Algan Tezel

Lean Construction Conformance among Construction Contractors in Turkey

Lean construction is the term that corresponds to the reflection of the production system developed at the Toyota Corporation (automotive industry) on the construction industry. Turkish contractors constitute a large portion of the local economy and are important global actors in contracting business. Lean construction-based research and practice, as a production management-based approach for in- creasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the construction industry, are scarce among Turkish contractors. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire prepared to predict the lean conformance levels of Turkish contractors and discusses the results. The comparative strengths and weaknesses of Turkish contractors for a lean construction initiative are highlighted. The findings that are presented in this paper can be used as a starting point to disseminate the research and practice in lean construction among Turkish contractors in the future. A similar kind of research can be repeated to compare the lean conformance levels in different countries and to evaluate the lean construction programs at different companies after the introduction of lean construction. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000145.

Visual Management in Brazilian Construction Companies: Taxonomy and Guidelines for Implementation

Visual management (VM) is the managerial strategy of consciously integrating visual tools in workspaces with the aim of increasing transparency on construction sites. Several VM tools and approaches that had been originally developed in the manufacturing context were implemented in construction. However, research on the application of VM in construction as a managerial strategy is scarce. This paper aims to investigate and classify the types of visual devices that can be used in construction sites through multiple case studies carried out in nine construction companies actively implementing VM. It also discusses strategies for the implementation of VM in construction. The main contributions of this investigation are: (1) a VM tools taxonomy that can be used to identify VM application opportunities, providing a basis for evaluating the level of VM implementation in construction; and (2) identification of critical factors for the implementation and various features of the VM strategy in construction.

Visual management in production management: a literature synthesis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to holistically discuss, explore and synthesise the key literature on visual management (VM), an important, yet highly fragmented subject that is frequently referred in lean production accounts. Design/methodology/approach An extensive literature review was conducted to classify the current literature, to explore the different aspects and limitations of the current discussions on the subject, to clarify in what ways VM benefits manifest themselves in a workplace and to identify the future research focus. Findings VM is an important close-range communication strategy based on cognitively effective information conveyance. This strategy has been frequently discussed in the production management literature. However, the literature is fragmented as to the roles of VM in a production setting; the body of literature lacks integrated focus and cohesion with an abundance of related terminology from scholarly works and consultant books; a practical VM tools taxonomy and a visual workplace implementation framework were presented; there is poor clarity with regards to the functions (benefits) that VM may provide within organisations, nine conceptual VM functions were proposed; a wide array of future research directions related to VM was identified. Originality/value This paper synthesises the key literature related to VM, providing a conceptual picture of the current knowledge.

Lean Construction in Small-Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs): An Exploration of the Highways Supply Chain

Lean Construction (LC) is under the spotlight to improve the overall performance of civil construction projects in England. A strategic target of public clients is to effectively extend the current LC efforts, which have been mainly led by large companies to date, across small-medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper presents a summary of the initial findings of a research effort aimed at understanding the current condition of and future directions for LC at the SMEs in England’s highways supply chain. The research comprises of 20 interviews with senior managers, of which the initial findings were summarized in this paper, and a comprehensive survey study with 110 responses across the highways supply chain. 31 points for the current condition and 40 action items for the future of LC in the highways SMEs were presented and discussed.

Lean thinking in the highways construction sector: motivation, implementation and barriers

Abstract The interest in lean thinking in the UK’s civil construction industry is on the rise. The research presented in the paper evaluates the adoption of lean thinking in the highways construction sector by investigating 7 motivation factors, 20 lean techniques and 16 barriers through in-depth interviews with 20 sector managers and a questionnaire survey of 110 responses. The findings show the existence of strong external motivational factors for lean thinking such as clients’ push and companies’ expectation of winning more contracts alongside lean’s operational benefits. Limited adoptions of the lean techniques, mostly in the stepwise process improvement cycle, the Last Planner System and Visual Management, were determined. This raises concerns about ‘pseudo-lean’ practices in the sector. Lack of standardisation, insufficient benefit capturing, insufficient know-how, insufficient control of the entire value stream and limited view to the techniques were found as the top barriers.

Visual Management in Highways Construction and Maintenance in England

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current Visual Management practices in highways construction projects in England. Design/methodology/approach Following a comprehensive literature review, the research topic was investigated by using five case studies and focus groups. Findings The main findings are (i) the current implementation of VM is limited, particularly on the construction field, (ii) there are some identified points (suggestions) that require attention to disseminate and advance the current practices further (iii) many conventional and BIM based opportunities to extend the current Visual Management implementations exist for the sector. Originality/value The highways construction and maintenance sector in England has been systematically deploying lean construction techniques in its operations for a while. One of those lean techniques is a close-range visual communication strategy called Visual Management. The literature on the Visual Management implementation in construction is scarce and generally limited to the building construction context. This paper documents the current industry practice in conventional and Building Information Modelling (BIM) based Visual Management and identifies a set of recommendations and some Visual Management ideas for future implementation efforts in the highways construction and maintenance sector.

