Implementation model for residential housing works in Cuba applying the Lean Construction philosophy

The construction industry plays a critical role in economic and social development but continues to face challenges such as inefficiencies, cost and time overruns, and client dissatisfaction. Lean Construction has emerged as a promising philosophy aimed at minimising waste and maximising value in construction processes. However, widespread adoption remains hindered by barriers such as resistance to change and resource limitations. Integrating Lean Construction principles into Business Models (BM)s referred to as Construction Business Models (CBMs) presents a strategic opportunity to enhance productivity and optimise value creation. Hence there is research gap in construction industry this paper aims to analys the literature on Lean Construction, BMs, and their integration within the construction industry to bridge this research gap. To address this, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted, examining publications from databases such as Scopus and Taylor & Francis. Using targeted search terms, 75 documents were initially retrieved, and after filtering, 61 publications were selected for comprehensive analysis. This study explores the integration of Lean Construction within BMs to optimise value in construction projects, offering insights into strategic frameworks that can overcome current inefficiencies. By examining Lean Business Models (LBMs) and their application in construction, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how lean principles can drive sustainable business innovation and operational efficiency within the industry.

Client satisfaction is a critical determinant of success in the construction industry, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have implemented lean principles. Despite the recognised benefits of lean construction, many SMEs continue to struggle with achieving high levels of client satisfaction. While existing studies primarily explore the advantages and challenges of Lean implementation, there is a lack of research that specifically investigates the underlying causes of less client satisfaction in Lean implemented construction SMEs. Therefore, this study aims to bridge this gap by developing a conceptual framework for a client satisfaction model tailored to lean implemented construction SMEs. A literature review was conducted to examine the key factors affecting client satisfaction in lean implemented construction SMEs. The review analysed existing studies on lean construction, client satisfaction, and SME-specific challenges to identify critical themes. The data was synthesised to develop a framework that integrates lean principles, benefits, barriers, factors influencing client satisfaction, and reasons for failing to meet client expectations. The findings highlight that perceived quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty are interrelated, with higher satisfaction leading to increased client retention and improved financial performance. Additionally, the study identifies key barriers that hinder client satisfaction in lean implemented SMEs, including ineffective communication, resistance to change, and inadequate understanding of lean principles. This study contributes to both theory and practice by offering a structured framework to enhance client satisfaction in lean implemented SMEs. It provides SMEs with strategic insights to improve lean adoption while recommending future research directions to empirically validate the proposed framework through case studies and stakeholder engagement.

