Investigating the integration of design and construction from a “lean” perspective

Abstract

Citation: JORGENSEN, B. and EMMITT, S., 2009. Investigating the integration of design and construction from a lean perspective. ConstructionInnovation: Information, Process, Management, 9 (2), pp. 225 -240.Additional Information:• Design/methodology/approach -Following an extensive review of the literature a multiple case strategy approach was used to explore the practical application of lean approaches to design and construction integration in an organisational setting.Summaries of the case studies, one from the USA and two from Denmark, help to highlight a number of pertinent issues facing practitioners and researchers.Findings -Findings suggest that it is possible to identify a number of aspects that (in theory as well as in practice) both influence and, to various extents, limit the applicability of the lean philosophy to construction. Findings also help to emphasise the importance of a number of interdependent factors for achieving better integration, namely: value identification/specification; an appropriate project delivery framework; structuring and planning of delivery processes; transparency; management and leadership; learning; and the importance of local context. Originality/value of paper -The findings provides an original contribution to the integration of design and construction activities from a lean perspective. The findings are generic and could be practically applied in a variety of contexts.

Perceptions of lean design management

“…. Value and value stream mapping (Emmitt et al, 2004;Emmitt, Sander, & Kirk-Christoffersen, 2005;Freire & Alarcon, 2002;Garrido & Pasquire, 2011;Jørgensen & Emmitt, 2009;Mossman, 2009;Pasquire & Garrido, 2011;Thyssen, 2011;Zimina et al, 2012). .…”

“…It could also be argued that a lean culture must be embedded within an organisation before it can apply the principles to their project portfolio (Emmitt, Pasquire, & Mertia, 2012;Mann, 2010;Santorella, 2011). However, a clear definition of what is meant by lean design management is still being debated (Alves, Milberg, & Walsh, 2012;Jørgensen & Emmitt, 2009), a point further highlighted in the special edition of AEDM on 'lean design management ' (Vol. 7:2, 2011).…”

Lost in transition: the transfer of lean manufacturing to construction

“…The comparatively few articles that have been published have addressed specific aspects of the concept, (e.g. Ballard & Howell 1998;2003a;Arbulu et al 2003;Tommelein et al 1999;Vrijhoef & Koskela 2000;Formoso et al 2002a;2002b;Choo et al 2004;Tsao et al 2004;Elfving et al 2005;Gil et al 2005;Paez et al 2005;Lapinski et al 2006;Jørgensen & Emmitt, 2008). The absence of articles in the peer reviewed journals is especially significant when considering the broad scope of the field.…”

Integration of Lean Design and Design Management and its Influence on the Development of a Multidisciplinary Design Management Model for Remote Site Projects

“…Koskela (2004) then provided a critical assessment of the premise that lean thinking was an underpinning theory for lean production, concluding that 'lean thinking cannot be viewed as a mature and valid theory of (lean) production'. A second recent example of continuing challenges to the application of lean thinking in the construction context was found in the work by Jorgensen and Emmitt (2009), where 'a multiple case-strategy approach was used to explore the practical application of lean approaches to design and construction integration in an organisational setting'.…”