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Purpose: Although prior studies have noted the importance of trust for project performance, research remains scant on describing the role of trust when using lean design management (LDM) in projects. This study explores the connection between LDM and interpersonal trust in solving construction projects' design management problems.Design: A qualitative study was conducted that included 29 trust-and LDM-themed semi-structured interviews in the United States (California), Brazil and Finland; 11 focus group discussions were also organized to validate the interview findings.Findings: The study reveals how LDM contributes to solving design management problems through two distinct but interconnected mechanisms: 1) improved information flow and 2) improved trust among project team members. A conceptual framework was crafted to illustrate the mechanisms in building trust by means of the social domain of LDM concepts. Research limitations:The conceptual framework requires testing through an international survey or through multiple case studies. Practical implications:The results indicate that design management would benefit from trustful environments and that trust may be the catalyst for actors' engagement with LDM. Managers in charge of design within projects can use the conceptual framework when selecting the appropriate LDM tools, which should include both the social and technical domains.Originality: The study emphasizes the importance of the social domain of LDM concepts. Previous studies have focussed on information flow aspects of LDM but have overlooked the value of interpersonal trust in solving design management problems.

a a department of Civil engineering, aalto university school of engineering, espoo, Finland;b Construction Management research Laboratory (LagerCon), department of architecture and Building, school of Civil engineering, architecture and urban design, university of Campinas (uniCaMP), Campinas, Brazil ABSTRACT Modularization has recently attracted considerable interest among academics and practitioners. In the construction industry, several modular solutions have been introduced and examined; however, hardly any study comprehensively classifies the different modularization strategies according to their possibility to achieve various objectives of building investments. This research aims to develop a framework for identifying and classifying modularization strategies in construction according to their suitability to achieve the specific outcomes intended for a building or its subsystem. Using the literature on product modularity, product platforms and production strategies as a basis, this study has developed a theoretical framework that proposes connections between the main objectives of a building investment and the dimensions of modularization strategies. The framework is elaborated by testing the propositions, based on an empirical analysis of nine real-life case studies. The findings reveal that modularization can be a suitable approach to develop an innovative design solution; improve a project's quality, cost and schedule performance; and enable flexibility in building use and maintenance. However, suggestions for achieving these objectives vary from project organizationdriven to collaborative, integrated or supplier-driven modularization strategies. Developers, owners, contractors and module suppliers can use the framework when positioning and developing their roles in the construction supply chain.

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Critical Path Method (CPM), a planning and controlling technique, is widely used in the construction industry. However, CPM is criticized for its lack of workflow and inability to schedule continuous resource usage. Location-Based Management System (LBMS) fill these gaps and has been implemented in many construction projects. We propose that LBMS will improve schedules and project performance, addressing CPM's main shortcomings. This study is composed of three case studies. CPM schedules were analyzed and were improved using LBMS tools. The resulting schedules show improved workflows, crew balancing, resource usage and had fewer interruptions, without affecting project duration. Furthermore, LBMS schedules were optimized with only a few scheduling operations and fewer planning elements. The computational benefit of LBMS increases with the number of locations and tasks in a schedule. Project managers will benefit from a simpler scheduling process and better resource flow.

In construction, the most relevant systems used for project management (PM) and project production management (PPM) in the planning and control phases are: Critical Path Method (CPM), Last Planner System ® (LPS ®), and Location-Based techniques (LB). Studies have addressed these systems, mostly in isolated fashions. This study aims to compare and contrast their use in terms of PM and PPM and clarify industry benefits in order to eliminate potential misunderstandings about their use. A survey was administered to construction professionals in Brazil, China, Finland, and the United States. No single system addresses all needs of PM and PPM. CPM is the dominant system when considering these characteristics: primary industry types, type of organization, size of organization, professional position within the organization, and area of work. Contributions to knowledge include that CPM is a contract requirement with perceived benefits associated with critical path analysis; LB and LPS have perceived benefits regarding continuous flow and use of resources, treatment of interferences, and improving production control. All systems were found to have a similar level of benefits for management of contracts, delay and change, and evaluation of the root causes of delays. The industry can benefit from aligning project scheduling methods with project needs.

Few construction companies apply the available lean tools and processes in an integrated manner when managing design. Additionally, lean design management tools and processes each have their own strengths and optimal phases in which they should be applied. Earlier approaches in lean design management have not explicitly included the level of detail of building information model (BIM) models in connection with planning methods. For example, the Last Planner System (LPS) uses collaborative social methods to obtain task dependencies and commitments from project stakeholders, but it does not provide any guidance regarding what those tasks should be in a BIM-based process. With regard to production, this guidance is provided by combining location-based methods, such as a location-based management system or takt planning, to LPS. In a similar manner, by combining information from various sources, this paper defines a location-based design management process using the concept of level of detail that can be integrated with LPS. The level of detail definition must be based on the requirements of the end-user in each stage of the construction project. The process was cocreated and validated in focus group meetings with design and construction companies and further evaluated and assessed by applying it in a case project.

The interest in production control has increased over recent years, especially among lean construction practitioners. Despite of advanced planning and control methods, the data of on-site processes are still typically collected manually. At the same time, technology has been developed to the point where it is possible to remotely locate people, equipment and products in supply chains. Therefore, how to obtain and manage data in construction based on real time tracking is critical to change production control to a more real-time and less laborious process. The availability of real-time, location-based data, opens possibilities to revolutionize production control. This paper proposes a prototype of an intelligent system for real time production control on construction site, defining the types of the tracking data, and investigating the utility of them. The prototype combines Bluetooth and WIFI network as connection methods, and locates resources and their movements in real-time, which can be used as a reference to explore proper solution on construction projects and potentially improve production efficiency, sustainability and management of workers.