Implementation of lean construction in the construction industry in Bangladesh: awareness, benefits and challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shakil Ahmed ◽  
Md. Mehrab Hossain ◽  
Iffat Haq
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Lean Construction ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lean Principles ◽  
Final Questionnaire ◽  
Real Scenario

PurposeConstruction management is enriched in many ways by direct and indirect support of lean construction concept. The objectives of this study are to assess the current level of awareness about lean construction practice, to identify the potential benefits and challenges to implement lean construction in the Bangladeshi construction industry and to prioritize them.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive literature review has been done to design a questionnaire for the survey. The final questionnaire has been designed with 27 lean tools, 41 challenges, and seven benefits of implementing lean principles in the construction industry. A total of 164 valid responses have been collected from Bangladeshi construction practitioners involved in different types of construction organizations. The result has been analyzed by Relative Important Index (RII).FindingsThe findings revealed 41 challenges to implement lean construction with seven benefits in the Bangladeshi construction industry. The result shows that an appreciable number of respondent familiar with the techniques of lean construction but they don't practice. The findings have also pointed out that the lean construction approach adds a positive impact especially on quality, safety, cost, productivity, and environmental level. The top-ranked challenges to implementing lean construction are: lack of awareness and skill, poor management, traditional culture and attitude of employees, inadequate resources and equipment and nonuse of modern techniques and technologies.Originality/valueThis study reveals real scenario of lean construction in Bangladesh. It contributes to the body of knowledge, as it uncovers for the first time the awareness level, benefits and challenges to implement lean construction with reference to the social, economic and cultural context of Bangladesh. Exploring the findings, the study could help the stakeholders, construction firms, academician, researchers and government to focus their effort and resources on the significantly appropriate issues. Again, the study may be beneficial to developing countries especially in South Asia which share the same socio-economic status with Bangladesh.

Challenges of implementing lean construction in the construction industry in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shakil Ahmed ◽  
Md Habibur Rahman Sobuz
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Lean Construction ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Construction Organizations ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
First Time

Purpose Construction management is ameliorated by the lean construction concept in many direct and indirect ways to reduce waste of construction process and improve the value. The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges of the implementation of lean construction in the Bangladeshi construction industry and to prioritize these factors that constitute these challenges. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive literature review was used for shorting the global challenges of implementing lean construction. Subsequently, these challenges were incorporated into a structured questionnaire for survey. A total of 164 valid responses were collected from Bangladeshi construction practitioners involved in different types of construction organizations. The results were analyzed using the Relative Important Index (RII) and Mann–Whitney U test. Findings The findings revealed 41 challenges of lean construction implementation in the Bangladeshi construction industry. The highest ranking challenges are the lack of awareness about lean construction, lack of skills, training and lean techniques, unwillingness to change the existing culture, lack of management commitment, fragmented and cyclic nature of the construction project and unavailing communication between all project participants. The study also discusses some universally applicable solutions to overcome these challenges. Originality/value By the findings of this study, the Bangladeshi construction industry could get a new insight into the challenges of implementing lean construction. It could play a very important part in the body of knowledge, as it reveals the challenges of implementing lean construction for the first time with the socio-economic context of Bangladesh. Exploring the findings, the study could help the stakeholders, companies, academician, researchers and government to focus their effort and resources on the significantly appropriate issues. Furthermore, this study may beneficial to those developing countries especially in South Asia, who have shared the same socio-economic status with Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Barriers to implementing lean construction practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) construction industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamil Sarhan ◽  
Bo Xia ◽  
Sabrina Fawzia ◽  
Azharul Karim ◽  
Ayokunle Olanipekun
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Lean Construction ◽  
The Body ◽  
Item Score ◽  
Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Principal Factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers to implementing lean construction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) construction industry and to prioritise the principal factors that constitute these barriers. Design/methodology/approach A literature review was initially used to reveal the global barriers to implementing lean construction. Subsequently, these barriers were incorporated into a structured questionnaire, and a convenience sample of 282 construction professionals in the KSA construction industry was surveyed. The results were analysed using mean item score (MIS), Mann–Whitney U test and principal component analysis (PCA). Findings The findings revealed 22 barriers to lean construction implementation in the KSA construction industry. Principal factors that constitute these barriers were found to be traditional practices, client related, technological, performance and knowledge and cost-related barriers in descending order of pervasiveness. The study also proposes solutions to overcome these principal barriers. Originality/value This study provides a global overview of the barriers to implementing lean construction. It contributes to the body of knowledge, as it uncovers for the first time the barriers to implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry with reference to the socio-cultural, economic and operational context of the KSA. Thus, it is relevant to other countries in the Middle East because of their shared similarities to the KSA. Furthermore, the solutions proposed to overcome these barriers in the KSA construction industry can be applied in other countries where similar barriers are identified.