The construction industry is scrutinized and criticized for its impact on environmental degradation. Nowadays, while the lean construction philosophy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to alleviate the adverse environmental effects of the construction industry, their synergies remain unclear and ambiguous. Therefore, this study aims to explore the synergies between lean construction principles and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their combined efficacy in mitigating the environmental footprint of the construction industry. In the study, a comprehensive three-step methodology, involving a literature review, focus group discussions, and quantitative Delphi technique analysis, was employed. The analysis uncovers that SDGs (ensuring clean water and sanitation, promoting clean energy, fostering economic growth and decent work, improving infrastructure and innovation, building sustainable cities and communities, promoting responsible consumption and production, conserving oceans, and preserving terrestrial ecosystems) have 63 extremely important linkages and 251 very important linkages with lean construction principles. The analysis results indicate that the synergies are categorized under economic (39%), environmental (42%), and social (19%) factors. Moreover, the strategic triad of lean principles, i.e., “Reducing non-value-adding, focusing on all processes, and continuous improvement”, emerged as key in fostering extremely important interactions. This study’s novelty lies in its integrating of Koskela’s lean principles with the 17 SDGs and 169 targets of Agenda 2030, offering strategic insights for aligning construction processes with the broader 2030 agenda for enhanced sustainability in the construction industry. The findings contribute to finding out the how lean construction principles serve the SDGs.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia construction industry is bedevilled with many problems. Many construction projects delivered to poor cost, time, quality performances. In addition, many of the construction organisations in the KSA operate with inefficient project delivery processes and produce enormous wastes and low-value return to clients. Lean construction has been proposed as a management strategy for overcoming the problems associated with construction project delivery and organisational processes in the KSA construction industry. Despite the avalanche of frameworks for implementing lean construction strategies, the appropriate framework for promoting lean construction in the KSA construction industry is lacking. The result is the limited implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry. Beside the lack of an appropriate framework for implementing lean construction strategies, there is a concerning dearth of research addressing issues pertaining to the implementation of lean construction such as the barriers and critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. As a result, the state of art of lean construction in the KSA construction industry is unknown. Therefore, this study is carried out to promote lean construction in the KSA construction industry. The research methodology follows a pragmatic research paradigm which allows the combined use of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The quantitative methodology aspects involve the questionnaire survey of experts to obtain their opinion on the types of wastes, the tools and techniques that support the implementation of lean construction, benefits of lean construction, and stages of application of lean methods in the KSA construction industry. In addition, the questionnaire was used to gather experts' opinion about the barriers to the implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry. The data obtained from the survey was analysed using powerful statistical analysis techniques such as one-way ANOVA, and the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. An open-ended questionnaire combined with an interview scheme was also designed to obtain the experts' views on the CSFs for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. The data obtained was qualitatively analysed using content analysis to derive a comprehensive list of CSFs for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. On the basis of the list derived, selected experts were asked to complete a pairwise comparison of the CSFs through a well-designed row and column questionnaire. An ISM technique was employed to specify the interrelationships among the CSFs, as well as their hierarchies in order to develop an ISM model for promoting lean construction in the KSA construction industry. An interview with experts who have the understanding of lean construction and the operations of the KSA construction industry was carried out to check for conceptual inconsistencies, and to confirmif the model can be implemented as a lean construction framework for improving the performance of construction projects and organisations in the KSA construction industry. The investigation reveals that 'waiting' is the most pervasive type of waste in the KSA construction industry, while the level of pervasiveness of the over-processing and over-production types of wastes are different between the large and small construction companies mainly due to resource constraints. There are a myriad number of different tools/techniques that support the implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry, but the computer aided design (CAD) provides the most support to the implementation of lean construction. The top ranked barriers which are of greatest concern to the implementation of LC in the KSA construction industry are: influence of traditional practices, unfavorable organisational culture, lack of technical skills about lean techniques, and lack of understanding of lean approaches. In descending order of pervasiveness, the principal factors that constitute these barriers in the KSA construction industry are the traditional practices barrier, client-related barrier, standardisation barrier, a technological barrier, performance and knowledge barrier, and cost related barrier. Of these principal barriers, the client related barrier is a new kind of barrier to implementing lean construction in the body of knowledge. There are 12 CSFs for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. As a result, an ISM model that specifies the relationship between the CSFs for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry is developed, while a further validation study confirms that the ISM model can be implemented as a lean construction framework for improving the performance of construction projects and organisations in the KSA construction industry. The ISM model comprises of 7 hierarchies (VII-I) of the 12 CSFs. The CSFs in the top hierarchy are the most important CSFs for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. Those in the middling hierarchy are very unstable, whereby any action taken on one or more of them has an effect on another. Therefore, utmost care and consideration are necessary when putting in place any of these CSFs for the implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry. The CSF in the least hierarchy is the least important in the KSA construction industry, and to apply this CSF is entirely reliant on the other CSFs, in other words, other CSFs need to be in place to apply this CSF to the implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry. Overall, the study generates a new knowledge in the area of lean construction in the KSA construction industry context. This study reveals the state of art of lean construction in the KSA construction industry. In addition, this study identifies the barriers to, and the CSF for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry. This study also develops an ISM model that specifies the relationship among the CSFs for implementing lean construction towards the development of a framework for promoting lean construction in the KSA construction industry. In contrast to existing frameworks, the framework reflects the socio-cultural and operation context in the KSA construction industry.

Chapter 12 - Lean Principles in Construction

Background and problem: Integrating lean and green principles while implementing construction project has become an important aspect of modern construction. Lean construction and green building are used to maxi­mize the economic benefits, address quality, reduce waste and minimize the negative environmental impacts in con­struction. Aims: The objectives of this paper were to measure the degree of knowledge of lean and green approaches in con­struction industry in Gaza Strip and to identify the most important benefits from application of lean and green in construction. Methodology: Literature review and questionnaire survey were used in this study. A total of 155 copies of the questionnaire were distributed randomly to owners, con­sultants and contractors in the Gaza Strip, and 119 copies of the questionnaire were received. Results: The results revealed that the awareness level of lean and green construction by owners, consultants and contractors in the construction industry in Gaza Strip is moderate. There are very important benefits of applying lean and green construction such as “reduce non-useful work that does not add value to work”, “reduce the environmental impact of the construction process” and “saving the money needed to complete the project”. Conclusions: It was concluded that integrating both concepts on projects showed that lean leads to green but not necessarily vice versa. The fields of lean and green thinking, however, have been developed largely independent of each other. There is a big gap in the knowledge and application of the lean construction and the green application.

Toward a holistic view on lean sustainable construction: A literature review

Innovative construction management method: Assessment of lean construction implementation

Speed-driven projects require extensive planning and coordination for their successful execution within the specified time and cost. With an increasing demand for flash track execution, more efficient ways for project implementation is needed. Lean construction is having a profound impact on the construction industry, which is perceived to be suffering from cost and schedule overruns. This review paper investigates the use of various lean tools and principles in flash track projects and if there is any synergy between lean and flash track projects to improve productivity and schedule performance. Through rationalizations and with the help of case studies and theoretical evidence found in literature, eleven lean tools and eight lean principles have been analyzed for their synergy with flash track construction. The results indicate that all except one lean tool (Just in Time) and one lean principle (reduce inventory) facilitate successful implementation of flash track project.

