34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) - Singapore, Singapore - 2026

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0129

Variation management in prefabricated MEP installations: challenges and opportunities

Tuomas Valkonen1 & Olli Seppänen2

1Doctoral Researcher, Department of Civil Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-2710-5190
2Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-2008-5924

Abstract

Managing variation is an essential lean principle. Tolerance management remains marginal in construction and focuses on architectural and structural trades. Especially mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems have largely been neglected in tolerance management research, despite their critical role in project delivery. This research studies variation management, its challenges and opportunities for improvement in a plumbing renovation project through semi structured interviews and thematic analysis. The interview questions addressed prefabrication practices, planning processes, production and control activities, tolerance management, accuracy, and sources of variation. Three aggregate themes emerged as key results: (1) detection and management of deviations, (2) design information and tolerance management, and (3) management of change and personnel. Together these themes highlight the multifaceted nature and difficulty of variation management. The results emphasize that both technical and human factors must be addressed simultaneously while maintaining constancy of purpose. Improving installation guidelines and accelerating issue resolution were identified as key development areas. Stabilizing the production system provides an opportunity to further enhance productivity and shorten cycle times.

Keywords

Tolerance management, variability, variation, prefabrication, MEP.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Valkonen, T. & Seppänen, O.. (2026). Variation management in prefabricated MEP installations: challenges and opportunities. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 727–738). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0129

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Valkonen, T. & Seppänen, O.. (2026). Variation management in prefabricated MEP installations: challenges and opportunities. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0129

 

Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

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