Status of lean construction implementation among small and medium building contractors (SMBCs) in Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1691-1709
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Nsiah Ankomah ◽  
Joshua Ayarkwa ◽  
Kofi Agyekum
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Lean Construction ◽  
The Body ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Status

Purpose The purpose of this study is to ascertain the extent to which the practices of small and medium building contractors (SMBCs) conform to lean construction (LC) principles. Ultimately, practical results encourage a discourse on the true potentials and challenges to the holistic uptake of LC principles in the Ghanaian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on a qualitative case study approach. The data was obtained through face-to-face structured interviews. Findings Across the cases, it was realized that there is a low-level application of LC principles among SMBCs. There was no indication that lean concepts were used on a company-wide basis in the Ghanaian construction industry. Furthermore, the study revealed that the traditional wasteful approach to managing construction projects was still prevalent among the firms. Practical implications This paper uses the 4P model as a foundation for assessing the extent to which the practices of SMBCs conform to LC principles. Practically, the study also created a certain level of awareness among the SMBCs about LC, LC principles and the benefits of the application of these principles within organizations. Originality/value This study contributes to the body of knowledge as it uncovers the status of LC implementation among SMBCs in the Ghanaian construction industry. The findings that are presented in this paper can be used as a starting point to disseminate the research and practice of LC among SMBCs.

Coaching: an approach for leadership development in the Singapore education system

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe Suan Loy Boon
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Education System ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
The Body ◽  
Beginning Principals ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper aims to explore coaching as an approach to developing school leaders in the Singapore education system. It takes a close look at the nature of coaching experiences of beginning principals and principal-trainers, as well as the related benefits and challenges.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative inquiry approach was adopted, and four beginning principals and three principal-trainers were interviewed. An emergent coding method was deployed in data analysis.FindingsBeginning principals described a positive, helpful and empowering coaching experience when coached by principal-trainers. The latter skillfully asked questions in a safe, non-threatening space for deeper self-reflection. In the process, beginning principals gained greater self-awareness and self-empowerment, and appreciated the shared context of school leadership. While coaching is a useful leadership development approach, inherent implementation challenges were identified.Research limitations/implicationsCoaching as a system-wide strategy to support school leaders in Singapore has only recently been implemented. Further research using a larger sample is recommended as coaching becomes more pervasive.Practical implicationsThe findings revealed a compelling case for a more pervasive adoption of coaching as an approach to support leadership development. Coaching facilitates effective school leadership, and there is scope for self-coaching, peer coaching and coach supervision of principals, middle leaders and classroom teachers.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the nature and positive impact of principalship coaching within a specific policy and cultural context of the Singapore education system. It adds to the body of literature on principal preparation, development and support.

