A framework for Lean implementation in infrastructure construction in the UK

Sari, K

Abstract

The UK government is keen to have a world class modern transport infrastructure operational in the UK that will provide opportunities for regeneration and enable the nation to be competitive in the global market. Modern transport infrastructure is the economic backbone of many first world nations. The UK government has plans to increase spending on infrastructure that will rival any spending in the sector since the 1970s (IPA, 2017). A five-year, £135.3bn investment is planned to be spent on transport infrastructure between 2017 and 2026. The stakes are high, and therefore, there is a need for increased efficiency and effectiveness in the pre, during and post construction process. The industry is now vehemently pushing for the adoption of Lean construction to guide the allocation of resources and the execution of the works on budget, time and at an appropriate quality (IPA, 2017). Lean has brought about many benefits in manufacturing, such as; increased customer engagement, increased customer satisfaction, time and cost savings, and enhanced quality (Aziz et al., 2016). Lean construction, therefore, will bring about an effective system to generate the kind of efficiency savings desired within infrastructure construction. However, for optimum efficiency, the project team and the entire supply-chain must be committed to the Lean process. There has to be a full management buy-in, and commitment. The supply-chain also has to be fully motivated to achieve the desired efficiency targets. Many Lean implementation frameworks have been provided for use in the construction industry, but none have successfully incorporated the necessary elements that will drive motivation and commitment on the part of top management, project teams, and the supply-chain. It is imperative that the Lean initiative is beneficial for everybody involved. Therefore, this research set out to develop a framework to drive motivation and ensure commitment from project stakeholders in Lean implementations within infrastructure construction. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 Lean managers and practitioners in the infrastructure sector for which rich and informative responses were received satisfying many of the study’s queries on Lean implementation in infrastructure construction. The research found that the nature of contracts determines the level of motivation and commitment given to any Lean initiative. Furthermore, it was found that leadership, aligned with the objectives of the supply-chain and that of the client, including collaborative planning, monitoring and control, performance evaluation, and rewarding and incentivising of good performance make for a successful implementation of Lean within infrastructure projects.

Citation

Sari, K. A framework for Lean implementation in infrastructure construction in the UK. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Aug 14, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 14, 2019
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2019