Lean & 5S's in Construction - June 08 #35

This e-newsletter is written by Dennis Sowards to share ideas on the 5S’s and Lean practices especially as they are applied in construction. If you have ideas or lessons learned to share please contact me. Lean Leadership Jim Womack offers this Lean Leadership checklist. How are you doing in Lean Leadership? read more... Read More

Lean & 5S's in Construction - June 08 #35

This e-newsletter is written by Dennis Sowards to share ideas on the 5S’s and Lean practices especially as they are applied in construction. If you have ideas or lessons learned to share please contact me. Lean Leadership Jim Womack offers this Lean Leadership checklist. How are you doing in Lean Leadership? read more... Read More

Applying the 5 S's for Lean Construction

Start: Jul 29 2008 - 5:00am End: Jul 29 2008 - 5:59pm July 29, 2008 - Lean Works In Construction – presented in the morning, Applying the 5 S's for Lean Construction presented in the afternoon... Read More

Lean Works In Construction, SMACNA of Oklahoma

Start: Jul 30 2008 - 5:00pm End: Jul 30 2008 - 5:59pm July 30, 2008 - Lean Works In Construction – presented in the morning, Planning that really Works - The Last Planner presented in the afternoon, Tulsa, OK, sponsored by SMACNA of Oklahoma, Inc., Contact: Terry Elliott at (918) 838-3223.... Read More

Lean & 5S's in Construction - May 08 #34

Sustaining Lean read more... Read More

Lean & 5S's in Construction #33

Lean Leaders What is a ‘Lean Leader?’ What type of leader is needed to successfully implement Lean? Lou English, a noted Lean consultant, shares his thoughts on this: read more... Read More

Oct 2, 2008 – Lean Works in Construction, Seattle, WA – Sponsor: SMACNA

Start: Oct 2 2008 - 10:00am End: Oct 2 2008 - 10:59am Oct 2, 2008 – Lean Works in Construction, Seattle, WA – Sponsor: SMACNA - Western Washington Chapter – contact Joanne Williams at 206 285-4144. Must be a SMACNA member to attend.... Read More

Lean & 5S's in Construction - May 08 #34

Sustaining Lean read more... Read More

Manufacturers Need to Look at Lean Construction

See original article here Manufacturers Need to Look at Lean Construction Lean is proving that you can build for less, faster and still maintain quality. read more... Read More

Lean & 5S's in Construction #33

Lean Leaders What is a ‘Lean Leader?’ What type of leader is needed to successfully implement Lean? Lou English, a noted Lean consultant, shares his thoughts on this: read more... Read More

What is the Lean Approach in Construction Contracting?

In a phrase, we define it as asset productivity. (Current and fixed assets along with people) Productive assets means higher ROI. Healthy financial results bode well for construction contractors and their staffs. As you know, cash in the bank can determine whether your business future will be a) troubled b) robust or c) extinct. The bank does not have an opinion about your balance; it is not debatable. That balance allows you to take a long-term view or forces you focus only on the short term. Greater asset productivity... Read More

Lean & 5S' in Construction #16 Nov 2006

***************** Attack the Waste of Transportation This is the waste of moving materials or goods. Though often necessary, any time material or tools are moved it does not usually add value. In construction unless one is able to fabricate while transporting the material to the job, nothing is changed during the movement to add value. Sometimes the material is damaged while being transported, resulting in more waste. Transportation waste happens when we move material around the shop; when we load it on the truck or trailer; when we haul... Read More

Lean & 5S' in Construction #18 - January 2007

Lean & 5S' in Construction - Newsletter #18 - January 2007 ***************** Attack Waste of Over Processing OVER-PROCESSING: This waste happens when there are unnecessary or extra steps in the process or if steps that do not create value. The more steps in any process, the more chances for mistakes in processing. In construction this waste includes over-engineering, having to have someone’s’ signature on a requisition, multiple handling of timesheets, duplicate entries on forms or data-entry fields, and getting double and triple estimates from suppliers. Over-processing is caused by... Read More

Lean & 5S' in Construction #19 Feb 2007

Lean & 5S's in Construction Newsletter #19 February 2007 Attack the Waste of Motion MOTION: Employees moving around do not add value and is waste. These ‘treasure hunts’ happen when we store material away from the job or when workers must go looking for tools, material or information. Treasure hunts happen in the office, when we are looking for files, reports, reference books, current drawings, contracts or vendor catalogues. Poor planning and organization often cause this waste. It happens because we don’t have a designated place for everything. A... Read More