Exploring the barriers for implementing waste trading practices in the construction industry in Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiyamini Ratnasabapathy ◽  
Ali Alashwal ◽  
Srinath Perera
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
National Level ◽  
The Body ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Resource Utilisation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe construction industry is a major generator of waste, which has a high potential to yield a substantial amount of waste into the economy as a valuable resource. Waste trading (WT) is a sustainable strategy for improving resource utilisation and transitioning the construction industry towards the circular economy. However, resource recovery through WT is greatly impeded by several barriers which have not been highlighted in previous research. This paper aims to determine the barriers for implementing effective WT practices in the Australian construction and demolition (C&D) sector.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the aim of this research, a triangulation approach of quantitative and qualitative methods has been used. This mixed-method approach combines a comprehensive literature review, a questionnaire survey using an expert forum and semi-structured interviews with industry experts.FindingsThis study has explored a wide range of barriers to the practices of WT in the C&D sector, which have been categorised based on six perspectives. From a collective perspective, the technical barriers were found to be most important among other categories. The key individual barriers found in this study include the following: the high cost associated with sorting and processing of waste on-site, lack of consistent waste data and reporting system at project, industry and national level, insufficient secured and established market for reusable/recycled waste materials, lack of communication and coordination among stakeholders, lack of user-friendly and active web-based waste exchange systems (with reliable waste information) and lack of incentives from the government to encourage market development. Overcoming these barriers collectively would enable the wide application of WT, which in turn, would have a positive impact on the economy, environment and efficiency of the industry.Research limitations/implicationsThe outcomes of this study are based on the data collected only in the state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia which is considered as the limitation of this study.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the body of knowledge of C&D waste management (WM) by providing the theoretical and practical implications of closing the loop material cycle by highlighting the importance of economic and environmental benefits of WT. In this study, WT has been recognised as a sustainable strategy to manage waste by identifying the barriers impeding the wider application of effective trading practices in the C&D sector. The findings are useful to WM businesses engaged to establish new circular business models and to government/regulatory bodies in developing initiatives and incentives aiming to promote WT strategies and market platforms. Further research is suggested to test and validate the findings from other jurisdictions of Australia.

scholarly journals Framework for continuous agile technology roadmap updating

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Carlos ◽  
Daniel C. Amaral ◽  
Mauro Caetano
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Integrated Planning ◽  
Manufacturing Firm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technology Roadmap ◽  
Information Monitoring ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Agile Teams ◽  
Made In

Purpose Roadmapping has been used as an approach to support market, product and technology-integrated planning, resulting in a document commonly known as a roadmap. Despite the gains made in relation to the technique, recent studies indicate that most users leave or have difficulties in sustaining the process (i.e. maintaining the updated roadmaps). This paper aims to present a framework for continuous roadmap updating that incorporates principles from agile management fields. Design/methodology/approach The framework was developed through action research in a manufacturing firm in the construction industry. Findings The results demonstrate a positive impact on the degree of continuous information monitoring, roadmap credibility and use of the roadmap during innovation strategy decisions. Originality/value The key contribution of this framework is the demonstration of a new strategy for carrying out the maps in which information is internalized by the organization itself, using agile teams, without commissioned specialists and as part of the work standards.

Bibliometric analysis and critical review of the research on big data in the construction industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusheng Lu ◽  
Jiantong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Heterogeneous Data ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Distribution ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe digital revolution and the use of big data (BD) in particular has important applications in the construction industry. In construction, massive amounts of heterogeneous data need to be analyzed to improve onsite efficiency. This article presents a systematic review and identifies future research directions, presenting valuable conclusions derived from rigorous bibliometric tools. The results of this study may provide guidelines for construction engineering and global policymaking to change the current low-efficiency of construction sites.Design/methodology/approachThis study identifies research trends from 1,253 peer-reviewed papers, using general statistics, keyword co-occurrence analysis, critical review, and qualitative-bibliometric techniques in two rounds of search.FindingsThe number of studies in this area rapidly increased from 2012 to 2020. A significant number of publications originated in the UK, China, the US, and Australia, and the smallest number from one of these countries is more than twice the largest number in the remaining countries. Keyword co-occurrence is divided into three clusters: BD application scenarios, emerging technology in BD, and BD management. Currently developing approaches in BD analytics include machine learning, data mining, and heuristic-optimization algorithms such as graph convolutional, recurrent neural networks and natural language processes (NLP). Studies have focused on safety management, energy reduction, and cost prediction. Blockchain integrated with BD is a promising means of managing construction contracts.Research limitations/implicationsThe study of BD is in a stage of rapid development, and this bibliometric analysis is only a part of the necessary practical analysis.Practical implicationsNational policies, temporal and spatial distribution, BD flow are interpreted, and the results of this may provide guidelines for policymakers. Overall, this work may develop the body of knowledge, producing a reference point and identifying future development.Originality/valueTo our knowledge, this is the first bibliometric review of BD in the construction industry. This study can also benefit construction practitioners by providing them a focused perspective of BD for emerging practices in the construction industry.

