Exploring the Limitations and Opportunities of Industrialized Construction in Colombia From a Lean Perspective

Despite the significant impact that industrialized construction (IC) has on the project production chain and its clear influence on productivity levels across the industry, multiple limitations hinder its suitable implementation worldwide. Existing research has identified synergies between the implementation of Lean Principles (LP) and the adequate implementation of IC processes. However, most of these studies have been carried out in markets with a high maturity and implementation levels of both IC and LP. This paper aims to explore the synergies between the implementation of LP and opportunities for improvement for the effective implementation of IC in Colombia. This article presents a qualitative analysis of twenty semi-structured interviews with construction professionals from some of the largest construction companies in Colombia. The analysis revealed that despite growing interest in applying IC by leading companies in Colombia, the current implementation of IC principles is still low. Additionally, the application of LP such as continuous improvement, variability reduction, value generation, and waste reduction are identified as key enablers for IC.