A Lean-based Index To Predict and Prevent Delays in Construction Projects

In the pursuit of greater reliability and control over project deadlines, Lean Construction professionals are increasingly turning to location-based planning and takt-driven production. While traditional indicators like physical progress measure what has been done, they often fail to predict when a project will be completed.

How Wise Construction Reduced a Construction Schedule by More Than 25%

In late May of 2023 Wise Construction began the renovation of a 20,000-square-foot hospital wing that provides Newton-Wellesley Hospital outside of Boston with a 24-bed medical/surgical unit.

High-Performance Leadership #9 - Collaborative Problem Solving

In this post #9 we'll discuss how to lead problem-solving efforts. Big agreements at the end of a problem-solving process are generated by a series of smaller agreements. Put another way, if you don't agree on the problem, you probably won't agree on the solution.

Avoid Lean Construction; why?

Lean Construction (LC) categorizes the project’s activities as Value-Added (VA) activities and Non-Value-Added (NAV) activities. The second category has eight different types: 1) Rework; 2) Overproduction; 3) Transportation; 4) Inventory; 5) Waiting; 6) Over-processing; 7) Unnecessary Movement; and 8) Non-Utilized Talent [1-8].

Process Mapping as Key to Capital Project Continuous Improvement

When people discuss waste in design and construction, most of the conversation focuses on the work performed by tradespeople in the field. We see excessive material, people waiting, and rework because these forms of waste are visible. The waste embedded in many management processes is much less visible.

Building an internal lean infrastructure to scale up lean deployment in a company with over 10,000 employees

WasteWalk Observations have led to the identification of over $300MM worth of estimated and $52MM of actual net cost savings/added value on over 300 projects and yards. 2024 saw the highest employee engagement in WasteWalks since introducing them as a Building Smarter best practice in 2022.

How to Improve Design and Engineering for Upstream Projects

Upstream capital projects are dynamic and complex endeavors. Their criticality continues to increase, as producers look to meet market demand and carbon reduction commitments, in addition to producing revenue faster through project acceleration.

Clean up Your Muda: How Automation Can Remove the Gray Work of Construction

That inability to find a job order, materials list or other key pieces of information is – unfortunately - a common scenario on job sites and in projects all over. While it's impossible to completely eliminate lost time or project delays, it’s becoming more possible to reduce the frustration and expense of jobsite downtime.

Last Planner and Takt Software Directory

This directory contains all of the Last Planner and Takt Software on the market. We encourage you to do your own research, set up a call with the vendors, and choose the software that fits your needs. This directory is meant to make it easy to find, compare, and make the decision on which software you can use.

From Waterfall to Agile: Rethinking Remodeling Through Scrum

Traditionally, construction and remodeling projects have followed the waterfall project management methodology—a linear sequence of phases: plan, design, execute, and deliver. It’s a method built for predictability, thriving in scenarios where all variables are mapped out upfront.

An Unreasonable Focus on Metrics and Its Impact on Culture

An obsessive focus on metrics in architecture firms erodes the human foundation of the workplace, reducing passionate designers and architects to mere data points rather than the creative professionals they are.