https://doi.org/10.24928/2019/0204

Toward Lean Management for Digital Fabrication: a Review of the Shared Practices of Lean, DfMA and dfab

Ming Shan Ng¹ & Daniel Mark Hall²

¹PhD student, Chair of Innovative and Industrial Construction, Dept. Civil, Env. and Geo. Eng., ETH Zurich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland, +41 44 633 44 25, [email protected]
²Assistant Professor, Chair of Innovative and Industrial Construction, +41 44 633 34 90, [email protected].

Abstract

Digital Fabrication (dfab) is emerging as a new technical and computational approach for the architecture and construction industry. However, managing dfab requires processes to account for integrated design and construction processes. Lean construction management and design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) offer two potential strategies for managing dfab. Although dfab, DfMA and lean have each been of wide interest among scholars, little research has examined their potential synergies. This paper conducts a literature review of all papers based on the authors' knowledge that discuss at least two of the three topics, and identifies common practices shared between the lean, DfMA and dfab. Two practices – design-to-target value and concurrent engineering – are found to be shared by all the three topics. Further, seven practices shared by two of the three topics: pull-planning, design-to-cost, standardisation, Jidoka, Just-in-Time, design-to-construct and knowledge sharing. This paper demonstrates the opportunities for synergies between lean, DfMA and dfab, and concludes with suggestions for future research to further investigate implementation of lean management for dfab in construction.

Keywords

Lean Construction, Design Management, DfMA, Digital Fabrication, Literature Review

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Reference

Ng, M. S. & Hall, D. M. 2019. Toward Lean Management for Digital Fabrication: a Review of the Shared Practices of Lean, DfMA and dfab, Proc. 27th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) , 725-736. doi.org/10.24928/2019/0204

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