Background/Objectives: The unbiased of this study is to assess the application of lean construction of construction firms and give eminence grade model to construction enterprises. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Wastage in the construction companies has been subject of several research projects around the world in recent years. It is commonly recognized that very high level of waste exists in construction companies. Lean Construction considers construction wastes as prospective wastes that obstruct flow of value to the user and should be eliminated or avoided. The creation of this waste can be eliminated or prevented by applying lean construction principles. The data for this study will be gathered through a detailed questionnaire survey. The target population for the data collection is project managers of building construction organizations. The questionnaires consist of major factors that influencing the implementation of lean construction. By knowing the major factors gives better understanding in allocating them to parties/stake holders involved. Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) was employed to analyze data. Findings: As a result, the execution level of construction companies in order to the use of lean construction was acquired, to check how it was implicit and in what way its principles were realistic. After this, the results were determined and suggestions stood through to the concerns to help them contrivance Lean Thinking. Application/Improvements: This study results are used for Construction Industries. Keywords: Execution Level, Eminence Grade Model, Lean Construction, Risk Factors

Lean Construction is one of the methods used to improve control over construction projects by eliminating waste in time and materials. Lean Construction is an adaptation from the Lean Manufacturing principles to the construction industry. The purpose of this article was to review the case studies published in 2018 in the Inspec database to find out where Lean is being implemented and how. The article approach by setting the search criteria first and then inspect the result to find the non-related results and eliminate it. After that, the article was reviewed and summarized. The article verifies each article finding; however Lean Construction and Building Information Modeling (BIM) are relatively new for the construction industry and they still need more time to be adopted widely and to be applied on a lower-cost budget. However, the discussed cases show a promising future for these technologies.

A systematic review of lean construction in Mainland China

Nowadays, the construction industry is significantly driven by the objective of achieving sustainable development. It creates a necessity to implement lean principles within the construction industry, as lean construction greatly contributes to sustainability. Despite lean construction's potential to achieve sustainable development, numerous barriers hinder its implementation. Consequently, the concept of Society 5.0 can be utilised as a transformative framework that integrates advanced technologies with a human-centric approach to overcome these issues. The aim of this research is to investigate how lean construction can be utilised along with society 5.0 to drive sustainable development in construction. To address this objective, a comprehensive literature review was conducted, and the content was analysed to align with the research objective. The findings of this research indicated that lean construction principles can be an effective application in any part of the construction process to prioritise sustainable outcomes. Moreover, the research revealed 95 barriers for lean integrated sustainable construction, categorised under political/government barriers, economic/financial barriers, technical barriers, social barriers, and other barriers. The research highlighted the necessity to integrate lean construction and Society 5.0 to overcome the barriers and drive sustainable development in construction. These research findings are paving the way towards conducting further research on the area of Society 5.0-enabled lean construction to drive sustainable development in construction.

Purpose– As with many other procurement management concepts, the early contractor involvement (ECI) strategy provides an opportunity to tap on contractors’ specialist knowledge in the design stage, in order to address and forestall problems before moving onto the construction stage. Such practices have been shown to be quite successful, and are also advocated in the lean construction practice. Following this benefit, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between the operations of ECI and the principles of lean construction for productivity enhancement.Design/methodology/approach– Based on the literature review of 11 principles of lean construction and ECI, various relationships were proposed seeking to integrate the two domains. A questionnaire survey was conducted with different stakeholders in Singapore’s construction industry to measure the strength of the relationships. Interviews were also conducted to gain an understanding of the constraints, reluctance, and possible methods for implementing ECI in Singapore with a convergence with lean construction principles.Findings– The results revealed that, when employing lean construction principles as a yardstick, ECI does contribute to elevating the productivity outcomes of some lean construction principles – in particular, for reducing variability, reducing cycle time, minimizing steps, and increasing output flexibility.Research limitations/implications– It is promising to marry ECI with lean construction, and that the former does appear indeed able to aid in the productivity improvements of a construction project by embracing the latter. However, it requires the building professionals to raise their awareness of both lean and ECI, so that the implementation of ECI can be carried out in a more effective manner.Originality/value– In the context of the Singapore construction industry’s push for improvements in productivity, this study posits that productivity benefits in particular can be realized through establishing the linkage between ECI and lean construction principles. The lessons from this study can likewise be adopted by other countries.

The concepts of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Lean construction are increasingly popular and used for the purpose of improving the efficiency of construction projects. The Lean construction approach helps optimize the system, thereby minimizing the waste and increase the maximum amount of value for clients. This is in line with the effectiveness of BIM for the purpose of analyzing, evaluating, and managing projects based on the virtual information model before, during and after construction. The combination of BIM and Lean construction will certainly be the trend of the construction industry in the near future. This paper aims to analyze the integration of Lean construction principles in the BIM coordination process through a specific case study. The project management unit is responsible for managing and evaluating BIM models from consultants and contractors and serves as the project's BIM coordinator.
 Keywords: building information modeling; BIM coordination process; Lean construction; Lean principles.
 Received 20 November 2018, Revised 30 December 2018, Accepted 25 January 2019