Lean & 5S' in Construction #20 March 2007

Lean & 5S's in Construction Newsletter #20 March, 2007 This e-newsletter is written by Dennis Sowards to share ideas on the 5S’s and Lean practices especially as applied in construction. If you have ideas or lessons learned to share - please contact me. Keep it Simple Some suggestions on the how to do the 5S’s and keep it simple: “Whatever you do, don't seal it in the concrete, as you have to improve it as soon as you've implemented it! Better stick tapes than paint lines, Better use movable... Read More

Lean & 5S' in Construction #22 May 2006

***************** Office Efficiency and Waste in Knowledge Workers Work Daniel Markovitz, a Lean consultant, reports helping reduce the waste in knowledge workers' behavior. In one project the workers gained nearly 10 hours per week for value added work. What would an additional 10 hours do for you office admin, estimators and engineers? Dan feels that “Lean work habits are critical for knowledge workers, because the multiple value streams flowing through them create a constant tension. Without lean habits to guide their work, the critical flow of information in the... Read More

Lean & 5S's in Construction - Jan 07, #30

This e-newsletter is written by Dennis Sowards to share ideas on the 5S’s and Lean practices especially as they are applied in construction. If you have ideas or lessons learned to share please contact me. Lean Leaders read more... Read More

Lean Works in Construction, Oakland, CA

Start: Jun 2 2008 - 11:00am End: Jun 2 2008 - 11:59am March 3, 2008 – Lean Works in Construction, Oakland, CA – Sponsor: Bay Area SMACNA Chapter – contact Audrey Kerns at (510) 635-8212. Must be a SMACNA member to attend.... Read More

Case Studies: Increasing Throughput with Lean Concepts

After attending a Lean 101 class, Joe Oakley, powdercoat team leader for Edmond, OK-based Pelco Products Inc., manufacturer of traffic signal hardware, structural poles, decorative lighting and utility hardware, knew he wanted to use lean in his department.... Read More

Lean Project Management

="http://bradapp.blogspot.com/">Brad Appleton reviewed Lean Project Management, by L Leach concluding, "I found Lean Project Management to be a fairly quick read providing a good overview of some TOC and CCPM fundamentals and how they align with Lean thinking." © 2008 Hal, Reforming Project Management. | Permalink | No comments Add to del.icio.us. | Search blogs linking this post with Technorati Want more on these topics? Browse other posts tagged asides.... Read More

Humility Makes Toyota Different

e Lean Insider: Speaking to Toyota employees at the Detroit Auto Show President Watanabe asked that they take responsibility for recent quality problems. "I do not regard the problem as something that suppliers are responsible for. We must work together so that we are fully aware of where suppliers are." Bernstein closes saying, "At Toyota, they know that doing the best job of serving the customer is what makes the company profitable." © 2008 Hal, Reforming Project Management. | Permalink | One comment Add to del.icio.us. | Search blogs... Read More

High Performing Contractor - Feb 2008

High-Performing Contractor - NEWSLETTER - Feb. 2008 This e-newsletter is dedicated to supporting High-Performing Contractors and all contractors working to become one. Written by Dennis Sowards read more... Read More

Have You Enjoyed Yourself this Week?

lass="pull_ad">Hi. I’m Alan Mossman, a consultant based in the UK. Hal has invited me to contribute occasional posts to RPM in the areas of design, safety and collaboration. my profs at Uni, Stafford Beer, asserted "A system is what a system does". So why would anyone create a system that in Hal’s words “turns strangers into enemies”. Will Lichtig addressed this issue in an article for the Fall 07 American Institute of Architects Practice Management Digest. In Projects as Patients, Will suggests a scoring system for project health —... Read More

Please Welcome Alan Mossman

We have another new blogger at RPM, Alan Mossman, Director of Lean Construction Institute UK. He trained as an architect and then worked as a socio-technical systems consultant. Returning to construction in 2000 he is co-editor of the Lean Construction Journal and from 2005-07 was Director of Constructing Excellence South West. Alan will be contributing articles every few weeks, or so. Please welcome him with your comments and questions. When you're done reading the following post, head over to ChangeThis to vote on his manifesto proposal Together at the... Read More

The Proximity Principle and Project Success: Revisiting Project e-Tip 016

lass="pull_ad">In my first guest-blogger entry, I mentioned the importance of managing perceptions. I wrote that not doing so was the main cause of why only one project out of three was considered successful by major stakeholders, according to the Standish Group's Chaos Report1. I concluded that "not managing perceptions" could be considered the 10th waste of ill-managed projects. asy to say that we have to manage perceptions. But where and how should we start doing that? The Chaos Report gives us pretty good leads on that. The report identifies... Read More

