Feasibility Report- Exploring factors for implementing lean construction for rapid initial success

in construction: Case Analysis of UK construction sector

Module code: EG7302

Module name: Engineering Management Project

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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3

Background..................................................................................................................................3

Problem statement.......................................................................................................................4

Rationale......................................................................................................................................5

Aims & Objectives..........................................................................................................................6

Outline the various stages................................................................................................................7

Identification of the target problems............................................................................................7

Review of the literature...............................................................................................................7

Preparation of required design for the study................................................................................8

Actual use of data collection........................................................................................................9

Results and discussions on data...................................................................................................9

Project time-based plan..................................................................................................................10

Gantt chart.................................................................................................................................10

Formulation of conclusion and recommendations.....................................................................12

References......................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction

Background

Lean construction is considered a method for production that is aimed toward the reduction of
costs, materials, efforts, and, timing. The essential methodology is to bring the minimization to
the bad part and maximization to the good part (Bajjou and Chafi, 2020). There are principles in
lean construction that takes into hand the outcome in a certain way that makes sure of value and
output while lowering the wasteful events and potential delays. This type of outcome is generally
produced under the condition of merging the standard approaches of the construction with a deep
understanding of the material and information of the project. The essence of the overall system is
to make use of the necessary factors with precise control. The use of the strategic type of
planning and the action done through the management group is necessary to achieve certain
effects.

The development of lean construction took place due to the need of overcoming the challenges in
the construction type industry such as the loss of productivity, waste in major amounts, and,
issues in the environment. It is always recognized as the enabler of implementing operations and
supply chain management more effectively. The successful implementation of the lean type
construction also paved a smooth road for the improved efficiency of the construction type
industry. In general, the construction projects that are done under the lean type practices are
generally ahead of their schedule about three times and ahead of budget about two times (Dodge
and Analytics data, 2016). The lean type practitioners showed support for the lean construction
due to the better performance overall and reduction of waste. In terms of other case studies, the
support is also prompted for the shortening of the schedule by 9-25% (Erol, et al., 2017). This
makes it a clear choice in the field of the construction industry as most of the projects inside are
extremely demanded with very close constraints in terms of both time and money.

The main reason that is defined behind the actual lack of the response towards the lean type
construction is the failure in terms of a proper definition of the lean in terms of actual practicality
(Leong, et al., 2015). The major recognized challenges behind the actual adoption of the lean
construction are ranging in many dimensions such as required complexity in the overall
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understanding, myth of lean construction being the process of gradually looking into the
implementation thus nonsuitable of industry outlook of quick type success and, lacking a
strategic framework for the implementation of the lean construction at a micro-level (Aslam, et
al., 2020).

Despite the efforts done in the improvement of the implementation, the presence showcased from
the lean type culture within the construction industry of the UK is lacking. There is still a larger
gap for the development recognized for the review of lean construction in the construction
industry of other countries than in the UK (Sarhan and Fox, 2013). The emphasis can be
provided in terms of the larger benefits reaped by the various nations through the adoption of the
lean construction-based concepts by the implementation of the practices is still immature in the
construction type industry of the UK. The main barriers recognized as a hindrance to the
implementation are cultural as well as structural. There are other barriers in the form of internal
and external factors (Albalkhy and Sweis, 2020).

The studies done on the modalities of the success in the implementation of the lean type
construction are lacking and the need for the exploration is there in the enhancing the success
factors on a scale of micro conditions. The reported improvement for lean construction has
varied over time, with productivity and, cost over the range of between the 1-25%. There are still
measurements that showcased the values surpassing the 30% mark (Erol, et al., 2017). The initial
success of the project requires proper attention to the success factors for the operational levels
such that the implementation can be as realistic as possible. The implementation protocols are
the core of the study with regards to getting the benefits at the main stay overall. The question is
simply based upon the factors improving the practicality offered by lean construction practices.

Problem statement

Even if the theoretical base of the lean type practices is huge and supported by the success of
several construction projects the needed affluence for such practices is lacking especially in the
construction industry. The fact can simply be explained through the statement that there is
evidence for the benefit offered by the lean type construction but, the practical use of the data
and results is limited due to differences across the various regions. The limited amount of a
number of the document for the lean-type construction explains the failure in terms of usage.

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The realism as well as the adoption of the lean type practices is questionable due to the broad
amount of terminologies and requiring an extreme explanation for the general type of
construction-based industry. Thus the adoption value still regresses due to the high value of the
attention to detail needed in every single project across the industry.

Rationale

The advocates behind lean construction are looking into the factors that can spread the successful
as well as the widespread type of implementation of the lean construction (Kawish, 2017). The
identified factors are mainly difficult for the downstream-based players to implement properly
due to the broad nature of the lean construction. The lack of proper strategies needed in the
implementation of lean construction refrains the industry in terms of achieving the rapid type of
success at initial levels. The major cause of the study is to stop the possible dissociation of the
lean type of construction due to the lacking immediate success at the initial levels even after
implementation. The study is done with a simple guide for the robust type strategies to the
construction type industry in terms of selection of implementation tools that mainly focus on the
initial success through practical gains. The success factors must be able to solve the micro need
of the industry thus taking the initial success chances from low bottom to high rates.

