Lean Construction – What is it!

Lean Construction is a production management-based approach to project delivery – a new way to design and build capital facilities. Lean production management has caused a revolution in manufacturing design, supply and assembly.  Now the process is being applied to construction.

Applied to construction, Lean changes the way work is done throughout the delivery process, from planning, through design, through construction and well into operation.  Lean Construction extends from the objectives of a Lean production system – maximize value and minimize waste – to specific techniques and applies them in a new project delivery process.  Projects and companies who apply “Lean” utilize such tools as Pull Planning (Last Planner System), Target Value Design, Value Stream Mapping and other techniques which involve broad collaboration across “silos” and continuous learning and improvement. 

Lean projects are often completed under budget and in less time; Lean companies report that they are often more productive and therefore more profitable due to the ongoing elimination of wasteful activities and the inclusion of all workers and managers in seeking continuous improvement.  And Lean projects are usually safer due to more thoughtful work structuring, a smoother flow of workers, and just-in-time delivery of materials.