DEDICATED TO

MAXIMIZING VALUE & ELIMINATING WASTE

Although many people think that Lean is a prescribed process, projects are not one-size-fits-all when it comes to applying Lean principles. At its core, Lean is about adding as much client-determined value as possible while eliminating as much process waste as possible. At Miron, we have long understood and worked towards maximizing this ideology.

In order to achieve the best outcome, it’s important to decide as early as possible if you want to apply Lean principles on your project. Some tools, such as Integrated Form of Agreement (IFOA), Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and Target Value Delivery (TVD), must be established prior to the architect or general contractor being brought on board.

Once high-level items have been decided and the project team is created, a kick-off meeting is held with as many of the team members as possible, including the owner, architect, engineer, general contractor, and trade partners. During this meeting, the team should take the time to get acquainted (people are what make projects successful) and determine their Conditions of Satisfaction (CoS) for the project. These may include:

  • What is most important for the project?
  • What will a successful project look like when it is complete?
  • How do we want to conduct ourselves while building the project?
  • What are things we want to avoid happening on the project?

Speed to market, cost effectiveness, safe project execution, and quality are typically valued by clients, but the project team should do a deeper dive into the specifics of what that looks like. What are some metrics that should be tracked throughout the project to make sure it’s staying on course and that the team is on the same page with their expectations?

Based on the discussion, the team will then decide which Lean tools will accomplish the project-specific goals.

LEAN IS ABOUT ADDING AS MUCH CLIENT-DETERMINED VALUE AS POSSIBLE WHILE ELIMINATING AS MUCH PROCESS WASTE AS POSSIBLE.

LEAN TOOLS

  • Big Room (in-person or virtual) – A process to quickly and collaboratively move the project forward by eliminating silos and creating a central hub for issues to be discussed and resolved during the design and construction phases.
  • IPD Lite – Create a cohesive project team working towards shared project goals without the typical project silos or an Integrated Form of Agreement (IFOA).
  • Target Value Delivery – Design to a budget rather than the typical process of: Design | Budget | Cut Scope | Redesign | Re-budget.
  • Prefabrication – This may include pods, pre-building wall sections, multi-trade racks, and/or kitting. Using these methods allows projects to move faster because less work is impacted by weather (both slower production and work stoppages).
  • BIM Modeling – Increase coordination and identify physical clashes before they impact the project.
  • Reliable Promises – All team members make promises to create a more reliable schedule with less replanning.
  • Choosing by Advantages – A decision-making tool based on customer-defined value.
  • The Last Planner System – Create a more reliable schedule based on direct planning by the people doing the work.
  • Constraint Management – Focus on identifying constraints as early as possible and getting them resolved before they impact the work.
  • Takt Time – A method to approach construction like manufacturing and pull out as much of construction’s eight typical process wastes as possible. This requires more up-front planning than traditional construction, but it can shorten the schedule and decrease cost. This tool can be used in conjunction with prefabrication.