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Aims & Objectives

The study aims to explore factors for implementing lean construction for rapid initial success in
the UK construction sector.

The achievement of the aim will be done through the findings formed based on the following
objectives:

 To conceptualise the importance of success factors in the implementation of the lean

construction-based practices
 To identify the theories and frameworks related to the lean construction used in the
implementation inside the construction sector
 To analyse the impact of the lean construction on the initial success of the construction
 To evaluate the challenges associated with the lean construction practices in terms of
rapid achievement of success at the initial scale
 To recommend the strategies for the improvement of the success factors of lean
construction for the rapid initial success in the construction

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Outline the various stages

Identification of the target problems

The starting of study will always start based on the problem it is targeted at. The objective here is
to provide the actual practicality of the findings later revealed by the study. Thus the problems
are defined based on the practical solution that the research will reveal through the various other
parts. The setting of the problem requires proper observation, consultation with the experts, and,
attention invested into the subject target of the study. The interpretation of the findings in the
study is done based on the relationship held with the problems and formulation of the resultant
conclusion is also performed through this.

The importance of a good type of research problem is very huge due to the interdependence of
the activities being undertaken. Thus the factors that are connected with this also need a good
amount of attention for the study to be well conducted. The various factors of the consideration
include the interested area, fund availability, significance on the socio-economic scale, and,
required safety measures(Yalçın, et al., 2016). These are needed in conjunction with the prior
attention on the aim of the study so that the designed problem can be considered passed in terms
of overall context and direction. The study can be considered half complete after the formulation
of the well-designed problem.

Review of the literature

The next stage of the study will be the performing of the review of the information gained
through the literature on the subject topic. The process of the literature search will significantly
help in filtering out the topic based on the provided abstract, objectives, conclusion, and suitable
recommendations. The process of the literature search will help in identifying the result based on
the existing research and help in eliminating the papers which are not relevant. The main
objective behind this stage of the study is to establish the familiarity between the various existing
research performed on the subject before further carrying out the process. It is done with the sole
purpose of looking into the missing dimension of the research done on the topic selected for the
study (Xiao and Watson, 2019). There are other minor objectives that this stage of the study is

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aligned to fulfilling. These mainly deal with the various other stages in terms of forming a link
between the prior and later stages through a theoretical framework.

There are other minor objectives related to the review of the study performed earlier on the
subject. The first is to make the foundation of knowledge for the topic of the study. The second is
to identify any areas linked with the act of duplicating the study. There is another part that
handles the identification of any source of inconsistencies based on the previous study. This gap
can form the actual basis of the research direction in the future. This stage also helps in taking
care of the fact that the topic allows for the performance of the additional study. It also helps the
placing the study within the relation of any existing prior literature thus helping in the formation
of the case of studying it further.

Preparation of required design for the study

This stage of the study comes after the review performed for the selected objectives for the
research. It mainly helps in the formation of the smooth experience of the other operations of the
study. It will take the study on the most efficient pathway by giving the maximum amount of
information with the support of the minimal expenditure in terms of effort, money, and, time.
The key importance of this stage of the study is reflected in the help it provides in ensuring the
selected methods matches well with the aims, data quality, and the right type of analysis through
the support of credible sources. This adds another layer of validation to the conclusion drawn in
the latter part of the study.

The preparation of the needed design of the study is an important stage of the completion of the
study. The research design is prepared for the formulation of the systematic procedure needed for
carrying out the activities of the study (Creswell and Poth, 2016). The design provides the right
direction for the study without any possible deviation from the general tasks. It forms the
detailed strategy needed in the process of the study. The main idea behind following the selected
design for the study is to help in achieving the objectives related to the study in the barrier of
time and facility. The limited resources are best utilized in case of proper following of the design
prepared. The overall accuracy, validity, reliability, and, consistency of the study can be
guaranteed through the help of a good type of research design. The preparation of the design for
the study will be done using the identification of the operating type variables, selection of the

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required samples, collection of the primary or the second type of data and, interpretation of the
results achieved.

Actual use of data collection

This stage will be conducted after the proper design for the study is selected. The primary data
collection method will be used for the provided research and based on it, the format of the
survey questionnaire will be taken into consideration for gathering the required information. This
is closely linked with the implementation of the design previously provisioned for the study. In
this stage of the study, the use of the design is done to make sense of the information collected.
The inclusion of the methodology used in the study is done for the completion of this stage. The
main purpose is to improve the overall validity of the study through the usage of the data from
valid point sources. The usage of the collected information with the right amount of explanation
forms the basis of the further workload of the study. The evaluation of the various conclusions is
done based on the selected type of data used in the study (Guerra-Santin and Tweed, 2015). Thus
the degree of validation is also subject to the type of design methodology selected suitable for the
study. It forms the authentication of the issues highlighted in the study. Thus the collection of the
data must be done based on the useful information on the subject.