Lean Works in Construction, Oakland, CA

Start: Mar 3 2008 - 11:00am End: Mar 3 2008 - 4:00pm March 3, 2008 – Lean Works in Construction, Oakland, CA – Sponsor: Bay Area SMACNA Chapter – contact Audrey Kerns at (510) 635-8212. Must be a SMACNA member to attend.... Read More

Lean Construction Practices, SMACNA – SMWIA

Start: Apr 3 2008 - 11:24am April 3, 2008 – Lean Construction Practices, SMACNA – SMWIA – 2008 Partners in Progress, Las Vegas, contact http://www.pinp.org/conf08/registration.htm... Read More

Job Planning that Works - Phoenix, AZ

Start: Apr 17 2008 - 11:00am End: Apr 17 2008 - 11:59am April 17, 2008 – Job Planning that Works - Phoenix, AZ – Sponsor: PIPE & 469 JAC, contact Cathy at pipetrust@qwest.net... Read More

Lean Works in Construction, Portland, OR

Start: May 21 2008 - 11:00am End: May 21 2008 - 11:59am May 21, 2008 - Lean Works in Construction, Portland, OR – Sponsor: Columbia SMACNA Chapter – contact Tom Goodhue at 503.220.2303. Must be a SMACNA member to attend.... Read More

Lean & 5S's in Construction - Jan 07, #30

This e-newsletter is written by Dennis Sowards to share ideas on the 5S’s and Lean practices especially as they are applied in construction. If you have ideas or lessons learned to share please contact me. Lean Leaders read more... Read More

5S’s Any CEO Would Love - Phoenix, AZ

Start: Mar 20 2008 - 3:00pm March 20, 2008 - 5S’s Any CEO would Love - Phoenix, AZ – Sponsor: PIPE & 469 JAC, contact Cathy at pipetrust@qwest.net... Read More

Not Managing Perceptions: The 10th Waste of Project Management

ject Quality Management must address the management of the project and the product of the project" (p.180, PMBoK, 3rd edition) In an earlier blog entry, I presented the Nine Wastes of Mismanaged Projects, according to Lean Project Management gurus (Howell, Macomber, Koskela, Bodek). I said then that I saw a 10th waste adversely affecting project success: Not Managing Perceptions. Today, I will briefly explain why I believe that not managing perceptions is a major project waste, and why it has to be taken care of for our projects to... Read More

AIA “Hot Topic”: Target Value Design

lass="pull_ad">Back in the fall 2007, the AIA Practice Management Digest asked Greg Howell, Executive Director of the Lean Construction Institute, to convene a panel of design and construction lean thinkers to write on lean design (for construction). I was one of the invited essayists. I wrote a paper with Greg and John Barberio. Our topic was Target-Value Design. osed that Target-Value Design (TVD) turns the current design practice upside-down. Rather than estimate based on a detailed design, design based on a detailed estimate. Rather than evaluate the constructibility of... Read More

Ease into (Lean Project) Cold Water — Not!

lass="pull_ad">Our inclination is to ease into new situations. We take baby steps thinking that it is the safe way to engage in something new. Two of my sons just went sky diving. There's no reasonable way to ease out of the plane…particularly when you are jumping tandem. There's no reasonable way to ease into cold water. How do I know? I've tried it. I suspect many of you have tried it too! quote class="pullquote">"…incremental change promotes a parochial outlook and attitude" Lean practices are as shocking as cold water.... Read More

Be Lean…Build Lean

As 2007 came to a close, lean design and construction got some well-deserved press. The manufacturing community shares their successes and learning about lean through Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) and their "Target Magazine". Most lean manufacturers operate in buildings that were neither designed or built lean. That can change. Karen Wilhelm, writing for Target, spent quite some time investigating the lean construction movement. She shares what she learned in a cover story, lean construction is making headway">Collaboration Makes Construction Lean. "The culture of heroes works against the smooth flow... Read More

Lean & 5S's in Construction - Dec 07, #29

What would Santa be like if he went Lean? – Answer is at the end of this email. ****************** How to Lead Lean Lou English shares his views about how leadership must understanding Lean and be convinced of its value enough: “To pay attention to it through goals, measures, problem solving and seeing it working every day. To learn about it without trivial debate or challenge, read more... Read More

Rework Ruins JobSite Morale