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Library What Is Lean Construction? Definition and Principles

—  6 min read

What Is Lean Construction? Definition and

Principles

By Duane Craig and Sarah Dean

Last Updated Jun 6, 2023

If you ever get asked to take part in a lean construction project, it may
offer a fresh perspective on building. Lean construction principles —
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 and the practices that flow from them — not only transform projects,
but have the potential to transform entire companies. Let's take a look
at the key principles of lean construction.

Table of contents

What is lean construction?

Lean Construction principles 

Focusing on the process and flow

Planning rather than reacting

Creating structures to achieve goals

Managing the project supply chain

Always working toward continuous improvement

Benefits of lean construction

Transitioning to lean construction means growth and

transformation

What is lean construction?

Lean construction is a relationship-oriented, production
management-based approach to construction project delivery that
emphasizes the management and design of construction processes, as
opposed to just the end product. At heart, its main goals are
maximizing stakeholder value while minimizing waste — all while
heavily emphasizing inter-team collaboration.
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 In practice, working lean means you can reliably release work from one
construction process to the next. Just imagine being able to turn the
building over to whoever is next in line to do their work and know
everything will proceed as planned. The authors of Foundations of
Lean Construction compare the realization people have when they
grasp reliability to the moment when they learn to ride a bike.
Suddenly, they feel a new freedom and get a fresh sense of speed and
range. 

When someone grasps the idea of reliability in construction, they feel

empowered by the notion that they can change design, supply,
assembly, and control to get better results, knowing it will work.

Lean Construction principles 

Construction projects have phases, beginning with design and ending
with closeout. Each stakeholder performs their function as assigned by
contract.

In lean construction, the focus switches from individual stakeholders

focused solely on their individual roles to all stakeholders working as
a team. When applying lean construction principles, the project takes
on extra dimensions as participants consider its entire life cycle when
deciding what to build and how to build it.

Focusing on the process and flow

In construction — and many businesses — each participant tends to
focus on their own self-interests. This means relationships can remain
transactional, with contracts ensuring that outcome. 

But in a lean project, everybody focuses on the construction process.

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 When they follow lean construction practices, they optimize everything
for the final product. 

If you are a subcontractor on a lean project, you will take part in design
with all the other participants. If you are the general contractor, you
and the owner will accept design variations suggested by a
subcontractor if it’s best for the project. Regardless of your role on a
lean project, you have a voice, and it will be heard.

Lean construction also fits the process custom to the product. So,
you don’t build a project component in a certain way just because it’s
always done this way. Instead, you use a building method and
materials that you and the team have optimized for that component. 

Planning rather than reacting

With the pace of many modern construction projects, teams are used
to thinking in the short term. During the design phase of a lean
construction project, on the other hand, the participants consider the
entire life cycle of the structure. Not just what happens to it at midlife,
but also what happens when it’s reached the logical conclusion of its
life. 

Lean construction project participants also consider how their

individual interests affect each other to align their short-term and
long-term interests to the project’s benefit.

Today’s projects foretell success in future projects. What went right

and what went wrong is only instructive if you analyze it. In a lean
construction project, participants honor the future by incorporating
lessons from the past at all levels.
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 Creating structures to achieve goals
In a lean project, you use a systemic approach when getting ready to
begin an activity. Then, people doing the work make a firm
commitment to complete it following the requirements. In this way,
activities start “at the last responsible moment.” Work is "pulled" rather
than "pushed" — this helps increase efficiency and reduces waste.

As work gets underway, everybody tunes into the lean construction

practices in use so they can foresee and solve problems that could
potentially threaten completion. Commitment is key, and on a lean
project, every participant is already committed if they signed on to the
project. Plus, they know that help flows in all directions so they are not
in it alone. 

Managing the project supply chain

The supply chain on most construction projects is fragmented. Each
participant manages their own materials and equipment. Parties to a
lean construction project work together to improve supply chain
performance, allowing them to free themselves from market
variabilities. They can reduce price shocks, shortages, and lead times.

Always working toward continuous improvement

Continuous improvement is a key principle of lean construction. This
final principle affects all the others — anywhere things can be
improved and optimized can be addressed. According to the Lean
Tenets, "Lean encourages teams to come together to create a log of
constraints that are limiting or blocking productivity on a project."
Perfection is never possible — but constantly striving to improve helps
create a more productive environment and enables all the other lean
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 principles.

Benefits of lean construction

If everything on a lean construction project is operating optimally,
stakeholder value would be maximized and waste would always be
minimized — as is set out in lean's largest goals. But how have the
ideals of lean construction performed in the real world?

In a notable 2018 study, companies using the most effective lean

methods completed 45% of projects early and delivered 70% of them
under budget.  

Turner Construction has implemented the lean construction approach

in its enterprise. Turner's lean construction page discusses their use of
the approach across the company, as well as an example of how lean
was used on The New Canaan Library construction project.

For more studies and downloadable resources about lean construction,

visit leanconstruction.org.

Transitioning to lean construction means growth

and transformation
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While few who have studied lean construction would disagree with its
benefits, the transition to it requires changes in human behavior.
Companies must figure out how to overcome lean’s contradictions with
long-held group behavior.

Those who have transitioned to lean construction have themes in their

stories of “urgency, leadership, focus, structure, discipline and
trajectory,” making this transition nothing short of a transformation.
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 CATEGORIES* PROJECT EXECUTION
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Written by

Duane Craig
In addition to his career as a construction project
manager/superintendent, Duane has worked as a photojournalist,
education director, and landscaper. For the past 14 years, Duane has
covered the construction, finance, and tech industries.
View profile

Sarah Dean
View profile

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