Levels of the Value Stream

For contractors to unlock maximum value during business development, preconstruction and project execution it is critical to understand the broader value stream of the project beyond their scope.

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D. Brown Management
June 29, 2018 1 minute read
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Consider these 10 levels of granularity when looking at the construction value stream:

Critical Skills: Value Stream Levels. Seeing, Understanding, Doing, and Leading.

 

SPECIALTY CONTRACTOR

  1. Specific Trade Scope & Task (Field Installation Expertise)
  2. Functional Area of Specialty Contractor (Precon, Detailing, Prefab, etc.)
  3. Whole Specialty Contracting Business (Electrical, Mechanical, etc.)

PROJECT OWNER

  1. Construction Process (GC / CM Viewpoint)
  2. Design & Project Delivery Process
  3. Project Lifecycle (From Concept Through Initial Construction, Operation, Renovations & Decommissioning) 
  4. Corporate Facility Management (Interrelationships of Business Strategy & Multiple Project Lifecycles)

BEYOND

  1. City Planning (Redevelopment Vision, Supporting Infrastructure, etc.)
  2. Industry Trends (Example - Demographics Driving Healthcare Capacity Needs)
  3. Country & Multi-Industry Integration (Example - Growing Geographies, Integration of Housing & Healthcare)

 

What level of the value stream is your primary focus?

Deeply learn the value streams and build relationships 1 & 2 levels higher.  

What can you do to add maximum value considering the perspective from those higher levels?  

Lean Principle - Value Add vs. Non Value Add
For specialty contractors the field workforce represents most of their competitive advantage as well as their biggest source of variability. Making improvements to field productivity requires deeply understanding what truly adds value to the customer.
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