Construction Curiosities #68
Lean Construction 101
Hey! Happy Saturday! Matt here.
Welcome to the Construction Curiosities newsletter.
This week we have 32 new folks joining the ranks. Welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay.
This weekly Newsletter explores my Curiosities about the Construction Industry. It's meant to make you think, smile, and become a better, more thoughtful Construction Professional.
Summary
This week we will look at:
One Guest Post: Lean 101
One Article: Interest in Skilled Trades Growing
One Meme: Its a Metaphor
One Guest Post
3 weeks down, and lets keep it going with another one!
This week’s guest author is Tim Hoh, creator and author of Real Life Lean.
Lean is something that seems to be very misunderstood and something I still don’t know a TON about. So I wanted to get Tim to give us all a Lean 101 class.
So sit down Class and pay attention.
Intro To Lean
Lean construction. Often heard as a buzzword in the industry, people often jump to “eliminate staff”, “cut costs” and “pull planning”.
What if I told you these are not the focus of lean construction, but instead are deep rooted misconceptions the industry has around a project management approach that can change the lives of construction professionals around the world?
Lean construction is an approach to project management that focuses on respect for people, minimizing waste and maximizing valve through the construction process. At its core, thats it. There are many tools and practices that can be put in place to support these ideas, but on the surface, that is what lean is. The main tenets of lean construction include:
Respect for people - Lean construction teams realize that the people in construction are what matter most. This includes all people from the CEO to the laborer on his first day. Each individual plays a role in getting projects complete and cannot be done without each individual. Decisions on a lean construction team are rooted in respect for people. Lean construction teams involve the trades in decision making and planning process, create a culture that values respect and transparency and treat all team members with dignity and respect.
Value - Lean construction emphasizes the importance of delivering value to the customer. This means focusing on what the customers wants and needs and eliminating anything that does not contribute to the overall value.
Flow - Lean construction aims to create a smooth and continuous flow of work, without delay or interruption. This requires planning and coordination among all members of the project team. This is often achieved by utilizing tools such as the last planner system to help pull work though the workstream based on demand as opposed to traditional methods that push work out based on predetermined schedules.
Continuous Improvement - Lean construction aims to continuously improve on the process, procedures and practices of a construction team. Lean construction teams are consistently in a state of Plan-Do-Check-Act and are looking for ways to bring more respect to the people, eliminate waste and maximize value.
Through these main tenants, lean construction teams strive to produce projects at the highest level of quality while maintaining the safest job sites. Lean construction aims to reduce waste on a jobsite, increase overall efficiency and better the lives of construction professionals world wide.
Well Done. You passed Lean Construction 101.
For more content around lean construction, follow Tim Hoh on LinkedIn and subscribe to his Real Life Lean newsletter at https://reallifelean.beehiiv.com/subscribe
I currently have no more Guest Articles in the hopper so if you want to write a Guest Article and be Week 4 shoot me an email at matt@constructionyeti.com.
One Article
Interest in Skilled Trades Growing Due to Job Security, Flexibility
Nearly half of the young adults surveyed said they are interested in pursuing a career in the trades, and more than 80% said construction work offers benefits over traditional desk jobs, including:
More flexible work.
Less expensive education and lower debt accumulation.
Quicker entry into the workforce.
Ability to be your own boss.
Construction’s financial security is especially appealing—it was the key factor for 70% of young adults surveyed. Beyond money, 73% said skilled trades command respect; only medicine (77%) ranked higher.
One Meme
