The growing context of globalization permanently increases pressure on the construction companies to improve their performances in order to resist to the constraints of competitiveness in the international market. It has become ineluctable to look for introducing a new alternative capable of bringing creative improvement to the traditional production system. This paper will relate mainly to the most relevant management techniques in the construction industry, and more specifically, the lean construction concept. Initially, we will determine the main characteristics of the construction industry compared to the manufacturing industry according to three levels: on-site production, one of a kind projects, and complexity. Subsequently, we will focus our attention on the main sources of waste in the construction industry. Finally, a rigorous comparative study will be carried out to show the contribution of the lean construction tools in the promotion of traditional construction especially at the level of the following factors: Creating value and eliminating waste; Planning and mutual coordination; Site organization. Lean construction as Last Planner System (LPS), Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Just-in-Time philosophy, Visual management (VM) and 5S have shown a great ability to improve the traditional production system through waste reduction, encouraging people involvement, ensuring a pull flow production, and promotion of a continuous improvement philosophy.
Purpose
Lean construction provides innovative practices to manage construction projects while reducing waste and improving performance. This paper aims to explore the current level of awareness of lean construction practices among Moroccan construction professionals to assess the potential benefits derived from lean construction practices and to identify the critical barriers hindering a successful implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper opted for a quantitative approach by using a structured questionnaire survey. A total of 330 valid responses were collected from Moroccan construction practitioners involved in private and public construction organisations.
Findings
The results show that 61 per cent of the respondents are familiar with lean construction practices. The findings have also pointed out that the lean construction approach adds a positive impact, specifically on quality, safety and environmental level. In addition, the main barriers hindering a successful lean construction deployment in Morocco are lack of knowledge about lean construction philosophy, unskilled human resources and insufficient financial resources.
Originality/value
This study provides a new insight into the implementation of lean construction in Morocco. It contributes to the body of knowledge, as it uncovers for the first time the level of awareness, the potential benefits derived from lean construction practices and the barriers to implementing lean construction in the Moroccan construction industry. Exploring the current state of lean construction implementation can help practitioners, companies and researchers in the Moroccan construction industry to focus their effort and resources on the significant issues necessary to assist a successful implementation of lean construction. Furthermore, the findings of this study could prove valuable to other countries in Africa, especially those sharing similarities to the Moroccan context.
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