Smart Principles, Today’s Standard

Lean management philosophies and techniques have evolved from their manufacturing industry origins and adopted by other industries with great success—including the building field. A “Lean” approach is concerned with reducing wasteful actions, and the efficient use of resources and time, in any project’s process. At Rubicon, we know that it is not only what is eliminated, but also what is brought to the process, that defines this method. Lean construction management is not thinking “faster and cheaper,” it is being smart. Today, this management approach is emerging as the new standard in construction planning, with the focus on lean concepts that approach value rather than cost, and efficiency rather than schedule. The current sophisticated range of construction industry technology also adds to the value of this delivery method.

Some core principles include:

Improve communication planning with owner, work force, contractors, and suppliers with visualization and open display of schedule, design, and workflow
Eliminate waste of materials, poor communication, duplication of efforts, and design errors
Improve work process by early planning, with a focus on improved workflow, achievable tasks, distribution of workload, and a clearly defined work scope
“Look-ahead” scheduling with “just-in-time” deliveries, engagement of all parties, availability of resources, access to site, and coordination of other dependencies
Plan and coordinate off-site fabrication and modular construction activities to reduce site congestion, distribute workload, minimize field work force and improve just-in-time delivery
Create a clean, safe and efficient working environment, and communicate safety