Implementing selected lean management tools to achieve effective planning within a construction environment at a tertiary institution

Abstract

This research study addresses the application of lean manufacturing principles and techniques to a construction environment at a tertiary institution. Assessing the implementation efforts and benefits of the lean approach to construction has become more critical to organisations in pursuit of continuous improvement. Therefore, the aim of this study was to propose selected lean management tools to achieve effective planning within a construction environment at a tertiary institution.

The objective of this study is to do a literature study to gain insight into those lean operations and lean construction principles that are applicable to a construction environment in a tertiary institution. Such insight will enable the researcher to identify what kind of activities cause construction process delays. Further objectives include the identification and description of the elements required for the effective implementation of selected lean management tools, and to incorporate those lean tools and techniques found in the literature study into the planning process. The final objective is to propose which lean tools should be introduced at the selected organisation.

Chapter one introduces the nature and scope of the study and contains the general introduction of the study and the problem statement. The aim, objectives, and significance of the research and the research methodology are also presented in this chapter.

The aim of chapter two is to provide an overview of lean manufacturing and lean construction as a management philosophy, in the form of a literature study. On the basis of the literature study, a theoretical description of lean manufacturing and lean construction is presented. It also highlights various Jean manufacturing tools incorporated in lean construction with the emphasis on throughput, with some process improvement methodologies concentrating mainly on quality in order to establish effective planning in a construction environment at a tertiary institution.

Furthermore, chapter three presents the research process adopted and the rationale for using qualitative methodologies. The nature of the study examination and the method deemed most suitable for the research questions determined the choice of methodology, namely qualitative methodology. The qualitative methodology

predominantly describes phenomena using words, while quantitative methodology measures them and describes results numerically. The reason for this is that quantitative methods tend to be broader and more easily generalizable, while qualitative methods can provide a much deeper, richer data set.

Finally, chapter four proposes recommendations and conclusions that are based both on previous case studies as well as the current case study and concludes with recommendations for future studies.