Lean Principle - Value Stream

A contractor’s value stream is every step required to take raw materials and information then deliver a completed project to the waiting hands of a customer.

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A deep understanding of this value stream at various levels of detail down to actual installation steps is the foundation upon which major productivity improvements can be made.  

Field Productivity: Lean Principle - Value Stream.

As an example consider every step required to put lighting in a conference room - these are just the highlights:  

  • Initial design requirements
  • Quotes from distributor for estimating
  • Submittals and approvals
  • Ordering, tracking and receiving
  • Moving around jobsite to work area
  • Installation
  • Inspection
  • Training of the customer
  • Punch list

This is the highest level and if you mapped out each of those in another 5-25 steps you would start to see a clear picture of what it really takes to install a light fixture in a conference room.  

Start at the highest level - what can be cut out, reduced or sequenced differently?  

Look at the details - can you use 2 screws instead of 4?  50% cost savings at that step! 

Remember that the customer just wants light - could a skylight or more windows reduce the lighting need at the design stage?  


Labor Productivity Workshop


Labor Productivity
Field labor is the often the biggest variable on a construction project - making it the biggest risk and opportunity....

Labor Productivity
Field labor is the often the biggest variable on a construction project - making it the biggest risk and opportunity....

Lean Principle - 3 Enemies of Lean
Profitable growth comes from operating within a target capacity and capability range - and continually increasing those ranges. Operating with consistent overload, consistent under capacity, or with consistently high variability is not sustainable.
Weekly Percent Planned Complete (PPC) and Project Performance
Improving the project planning and delivery process starts with improving predictability around the schedule. Nearly every Superintendent and Foreman is familiar with the Short-Interval-Plan (SIP) and typically fill one out weekly looking ahead 1+ weeks.
Lean Principle - Stop Work (Until Problems Are Corrected)
All construction projects will run into some degree of problems. It is how the project team chooses to manage these problems that ultimately determines the outcome of the project.