Construction projects can often be a headache for the business, the contractors, and the management. As professional contractors, we always want to trim down waste and ensure that our customers have had the best possible experience when we have completed an architectural or interior design job. This is why we embrace a lean construction approach so that everyone is satisfied upon project completion.

What is Lean Construction?

Well, put simply, lean construction is a principle that’s becoming increasingly popular that aims to transform waste into value from the perspective of everyone involved in the project. When done correctly, work becomes predictable and the workflows are streamlined. The construction process is very old, but with lean construction, this process is made much more efficient so that we can deliver exactly what the customer needs.

What Makes it Something that I Want?

So, now that you know what it is, why do you need it? Well, as mentioned, there is a lot of value in lean construction. With it as a driving principle, we use it to ensure a good workflow and happier clients. When both are achieved, both our clients and our business will prosper. Here’s why it will work for you:

• It reduces the time to complete construction: As you might imagine, this is a very important aspect of lean construction. Everyone has heard tales about how a construction project has gone far past the originally scheduled end date. This leads to wasted money, wasted resources, and angry clients. Lean construction uses reduced transport times, reduced excess of materials, and more value added construction practices. This means shorter projects and more satisfaction.
• It minimizes waste: One of the biggest problems in the construction industry is the management of waste; there’s wasted time, wasted materials, and wasted motion. Lean construction minimizes waiting by keeping steady schedules and work deliverables so that neither clients nor crews are stuck waiting.
  
  It minimizes wasted materials by revolutionizing the management of these materials so that defects and damage happen at a reduced rate. Finally, motion waste is cut through the reduction of over-processing.
  
  There are many wasted steps in the construction industry, and using lean construction, we’re able to cut steps in operations like reprocessing, excess communication, double handling, and excess double checking.
• A more collaborative environment is fostered: When the client and our company are in communication and deliverables are firmly established, then a more collaborative environment is the result. When collaboration occurs on a project, then the stakeholders are more invested, which means, at the end of a project, there’s a great since of accomplishment and work satisfaction for all involved.

Additional Benefits

In addition to these very compelling concepts, lean construction can also lead to:

• Reduced Cost: When fewer materials are used for a job, you’ll see a lower overall project cost. This makes it more convenient for you and we can also benefit by being able to move onto the next project.
• Fewer Accidents: Through this systematic approach, the construction site is more stringently managed, which results in fewer incidents of workplace accidents.
• Leaner Work Environment: Since the scope of the project is outlined right at the beginning, lean construction principles allow for smaller teams that have more accountability.
• Increased Communication: With fewer workers, there is less of a chance of communications becoming muddled. This, in turn, means that there will be fewer errors within the scope of the project, which will cut down costs.

How Can it Be Applied To My Project?

Since lean construction sets up a value stream and uses modularized building systems in order to make the construction process more efficient, it has a lot of applications to just about any project. Also, since the process is much more efficient, your job will be completed in a much smaller window of time.

Our staff will start out by establishing your exact needs so that we have a clear definition of the scope of the project. This will include hand-off criteria and management of all of the trade specialists that may be needed for your project. Milestones will be established that we will adhere rigorously to and coordinating action will be established early on that will ensure the continuous flow of project deliverables.

We’re Dedicated to Your Satisfaction

We use lean construction techniques because they generally provide for more satisfied customers, which is why you should insist that any work that you have done is done using lean methodology. When this technique is done right, the amount of waste is reduced, value is added, and the process is greatly streamlined, which makes everyone involved in the project more satisfied.

Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Scaffold Store, the favorite and trusted scaffold supplier of the largest contractors.