protected]
2Ph.D., Associate Professor, Building Innovation Research Unit (NORIE), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Phone +55 51 33083518, [email protected]
3Senior Lecturer, School of the Built Environment, University of Salford; UK. Phone +44 161 2954284; [email protected]

Abstract

Many companies are seeking to improve their design process through the application of lean principles. However, to implement lean concepts effectively, companies must first achieve basic design process stability by controlling variability and increasing reliability, which the Last Planner System (LPS) helps to accomplish. This study aims to better understand the application of the LPS in design and to propose an adaptation for the design of prefabricated steel construction systems for fast projects, through a case study carried out in a steel fabricator company. This research work was divided into three main stages. First, LPS was applied with two design teams, and an adaptation of the LPS for the specific context of the company was proposed. Second, the refined LPS was implemented in four additional design teams. Finally, an evaluation of the implementation process, based on a set of design planning and control practices was conducted, and a design planning and control model was proposed. The main impacts of the implementation were an increase in process transparency, stronger commitment in the delivery of packages, and collaborative decision-making. The paper also discusses some of the difficulties in terms of implementing medium-term planning, due to the complexity of the process.

Keywords

Design process, planning and control, Last Planner System

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Reference

Wesz, J. G. B. , Formoso, C. T. & Tzotzopoulos, P. 2013. Design process planning and control last planner system adaptation, 21th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , 369-378. doi.org/

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Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

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