Step 3: Develop solution

The following section presents the first steps carried out leading to the development of the visual elements of version 1 of the LCM model.

4.5.1

Visualise the overall construction process

The first objective of improving transparency in the overall process (Section 4.4.1) could be achieved by visualising the main process and its interdependencies. As discussed in (Chapter 2, Section 2.2), when applying the Lean principles to any process, an important first step is identifying value and understanding the Value Stream by creating a Value Stream Map (VSM). In order to create transparency in the value stream (Section 4.4.1) of the construction process, an important element of the LCM model is an Overall Process Map (OPM) (Figure 4.5) which is similar to a Value Stream Map. In Value Stream Mapping, the process, material and information flow with regard to a product family or service is visualised with the aim of improving that flow and eliminating waste. The aim of the Overall Process Map (OPM) is to visualise the overall construction process together with the key project participants at the

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different interfaces (client, planners, construction management etc.). The objective is to achieve a common understanding of the overall process, identify interdependencies between sub-processes, agree on the optimal flow and identify the first constraints in the process and identify measures to resolve them. Figure 4.5 shows the first Overall Process Map that was carried out during the development of version 1 of the LCM model. Each row represents a different sub process and the individual yellow cards represent a process step or activity as part of that sub process. The red and black arrows visualise important critical interdependencies between the individual sub processes. In practice today, creation of the Overall Process Map during the Overall Process Analysis phase is an important first step of every LCM instantiation (Chapter 5, Section 5.4.2).

Figure 4.5: Overall Process Map (OPM): Visualising the construction process at the case study side. The interdependencies between the apartments and other areas of the

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4.5.2

Define the standard process

In order to implement flow and a pull system onsite i.e: to achieve the second objective of ensuring a logical order of leveled work and a holistic view of the process (Section 4.4.2), the first step was to identify a standard process. Standardisation is an important foundational element of the Toyota Production System (Chapter 2, Section 2.2). Identifying a standard process was considered important in the initial development of LCM to establish the most significant flow of work and basis for splitting work down into smaller sections (later on during future instantiations however, it became clear that is wasn’t always possible to identify a standard process, which is one of the challenges of the nature of construction, (Chapter 2, Section 2.8.1; Appendix A.4). Future instantiations of the model showed that it could be applied to construction processes that were difficult to standardise. However, additional visual tools such as the Process Planning tool were needed to stabilise the process (Chapter 5, Section 5.4.2 and Chapter 7, Section 7.4.2).

In case study 1, the “standard” process was the process for one apartment, since this process would be repeated throughout the building. The researcher, together with the site manager defined the standard process for one apartment. This represented the optimal flow of work within a subsection on the construction project. While the apartments varied in size, the construction steps were identical in each apartment. The standard process can be seen in Figure 4.6 below. In each apartment, different subcontractors carried out different activities and in order to make this transparent on the standard process, the different companies were highlighted using different colours next to the activity.

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Figure 4.6: The standard process for one apartment

4.5.3

Define daily work packages for this flow

The standard process was used as a basis for breaking work down to a daily level. Cards were used to visualise daily work packages, which in turn were visualised over a period of two weeks on a large planning board on the construction site (Section 4.6). This was a visual pull- system that controlled the amount of work entered into the execution phase. The idea to use cards and a board to visualise the construction process, was based on the researcher’s previous experience of implementing visual production planning systems in manufacturing (2002- 2007), where large boards were used to visualise and control production progress on an hourly basis.

The visualisation of daily work packages helped to focus on identifying problems in execution and resolving them. During these past projects in manufacturing, the researcher had observed how various forms of visualisation were used. Different colours were used to highlight deviations from plan, which were the focus point for discussion during daily meetings. During the daily meetings, problems in the process were discussed and solutions defined. The clarity

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on daily targets made it possible to measure and track if those targets were met. This was also an important point of discussion during the meetings; understanding “why” if targets had not been met and identifying improvement actions. The visual measurement of performance is an important objective of the LCM model. The experiences from the application of Visual Management for production planning and control in manufacturing gathered by the researcher influenced the development of the LCM model and the choice of visual tools that it is comprised of.

4.5.4

Develop the main elements of the Visual Management Model

Once transparency of the overall process was achieved and the process could be broken down into smaller sections (apartments), the next step was to develop the remaining elements of the model that would help to visually plan and control the process by achieving the objectives defined in Section 4.4. Section 4.6 presents the individual elements of version 1 of the LCM model and describes how they aim to achieve these objectives. The elements of the models are based on the concepts of transparency, value, value stream, flow, pull and perfection as discussed in Section 4.4.