Strategic Application of Lean Thinking

As a result of a recent initiative by the UK Government, practitioners and researchers have been considering the development of lean thinking for construction from a strategic viewpoint. This has resulted in the recognition of a construction business system incorporating long term processes of partnering the supply chain, product development, production of components and project implementation. It is thought that by reorganising around these core business processes whilst adopting lean principles, it is possible to maximise the improvements in terms of quality of product and delivery mechanism. The paper reviews lean construction literature and showing it to be both project focused and tactical in approach. It reports on a US study visit to see lean construction in action. The argument is made that whilst addressing a number of problems, there is a need for a more holistic approach in order to change successfully and develop the construction industry of the future. The benefits that product focus and long term continuity bring in terms of refocusing an industry to meet the challenges of the 21 century are discussed. The construction business system and its constituent processes are described and the results of the interactive workshops that were used to test this approach are outlined. The result is a strategic framework, which is intended to guide practitioners when considering adopting lean thinking in construction. It recognises that practitioners must further develop the sub-processes.