Visual Lean planning tools in the construction industry: A case study

Caroline Saatvedt Witte, Satyanarayana Kokkula, Gerrit Muller (University of South-Eastern Norway)

Keywords
Visual planning boards;Lean construction;Last Planner System;Visual Lean planning
Abstract

Despite being the world’s most significant contributor to the global Gross Domestic Product, the construction industry has untapped potential in its productivity, with frequent project delays and conflicts. Thus, a growing number of contractors implement visual Lean tools, such as the Last Planner® System (LPS). The paper explores the essential visual Lean planning elements to increase the cohesion between planning and production in construction projects through a project case study and lessons learned in the industry. The research indicates that look-ahead plans, soundness checks, early phase planning, BIM models, and applying visual Lean planning in both the design and production phases are critical success factors when using the LPS.