The future of big data in facilities management :opportunities and challenges

Purpose This paper aims to explore the current condition of the Big Data concept with its related barriers, drivers, opportunities and perceptions in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry with an emphasis on facilities management (FM). Design/methodology/approach Following a comprehensive literature review, the Big Data concept was investigated through two scoping workshops with industry experts and academics. Findings The value in data analytics and Big Data is perceived by the industry, yet the industry needs guidance and leadership. Also, the industry recognises the imbalance between data capturing and data analytics. Large IT vendors’ developing AEC industry-focused analytics solutions and better interoperability among different vendors are needed. The general concerns for Big Data analytics mostly apply to the AEC industry as well. Additionally, however, the industry suffers from a structural fragmentation for data integration with many small-sized companies operating in its supply chains. This paper also identifies a number of drivers, challenges and way-forwards that calls for future actions for Big Data in FM in the AEC industry. Originality/value The nature of data in the business world has dramatically changed over the past 20 years. This phenomenon is often broadly dubbed as “Big Data” with its distinctive characteristics, opportunities and challenges. Some industries have already started to effectively exploit “Big Data” in their business operations. However, despite many perceived benefits, the AEC industry has been slow in discussing and adopting the Big Data concept. Empirical research efforts investigating Big Data for the AEC industry are also scarce. This paper aims at outlining the benefits, challenges and future directions (what to do) for Big Data in the AEC industry with an FM focus.

Benefits of visual management in construction: cases from the transportation sector in England

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the benefits of visual management (VM) systems in transportation construction projects in England. Design/methodology/approach Following a comprehensive literature review, the benefits of VM were investigated through action and case study research executed within two construction projects in England. Findings The main findings are: VM can contribute to increased self-management, better team coordination, better promises or an increasing plan percent complete, easier control for the management and improved workplace conditions in the transportation sector. It is important for the management to obtain the engagement of their workforce for VM through increased participation and show the actual benefits. However, managerial monitoring and control on the systems should not be underestimated. Originality/value The transportation sector in England has been systematically deploying Lean construction techniques in its operations for a while. One of those Lean techniques is a close-range visual communication strategy called VM. The literature on the VM implementation in construction is scarce and generally limited to the building construction context. This paper documents the benefits of VM systems for the transportation sector by using data captured through both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The paper also identifies a set of recommendations for similar research efforts in the transportation context in the future.

Challenges and drivers for data mining in the AEC sector

The purpose of this paper is to explore the current challenges and drivers for data mining in the AEC sector.,Following a comprehensive literature review, the data mining concept was investigated through a workshop with industry experts and academics.,The results showed that the key drivers for using data mining within the AEC sector is associated with the sustainability, process improvement, market intelligence, cost certainty and cost reduction, performance certainty and decision support systems agendas in the sector. As for the processes with the greatest potential for data mining application, design, construction, procurement, forensic analysis, sustainability and energy consumption and reuse of digital components were perceived as the main process areas. While the key challenges were perceived as being, data issues due to the fragmented nature of the construction process, the need for a cultural change, IT systems used in silos, skills requirements and having clearly defined business goals.,With the increasing abundance of data, business intelligence and analytics and its related concepts, data mining and Big Data have captured the attention of practitioners and academics for the last 20 years. On the other hand, and despite the growing amount of data in its business context, the AEC sector still lags behind in utilising those concepts in its end products and daily operations with limited research conducted to explore those issues at the sector level. This paper investigates the main opportunities and barriers for data mining in the AEC sector with a practical focus.

Continuous Improvement Cells in the Highways Sector

In line with its performance improvement and Lean Construction agenda, the highways supply chain in the UK has commenced many Continuous Improvement (CI) cells in recent years. The CI cell is a small-group work coordination and improvement technique that is frequently used in many industries as part of their lean transformations. The technique has also its links to some key lean concepts and practices like continuous improvement (kaizen), Visual Management and hoshinkanri policy deployment. This paper presents a summary of a detailed research aiming to understand the execution of the CI cells in the highways supply chain in the UK with their associated benefits and challenges through a study of 12 CI cells at the main client organisation. Alongside a set of benefits and challenges, the current CI cell execution mechanism and some suggestions to improve the current practice were also presented in the paper.