Results and discussions on data

This stage of the study will form the heart of the research due to the location of the findings
being settled in this part. The main purpose of this part of the study is to form the derived
findings of the study and validate them by using the previously reviewed information. This adds
to the quality of the work due to the involved nature of the information selected for the study.
The main idea behind this stage is to interpret the findings based on the problems investigated at
the core of the study (Lee and Casal, 2014). The new understanding and insights into the study
take the level of results achieved to the next level. The various dimension related to the theme of
the problem identified at the beginning is explained in this part thus the use of analyses and
interpretation is done in the heavy form in this part of the study. There is the involvement of
other small causes in this stage of the study. The survey questionnaire will be the major aspect
that significantly helps in analysing the collected data and provides the suitable structure to fulfill
the major requirements.

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These involve the various basics that are utilized in the study in the form of reviewed
information, design, and problems. Thus the final phase of the study is dependent on the degree
of completion reached in this part of the study. It is also important that the explanation provided
can be linked with the subject of the problem of study. Thus the core idea always stays on the
future possible research on the topic and help this study can provide for the same (Farnia, et al.,
2020).

Project time-based plan

The time plan for the project is based on the various stages discussed in the previous section and
forms the start and finish of the study. The tasks displayed are very crucial and will be completed
in the most optimal schedule. The use of the various techniques and arrangements will be done to
achieve the final aim of the project.

Gantt chart
Activities Timeline (In Weeks)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Research Topic
selection
Documentation of
the problem along
with the significant
aim and objectives
Research proposal
creation
Literature review
Research
methodology
Data collection
Data Analysis
Finding and
Discussion

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Conclusion and
Recommendations
Review and
Submission

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Formulation of conclusion and recommendations

This stage of the study can be considered the last part due to the closing chapter of the
conclusion involved in it. The purpose of this part is simply to form the general conclusive base
on the topic of study and provide proper guidelines on the findings and the help it can serve for
the future. The use of the conclusion as the statement is done to present the solutions to the
problems based on the findings developed during the investigation. The conclusion can easily
help in terms of reaching a fundamental judgment on the working of the study. The possible
benefit to society is the value that the conclusion hopes to serve. The relationship between the
findings, conclusion, and, recommendations is very much direct succession. The former adds to
the depth of the latter and forms the basis of the final part.

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References

Albalkhy, W. and Sweis, R., 2020. Barriers to adopting lean construction in the construction
industry: a literature review. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 12(2), pp. 210-236.

Aslam, M., Gao, Z. and Smith, G., 2020. Exploring factors for implementing lean construction
for rapid initial successes in construction. Journal of Cleaner Production, 277, pp. 1-48.

Bajjou, M.S. and Chafi, A., 2020. Lean construction and simulation for performance
improvement: a case study of reinforcement process. International Journal of Productivity and
Performance Management, 70(2), pp. 459-487.

Creswell, J.W. and Poth, C.N., 2016. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among
five approaches. Sage publications.

Erol, H., Dikmen, I., and Birgonul, M. T. 2017. Measuring the impact of lean construction
practices on project duration and variability: A simulation-based study on residential buildings.
Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, 23(2), 241-251.

Farnia, M., Saeedi, M. and Ataei, Z., 2020. A Cross-disciplinary Study on Evaluative Strategies
in Research Articles Conclusion Sections. International Journal of Research in English
Education, 5(1), pp.1-18.

Guerra-Santin, O. and Tweed, C.A., 2015. In-use monitoring of buildings: An overview of data
collection methods. Energy and Buildings, 93, pp.189-207.

Kawish, S.E., 2017. Identifying and Prioritizing Barriers and Overcoming Strategies in
Implementing Lean Construction Principles and Methods within Transportation Projects.
Michigan State University.

Lee, J.J. and Casal, J.E., 2014. Metadiscourse in results and discussion chapters: A cross-
linguistic analysis of English and Spanish thesis writers in engineering. System, 46, pp.39-54.

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Leong, M. S. , Ward, S. and Koskela, L. 2015. 'Towards an Operational Definition of Lean
Construction Onsite ' In:, Seppänen, O., González, V. A. and Arroyo, P., 23rd Annual
Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction. Perth, Australia, pp 507-516.

Sarhan, S. and Fox, A., 2013. Barriers to implementing lean construction in the UK construction
industry. The Built & Human Environment Review, 6, pp. 1-17.

Xiao, Y. and Watson, M., 2019. Guidance on conducting a systematic literature review. Journal
of Planning Education and Research, 39(1), pp.93-112.

Yalçın, M., Bektaş, F., Öztekin, Ö. and Karadağ, E., 2016. Factors affecting the identification of
research problems in educational administration studies. Educational Sciences: Theory &
Practice, 16(1), pp. 1-30.

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