Search Results (5)

Background: Lean management has been widely adopted, particularly in logistics operations. Achieving lean is not a discrete intervention but a continuous process of maturing in the integration of processes, work systems, and organizational capabilities within a coherent management philosophy. This maturation requires structured measurement instruments for tracking maturity progression. Although numerous lean maturity models (LMMs) have been proposed, none has achieved methodological standardization or acceptance as a measurement yardstick. Methods: This study addresses this gap by evaluating 27 qualified LMMs using a reproducibility-inspired assessment framework. The paper introduces the OVRGP framework (Opportunity, Validity, Reliability, Generalizability, and Process Integrity), comprising 17 rigor-based criteria. Independent raters with substantial lean expertise evaluated all 27 models using a six-point ordinal scale, achieving a pre-consensus inter-rater reliability of ICC(2,1) = 0.836. Results: Nine critical methodological weaknesses were identified, with average scores below 2.0 for criteria requiring empirical validation, structural integrity testing, and cross-context replication. Conclusions: The study offers targeted methodological guidelines for strengthening future LMM development in logistics and supply chain contexts, and introduces the OVRGP framework as a universal reference architecture for maturity model development across industries. It provides researchers, organizations, and consulting practitioners with a design reference standard for rigorous lean maturity instruments. Full article

Lean Construction has become a key strategy for improving productivity, reducing waste, and increasing efficiency in civil engineering projects. In parallel, advances in digital technologies have transformed the way engineering design and project planning processes are conceived and managed. However, there remains a limited systematic understanding of how emerging technologies support engineering design practices and influence the implementation and performance of Lean Construction in diverse civil engineering scenarios. This study presents a systematic literature review of 70 peer-reviewed articles published between 2019 and 2025, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The selected studies were examined using a structured classification framework consisting of three analytical categories: Technologies and Tools, Construction Methods and Sustainability, and Production Philosophies and Management. From an engineering design perspective, this framework allows the identification of technological trends, design-support tools, and management strategies that influence the planning, modeling, and optimization of construction processes. The results show that digital technologies, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), automation systems, Artificial Intelligence, and Industry 4.0 tools, play a significant role in supporting engineering design activities by improving project visualization, coordination, and decision-making during the design and planning stages. These technologies contribute to more integrated design processes aligned with Lean Construction principles. At the same time, the analysis reveals that the adoption of Lean Construction technologies varies depending on project characteristics, levels of digital maturity, and regional industry conditions. The main barriers identified in the literature include interoperability limitations, insufficient workforce training, and organizational resistance to technological change. Overall, the review provides a structured synthesis of recent research trends and highlights the technological and managerial factors that influence the successful integration of Lean Construction with engineering design practices in civil engineering. The findings contribute to bridging the gap between technological innovation, design methodologies, and Lean Construction implementation, offering insights for both researchers and practitioners seeking to improve efficiency, sustainability, and design performance in construction projects. Full article

Due to the context of market competitiveness and the economic and financial crisis, companies need to optimize their production systems, tracking the raw material from the suppliers until the final product arrives to the consumer. The Lean philosophy assumes a relevant role for today’s industries through its concepts and tools, enabling optimization, increasing revenues, and having the principle of not expropriating the environment. This article aims to analyse the level of maturity reached by industries in Luanda regarding the practices and tools of the Lean philosophy. A Lean graphic model was built, measured by the Lean Enterprise Self-Assessment Tool (LESAT) maturity model through qualitative and quantitative research focusing on the statistics of 87 circumscribed industries at Viana Industrial Development Pole in the Economic Special Zone of Luanda region, Angola. Initially was conducted an analysis to see whether Lean practices and tools were used: 5S, OKJust-In-Time, Kanban, Bottleneck Analysis, Jidoka, Kaizen, Poka-Yoke, SMED, Gemba, Heijunka, Value Stream Mapping, Hoshin Kanri, and Andon. The next steps were to analyse the following: customer value analysis; value chain analysis; analysis of the use of the pulled production system; and analysis of the use of the continuous production flow analysis of continuous improvement. The result shows these industries using the Lean philosophy at a very low level of maturity. Only the 5S tool was known and used. The JIT, Kanban, and Bottleneck Analysis were moderately used. Only 50% of Lean practices were used. Full article

Many projects in Indonesia have implemented new strategies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Many projects suffered unexpected losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and conditions were unpredictable. This situation must be considered by all stakeholders participating in a project. Another problem in the implementation of construction is the fragmentation between project participants. Therefore, a strategy is needed in each phase of the project life cycle. In the absence of proper planning, the contractor is the party responsible for bearing the risk associated with this occurrence. Improved project performance is a shared responsibility among owners, contractors, designers, and subcontractors, all of whom need to tap into their own sources of creativity and innovation. The potential of partnering as a tool for achieving lean construction performance, it is still in its infancy as a means of enhancing project outcomes. In this study, we used qualitative methods and in-depth interviews enhanced by focus group discussions of 14 experts (owners, designers, contractors, and academics) using the Delphi method. The results illustrate the maturity of partnering in integrated project delivery (IPD); therefore, its guiding philosophy can be developed and implemented to improve the outcomes of construction projects in terms of cost, quality, schedule, health and safety, and environmental performance. The most important part of this research is related to the implementation of the 17th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), i.e., partnerships to achieve the goals. This research contributes to a deepening of partnering practices that can drive performance in project implementation. Full article

The construction industry is considered as one of the least productive, highest energy consuming, and least digitized industries. The Lean Management (LM) philosophy became a significant way for eliminating non-value-added activities and wastes during a building’s lifecycle. However, studies have shown that philosophies are not efficient by themselves to solve the issues of the construction industry. They need to be supported with the appropriate technologies and tools. Therefore, the integrated use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) with LM or Value Engineering (VE) were proposed in the literature. Nonetheless, it was also seen that BIM can provide more insights and improvements when BIM is integrated with data analysis tools to analyze BIM data. In the literature, the synergies between these concepts are generally addressed pairwise, and there is no comprehensive framework which identifies their relationships. Therefore, this study aims to develop a maturity framework that facilitates the adoption of LM, VE, BIM, and Big Data Analytic (BDA) concepts to address long-standing productivity and digitalization issues in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Design Science Research (DSR) methodology and its three-cycle view (relevance, rigor, and design cycle) were applied to build the proposed maturity framework. Two interviews were performed to identify and observe research problem in relevance cycle. In the rigor cycle, a comprehensive literature review was performed to create a base for the development of the maturity framework. In addition to the developed base of the framework, lean processes were added to this cycle. In the design cycle, the developed framework was evaluated and validated by five experts through face-to-face interviews. The importance of employer’s requirements to adopt the proposed methodologies, the negative impact of change orders, the importance of pre-construction phases to facilitate value creation and waste elimination, and the usage of common data environment with BIM were identified as the prominent application and adaptation issues. Full article