Productivity
Innovation
CCCs

Lean Construction

Explanation
Lean is a production management strategy for achieving significant, continuous improvement in the performance of the total business process of a contractor through the elimination of all wastes of time and other resources that do not add value to the product or service delivered to the customer. Lean production management has caused a revolution in manufacturing design, supply and assembly. Applied to construction, Lean changes the way work is done at every stage of the delivery process.
 
Business Case
Subject to the defined parameters in a construction contract, the financial performance objective is to maximize the present value differential between the cash disbursed and the cash received during the life cycle of a construction project (hopefully, with cash received being the greater of the two amounts!).
Lean Construction, by eliminating wastes, increases project velocity, reduces project cycle time, and facilitates the "cash-to-cash" life cycle.
 
Signposts for help

SECBE's training programme teaches you to stand back to examine and question your processes:

  • to understand what value means to the customer and eliminating anything that does not contribute
  • to reduce costs while increasing profits, increasing market competitiveness and reducing prices to customers
  • to deliver better results to all parties using less resources and effort

Training takes place over 10-12 days set at three week intervals over a 6-9 month period.  Of course the number of sessions is agreed to suit your own particular build programme or process.

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For more information contact Julian Carter on 0118 9207 206 or email Julian@secbe.org.uk

 
Support organisations

BSRIA has undertaken extensive work in this area, and its Construction Project Improvement group specialises in improving productivity performance on construction sites providing training, education, and consultancy in order to improve behaviour and working practices of the workforce. Contact Glenn Hawkins glenn.hawkins@bsria.co.uk or visit http://www.bsria.co.uk/content/?content=process+and+productivity.

Constructing Excellence provides a range of advice and services supporting Lean Manufacturing, including a comprehensive library or case studies demonstrating the benefits of lean construction. www.constructingexcellence.org.uk or helpdesk: 0845 605 5556.

CIRIA also runs the CPN programme (Construction Productivity Network) and these include seminars on lean construction www.ciria.org.uk and http://www.ciria.org.uk/cpnww/index2.htm.

 

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