https://doi.org/10.24928/2018/0398

Empirical Study on the Influence of Procurement Methods on Last Planner® System Implementation

Emmanuel I. Daniel¹, Christine Pasquire², Graham Dickens³ & Ramesh Marasini⁴

¹Lecturer in Construction Management, Southampton Solent University, UK [email protected]
²Professor of Lean Project Management & Director Centre for Lean Projects, Nottingham Trent University, UK, [email protected]
³Senior Lecturer, Nottingham Trent University, UK, [email protected]
⁴Associate Professor, Southampton Solent University, UK, [email protected]

Abstract

Previous studies have examined various factors that influence the implementation of the Last Planner System (LPS) in construction projects. However, there is limited documented evidence on the influence of procurement methods on the implementation of the LPS. The aim of this study, therefore; is to understand the influence of some selected procurement methods on the implementation of the LPS using case study approach. Three in-depth case studies were conducted on building and highways projects in the UK. The projects were managed with the LPS principles with dissimilar procurement methods. In addition to document analysis and physical observation, 28 in-depth-interviews were conducted. The investigation shows that the prevailing traditional mindset exhibited by the designers in the traditional design bid build (DBB) influences the quality of promises and commitments that could be made during the lookahead planning. From the study, it seems no single procurement method is a sure way to the full application of the LPS process on a project. The study observes that irrespective of the procurement route used, a mindset change towards collaboration among the different stakeholders on the project is fundamental to successful LPS implementation. For instance, on projects where DBB was used and the subcontractors were in framework agreement, the LPS implementation worked well among the subcontractors. The study recommends that the procurement approach to be used on LPS projects should not be too firm, but lithe enough to integrate collaborative working among the different stakeholders on the project for a smooth workflow

Keywords

Lean construction, Last Planner System, procurement methods, collaboration, make ready

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Reference

Daniel, E. I. , Pasquire, C. , Dickens, G. & Marasini, R. 2018. Empirical Study on the Influence of Procurement Methods on Last Planner® System Implementation, 26th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , 681-690. doi.org/10.24928/2018/0398

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