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Ted’s Blog: Discussing critical industry issuesThe Garrison Report #2009-7
Why Lean Construction?
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Why lean? The answer is that while lean is primarily an operational issue, it brings a new strategic perspective to the construction industry, which is something that it desperately needs. For those who think lean construction is merely project management on steroids, you need to read this. Lean construction strategies are about taking a more strategic approach to operations by empowering one's own employees to delivery greater value. Former senior vice president for Toyota, Alex Warren, says it best:
Until senior management gets their egos out of the way and goes to the whole team and leads them all together . . . senior management will continue to miss out on the brain power and extraordinary capabilities of all their employees. At Toyota, we simply place the highest value on our team members and do the best we can to listen to them and incorporate their ideas into our planning process."
The author recognizes that, for many, giving control up to the worker is a difficult concept to accept. Yet is this any different than what was proposed in the previous Garrison Report, titled "Managing Risk," where it was suggested that owners give up control to the contractor? Owners who attempt to control the project usually lack all the information and expertise to make objective decisions. It's no different at the company level because when management attempts to control the worker, it has the same problems; it often lacks the information and specific expertise to make objective decisions.
Of course this means the industry must invest in its workers' education and development, but the increased productivity will create a great return on that investment. Lean construction focuses on standardizing the tasks so workers know what is expected of them. However, instead of measuring productivity, lean strategies measure results. In other words, getting work done to meet a quota doesn't work if the work is not done properly. Lean focuses on doing it right the first time and collaborating with the worker to remove the obstacles that prevent doing the task correctly.
Having a system that doesn't produce the desired results reveals a problem with the system. It's not the fault of the worker if that individual is following the system. When the author talks to companies that are implementing lean construction strategies within their organization, one of the biggest benefits they claim is that lean strategies create a new sense of collaboration in solving problems. The worker is no longer threatened by a problem because in the lean system, the worker is not blamed for the problem; it's the system's fault.
herefore, the workers are willing to immediately identify the problem and collaborate with their co-workers and even management to correct the problem. The benefit of fixing problems when they occur instead of attempting to work around them is virtually impossible to measure, but it is certainly significant.
In general, lean construction requires a paradigm shift in thinking. As an industry, we have focused on the use of tools to improve performance. While lean construction certainly has a few tools that can assist the process, the major shift is a changed philosophy. The new philosophy forces management to base its decisions on a long-term perspective even at the expense of short-term financial goals. In a society that is focused on the quarterly return or immediate results, this concept is often difficult to accept. However, the small investment in dollars and time that it takes to eliminate obstacles offers a handsome payback. Investing in preparation follows the sage advice of Abraham Lincoln, who said, "If I only had an hour to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 45 minutes sharpening the axe."
While the lean process empowers the workers with a result of increased productivity, it creates a few other important benefits. First the entire process fosters greater collaboration, better communication and mutual respect. These are all essential for peak performance and creating a business strategy that does a better job of protecting the client.
However, lean construction is not just about the contractor; it is more about the client, which is why it's an essential tool for today's contractor that is attempting to differentiate itself from its competition. Lean construction is all about adding value for the client by eliminating waste. When you focus on empowering the workers to do what is necessary, you can eliminate much of the control efforts that are wasteful because they add no value to the process.
In conclusion, the lean approach is essential because it applies the principles and techniques of lean thinking to create a better delivery method. The industry has been constantly searching for better delivery methods, so why not employ one that actually produces some amazing results? Once people get over the shift in thinking and begin to embrace this power concept, they don't want to go back to the old way of doing things.
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