Sustainable development

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle C. Brennan ◽  
Alison J. Cotgrave
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Industry Professionals

Purpose – Despite the surge of interest in construction sustainability and the many Government initiatives encouraging reform in the UK construction industry (CI), the prevalence of sustainable development (SD) in the industry is still largely lagging behind that of other industries. Given the amount of focus and activity identified nationally in this area, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons why this is not being translated into action and to seek counsel from industry professionals as to how they believe change can be achieved with a particular focus on how they believe higher education institutions (HEIs) can contribute. Design/methodology/approach – An explorative, qualitative study using three focus groups was of construction professionals. Findings – Despite a lack of action, many in industry support sustainability and actively attempt to engage in sustainable practices but a number of barriers preclude successful implementation. Government initiatives are having a positive impact, with participants believing that both Government and HEIs are imperative in driving the sustainability agenda forward. Research limitations/implications – Whilst limited in scale, this paper highlights the current state of the CI in relation to SD and evidences that progress is being made albeit slowly. The findings may help both Government and HEIs alongside industry in achieving how this can be overcome. Originality/value – Previous research in this area has generally adopted a quantitative approach. Adopting a qualitative approach provides a more in depth view as to why the status quo remains with regards to SD in the CI.

A review on the interactions of robotic systems and lean principles in offsite construction

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Gusmao Brissi ◽  
Oscar Wong Chong ◽  
Luciana Debs ◽  
Jiansong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Digital Fabrication ◽  
Lean Construction ◽  
Numerical Control ◽  
Automated Guided Vehicles ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lean Principles ◽  
Construction Automation ◽  
Journal Papers

PurposeThe purpose is two-fold: (1) to explore the interactions of robotic systems and lean construction in the context of offsite construction (OC) that were addressed in the literature published between 2008 and 2019 and (2) to identify the gaps in such interactions while discussing how addressing those gaps can benefit not only OC but the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry as a whole.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a systematic literature review (SLR) identified journal papers addressing the interactions of automation and lean in OC. Then, the researchers focused the analysis on the under-researched subtopic of robotic systems. The focused analysis includes discussing the interactions identified in the SLR through a matrix of interactions and utilizing literature beyond the previously identified articles for future research directions on robotic systems and lean construction in OC.FindingsThe study found 35 journal papers that addressed automation and lean in the context of OC. Most of the identified literature focused on interactions of BIM and lean construction, while only nine focused on the interactions of robotic systems and lean construction. Identified literature related to robotic systems mainly addressed robots and automated equipment. Additional interactions were identified in the realm of wearable devices, unmanned aerial vehicles/automated guided vehicles and digital fabrication/computer numerical control (CNC) machines.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies dedicated to exploring the interactions of robotic systems and lean construction in OC. Also, it proposes a categorization for construction automation and a matrix of interactions between construction automation and lean construction.

Cluster development policies and firms’ performance: evidence from an emerging economy in Latin America

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 687-726
Author(s):  
Diego Aboal ◽  
Marcelo Perera ◽  
Flavia Rovira
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Impact Evaluation ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Evaluation Methods ◽  
The Body ◽  
Maximum Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cluster Development ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Impact evaluations of cluster programs at firm level are still scarce in the literature. The available evidence on the effectiveness of such programs based on rigorous quantitative impact evaluations is mixed. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of literature the evaluates quantitatively the impact of cluster programs in emerging economies on firms’ performance. In particular, the authors evaluate the impact of a cluster program in Uruguay on firms’ sales and exports. Design/methodology/approach The authors use state-of-the-art impact evaluation methods to evaluate the impact of the program. In particular, difference in differences and matching methods Findings There is very strong evidence that the program had a positive impact on exports and the propensity to export of firms. However, the evidence of a positive impact on sales is weak. The evidence suggests that the maximum effect of the program can be found in the fourth or fifth year after the intervention. Originality/value The contribution of this paper to the literature is fourfold. First, this paper adds to the scarce body of literature evaluating the effects of cluster development programs with state-of-the-art impact evaluation methods. Second, it adds evidence for Latin America, a region that has implement a number of cluster policies (Maffioli et al., 2016) and where, as far as the authors know, there is only one additional paper evaluating rigorously the impacts of them (Figal-Garone et al., 2015). In addition, the authors provide evidence about the timing of the effects after the implementation of a cluster policy, an important issue that is mostly overlooked in the existent literature. Finally, the paper focus its attention on the impacts on exports and the propensity to export of firms, key elements for small open economies in Latin America that are heavily reliant on foreign currency inflows.

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